Dinner at Ramen Gojiro

It's the 6th ramen shop we have gone to in the last 5 weeks as we continue going through the list of the Best Ramen restaurants in Vancouver.

1. January 22 - Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba
2. January 23 - Jinya Ramen Bar
3. January 29 - Kintaro Ramen
4. February 5 - Menya Raizo
5. February 12 - Kinton Ramen
6. February 19 (today) - Ramen Gojiro

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It's a busy and productive Saturday for us. We started the morning with breakfast I prepared at home. Then, we visited the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Afterwards, we watched the free intrasquad match of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place.

We also realize that we can attend our first in-person Mass at the Holy Rosary Cathedral. Finally, to end the day, we had dinner at Ramen Gojiro.

This is actually one of my favourite ramen places because of those delicious broth-soaked chicken karaage.

Yokohama Iekei Ramen
"Homestyle" pork and chicken broth with shoyu flavour based from Yokohama. Thick noodles with very flavourful broth with depth and complexity

Light Spicy Ramen with Chashu
Our signature broth with a perfect balance of pork and chicken. Spicy sauce with a hint of sweetness

My absolute favourite is the Spicy Ramen, and I dipped our chicken karaage on the broth.

Karaage Original
House-made crispy deep, fried chicken

Mario's Gelati Ice Cream: Panda
The combination of rich black sesame gelato with a vanilla gelato centre. Topped off with roasted black sesame seeds.

For future me, here's the menu of Ramen Gojiro and what you have tried.

Ramen

☑️ Basic / Basic Bakamori

☑️ Spicy / Spicy Bakamori

☑️ Yokohama Iekei

⬜ Shoyu

☑️ Yuzu Shio

⬜ Vegetarian

Tsukemen

⬜ Tsukemen

⬜ Spicy Tsukemen

Sides

☑️ Gyoza

⬜ Spicy Gyoza

⬜ Matcha Vege Gyoza

☑️ Karaage

⬜ Fried Rice

⬜ Spicy Fried Rice

Donburi

☑️ Pork Katsu Curry Don

⬜ Sauce Pork Katsu Don

⬜ Chicken Karaage Don

Mini Don

⬜ Mini Mama's Chashu Don

⬜ Mini Teri Chashu Don

⬜ Mini Curry Don

Dessert

⬜ Home Made Match Pudding

⬜ Bacio Nero Ice Cream

☑️ Panda Ice Cream

⬜ Mango Ice Cream

Lunch at BC Place | Blue vs. White match Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Today, the Whitecaps FC hosted a fan and family-friendly Blue vs. White intrasquad match at BC Place. Entrance is free, but it's first-come, first-serve, and only sections 212 to 216 are open. Head coach Vanni Sartini and the first team take on a group comprised of players for the upcoming MLS NEXT Pro squad.

It's good to be back at BC Place!

It's great to be back in BC Place! Since it's first come, first serve, and the gate opens at 1:30 PM, we were already in line at 12:30 PM (because I like being first, haha).

First Fan in BC Place!

After grabbing our chosen seat, I ordered Classic Poutine and French Fries from the Poutinerie. Then, mini donuts just before the game started. I wanted another dozen mini donuts, but they're sold out.

Classic Poutine from The Poutinerie

Mini Donuts inside BC Place

Mini donuts are now my BC Place guilty pleasure. 

The game was alright. I am so excited and terrified for the upcoming season. I want the Whitecaps to do well, and I fear disappointment.

Blue vs. White match Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place

First Filipino-inspired dish in our Fourth HelloFresh Box for 2022

Finally, I'll be able to try HelloFresh's rendition of a Filipino dish, and this week they are offering a Caldereta-Style Ground Beef. Let's see how it went!

Our HelloFresh box arrived Saturday morning delivered by FedEx. Unfortunately, we decided to go on a random date that day, so I couldn't cook any HelloFresh meals.

Superbowl Sunday Brunch and Wednesday Lunch: Cal Smart Turkey Chili

It's Superbowl day, and I know we're going to eat tons of game day finger food for lunner (lunch and dinner), so for brunch, I chose the lowest calorie meal from our HelloFresh box, which is the Cal Smart Turkey Chili with Lime Crema which we also had last year.

Cal Smart Turkey Chili with Lime Crema

HelloFresh Description: Jam-packed with nutrients to keep you strong but still delivering on flavour, this recipe proves you can satisfy that chilli craving.

#MeatlessMonday Valentine's Day Breakfast and Thursday Lunch: Zucchini and Lemon Linguine

We loved this dish last year, and it deserves to be our first meal on Valentine's day! Unfortunately, HelloFresh forgot to add the basil pesto to my box. It's honestly frustrating that I am paying so much money for a premium service that missed an ingredient in two of the four boxes we ordered so far.

Zucchini and Lemon Linguine with Basil Pesto and Goat Cheese

HelloFresh Description: We love zucchini all year long here at HelloFresh, and this dish combines some of our favourite flavours: sweet snap peas, zucchini, and basil pesto. A little squeeze of lemon at the end brings the whole dish together!

Valentine's Day Monday Lunch and Friday Breakfast: Caldereta-Style Ground Beef

The Caldereta dish I grew up with usually includes potatoes (and usually uses chicken). This is a fancy version of the Caldereta, but because of the soy sauce, it's like Pork Menudo without the diced potatoes.

Caldereta-Style Ground Beef with Peppers, Peas, and Rice

HelloFresh Description: We've quickened up this traditional Filipino tomato-based stew by using ground beef. This hearty stew is a perfect family dinner full of peppers, peas, garlic, and hint soy.

Tuesday Birthday Dinner: Bacon Alfredo Pasta

To celebrate hubby's birthday, I picked the meal with bacon to cook for our dinner.

Bacon Alfredo Pasta with Spring Salad

HelloFresh Description: The iconic Roman pasta dish, with a smoky, creamy sauce, peas and bacon, is sure to be a hit with the whole family. Everyone will be licking their plate clean.

Wednesday Dinner and Friday Lunch: Stovetop Pastitsio-Inspired Fusili

I used Almond milk for the milk requirement of this recipe, and I thought there was too much pumpkin spice in the recipe.

Stovetop Pastitsio-Inspired Fusili

HelloFresh Description: Inspired by the classic Greek layered pasta dish, pastitsio, this stovetop version takes a fraction of the time to put together! Then, the pumpkin pie spice blend adds layers of warm, aromatic flavour in just a minute!

Thursday and Friday Dinner: Veggie Chili

We enjoyed this healthy heart chilli last year and decided to order it again this week.

Veggie Chilli with Tortilla Chips and Sour Cream

HelloFresh Description: Simple to prepare, this delicious chilli will have everyone racing to the table with extraordinary flavours. Your bowls will be filled with beans, bell peppers, and tomatoes. We suggest using the tortilla chips to scoop up and enjoy every last bite.

Strawberry Cheesecake from Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee

This year it's our first time at Trees Cheesecake + Organic Coffee, and we enjoyed the Strawberry Cheesecake.

Strawberry Cheesecake perfect for Valentine's Day

Below is a list of flavours we tried last year.

• Matcha Cheesecake last June 6
• Taro Cheesecake last June 26
• Mango Cheesecake last July 18
• Peanut Butter Cheesecake last September 11
• Pumpkin Cheesecake last October 10
• Banoffee Cheesecake last November 28 (no blog post)
• Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake last December 26

Lunch at Suika

It's not my birthday, yet hubby made me so happy during his special day. After visiting the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, we grabbed lunch at Suika. It's our first time visiting the restaurant on a weekday, and it's an absolute thrill to find it nearly empty after the lunch rush. It's also our first time back here this 2022.

We both ordered our usual. I had my favourite Signature Beef Curry topped with Tonkatsu (Pork Loin Cutlet) while my hubby ordered a Double Tonkatsu (Pork Loin Cutlet) Set. For sharing, we had a Chicken Dashi Karaage, which was juicier than I expected. Hubby thought it was too oily, but I think it's perfect.

Signature Beef Curry
Suika original stewed beef tendon curry topped with tonkatsu (pork loin cutlet)

Double Tonkatsu (Pork Loin Cutlet) Set
2 pieces of  fried pork loin cutlet using special fresh panko served with ground sesame and tonkatsu sauce

Chicken Dashi Karaage
Juicy deep-fried chicken thig, crispy on the outside and filled with rich dash shoyu flavour.

I absolutely love Suika and highly recommend trying them if you haven't already.

Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar, & Egg Sandwich from Starbucks

Yay for birthdays. We are starting today with a free breakfast from Starbucks. We ordered a Venti Caffè Mocha and two Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich.

Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich

We get free Starbucks gift cards every now and then and absolutely enjoy the free drinks and sandwiches. I am too frugal to spend our own hard-earned money on something as expensive as Starbucks, so it's always a happy occasion when we receive free gift cards.

Superbowl Viewing Dinner at Bar One

Happy Sunday! It's one of the most anticipated events in sports every year: The Superbowl. This year we decided to visit Bar One and watch the game there. Unfortunately, only 8 tables were occupied most of the game, and one table left early before the game ended.

Best Seat at Bar One

We arrived shortly after 3:00 PM and left after 7:00 PM,  We sat at the most comfortable and best view in the whole bar, and during the entire game, we ordered appetizers and because hubby loves the dessert we ended with that. I haven't been in this food coma in a long time.

Loaded Nachos
Crunchy corn tortilla chips loaded with cheddar and Mozzarella cheeses, zesty cheese sauce, pico de Gallo, green onions, and jalapeños. Served with sour cream and salsa.

We devoured their Loaded Nachos and Cheesy Tot Tower during the first quarter.

Cheesy Tot Tower
Crisp potato puffs, topped with cheddar cheese, and queso cheese sauce, garnished with green onions.

We enjoyed the Loaded BBQ Chicken Tots and Thai Chili Chicken Bites when the second quarter started. I highly recommend the Thai Chili Chicken Bites, but the Filipino in me wants to eat it with rice.

Loaded BBQ Chicken Tots
Crispy potato puffs, topped with cheddar cheese, roasted chicken, diced red onion, pickled jalapeños, and spicy southern BBQ sauce.

Thai Chili Chicken Bites
Crispy breaded chicken bites tossed in chilli-ginger sauce and garnished with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

By the third quarter, we decided to open the menu from Denny's. Yes, the Bar One location along West Broadway shares space with a Denny's. We decided to order Mozzarella Cheese Sticks. 

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
Golden-fried with a side of tomato sauce

I wanted some pancakes to end the game and our meals while hubby decided on the cake.

Salted Caramel & Banana Cream Pancake
Two buttermilk pancakes with shortbread pieces and topped with vanilla cream, bananas, and salted caramel

Cookies and Cream Cake
Chewy chocolate brownie with cream cheese and chocolate cookie filling, layered with chocolate ganache and cookie mousse.

The Los Angeles Rams won the Superbowl, and it was a good game.

Lunch at Kinton Ramen in UBC

It's the fifth ramen shop we have gone to in the last four weeks as we continue going through the list of the Best Ramen restaurants in Vancouver.

1. January 22 - Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba
2. January 23 - Jinya Ramen Bar
3. January 29 - Kintaro Ramen
4. February 5 - Menya Raizo
5. February 12 (today) - Kinton Ramen

To start our Saturday, we had brunch at Starbucks (yay for free breakfast sandwiches and drinks), then we ran errands. Hubby had a haircut while I grabbed my Lego from the FedEx inside Staples, and I ended up buying 15 adorable Washi Tapes. 

Thirty minutes later, hubby and I went on a random Saturday date to the University of British Columbia (UBC) and visited the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. After three hours of learning and admiring the different specimens in the museum, we had a late lunch at Kinton Ramen.

I ordered my usual Pork Miso Ramen while hubby had Pork Shoyu Ramen. For sides, we ordered our standard sides as well - Age Gyoza, Takoyaki, and Original Karaage.

Pork Miso Ramen (thick noodles)
Soybean paste, pork, corn, garlic oil, and scallions (extra seasoned egg)

The Pork Miso Ramen was good but not as delicious as Kintaro Ramen. It's a close second, though. I made the right decision of adding a seasoned egg to my ramen. It was delicious.

Pork Shoyu Ramen (with thick noodles)
Soy sauce, pork, garlic oil, nori, and scallions

Our favourite Japanese sides

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

We order takoyaki whenever it is available, and this is one of the best takoyaki I had in Vancouver that I can remember.

Pork Age Gyoza
Deep-fried dumpling and original sweet chilli sauce

Original Karaage
Fried chicken, garlic mayo, and lemon

My favourite chicken karaage is from Kokoro Tokyo Mazesoba. This one is a bit dry, but it's absolutely perfect soaked in the ramen broth. I saved one fried chicken and placed it in my ramen bowl, and it was better.

Kurogoma Cheesecake
Baked black sesame cheesecake

The black sesame flavour is so strong I wish there was ice cream and mochi, or maybe I am just dreaming of the parfait we had last week.

I wonder how long we can continue our ramen streak, but I am all for it. Do you have a favourite ramen shop? Comment below!