Bingsu from Sulmida Snow Dessert Cafe

Bingsu is something we always see Mike Chen (Strictly Dumplings) eat in his videos when in South Korea. After our ramen dinner at Yaguchiya Ramen, we had dessert from Sulmida Snow Dessert Cafe.

Green Tea and Red Bean Sulmida Mini Bingsu Cups

It was raining this evening, but the cafe is so warm that enjoying the Bingsu is such a comfort.

Korean Dessert Cafe

What is Bingsu?

"Bingsu, sometimes written as bingsoo, is a Korean shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings that may include chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup, and red beans. The most common variety is pat-bingsu, the red bean shaved ice." - Wikipedia

Dinner at Yaguchiya Ramen

Happy Tuesday! Our family doctor is near Metrotown, which means every appointment is an opportunity to explore the different restaurants in the area.

It was raining all day, which is expected in Vancouver, but we usually just stay home most days. However, the trip going all the way to Burnaby felt so much longer than it really was. The rain, traffic, and everything was such a great reminder why hubby and I decided and wanted to stay in our current neighbourhood close to work, groceries, church, and almost everything we need - except a family doctor, apparently.

It's not all bad. We would grab groceries at The Canadian Superstore and decided to walk the crosswalk, and the first restaurant we saw was Yaguchiya Ramen. I was hesitant at first because the restaurant looked small outside, but it's a decent size inside, and it's well-lit as well. They also checked vaccination cards, and they refused a couple who failed to download their vaccination card. The host recommended they order takeout instead. Thankfully they did without fuss and drama.

Ramen

I ordered my usual Miso Ramen, and it was delicious but not as impressive as the Yaguchiya Special Ramen which hubby ordered. I kept getting a spoonful of broth from his bowl.

Yaguchiya Special Ramen
Pork and chicken broth, three pork chashu, seasoned egg, spinach, roasted seaweed and leeks with shoyu base.

Miso Ramen
Pork and chicken broth, pork chashu, bean sprouts, corn, and chives with miso base.

Sides

For the sides, I ordered Gyoza and Yaguchiya Bun. The Gyoza is as expected from a ramen shop - it didn't taste like it's been in the freezer forever. I love the fluffy buns. I ordered two, but they only have one left, which we had to share.

Yaguchiya Bun (braised pork belly bun) and 5 pieces of Gyoza

I was already telling hubby that we need to come back and try the other ramen when we're in the area again.

Cool History

Here is a short history of Yaguchiya Ramen.

Yaguchiya Ramen is an iekei style of ramen that originated from Yokohama, Japan, in 1994. In 1997, the second restaurant opened in Hiratsuka City. Finally, the 3rd location opened 20 years later (2017) in Burnaby, BC, Canada!

It's been so long since I've had ramen inside a restaurant, and it's such a comforting food and meal. Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful experience.

Lunch at Earls Kitchen + Bar Restaurant

Happy rainy Sunday! We started today with two breakfast sandwiches and a venti drink from Starbucks. Unfortunately, the location we visited didn't have outdoor seating, so we decided to hang out at Blenz coffee near the Church. We enjoyed sitting outside while munching on their rancheros breakfast wrap, watching the rain, and discussing plans and random things. Thank God for moments like this.

After Mass, we decided to have lunch at Earls Kitchen + Bar Restaurant at West Broadway and Fir Street. The host asked if we were willing to wait because it'll be 20 to 25 minutes. It was roughly 12:30 PM. I said, sure. We were standing outside for five minutes when spots became available in the waiting area indoors.

We kept ourselves entertained, and after having two breakfasts, we weren't hungry. So at 1:05 PM, we were finally seated.

Our server thanked us for patiently waiting and apologized for the delay. The manager also offered the first round of drinks on the house. The server also mentioned that the kitchen is backed up, so it might be a few more minutes before we get food. We didn't mind. Hubby and I just spent the time discussing our different applications.

When he came back, we were ready for our order. For sharing, we had Warm Spinach + Three Cheese Dip. Then, for our drinks, hubby had PB&J (yes, they have a PB&J cocktail!) while I had a Pineapple Cucumber Mule.

Warm Spinach + Three Cheese Dip
Artichokes, creamy garlic, chives

I enjoyed our appetizer and drinks. You can also ask for additional bread to make sure you wipe clean the dip.

PB&J
Screwball Peanut Butter whiskey, raspberry jelly, red wine and fresh lemon - contains peanuts.
Pineapple Cucumber Mule
Ginger, pineapple, passion fruit, fresh lime, cucumber, star anise extract, and soda

For our main course, hubby ordered Canadian Prime Sirloin while I have Garlic Prawn Spaghettini.

9oz Canadian Prime Sirloin
Classic sirloin served with buttery garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Garlic Prawn Spaghettini
Chilli and clam sauce, herbs, garlic bread

On my first bite of the Garlic Prawn Spaghettini, I thought it was bland, but as I continued eating and mixing the pasta with the clam sauce, which settled at the bottom of the plate, it's so delicious. I love the subtle heat from the chilli.

The Earls menu is quite extensive, so I'll try other dishes first, but I will definitely order this again.

SOLD OUT | Buy Capiz Parol in Metro Vancouver

We have on hand limited quantities of high-quality Parol (Christmas Lantern) from the Philippines. It's available for pickup in Richmond, BC.

Only $200 CAD

SOLD OUT

14-inch Boungavillae Capiz Parol (Christmas Lantern)

14-inch Boungavillae Capiz Parol (Christmas Lantern) from The Philippines is available now in Metro Vancouver

How to order Capiz Parol in Metro Vancouver?

1. Complete this order form.
2. Pick-up only in Richmond, BC.
3. Payment will be cash (exact amount only) on pick-up or prepaid using Interac E-Transfer.

Visit the website for more pictures.

SOLD OUT! 

The design below is already sold out.

14-inch Starlight Capiz Parol (Christmas Lantern)

14-inch Starlight Capiz Parol (Christmas Lantern) from the Philippines available now in Metro Vancouver

Dinner from KFC | 25% off Black Friday Deal 2021

KFC Canada had a promo of 25% off for Black Friday on all Festive Buckets. So, of course, I won't pass on a good deal and a delicious meal. Plus, the festive bucket is quite adorable.

I also ordered two Popcorn Chicken Bowl meals because I wanted some iced tea. Somehow, the bottled ice tea is not available under the drinks section.

Festive Double Bucket Meal

Festive Double Bucket Meal and Popcorn Chicken Bowl

It's such a food coma, "what is diet" meal. I need to exercise consistently to lose all the calories from dinner. Otherwise, it's so satisfying. ❤

Lunch from Papa's Kitchen

I love my parents. We didn't order HelloFresh this week and I don't want to cook or plan for meals. My parents to the rescue! I mentioned to my mom in passing last Wednesday that we don't have ulam (viand).

On Friday, she sent me a message saying that my dad got lucky and one of his most recent dishes was delicious. 😂 He cooked pinakbet (a Filipino dish with vegetable, meat, stewed in fish sauce and fermented fish (bagoong).

Our conversation went something like this.

Mom: Gusto mo pinakbet? Nagluto si Papa mo, naka-chamba. Masarap. (Do you want pinkabet? Your dad cooked some, he got lucky that it's delicious).
Me: Sure. What else do you have?
Mom: What else do you want?
Me: Whatever you already have.

😂 I don't have any specific food requests, but we need food.

Then, today my mom called saying they'll bring us food and she'll call once they are downstairs.

Feast from my parents
From left to right starting on the upper left: Macaroni salad, biko (sweet rice cake), pork sisig, grilled tilapia, pinakbet, and chicken tinola (ginger soup).

It's a feast! I know my dad loves cooking for us (me and my younger sister who lives in Downtown), and we're more than happy to enjoy the food he prepares. That's why it's so hard to lose weight. 🤣

We finished the grilled tilapia for lunch and it was delicious. The meat is so delicate and soft. I am happy that they are using the indoor grill we gave them last Christmas.

The macaroni salad and biko is something my mom prepared. She knows I am not a fan of both so she gave us some specifically for my husband to enjoy. You should see the smile on hubby's face devouring the macaroni salad. I took a spoonfool and it was delicious, no wonder he's grinning from ear to ear.

I am actually working today (Saturday) because we're expecting lots of people to call about our Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals, but the food and love from my parents just melted all the stress away.

Happy Saturday!

Week 10 of HelloFresh: Six Meals

You can (finally!) order six different meals in HelloFresh, which means dinner (and lunch) for twelve out of the 21 meals in a week.

Cal Smart Caper-Dill Dressed Salmon with Couscous, Tomatoes, and Spinach
HelloFresh Description: Capers add a briny flavour pop to salmon draped in a creamy Dijon-dill sauce. Underneath, theres a bed of lemony couscous to catch all those lovely flavours. Calorie Smart is based on a per-serving calculation of the recipe's kilocalorie amount.

Kale and Black Bean Quesadillas with Fresh Tomato Salsa and Crema
HelloFresh Description: Forget all meaty Tex-Mex quesadillas of the past! This veggie beauty is jam-packed with hearty kale and filling beans. The secret to this memorable Tex-Mex feast is the refreshing salsa made with tomatoes, cilantro and lime. Simple, yet so satisfying! 

Sweet 'n' Sour Chicken with Veggie Fried Rice
HelloFresh Description: Riffing on classic Chinese-Canadian dishes, for tonight's dinner we've simplified familiar favourites like fried rice and sweet and tangy chicken so you don't have to wait for takeout anymore!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Bowls with Green Onion Rice
These bowls are bursting with flavour! Chicken is seasoned and pan-fried, then tossed with veggies in an utterly irresistible sweet chili-teriyaki sauce, all on a bed of fluffy basmati rice. Happy eating!

Spiced Lamb Noodles with Honey-Chili Drizzle
These spiced lamb noodles will have you dreaming 'Take me to Queens, NY!' Inspired by the iconic Xi’an Famous Foods' lamb and hand-pulled noodle dish, full of aromatic spice and fresh herbs. In place of handmade noodles, we've added easy-to-cook linguine. To add a final flourish, drizzle the spicy honey sauce over top!

Butternut Squash Ravioli Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Toasted Pine Nuts and Baby Tomatoes
HelloFresh Description: We love tomatoes all year long here at HelloFresh and this dish combines some of our favourite pairings. Creamy Parmesan, sweet baby tomatoes and bright basil pesto make it feel like summer. A little squeeze of lemon at the end brings the whole dish together!

HelloFresh forgot the squash ravioli for the Butternut Squash Ravioli dish. I had to use the whole wheat spaghetti we already have at home.

I am skipping HelloFresh next week, because most of the meals that doesn't require an oven has a calorie count of more than 900 per serving.