9-Piece from Mary Brown's Chicken

I love fried chicken and am constantly looking for the best, usually from fast food joints. My favourite in Metro Vancouver is still from LA Chicken in Richmond, while my favourite from big chains is Church's Texas Chicken. I also have a favourite Taiwanese popcorn chicken from Redbeef Noodle Kitchen, and my favourite Japanese karaage is from Ramen Gojiro. I know my fried chicken and the city has many delicious joints.

9-Piece Bone-In Feast with half regular and half spicy Chicken from Mary Brown's Chicken

Today, we visited my parents and had Mary Brown's Chicken delivered for the first time. If you can take the heat, their spicy fried chicken is top-notch. The real winner, though, is the wedges. It's seasoned perfectly and has that crispy exterior and soft interior. Overall, it's a good place, and it's a Canadian chain, so perfect for Canada Day.

Medium-Size Taters

The Original Ice Cream Bar from Purdys | Canada Day

Every Canada Day weekend, my husband and I would get ice cream from Purdys.

We usually go for a scoop of ice cream served on a waffle cone covered with dark chocolates and almonds. However, the Purdys location inside Pacific Centre is about to start renovations on July 3, so they only have French Vanilla available, which I got.

The Original Ice Cream Bar from Purdys

My husband noticed a picture of the ice cream and asked if it was available. He got what is apparently known as The Original. It is vanilla ice cream dipped in dark chocolate and covered in roasted almonds.

A scoop of French Vanilla Ice Cream served on a waffle cone covered in dark chocolate and roasted almonds from Purdys

The ice cream bar is better than my scoop of French Vanilla ice cream.

The Classic Burger and Poutine from B&B Concessions: Gourmet Burgers

We arrived at Canada Place for the Canada Together event celebrating Canada Day. We checked out the available food trucks and chose B&B Concessions: Gourmet Burgers and Fries. Similar to last year, we had Poutine on Canada Day. We also ordered The Classic Burger.

It was a generous portion of Poutine with hot gravy, melted cheese curds, and fries.

Poutine from B&B Concessions: Gourmet Burgers

The burger is huge! It's loaded with all the usual toppings - tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickle, and cheese. The standout flavour is the mustard at the bottom. It's unexpected and surprisingly worked well.

The Classic Burger from B&B Concessions: Gourmet Burgers and Fries Food Truck

Happy Canada Day!

Taiwanese Sausage and Red Bean Wheel Cake at Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Festival

After breakfast at Tim Hortons, we walked across Granville Bridge to join the celebration at Canada Place. On our way there, we spotted the Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Festival in the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza.

I am always ready for Taiwanese food, and instead of ordering from Sasaya, we chose food sold by the Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Society. We ordered a Taiwanese Sausage and Red Beans Wheel Cake.

Taiwanese Sausage

Taiwanese Sausage

The Taiwanese sausage is savoury with a slightly sweet taste which is why we love it. The ground pork inside is coarse and includes some fat making it moist and juicy.

Red Bean Wheel Cake

It was our first time trying a Red Bean Wheel Cake, and we were uncertain about what to expect. The exterior is golden-brown and is soft and fluffy with a slight crispiness. The inside is filled with mashed red beans. It has little sugar and is not overly sweet but has a smooth and creamy texture.

Red Bean Wheel Cake

Reese's Mini Dream Cookie with Nuts from Tim Hortons

Happy Canada Day! We're starting our day with breakfast at Tim Hortons, and since we're here early, all three Dream Cookies are still available. We got the last one we have yet to try: Reese's Mini Dream Cookie with nuts.

Reese's Mini Dream Cookie with Nuts from Tim Hortons

I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this. If you like peanut butter, you will absolutely love this. It's not overly sweet like the M&M'S Dream Cookie, and it's as good as the Rocky Road one.

I still prefer the Rocky Road because of the texture difference with the marshmallow, chopped nuts, and chocolate chips, but Reese's Mini Dream Cookie with nuts is a close second.

Elk Steak from Salmon n' Bannock | Canada Day 2023

We're starting our Canada Day long weekend, celebrating my last day at the job, and starting a new one with dinner at Salmon n' Bannock. I arrived from South Surrey early since my employers allowed me to leave early on my last day.

I ordered the Mushroom Vegetarian Risotto with the soup and dessert add-on, while hubby went with the Elk Steak.

The first thing to arrive is the Bison Soup. What does it taste like? Beefier beef would be my description. There's gaminess and a slight sweetness to the meat itself while the soup is seasoned perfectly. It's like a comforting hug which I need after a long commute.

Bison Soup from Salmon n' Bannock

Then, they served two warm bannocks with butter. It is a hearty and heavy bread. It is dense and slightly crumbly, with a perfect golden-brown crust on the outside and a soft, moist interior. I love it.

Signature Bannock with butter from Salmon n' Bannock

After finishing my soup came both our mains. Hubby ordered a medium rare elk steak, and it is gamey with such a distinct taste. I dipped it in the gravy, and the gaminess became more profound. It is perfect with the mashed potato. It helped balanced and tone down the gaminess. It is chewier and more tender than beef.

Elk Steak with Mashed Potatoes and seasonal vegetables from Salmon n' Bannock

My Mushroom Vegetarian Risotto with Anishinaabe wild rice is perfect. It is creamy and velvety, but the Anishinaabe wild rice adds a slightly chewy texture, an ideal contrast to the creaminess of the risotto. Meanwhile, the mushroom provides a meatier and tender texture. The combination of these ingredients creates a satisfying and comforting eating experience.

Rotating Vegetarian (Mushroom) Risotto made with Anishinaabe wild rice from Salmon n' Bannock

For our dessert, we enjoyed a Sweetgrass Cherries + Cream Trifle. It was sweet and light, quite the opposite of everything we've had today. The cherries provide a natural sweetness, while the creamy custard adds a smooth flavour. Of course, I love the crumbly layer of cake absorbing everything.

Sweetgrass Cherries and Cream Trifle from Salmon n' Bannock

After our fantastic experience, we received our bill. In other restaurants, you might get mint chocolate or a fortune cookie. For today, we received two freezies.

Freezies from Salmon n' Bannock

Tim Hortons Dream Cookie with M&M'S® Minis

I am working at South Surrey this week, meaning a long commute. I feel exhausted when I exit the Broadway City Hall Station, so today, we stopped by Tim Hortons primarily to see if they have any Dream Cookies in stock.

Tim Hortons Dream Cookie with M&M'S® Minis

They have an abundance of the Rocky Road Dream Cookie, none of the Reese's® Mini Dream Cookie, and one last Dream Cookie with M&M'S® Minis we got. It's sweet! The cookie reminds me of butterscotch in sweetness and texture. It is topped with M&M'S Minis, which is also sweet, but it did provide a crunch we know and adore with M&M'S.

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.