Midnight Snack from In-N-Out Burger: A Classic California Staple

After our food coma late lunch (or early dinner) at Outback Steakhouse, we rested at home. Then, we went to Pechanga Resort Casino. My aunties love to play slot machines.

After gambling, we went through the In-N-Out Burger drive-through. If you've ever visited California, chances are you've heard of In-N-Out Burger. It is a popular fast-food chain serving fresh, made-to-order burgers and has a loyal following for its simple menu, high-quality ingredients, and friendly service.

Cheeseburgers from In-N-Out Burger
Toasted buns (freshly baked using old-fashioned, slow-rising sponge dough),
Cheese (our American Cheese is the real thing),
Beef patty (100% American beef, no additives, fillers, or preservatives),
Onions (freshly sliced or grilled),
Lettuce (fresh, crispy, & hand-leafed),
Spread (our own recipe, unchanged since 1948), and
 Tomato (a slice from only the plumpest and juiciest).

It's a classic delicious burger. The patties are made with 100% pure beef cooked to order and served on a perfectly toasted bun.

In-N-Out sets itself apart by using fresh, high-quality ingredients. The produce is delivered fresh daily, and the potatoes for their hand-cut fries are peeled and sliced in-house. No wonder it got stale as quickly as it did because we drove home before enjoying it.

French Fries
Fresh, hand-cut potatoes prepared in 100% sunflower oil.

If you ever find yourself in California, find time to stop by an In-N-Out Burger location to enjoy one of their classic burgers. It is a quintessential California experience that you won't want to miss.

Celebrating Auntie's Birthday at Outback Steakhouse

Happy birthday, Auntie Di! We wanted to celebrate Auntie's birthday with a nice meal. At around 2:00 PM, Outback Steakhouse was the only steakhouse in the Temecula area that could accommodate our party of seven.

For the sake of this blog, I ordered items marked as NEW. Let's begin!

Shortly after placing our drink orders, the fantastic server brought us bread with whipped butter to snack on. The bread was soft and warm, with a slightly crispy exterior. It came with creamy whipped butter and spread easily, with a subtle hint of salt.

Aussie-tizers

While waiting for our food, my cousin ordered the Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp and Seared Peppered Ahi for the table to share.

Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp

The coconut shrimp was hand-dipped in batter, rolled in coconut, and fried golden. The accompanying Creole marmalade provided a perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. Unfortunately, the shrimp was overcooked, but I did like the hint of coconut. Overall, not something I'll order again.

Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp from Outback Steakhouse
Hand-dipped in batter, rolled in coconut, and fried golden. Paired with Creole marmalade.

Seared Peppered Ahi

The Seared Peppered Ahi is more my jam. I am more familiar with the flavours and seasonings, like garlic and pepper, but the real winner is the dipping sauce of creamy ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi which complemented the fish perfectly.

Seared Peppered Ahi from Outback Steakhouse
Seared rare with garlic pepper seasoning. Served with creamy ginger soy sauce and wasabi.

Steak and Combos

For our mains, hubby ordered his usual go-to mignon while I went for the new combo.

Victoria's Filet Mignon

My husband ordered the Victoria's Filet Mignon medium rare. Unfortunately, it was overcooked to medium. Unless the eye test is failing us. My cousin ordered her steak medium, but it arrived medium well. Despite being slightly overcooked for his liking, the mignon still has a deep beefy flavour.

Victoria's Filet Mignon with Homestyle Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Seasonal Veggies from Outback Steakhouse
The most tender and juicy thick cut.

For his side, hubby ordered the Homestyle Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Seasonal Veggie, which turned out to be broccoli. The mashed potatoes were creamy and buttery, but there were still chunks of potatoes which changes the texture every bite. Meanwhile, the fresh broccoli was lightly steamed and perfectly seasoned.

NEW! Sirloin & Alice Springs Chicken

I went for the new Sirloin & Alice Springs Chicken. The sirloin was cooked perfectly medium, juicy, and packed with flavour. Meanwhile, the grilled chicken breast topped with mushroom, bacon, cheese, and honey mustard was incredibly satisfying but heavy. It's the kind of meal that made me feel I gained 10 lbs.

NEW Sirloin & Alice Springs Chicken with Baked Potato and NEW Over-the-Top Brussels Sprouts from Outback Steakhouse
Our signature center-cut sirloin with 5 oz grilled chicken breast topped with sauteed mushrooms, crisp bacon, melted Monterey Jack and Cheddar and honey mustard sauce.

The Steak 'N Mate Combos are served with a choice of steakhouse potato and one side. I picked the Baked Potato with all the possible toppings of sour cream, green onion, cheese, and bacon. Despite the toppings, the potato wasn't as fluffy and soft as I had hoped, and it needed more seasoning (especially salt). For my side, I got the NEW! Over-the-top Brussels Sprouts. The Brussels sprouts were indeed over-the-top delicious, creamy, and oily. It was too much.

Tim Tam Brownie Cake

My husband loves desserts. My cousin also has a sweet tooth, and they agreed on the New Tim Tam Brownie Cake, which we shared.

The chocolate brownie, peanut butter, and chocolate mousse layers were rich and decadent. The caramel sauce and Arnott's Tim Tam cookies from Australia added a perfect touch of sweetness and crunchiness to the dessert.

Tim Tam Brownie Cake
Layers of chocolate brownie, peanut butter, and chocolate mousse topped with caramel sauce and Arnott's Tim Tam cookies from Australia.

I took a bite and couldn't stop eating. I am obsessed with chocolate and peanut butter (or just peanuts) on any dessert.

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It was a wonderful birthday celebration with the family. We're grateful for Auntie, a generous, wise, and fun person. Happy Birthday, Auntie!

Brownie and Muffin from Green Beans Coffee Co. | San Francisco Airport (SFO)

After our delicious late lunch at Proposition Chicken, we grabbed a brownie and blueberry muffin from nearby Green Beans Coffee Co.

Blueberry Muffins from Green Beans Coffee Co

Brownie from Green Bean Coffee Co

It was a good dessert after a savoury meal. Can't wait for our flight to Ontario and finally see family.

Proposition Chicken: Fried Chicken Sandwich | San Francisco Airport (SFO)

We safely arrived at San Francisco Airport (SFO) for our 1.5 hours layover before our flight to Ontario Airport.

Fried Chicken Sandwich from Proposition Chicken 

We arrived at Gate F14, and our connecting flight departed at Gate 10. In between, there are so many food choices. I did my research last week and read articles on must-try food places in the airport and narrowed it down based on what looks exciting and depending on which gate we'll end up in.

Fried Chicken Sandwich with Potato Wedges 

I chose the local fried chicken chain Proposition Chicken. For late 2:00 PM lunch, we grabbed a Fried Chicken Sandwich and Potato Wedges with their House Dip.

Potato Wedges and House Dip

The chicken was juicy and moist. Meanwhile, my hubby liked the bread. It's surprisingly good on its own. Overall, a delicious first bite in San Francisco.

Tim Hortons: Farmers Breakfast Wrap

It's a beautiful Friday in Vancouver! We're flying to California today to visit family. To start our trip, we're grabbing breakfast at Tim Hortons at the airport. ♥️

The line was long for Tims. Finally, after around 15 minutes, we got my favourite Farmers' Breakfast Wrap with Sausage & Bacon and a bottle of Orange Juice.

Tim Hortons Farmers Breakfast Wrap

It has everything you want in a breakfast meal: egg, bacon, sausage, and hash browns inside a portable and easy-to-eat wrap.

I can't wait to see my aunties, uncle, and cousin. Thank God for all the blessings. I'm grateful for the chance to travel again. Unfortunately, we received news last Wednesday that will impact our budget. I am a bit scared but always comforted that God will continue to provide for us and reward the work of our hands.

I'll be writing and posting using my phone, so please forgive any grammatical errors and misspellings. I'll edit all posts when we get home.

Mr. Japanese Curry: Aji Fish and Ebi Curry

We received bad news earlier today, so we ended up stress-eating at Mr. Japanese Curry. Hubby ordered Aji Fish Curry with an additional topping of Ebi.

Aji Fish Curry with Ebi
Chicken curry with fried mackarel fish and fried shrimps

I had my usual Beef Curry topped with Tonkatsu and medium-sized Chicken Karaage. I am food coma. We walked ever so slowly home after this heavy meal. I haven't eaten this much food in a long time. Whew!

Beef Curry with Tonkatsu
Beef curry with stewed beef topped with sliced pork cutlet.

I prefer the Aji Fish to the Ebi if you want a lighter meal. Although, the Beef Curry sauce is better than the Chicken Curry.

Karaage
Fried Chicken

At this point, we only need to try the Vegan Curry, then we have tried everything on their menu.

Chicken Deluxe (Bola Bola) Steamed Buns (Siopao) from Original New Town Bakery (Cambie Village Location)

SIOPAO! I grew up in the Philippines and am hopelessly in love with Filipino food. One of the things I miss is the Filipino steamed buns (siopao), specifically the Bola Bola. In Canada, it's usually referred to as Chicken Deluxe Steamed Buns.

While doing our daily walks, I spotted a siopao sign along Cambie Street. I was pleasantly surprised to find siopao relatively close to our home.

Bola Bola Siopao (Chicken Deluxe Steamed Buns) from New Town Bakery & Restaurant

I'll be back and order half a dozen frozen siopao I can steam at home. My favourite siopao in Vancouver is still from Bao Bakery in Joyce, but I will frequent New Town because it's closer.

Peach Real Fruit Quenchers from Tim Hortons

It's a beautiful clear day in Vancouver, so hubby and I decided to walk to the Tim Hortons location 2.0 kilometres away.

I ordered my favourite Potato Wedges and tried the Peach Quenchers.

Tim Hortons Peach Real Fruit Quenchers
Quench your thirst all spring and summer long with two refreshing Real Fruit Juice Quenchers served over ice – available in Peach flavour.

The artificial peach flavour is generally not something I like, and this one is no exception. Peach is best enjoyed either in a pie or just the fruit itself.

The idea of Quencher, especially in hot summer months, is impressive, but I didn't enjoy the Tim Hortons Peach Quenchers.