Barbacoa and Totopos from Zapoteca Mexican Grill and Seafood

When a Mexican acquaintance says that Zapoteca Mexican Grill and Seafood is the most authentic Mexican restaurant in South Surrey, you believe her.

I am working in South Surrey this week to train my replacement (I am leaving my current job). Since I am rarely on this side of Metro Vancouver, I sent a message to a former colleague, and we scheduled to have dinner this evening.

We arrived at Zapoteca Mexican Grill and Seafood and got the last table on their patio that was not reserved. It's definitely different from the Tex-Mex (Americanized Mexican) food you see at most of the places in Metro Vancouver. I don't recognize most dish names except for the one I ordered, which is the Barbacoa, while my friend chose Totopos for us to share.

Totopos from Zapoteca Mexican Grill and Seafood
Fresh made guacamole, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese, pico de Gallo, house made corn chips

The house-made corn chips are amazing. It's obviously fried and made in the restaurant. I've only seen one other restaurant that makes their corn chips fresh in-store: The Mexican Antojitos y Cantina in Downtown Vancouver. It's served with fresh pico de gallo and creamy guacamole.

Barbacoa felt the safest option because it's something I have heard previously. It was served in a stone mortar with banana leaves at the bottom. It is accompanied by cilantro, onions, habanero sauce, and corn tortillas.

Barbacoa from Zapoteca Mexican Grill and Seafood
Slow braised beef sirloin and pork shoulder with beer and dried chiles, served in a stone mortar with banana leaves, cilantro, onions, habanero sauce, and corn tortillas.

The meat is so tender and quickly falls apart. I took a corn tortilla and used it as a base for building a Barbacoa taco. In one taco, I ate it with just meat. I added a habanero sauce making a spicy taco on the next one. Then, I tried one with onions. Lastly, a mix of everything. I never knew eating tacos could be this fun and amusing - each taco is so different.

Sweet Chili Dip and Cajun Dip for Chicken McNuggets from McDonald's

Since trying the McDonald's® Ghost Pepper Sauce, I do my best to try new Chicken McNuggets dip. They recently released two sauces: the Sweet Chili and the Cajun.

10 Chicken McNuggets with Sweet Chili Sauce and Cajun Sauce from McDonald's

Sweet Chili Sauce from McDonald's

It's the spicier of the two dips. It hits you with the tangy kick of heat, then tones it down with sweetness. The McDonald's sauce has a smooth and slightly thick consistency.

Sweet Chili Sauce from McDonald's

Cajun Sauce from McDonald's®

Because I tried the Sweet Chili Sauce first, I didn't get any spiciness from the McDonald's Cajun Sauce. However, it's definitely more creamy in texture, and the flavour is more savoury and smoky.

Cajun Sauce from McDonald's

Both sauces are enjoyable. I prefer the Sweet Chili for the McNuggets and the Cajun Sauce for the fries.

Caramel Popcorn McFlurry from McDonald’s®

Have you had stale popcorn? You know the one I'm talking about! It's when the popcorn is softer and chewier instead of crispy. That's how the Caramel Popcorn in the McDonald’s^® McFlurry feels like.

Caramel Popcorn McFlurry from McDonald’s®

Caramel Popcorn McFlurry is the special dessert from McDonald’s^® this summer. While the popcorn flavour is there, the context is just really off.

Caramel Popcorn McFlurry from McDonald’s®

Caramel Popcorn McFlurry from McDonald’s®

Can we please have peanut McFlurry instead? Or maybe even peanut butter? Or even pretzels?

Food Adventure at Greek Day on Broadway 2023

Happy Sunday! My husband ran the Vancouver Half Marathon this morning, and after resting a bit at home, we headed to the fun on Greek Day on Broadway. It was as hot as last year, and we ate the same delicious food we enjoyed in 2022.

Greek Sausages from Camp Metamorphosis BC

We started walking the stretch of West Broadway from Macdonald Street, and the first not-for-profit food booth we spotted was Camp Metamorphosis British Columbia which supports Greek youth. They're selling Authentic Greek Sausages.

I'm famished! The sausage is perfectly cooked with a snappy skin and juicy interior, but I absolutely love the warmed pita with tzatziki and feta cheese. It's perfect!

Authentic Greek Sausages from Camp Metamorphosis BC
With pita, tzatziki, feta, and roasted pepper

Pork Souvlaki from the Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey & the Fraser Valley

We loved the Pork Souvlaki last year and got it again this year. The bread they serve it with is so soft. Yum!

Pork Souvlaki from the Greek Orthodox Community of Surrey & the Fraser Valley

Loukoumades from Hellenic Canadian Senior's Society of Metropolitan Vancouver

I am so happy! It took a year, but we finally tried loukoumades from the Hellenic Canadian Senior's Society. We failed to order from them last year, so getting the traditional Greek doughnut to support the seniors is our priority this year.

Loukoumades from the Hellenic Canadian Senior's Society of Metropolitan Vancouver
Loukoumades is a delicious traditional Greek doughnut drenched in Sweet Honey Syrup & topped with cinnamon and sesame seeds.

Lamb Chops from the Cretan Association

We ordered a 1/4 kg lamb chop combo from the Cretan Association last year and got it again this year. The lamb chops have a beautifully caramelized exterior while remaining tender and juicy on the inside. We ate it near where they were grilling the meat, and it smelled amazing. The high heat from grilling helped seal the natural juices from the lamb, resulting in a mouthwatering bite each time. It was served with fries, pita, and tzatziki sauce. Dip everything in that tzatziki!

A quarter kilo of lamb chop combo served with fries, tzatziki, and pita bread.

My husband also spotted my brother enjoying loukoumades, so seeing and briefly catching up with him at Greek Day on Broadway 2023 was a pleasant surprise.

After enjoying our lamb chops, we walked the rest of Broadway that's closed off to see if there were still any non-profit food booths, and we couldn't find any, so we decided to go home. The heat, walking around, and being unable to sit started getting to me, so we took the bus home.

Chicken Tikka Masala from HelloFresh

For dinner, hubby and I prepared the Chicken Tikka Masala with Carrots and Garlic Rice from our HelloFresh box. It's the last HelloFresh meal for a while until I figure out the schedule for my new work.

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Chicken Tikka Masala with Carrots and Garlic Rice

HelloFresh Description

"Bold tikka masala and cream coat tender chicken and sweet carrots in this quick and easy curry! The aromas will make you want to dig in before this hits the table."

Chicken Tikka Masala with Carrots and Garlic Rice
Bold tikka masala and cream coat tender chicken and sweet carrots in this quick and easy curry! The aromas will make you want to dig in before this hits the table.

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The chicken was tender and marinated in flavourful tikka sauce and curry paste. Meanwhile, adding carrots provides a texture contrast offering a slight crunch, while the spinach adds a pop of freshness and colour to the dish.

Rocky Road Dream Cookie from Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons recently announced a Dream Cookie lineup that includes the Rocky Road Dream Cookie. I am used to the dream donut and always keep an eye out for it, but the dream cookie is a pleasant change for the fast food chain.

Rocky Road Dream Cookie™
A rich chocolate cookie stuffed with pecans and marshmallows.

We went to our favourite Tims location, and only the Rocky Road Dream Donut was in stock. It has everything you expect and loves from rocky road flavour ice cream: marshmallows, chopped nuts, and chocolate chips. It's a pleasant surprise that the cookie is moist. I enjoyed it.

Hopefully, the other two dream cookie will be available tomorrow and is as good as this one.

Chicken and Fish Katsu from Tokyo Katsu-Sand Food Truck

 Hubby and I travelled to Burnaby to see the festivities at Pinoy Festival.

Pinoy Festival 2023 at Burnaby

There were a lot of booths for Filipino merchandise, Filipino realtors, immigration consultants, and different groups and societies. Unfortunately, there were only four food vendors (not counting Macao Imperial Tea), and they're set up side-by-side. The line is crazy for each one, and they're on top of each other. It's hard to know which line goes to which vendor.

That's why we opted for the food truck Tokyo Katsu-Sand even though the Filipino Pork BBQ skewers smell so good. 🤤

We ordered the Chicken-Katsu and Fish-Katsu. Both are delicious, but the fish is definitely better. Because the bread is perfectly toasted and crispy, the delicate meat of the fish provides such a soft contrast.

Chicken-Katsu
Deep-fried chicken cutlet, shredded cabbage, homemade chicken-katsu sauce, and mustard-mixed mayonnaise

I'll go for the fish again next time. Or maybe the Ebi will be back, and we can try it too.

Fish-Katsu
Deep-fried black code cutlet, shredded cabbage, homemade tartar sauce, and homemade fish-katsu sauce

The Pinoy Fiesta was fun, but I prefer the Proudly Philippines Food and Travel Fair just because there are more food options. 😁 Hubby suggested that each Filipino society could sell its own product or partner with a food vendor for one (imagine buying Bicol Express or Pili Nuts from the Bicol Association).

I'm still deciding whether to travel to Surrey for Extravaganza; we'll see what our schedule is like then. 😁