Pad Thai and Green Curry from Little Bangkok Thai Kitchen 2

My husband and I are rarely in International Village. It's only our second time at the mall, specifically to watch a movie (The First Slam Dunk) at Cineplex Odeon. Before the film, we grabbed dinner from Little Bangkok Thai Kitchen 2 in the food court and got combos 1 and 5.

Meal combo 1 has pad Thai (with your choice of protein, we went for shrimp), while meal combo 5 includes green or red curry (I chose chicken for protein). Each combo had a spring roll, salad, soup, and a pop.

I had low expectations of the stall, so I am happy to share that we were fed delicious Thai food.

Meal Combo 1 from Little Bangkok Thai Kitchen 2
Pad Thai, spring roll, salad, soup, and pop

The shrimp pad Thai had the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavour. Meanwhile, the soup is standard chicken stock, the spring roll has a crispy exterior, and the salad provides freshness.

Meal Combo 5 from Little Bangkok Thai Kitchen 2
Chicken green curry with rice, spring roll, salad, soup, and pop

My chicken green curry had the delicate balance of creamy coconut milk, fragrant green curry paste, and tender chicken. I also enjoyed the vegetables it came with, like bell peppers, carrots, and Thai eggplants. I almost finished the rice it came with.

Assorted Mini Cheese Tart from Pablo Japanese Bakery Cafe

 We have been eyeing the corner of West Broadway and Cambie for when a new specialty shop Pablo Cheese Tart will open.

We saw it open last weekend, but was on our way home so today before heading to the movies downtown we stopped by to try their Japanese-style cheese tart.

First, the crust is not as flaky as Portuguese tarts. It's more like a pie crust? Or maybe the crust of quiche. The filling is also creamier than expected.

We tried four available mini cheese tart flavours:

• Chocolate Mini
• Matcha Mini
• Blueberry Mini
• Roasted Chocolate Almond Marshmallow Mini

The chocolate and blueberry are excellent representative of each flavour. They're both safe bets.

My favourite is the matcha because of the strong matcha (green tea) bitter flavour which is such a great contrast to the sweet crust.

Assorted Mini Cheese Tart from Pablo

The Roasted Chocolate Almond Marshmallow Mini Cheese Tart is such a messy thing to eat! It has a good gooey chocolate flavour topped with roasted marshmallow anf almond. It's like an elevated s'more.

I'll happily order the Matcha Mini Cheese Tart again. I recommend dropping by Pablo to try the many different flavours. The store smelled so good too.

Caramel Pretzel from Mr. Pretzels food truck

Growing up, the only pretzel I knew was the one covered in chocolate: Jack & Jill Chocolate Pretzels Sticks. When I arrived in Canada, I tried freshly made pretzels, which was fantastic. Today, I ordered pretzels drizzled with caramel from Mr. Pretzels' food truck during the Celebration of Lights in English Bay.

Caramel Pretzels from Mr. Pretzels

The pretzel is a slightly salty base that perfectly complements the sweet caramel. I enjoyed the delightful crispy crust while the inside remained soft and chewy. I wish I was not sharing it with my husband.

Duck Pizza from Little Devils Pizza food truck

Happy sunny Saturday! We went to a 5 PM Anticipated Sunday Mass today. Afterwards, we walked to English Bay to watch the Celebration of Lights fireworks display by the Philippines representative.

We were unprepared (no mat or lawn chairs), so we placed my jacket under a tree and enjoyed the Duck Pizza from Little Devils Pizza food truck.

Duck Pizza from Little Devils Pizza food truck
Garlic/Olive Oil base, duck confit, basil, hoisin sauce, fior di latte, chili oil

Hubby said it's delicious, but more duck is needed. 😅 It's truly something else, especially from a food truck. The pizza has a touch of sweetness because of the garlic and hoisin sauce. Meanwhile, the duck confit provides a savoury and meaty element which is perfect with the creamy and milky mozzarella cheese.

Overall, an exquisite and unique pizza.

Hastings-Sunrise Bagel Sandwich from Rosemary Rocksalt

It's my 4th team lunch at my current work, and our co-founder chose a bagel. I ordered from Rosemary Rocksalt because they're in Uber Eats.

I ordered Hastings-Sunrise with Rosemary Rocksalt Bagel and a side of potato wedges.

Hastings-Sunrise with Rosemary Rocksalt Bagel

The tender brisket between a toasted salty bagel, melted cheddar, and soft egg is the perfect sandwich hitting all textures. I enjoyed it.

Potato Wedges from Rosemary Rocksalt

The potato wedges arrived soggy after 20 minutes of delivery time. It's still impressive, though. You can see that it's real potatoes.

Facing North

I ate my lunch on the rooftop of the building with the gorgeous view of lush mountains and blue skies. Thank God for all the blessings.

Food Adventure at Surrey Fusion Festival

Summer weekends are all about attending and enjoying different festivals and events. We find ourselves in Surrey today to support the 2023 Filipino Fiesta Extravaganza. While researching that event, I discovered the Surrey Fusion Festival happening nearby on the same weekend. It is the biggest multicultural event in BC (according to their website).

I haven't seen anything like this! I saw food booths from six continents (sorry, Antarctica). It was pretty overwhelming. We decided to focus on African nations since our only experience with their cuisine was when we had dinner ONCE at Simba's Grill.

But, before that, we dropped by the Indigenous Village.

Bannock from Bannock Queen Bakery

Yay! I'm always happy to support Indigenous businesses, and I love Bannock. This one is not deep-fried like West Coast Bannock, so it's not as airy, but it's still surprisingly soft and light. It's not as heavy and dense as what I am familiar with.

Classic Bannock with butter from Bannock Queen Bakery

After finishing our Bannock, our first stop was the Democratic Republic of Congo. After perusing the menu and going near the counter, the lady said their food was not yet ready. Sad. We had planned to come back but were food coma already.

Ugali (Fufu) from Rwanda

We had zero knowledge of African cuisine, so we ordered unfamiliar things. They offered rice with chicken & cassava leaves or ugali (fufu) with chicken & cassava leaves. Of course, I went for the ugali (fufu).

Hubby and I found a spot with tables and chairs under a tent in the middle of one of the gardens. Hubby was reading to me what ugali (fufu) is.

Ugali, also known as fufu in some regions, is a traditional staple food in many African countries, including Rwanda. It is made from maize flour (cornmeal) mixed with water and cooked to a thick, dough-like consistency.

Ugali (Fufu), Chicken, and Cassava Leaves from Taste of Rwanda

Ugali has a dense and firm consistency. It's like sticky rice but chewier. It absorbs the sauce from the chicken stew and the cassava leaves. The cassava leaves stew looks like our Filipino Laing but without the coconut milk and spiciness.

Mandazi from Zambia

After enjoying our Ugali from Rwanda, we stopped by Zambia and got the Mandazi. It's a popular snack in various African countries, including Zambia.

Mandazi from Zambia

It is a deep-fried doughnut or fried bread with a mildly sweet taste. The exterior is crunchy and golden brown, while the interior is soft and pillowy.

Beef Suya from Nigeria

We die with this one. The beef suya was tender and easy to chew, and the flavour was remarkable. However, it was topped with spicy flavouring. I took the first bite and immediately told my husband it was spicy. I love hot food, so my hubby knows when I say something is spicy (for me), it probably is. It's a delicious spicy but still too much for us.

I removed the powder from some pieces so my husband could try it. We found a beautiful spot under the trees and got chairs to cool down. My lips felt puffy and numb afterwards.

Suya is a popular Nigerian street food made from thinly sliced beef marinated in a mixture of spices before being grilled or babecued over an open flame.

Beef Suya from Nigeria

After finishing the suya and listening to nearby entertainment, I started to doze off. I took a 15-minute nap enjoying the cool breeze.

Holland Park, Surrey

After my nap, we got free freezies (ice candy) from real estate developer, Parkway. Then, we walked through the rest of the booth to find anything else interesting. I am full, so choosing one last meal at the festival is essential.

Lamb Chop, Sausage, and Corn from Namibia

We settled on a lamb chop, sausage, and corn from Namibia because it's the only one not offered in other African countries' booths.

Corn, Sausage, and Lamb Chops from Namibia

The lamb chop is tender and succulent, grilled to perfection, bursting with savoury and smoky flavours. Meanwhile, the Namibian sausages (boerewors) are grilled over an open flame. Lastly, corn is a staple in many dishes and the same with links. It is grilled in an open flame adding smoky sweetness to the maize.

Sago't Gulaman from Philippines

To end our food adventure, we wanted cold sweets. We're hoping Kumare in the Philippines booth offers halo-halo, but sago't gulaman hits the spot too.

Sago't Gulaman from Kumare

We enjoyed our sweet drink on the walk to the King George station.

Chicken Isaw and Red TJ Hotdog from Zugba | 2023 Surrey Fiesta Extravaganza

After Sunday mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel, hubby and I took a bus back to Surrey Central Station to visit the 2023 Surrey Fiesta Extravaganza.

We have yet to try three food booths, one of which is Zugba. A local (Surrey) Filipino restaurant.

I saw chicken isaw (intestine) and a red Tender Juicy brand hot dog! I also got Filipino pork BBQ and banana cue.

Banana Cue, Red Tender Juicy Hot Dog, Chicken Isaw, and Pork BBQ from Zugba

I love the isaw! It tastes clean - no funkiness. The Filipino pork barbecue was tough, so I can't recommend the piece I got. Meanwhile, the banana cue was sweet and soft.

My favourite and most nostalgic is the red Tender Juicy hotdog (grilled)! I feel like a 5-year-old kid back in the streets of the Philippines.

Smoky Honey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich and Wrap from Tim Hortons

Happy, blessed Sunday morning to you! We start our day earlier than usual today since we plan to go to Surrey to attend Mass. Before taking transit to Surrey, I opened my Tim Hortons app to order breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised to see new items: Smoky Honey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich and Smoky Honey Bacon Farmers Wrap. I got both.

Smoky Honey Bacon Farmers Wrap from Tim Hortons

Smoky Honey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich from Tim Hortons

The base is similar to their usual breakfast sandwiches and farmers' wrap. What makes it new and different is the smoky honey bacon. It's perfectly sweet and savoury and a bit sticky. I enjoyed it. Definitely better than their usual bacon.

I wrote and published this while inside the bus. Editing will happen when I get home later today.