Chicken Satay from Peranakan Kitchen | Khatsahlano Street Party

It's our second year visiting the largest free music and arts festival in Vancouver: Khatsahlano Street Party. We walked from Burrard to MacDonald along the stretch of West 4th Avenue, filled with vendors and food trucks.

The first food we noticed was a sign, "Indonesian Street Food," and multiple Indonesian food vendors were under the tent. Of course, we went for the Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce which is catered by Peranakan Kitchen, an Indonesian Restaurant in New Westminster.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce from Peranakan Kitchen

This is a delicious first bite at Khatsahlano. The chicken satay is skewered and grilled, creating a savoury and sweet flavour with the exterior caramelized. It is covered in creamy and nutty peanut sauce. I just realized I love peanuts in savoury dishes and sweet desserts. Yum! It was served with soft white rice and acar, a pickled vegetable providing crispiness and tanginess.

Cappuccino Cookie and Pistachio Gelato from Tru Cafe

 It's a sweltering day, so after a delicious dinner at Tap & Barrel Bridges, hubby and I wondered where to get ice cream. Then, we spotted the gelato sign at Tru Cafe.

Pistachio Gelato from Tru Cafe

I hoped to get my usual hazelnut, but the cappuccino cookie gelato was also excellent. It was sweet and slightly bitter. 

Cappuccino Cookie Gelato from Tru Cafe

Meanwhile, hubby had his usual pistachio gelato. The one from Uno Gelato is better.

Pesto Prawn Pizza and Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese from Tap & Barrel Bridges

We're celebrating our anniversary today. We have so many anniversaries but this is a special one since it's when we tied the knot in front of God, family, and friends.

As with our annual tradition, we celebrated by having dinner at Bridges Restaurant, then Tap & Barrel Bridges. We're blessed with a beautiful, clear, and sunny day.

To get us started, we ordered their Nachos. I love the cumin-dusted tortilla chips and it's super crispy. Yum! It's fun to eat while watching the MLB (Major League Baseball) in one of the many TVs.

Nachos from Tap & Barrel Bridges
Cumin-dusted tortilla chips, cheddar, feta, smoked mozzarella, pickled jalapenos, black olives, pico de Gallo, green onion, cilantro, and sour cream.

For our mains, I got the Pesto Prawn Pizza while hubby went for the Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese.

My Pesto Prawn Pizza is like a pesto-covered pasta with prawn but on top of a thin crust pizza. Instead of the traditional tomato-base sauce, the pizza is covered with almond basil pesto cream topped with grape tomatoes, prawns, feta cheese, and fresh basil. I love it.

Pesto Prawn Pizza from Tap & Barrel Bridges
Prawns, almond basil pesto cream, fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, feta, basil, and lemon

Meanwhile, hubby's Fried Chicken Macaroni and Cheese is perfect. I'm not a Mac & Cheese expert but this is the best one I've had and the fried chicken can compete with other chain. Honestly, I'll be happy eating that fried chicken with fries or rice or anything. This combination is a child's dream.

Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese from Tap & Barrel Bridges
Buttermilk fried chicken, cavatappi noodles, bacon, sharp cheddar bechamel, parsley, parmesan breadcrumbs

Happy Aniiversary, love! I'm praying for more blessed days, months, and years with you. I love you.

Feijoada from Boteco Brasil

I'd like to think of myself as a foodie, but I realize the only Brazilian food I have tried is Brazilian Pastels from Whatafood. Today is my first team lunch at my new job, and one of our colleagues picked Brazilian cuisine, so we in the Vancouver office ordered from Boteco Brasil.

I had zero idea what to order, but then I briefly met with our HR, and she showed me a presentation introducing all my colleagues, and one of them said that their favourite was Feijoada. I ordered that.

I'm Filipino, and I have no idea which of our food to compare it to. It's essentially beans and meats. We don't eat a lot of beans in the Philippines, and when we do, it's usually with fish.

It's saltier than I liked, and I don't know if it's supposed to be like that, but it works exceptionally well with rice. Feijoada has a thick and velvety texture. The black beans are creamy, while the pork melt-in-your-mouth. There's sausage in what I received, providing another texture.

Feijoada
Authentic Brazilian-style black bean and pork stew served with basmati rice, sautéed kale, farofa (toasted cassava flour), vinaigrette salsa, and a slice of orange.

It was served with sautéed kale (salty again), farofa (toasted cassava flour), and a slice of orange.

For the next team lunch, I'll do research if I'm unfamiliar with the cuisine so I know what to order and how best to eat it.

The Local Burger from Local Public Eatery

I started a new job today. My only colleague in the Vancouver office and I went to a company-paid lunch to welcome me (a new employee). She decided we should head to the nearby Local Public Eatery in Gastown. It's my first time here, so I went with the namesake: The Local Burger.

I am food coma until around 5:00 PM. At around 2:00 PM, I want to nap,   which is not ideal on my first day at the job. The burger is that satisfying.

The Local Burger from Local Public Eatery
Two grilled patties, melted American cheese, caramelized onions, tomato, shredded lettuce, and secret house sauce

The patties are grilled to perfection. I love the creaminess from the melted American cheese and the acidic note from the tomato. The lettuce changes the texture with a refreshing crunch to each bite. Lastly, the secret house sauce brought everything together.

Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Muffin and Calzone Classic Italian from Waves Coffee House

We stayed at Waves Coffee Shop for around four hours. It started quiet and peaceful, then a group of 3 ladies entered and started chatting. But there's a loud lady over the phone spilling all her experiences. Now, I understand why Mom always tells us to watch our volume in public. The rest of the coffee shop doesn't need to know how you got wasted Friday night.

Calzone Classic Italian from Waves Coffee House

Anyway, we ordered food after finishing our drinks. I chose the Calzone Classic Italian and a Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Muffin. The calzone could be better, but the lemon poppyseed zucchini muffin is a winner. It's moist and has the balance between a hint of tarty lemon, savoury zucchini, and a sweet muffin base.

Lemon Poppyseed Zucchini Muffin from Waves Coffee House

2023 Canada Fiesta Extravaganza is coming to Metro Vancouver, BC

The 2023 Canada Fiesta Extravaganza is coming to British Columbia, specifically in Surrey. Rey Fortaleza (Chairman of Reyfort Media and Publisher of Philippine Asian News Today) has acquired the franchise to organize Fiesta Extravaganza in BC.

2023 Canada Fiesta Extravaganza in Beautiful British Columbia

The purpose of the Canada Fiesta Extravaganza is to celebrate Filipino heritage in Canada with a Festival of Smiles.

The event happening in Surrey, BC and is presented by BMO and Vancouver-Oasis Production Corporation. It is also supported by the flag carrier of the Philippines, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and 99 Supermarket. Lastly, it received the endorsement of Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, and the Surrey City Hall will be switched on its night lights to beam the pastel colours of Fiesta Extravaganza.

When is the 2023 Canada Fiesta Extravaganza in BC?

It will be a 2-day event on July 22 and 23 (Saturday and Sunday). The event starts at 10:00 AM and ends at 7:00 PM on both days.

Where is the 2023 Canada Fiesta Extravaganza in BC?

According to Philippine Asian News Today¹, the Fiesta Extravaganza in Surrey, BC, will be at the Surrey Civic Plaza, which connects Surrey City Hall, Surrey City Centre Library, Simon Fraser University (SFU), Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), and the Civic 3 Tower.

How much is admission to the 2023 Canada Fiesta Extravaganza in Surrey?

Admission is free.

What to expect at the 2023 Canada Fiesta Extravaganza?

According to the Festa Extravaganza website, the two-day celebration will include the following:

• Music - Local Filipino celebrities and music artists serenade you throughout the day.
• Food - Vendors that sell Filipino food
• Games like palo sebo
• Festive Dances like the Sinulog and panagbenga
• Local Amenities and Crafts vendors

Featured Artist

Filipino Actress Yam Concepcion is headlining Surrey's Fiesta Extravaganza.

Music

The following musical acts are going to appear at the event:

• 12B Session Street Band from Lethbridge, AB
• Crawl Space from Yukon
• Five for the Road
• Rossenite Band

Program

Below is the program for both days.

July 22, 2023 (Saturday) 9:00 AM Preparation for the Parade 10:00 AM Parade Starts, Market Opens, and Program Starts 06:00 PM Live Band Performances (Open dance floor and time to party)

July 23, 2023 (Sunday) 10:00 AM Zumba! (Market Opens and Program Starts) 05:00 PM Yam Concepcion 06:30 PM Live Band Performances (Open dance floor and time to party)

It is a family-friendly festival that welcomes everyone! I will update this post once I have more information on the program schedule and vendor list.

This event sounds so fun and coincides with our dad's birthday weekend!

Source:

• Vancouver Fiesta Extravaganza 2023. (2023, January 16). Philippine Asian News Today, pp. 12–13.

Blue Spirulina Coconut Frapp-eh and Hazelnut Mocha Frapp-eh from Waves Coffee House

I'm starting a new job tomorrow! I'm scared and excited. I am praying that God guides me on this next chapter of my career.

We decided to spend the afternoon at our favourite Waves Coffee House location. I even brought my laptop, where I am currently typing this blog post.

Blue Spirulina Coconut Frapp-eh from Waves Coffee House

Since it's hot outside, we ordered two of their promoted drinks: the Hazelnut Mocha Frapp-eh from the "Escape the Summer Heat" poster and the Blue Spirulina Coconut Frapp-eh from the "Your Coffee Oasis" promotion.

Hazelnut Mocha Frapp-eh from Waves Coffee House

The Blue Spirulina Coconut is light and refreshing compared to the more bitter Hazelnut Mocha. Overall, they're both delicious. I also love the peaceful ambiance and lighting of this Waves Coffee House along West Broadway at the corner of Spruce Street. The energy is just so positive.