Salted Chocolate Tart for Desserts at Loafe Cafe in UBC

After doing the Great Trek and having lunch at Kinton Ramen, hubby requested sweets, so I searched for the nearest cake source, and Google Maps suggested Loafe Cafe.

When we arrived at the store, there were no cakes, but many pastries were available.

Salted Chocolate Tart

It was smooth and sweet but with a hint of bitterness which we can guess came from using dark chocolate.

Date Bar

The date bar tastes healthier than the Salted Chocolate Tart but is also sweet. I surprisingly enjoyed it more than the tart.

Beef Spicy Garlic Ramen for lunch at Kinton Ramen in UBC | Great Trek 21.1 km Half Marathon

Happy Saturday! My husband is running the Half Marathon of the Great Trek at UBC. He left early while I was still asleep. I left our home at 9:45 AM and arrived at 10:30 AM. Thank God it wasn't raining, and my hubby finished the run safely.

After his run and resting for a bit, we grabbed lunch at Kinton Ramen.

Lunch at Kinton Ramen

Golden Sesame Ramen
Pork broth with white sesame paste and thick noodles, topped with seasoned ground pork, seasoned egg, spinach, bean sprouts, scallion, chilli oil, shredded chilli, white pepper, and fried onion.

Hubby ordered the Fall Special: Golden Sesame Ramen. The sesame paste flavour is intense! It reminds me of Tan Tan ramen, but with the peanut flavour more subtle.

Beef Spicy Garlic Ramen
Thick noodles in spicy beef broth topped with beef brisket, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, grated garlic, shredded chilli pepper, and scallions.

I love the Beef Spicy Garlic Ramen. First, the beef brisket is tender. The broth was spicy and salty, but the grated garlic provides a subtle sweetness which helps clean the palate allowing you to take another spoonful of the soup. I was so tempted to order extra noodles and had to remind myself of my weight goals. 

Takoyaki
Deep-fried octopus balls, tonkatsu sauce, mayo, bonito flakes, and aonori

The takoyaki is delicious and with a generous amount of octopus. I can't wait to return to Kinton and try their other ramen.

Best Pho in Vancouver

It's now starting to get colder and rain is back in Vancouver. With that in mind, there are two food I love to keep me warm: Ramen and Pho.

In this post, I will make a list of best pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) spots in Vancouver according to articles in the first page of the Google search results.

1. Best pho in Vancouver you need to try at least once on Daily Hive | October 17, 2022
2. 10 Best Pho & Vietnamese Noodle Spots In Vancouver To Hit Up On A Rainy Day on Noms Magazine | October 26, 2021
3. The Top Pho Places in Vancouver on VancouverMom.ca | March 29, 2022
4. Here are 10 restaurants to get the best pho in Vancouver on Curiocity | March 24, 2021
5. 5 Best Places for Pho in Vancouver on Monecristo Magazine | January 8, 2020

Let's begin!

Delicious!

Best Pho in Vancouver: Anh and Chi

All five articles included Anh and Chi on their list of the best pho in Vancouver.

Second Best Pho in Vancouver: Mr. Red Cafe

Mr. Red Cafe appeared in four of the five articles mentioned above.

Three Votes: Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen and Do Chay

Both Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen and Do Chay were included in three of the five articles.

I need to up my pho game! I haven't tried any of the spots above.

List of Best Pho in Vancouver

Recommended by two of the five articles:

• Cafe Dang Anh
• Lunch Lady
• Pho Goodness
• Viet House

Recommended by one of the five articles:

• Baoguette Vietnamese Bistro
• Bún Riêu Phương Nam
• Cambie Vietnamese Restaurant
• ☑️ Chau Veggie Express - February 2018
• Co'm Vietnamese
• Gold Train Express Restaurant
• Hải Phòng Vietnamese Restaurant
• Hanoi Pho Restaurant
• Joyeaux Café & Restaurant
• Le Petit Saigon
• Linh Cafe
• Lotus Seed Vegan
• Merci Beacoup Cafe
• Mui Ngo Gai Restaurant
• ☑️ Pho 37 - September 2021 and January 2022
• Pholicious Vietnamese Restaurant
• Pho Duy Restaurant
• Phở Tân Restaurant
• Pho Zen Vietnamese Cuisine
• Song Huong Restaurant
• ☑️ Thai Son - October 2017
• Trung Nguyen Cafe
• Viet Mama Cafe

Map of the Best Pho in Vancouver

Map Legend:

• Red: 1/5
• Orange: 2/5
• Yellow: 3/5
• Green: 4/5
• Blue: 5/5
• Check: I have visited.

I'm Back! 8th HelloFresh Box for 2022 | Free HelloFresh Box Promo Code

I cancelled my HelloFresh Box last March because cooking is exhausting. HelloFresh would sometimes send me coupons via email, which I just promptly delete, but they sent me a snail mail of a 50% discount on my first two boxes if I came back before October 15, then 20% for the following two boxes after that.

I won't pass up free or at least discounted food, especially with inflation.

Our HelloFresh box arrived Saturday morning via FedEx.

Teriyaki Beef Bowls with Edamame Rice and Garlicky Broccoli

When did we enjoy this? Sunday and Tuesday lunch

Instead of garlic salt, I would be happy to grate and use real garlic to get the "garlicky broccoli" because this meal came out bland.

Teriyaki Beef Bowls with Edamame Rice and Garlicky Broccoli from HelloFresh

Spicy Apricot Chicken with Garden Veggie Orzo

When did we enjoy this? Sunday dinner and Monday lunch

Yum! I wished I had cooked the orzo for a couple more minutes to make them softer, but the apricot chicken was delicious! I wished there were more vegetables in the "veggie orzo," but overall a delightful meal I'll be happy to order again.

Spicy Apricot Chicken with Garden Veggie Orzo from HelloFresh

Crumbled Crispy Falafel Salad with Garlicky Hummus and DIY Croutons

When did we enjoy this? Monday dinner

This is the first time in a while that we decided to eat one serving for one meal instead of splitting it in two, and there's a lot of salad, and I used the wrong plate because it's spilling. I'm not sure if the "garlicky hummus" adds anything to the salad, but the falafel, croutons, and all the vegetables work well together. The radish is a nice touch.

Crumbled Crispy Falafel Salad with Garlicky Hummus and DIY Croutons from HelloFresh

Thai-Style Sweet Chili Chicken with Cilantro-Lime Rice

When did we enjoy this? Tuesday dinner and Thursday lunch

The Thai-Style Sweet Chili Chicken had a substitution of sriracha instead of Chili-Garlic Sauce. The dish gave off a funky smell. I love the heat, but something felt off.

Thai-Style Sweet Chili Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice from HelloFresh

Turkish-Spiced Beef with Garlic Toum Sauce

When did we enjoy this? Wednesday dinner and Friday lunch

This meal smelled so good but wasn't as flavourful as it could be. I'm not sure what's missing.

Turkish-Spiced Beef with Garlic Toum Sauce from HelloFresh

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Vancouver Canucks Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

Yes! Yes! Yes! Tim Hortons has a Vancouver Canucks dream donut designed with the Vancouver Canucks logo. It's not exclusive to the Toronto Maple Leafs, as I initially thought.

Vancouver Canucks Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

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List of Dream Donuts from Tim Hortons

I arranged it alphabetically instead of chronologically.

Apple Pie Dream Donut Birthday Cake Confetti Dream Donut Black Forest Filled Ring Dream Donut Chocolate Hazelnut Eclair Dream Creamy Maple Pecan Dream Donut Dulce de Leche Easter Nest Dream Donut Hershey's S'mores Dream Donut Matcha Coconut Dream Donut New York Cheesecake Dream Donut

Penguin Dream Donut Pumpkin Spice Dream Donut Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake Dream Donut Sea Salted Caramel Dream Strawberry Shortcake Filled Ring Toronto Maple Leafs Dream Donut Vancouver Canucks Dream Donut Vanilla Bean Dip Dream Donut Vanilla Cream Puff Filled Ring

Baker's Choice Donut from Tim Hortons

Happy Sunday! We went to the closest Tim Hortons location to our home and checked if there was anything new in the dream donut scene. I spotted the Baker's Choice description in a couple of donuts and asked the cashier about it.

Baker's Choice Donut from Tim Hortons

Venetian-filled yeast donut, chocolate dipped and designed for Halloween.

Maple dip Venetian-filled donut topped with chocolate drizzle and candied bacon.

Baker's Choice gives the baker a say in the decorating. Bakers are invited to display their creativity with locally-created (branch-specific) Baker's Choice.