Breakfast from Tim Hortons

Happy Saturday! We're starting our weekend with Steak and Eggs sandwiches from Tim Hortons. I had one sandwich with Homestyle Biscuit and the other with English Muffins.

Homestyle Biscuit Steak and Egg Sandwich

English Muffin Steak and Egg Sandwich

Small Hot Chocolate

Hubby and I agreed that the Homestyle Biscuit was the better option.

Breakfast from Tim Hortons

Happy Sunday! As part of our Sunday routine, we grab the first meal of the day (today at around 10:00 AM) from Tim Hortons before walking to church for Mass.

More wrap and sandwiches served during lunchtime are available because it's a bit later in the day. Hubby suggested we order any wrap with "new," which essentially means a different sauce.
 

Spicy Buffalo Grilled Chicken Wrap

It uses tangy buffalo sauce, and what makes it spicy is the presence of jalapeno.

Southwest Chicken Wrap

I took a bite of hubby's Southwest Chicken Wrap, which I like better than the Spicy Buffalo.

We enjoyed our wrap while walking along West Broadway. 

Sunday Brunch at Denny's

Hubby and I woke up later than usual today. Sundays mean Tim Hortons breakfast at 8 in the morning and attend the 9 AM Mass.

Today, we had brunch at Denny's at 10:00 AM and attended the 11:00 AM Mass.

It's nice to wake up a little later than usual and enjoy a break from our routine.

For today, I had Prime Rib Denny's Bennies. Despite the charred onion, the rib itself was tender. The egg was perfectly poached, and the hollandaise sauce was excellent.

Denny's Bennies Prime Rib
Menu Description: Two poached eggs and tender pieces of prime rib on a toasted English muffin covered in our horseradish Hollandaise sauce and topped with fire-roasted bell peppers and onions. Served with seasoned red-skinned potatoes.

Bacon, Egg & Smoky Gouda McMuffin from McDonald's Canada

Happy Sunday! For breakfast today, we went to McDonald's to try the Bacon, Egg & Smoky Gouda McMuffin and Sesame Bacon, Egg & Gouda Bagel.

Bacon, Egg, & Smoky Gouda McMuffin

The gouda cheese has a distinct flavour and surprisingly works well with the crispy bacon and soft English muffin.

Bacon, Egg & Smoky Gouda McMuffin from McDonald's

Sesame Bacon, Egg, & Gouda Bagel

It's the same bacon, egg, and gouda cheese, but in a sesame bagel this time. Since the bagel has more flavour than the English muffin, it's more difficult for the gouda cheese to stand out. The edges of the bagel are crunchy and toasted perfectly.

Sesame Bacon, Egg, & Gouda Bagel from McDonald's Canada

Premium Roast Coffee

After breakfast, we walked to church, and when we passed by Tim Hortons, hubby said, "oh no! I need to hide my coffee, or Tims will think I'm a traitor." I was laughing so hard while we were crossing the street.

Premium Roast Coffee from McDonald's Canada

Cal Smart Spicy Honey Shrimp from HelloFresh Canada

I'm testing to see whether individual HelloFresh meal posts will do better than weekly ones.

It's a busy Sunday!

• We watched the World Cup Finals at home.
• It's snowing outside! 🌨️
• We had breakfast at Tim Hortons.
• We attended Sunday Mass.
• We shopped for gifts.
• We had lunch at Suika.
• We enjoyed a slice of Oreo Cheesecake at Trees.
• I wrapped presents at home with NFL Redzone in the background.

For dinner, we cooked the Cal Smart Spicy Honey Shrimp with Ginger Rice, Peppers, Carrots, and Bok Choy from our HelloFresh Box.

Cal Smart Spicy Honey Shrimp from HelloFresh Canada

It was salty. It's delicious but has a little more salt than I'd like. Also, my husband mentioned that it was spicy. There's a subtle heat, but I have a high tolerance for spicy food.

Cal Smart Spicy Honey Shrimp from HelloFresh Canada

Shrimps were cooked perfectly (so I recommend following the instructions). I love the crunch of the vegetables, especially the bok choy.

When I was cooking it, all I could think of was Beef Broccoli that you get from Chinese restaurants. 😅

Below is the HelloFresh description for this meal.

Cal Smart Spicy Honey Shrimp with Ginger Rice, Peppers, Carrots and Bok Choy

HelloFresh Description:

Sweet and savoury meet in our honey shrimp and bok choy stir-fry. Bold soy, zesty green onions and fragrant honey lighten up this twist on a takeout favourite. Calorie Smart is based on a per serving calculation of the recipe's kilocalorie amount.

Cal Smart Spicy Honey Shrimp from HelloFresh Canada

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Calories: 600 calories

Do you need an oven to prepare this meal? No

Do you want a discounted box? Then, click my referral link and get a HelloFresh box.

Nanaimo Bar from Blenz

It's snowing! We just came from church, and it was snowing on our walk home. We were looking to stop by and have tea and desserts on our way home, and aside from Tim Hortons, only Blenz Coffee is open.

I ordered a decaf breakfast tea, a Nanaimo bar, and a chocolate brownie. Yum!

Nanaimo Bar

Nanaimo Bar (if you're unfamiliar with this indulgent treat) is a Canadian classic that's sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. It is made from layers of chocolate, creamy custard, and a crunchy coconut-graham crust.

Chocolate Brownie

A bite of sweet dessert followed by a sip of hot, bitter tea is perfect for this evening. I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday.

Pepperoni and Cheese Pizza Slices for lunch at Costco Food Court

Happy rainy Sunday! My alarm went off early morning because we're attending the 9:00 AM Mass. But, before that, we grabbed our usual breakfast from Tim Hortons.

After the Mass, we were greeted by heavy rain. So, we took an Uber ride to Costco for our monthly grocery run. Then, we grabbed a couple pizzas and pop from their food court.

Cheese Pizza Slice from Costco Food Court

It's my first time trying their pizza "fresh" from the food court. My parents usually bring it home, and it doesn't travel well.

Pepperoni Pizza Slice from Costco Food Court

The cheese pizza is much better than the pepperoni pizza from Costco food court, but it needs to be hot. Otherwise, it's not worth it.

Oatmeal Breakfast at Tim Hortons

Maple Oatmeal and Berry Oatmeal with Hashbrowns

Original Pinoy Iskrambol from Pampanga's Cuisine | Proudly Philippines Food and Travel Fair

After sleeping in, grabbing late breakfast at Tim Hortons, and walking across Granville Bridge, we arrived at Robson Square to visit the Proudly Philippines 2023: Food and Travel Fair, organized by the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver. We walked around to see food options. 

Pinoy Iskrambol from Pampanga's Cuisine, Vancouver BC

Of course, I supported Ate Kaye of KayeBakes.ca and ordered my favourite Mochanut Mamon. 🤤 Then, we noticed Iced Candy and Original Pinoy Iskramble sold at the Pampanga's Cuisine booth. After making puppy eyes at my husband, he reluctantly allowed me to order an Original Pinoy Iskrambol.

Pinoy Iskrambol from Pampanga's Cuisine

It is a pink shaved ice dessert with milk, sugar, and banana extract. I remember enjoying this growing up in the streets of Quezon City. I was skeptical if the flavour would be similar to what I remember, and I am happy to share that I feel like a kid again back in our first home in Novaliches. The sweetness and milk flavour are all spot-on. My husband said, "It's acceptable, but! it is missing the dust and pollution of Metro Manila." Hihi. ♥️

If you're craving Filipino Iskrambol in Vancouver, BC, head to Pampanga's Cuisine location at 6094 Fraser Street.

Salmon Family Bibimbap at Suika

After breakfast at Tim Hortons and Sunday Mass, we bought gifts for my parents, siblings, and our secret Santa at home.

Then, we had lunch at my favourite Suika. This is probably the last time we'll be here for the year, and this has become a happy place for me.

Hubby tried the Salmon Family Bibimbap on the Chef's Special menu. It was surprisingly delicious.

Salmon Family Bibimbap
Flaked salmon, ikura, and kanimiso butter served in a hot stone bowl. Topped with crispy salmon skin.

We love crispy fish, and this is awesome. I wish there was egg on top to maintain the bibimbap feel, but the stone bowl and crispy rice at the bottom are perfect.

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

Meanwhile, I ordered my usual Chicken Dashi Karaage and Signature Beef Curry with Tonkatsu, and this time with extra curry sauce on the side. 🤤

Chicken Dashi Karaage
Juicy deep-fried chicken thigh, crispy on the outside and filled with rich dashi shoyu flavour

After lunch, it's still snowing outside but not as heavily as in the morning.

Sweet & Spicy Boneless Chicken from Le Coq Frit

Happy blessed Sunday to you! After breakfast at Tim Hortons, we grabbed pies for Thanksgiving dinner tonight from The Pie Hole, went home to grab leftover containers, and then had lunch at Le Coq Frit.

I had to look at my last blog post about this place to decide what to get. According to past me, we found the Original Red Chicken too spicy for my husband, so we're skipping that. We also have not tried the Sweet & Spicy Chicken, plus I love the Real Crispy Chicken. We got those two.

It's perfect fried chicken: crispy exterior, juicy tender interior, and flavourful. My husband still found the Sweet & Spicy too spicy,   so I took 5 pieces while he got 5 of the Real Crispy Chicken.

I wish they had a combo where I could try all of them simultaneously. I could order one of each flavour if only they had a small size. Oh, and remember to order the fries since it's covered in Cajun seasonings.

Lunch at Le Coq Frit

Sweet & Spicy Chicken (Boneless) from Le Coq Frit
It's crispy, sweet, spicy, and utterly delicious!

Real Crispy Chicken (Boneless) from Le Coq Frit
Double fried chicken

French Fries from Le Coq Frit
Deep-fried until Golden Brown, then sprinkled with Cajun seasonings

Food Day at the PNE Fair

Happy Sunday! We started the day with breakfast at Tim Hortons. I didn't make a blog post about it because we ordered our usual, and there's really nothing new about it.

Then, we went to Sunday Mass. Afterwards, we took Bus 14 all the way to PNE. Finally, we arrived 15 minutes before the gates opened, purchased our tickets and were on our way.

My goal today is to take pictures of all the food stands and trucks inside the PNE Fair and Playland. I did my best, but I don't know if I succeeded. So I'll make a separate post tomorrow (depending on how busy I am at work).

PNE Fair

Since we were already here, we decided to eat whatever we felt like enjoying.

Deep-fried Oreos from CinCity Donuts

TIP! Don't order from the first food vendors you see. 

We made the mistake of ordering fried Oreos from the very first vendor we saw selling them. Apparently, quite a handful of them was available from other vendors as we walked further inside. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious and sinful, but walk around before deciding which chocolate or candy you want to enjoy deep-fried.

Deep-fried Oreos

Buttered Corn from Roasted Revolution food truck

TIP! Don't order from food trucks (the ones with wheels) because you might encounter them outside of the PNE.

I failed at this. I blame the lady who was happily enjoying her corn. I was envious and had to get one too. The buttered corn is so sweet. It reminded me of the corn they used to sell at Katipunan Avenue in the Philippines near my high school.

Buttered Corn from Roasted Revolution

I highly recommend the Roasted Revolution food truck for delicious corn.

Corn Dog from the Corn Dog King

After walking around the whole fair, we decided on getting corn dogs. Daily Hive suggested Little Coco's Corn Dog, but for the life of me, we couldn't find it, so we got a couple corn dogs from the Corn Dog King.

Classic Corn Dog from Corn Dog King

A peek inside the Classic Corn Dog

We had a Classic Corn Dog, which was as expected, but the Cheesy Korean Rice Dog was the most delicious thing we had today. I highly recommend it! It was crunchy and cheesy, and the only downside was the hotdog was only halfway. By the time I reached it, I had to give it to my husband for sharing.

Cheesy Korean Rice Dog from Corn Dog King

A peek inside the Cheesy Korean Rice Dog

The Hawaiian Rice Bowl from Rice Bowls Paradise

After eating the corn dog, I wanted something not fried, and with either noodles or rice, so we ordered The Hawaiian Rice Bowl from Rice Bowls Paradise. We first chose Curry in a Hurry as a source of our rice meal, but their credit card machine is broken, and we don't have cash which is unfortunate.

The Hawaiian Rice Bowl from Rice Bowls Paradise

The Hawaiian Rice Bowl was served in a pineapple. The stewed chicken and rice are amazing, but I wish the serving was bigger.

Mac and Cheese Soft Serve from Soft Serve Summerland

I'm not sure what to expect from a Mac and Cheese Soft Serve, but what I had was disappointing. It tastes just like vanilla ice cream. My husband said there's an aftertaste like cantaloupe, but I can't even taste that. All I find is vanilla ice cream that's not white.

Mac and Cheese Soft Serve inside PNE Fair

If they want genuinely cheesy ice cream, they should buy queso or keso sorbetes from an Asian grocery store. Filipino ice cream street vendors have better cheese ice cream than what I had at PNE Fair.

After eating the ice cream, we took Bus 16 to go home. I even managed a few minutes of nap inside the bus.

Chicken and Beef Shawarma Platter for lunch at Pita & Grill (Bremner Blvd)

After having breakfast at Tim Hortons, we spent the rest of our morning learning and admiring sea creatures in Ripley's Aquarium of Canada.

Then, we walked along Bremner Boulevard to see which restaurants were open since it was the Thanksgiving holiday. We decided on Pita & Grill since it's a brand not available in Vancouver.

We ordered two platters, hummus that comes with pita, and four falafel.

Left: Chicken Shawarma Platter (Grilled chicken shawarma with salad, rice, and garlic sauce)
Right: Beef Shawarma Platter (Grilled beef shawarma with salad, rice, and garlic sauce)

The chicken shawarma is better. The meat is soft and flavourful. Meanwhile, the beef shawarma was tough, and it felt like it's been there for hours.

Hummus
Chickpea paste, tahini sauce, and virgin olive oil

I recently fell in love with hummus and want it every chance I have. Unfortunately, this one is not good.

Falafel

Thankfully, the falafel is the best thing they have to offer. However, I now regret ordering the beef platter. I should have ordered a Falafel platter instead.

After lunch, we continued our city tour and went to the CN Tower.

Lunch from Subway

After eating our breakfast from Tim Hortons, I took a nap while NFL Redzone was running in the background. Finally, I fell asleep and felt a little better, but my cramps were still wrong.

For lunch, we decided to order from Subway. Hubby had a sandwich while I went for a wrap. We also called two cookies. 😁

Caramel Pecan made with Turtles cookie and White Chip Macadamia Nut Cookie

My Southwest Steak & Avocado Signature Grilled Rice Wrap from Subway was good. The steak, avocado, vegetables, and sauce were delicious. The only downer is the rice. This is why North Americans don't like rice because Subway (and similar establishments) doesn't cook it properly. It's hard and grainy.

Southwest Steak & Avocado Signature Grilled Rice Wrap
Grilled Wrap with shredded Monterey cheddar, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, red onions, banana peppers, chipotle southwest sauce, and brown, red, & wild rice blend.

Crispy Chicken Bacon & Peppercorn Ranch Sandwich
6" Toasted Multigrain with shredded Monterey cheddar, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, red onions, and peppercorn ranch sauce

Hubby's Crispy Chicken Bacon & Peppercorn Ranch from Subway was delicious too, but he complains that the chicken isn't crispy. 

Menu Items we tried from Subway

Below is a list of items we tried from Subway.

Signature Grilled Rice Wraps Chicken Caesar Large Wrap with Savoury Caesar sauce Southwest Steak & Avocado Chipotle Steak & Guac Grilled Wrap	Sandwiches Chicken and Bacon Ranch Sub Melt Crispy Chicken Bacon & Peppercorn Ranch
Melt Turkey Mighty Melt	Sides Caramel Pecan made with TURTLES®+ cookie Chocolate Lava cookie White Chip Macademia Nut

Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae from Costco Food Court

We started today with breakfast at Tim Hortons. Then, we grabbed groceries from Shoppers Drug Mart to get PC Optimum points. We went home to drop off our items and to rest for a bit. It allowed me to type all my Tims' blog posts. 😅

Then, we headed to Costco for lunch and groceries. We're shocked to see that all fried food is sold out! The french fries, poutine, and chicken strips with fries are all sold out. 🤯 Their fryer might be broken. That's the only logical explanation for running out of fries.

The good thing is the sundae is available. I know it's below 5°C outside, but that won't stop my hubby from getting his ice cream.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Topping

We chose the vanilla ice cream sundae with chocolate topping from Costco. It's the classic combination. I have tried sundaes from McDonald's and Jollibee, with the latter having the better one.

Sundae from Costco

However, the Costco food court chocolate topping is surprisingly delicious. It's creamy and thick, perfect with the vanilla soft-serve ice cream.

We'll try the caramel topping next time.

July 25, 2023 Update: Caramel

It rained earlier today. Thankfully, it was cloudy when I got off work, and the sunshine was peeking through the thick clouds. Hubby picked me up from the office, and we walked to Costco.

Before grocery, we grabbed dinner from the food court: our usual hot dog and fries, plus I ordered a Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae topped with caramel. The vanilla ice cream is excellent on its own. The caramel was sticky, so I'll stick with chocolate.

Vanilla Ice Cream topped with Caramel

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

Lunch at Ebi Ten

We went to the Santa Claus Parade! Seating on the same spot for 2.5 hours on 2 degree Celsius weather with a forecast of snow wasn't fun. I couldn't feel my legs afterwards. It was worth it, though, and we had fun.

We picked a spot close to Burrard street so I can grab breakfast at Tim Hortons, which we ate near our spot at the side of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. After the parade, we walked going to the library to warm up a bit. After an hour or so, we went on Robson street for a place to grab late lunch. We were initially hoping to grab lunch at Russet Shack, but it was already closed. We walked going west to see which restaurant has available spots since we have our foldable chairs. We found Ebi Ten!

Ebi Ten in Robson Street

It's a fast-food chain of Japanese food. I had the Katsu Curry while hubby had Yakiniku.

Food from Ebi Ten

The Yakiniku was good if you're into sweet, savoury beef.

Yakiniku Beef (stir-fried 100% Canadian beef and onion with steamed medium grain rice)

You know that I love Katsu Curry, so I try it every chance I get, the curry sauce was delicious while the katsu was not as tender as I'd like.

Katsu Curry (deep-fried pork cutlet in Japanese curry with steamed medium grain rice)

I didn't know they had snacks until after I checked in the Swarm App and was reading through the tips! I went back to the counter and found the snacks menu on the side. They have takoyaki, kara-age, and gyoza.

We ordered both Gyoza and Kara-age. I didn't like gyoza, and I don't recommend it. However, the kara-age is my fave part of the meal. The batter was crispy and light. The chicken was juicy. I'm willing to come back just for that fried chicken.

Gyoza (deep-fried dough filled with ground pork and vegetable)
Kara-age (Japanese style, crispy, and tender deep-fried chicken)

There are a lot of food choices in Downtown Vancouver, so I'm not sure if I'll be coming back here any time soon, but when I do, I'll order that fried chicken again!