Lunch deliver from McDonald's: We tried all the Spicy McChicken®

Saturday means takeout food. I love spicy food, so it's a no-brainer that when we heard that McDonald's is back with their Spicy McChicken® Challenge, we will try it.

Too much fast-food! It's our McDonald's feast for the day.

Habanero McChicken®

It was spicy. There was some heat, but nothing too bad.

Habanero McChicken® 

Scotch Bonnet McChicken®

The Scotch Bonnet McChicken® is only available from September 1 to 28. It's definitely spicier than the Habanero, but nothing to cry about. 

Scotch Bonnet McChicken®

Ghost Pepper McChicken®

Of course, the Ghost Pepper McChicken® is spiciest among the three, and it did pack a punch, but the sauce was so delicious with the chicken, it's great! The Ghost Pepper McChicken is only available from September 15 to 28.

Ghost Pepper McChicken®

In the Spicy McChicken Challenge, the bun, chicken, lettuce are all the same - it's just really the sauce that changes, so it's not really enough to bring people to tears (unless you don't like spicy food). My hubby did sweat a lot even before we started eating. The smell of it all got to him. He was still able to finish his McChicken, though.

Sides and More

I was feeling greedy today and decided to order more. I ordered 20-piece Nuggets, 3 Large Fries, Poutine, and 3 Large Iced Tea. We didn't finish it all. LOL Fast food leftovers are not ideal, but I"ll find a way to reheat them and make them edible again.

20-piece Chicken McNuggets and all the 5 available dipping sauces

Large French Fries

Poutine

Food coma Saturday while watching Bull.

Lunch delivery from Domino's Pizza

In my last post about Olive Garden, I mentioned that I like Domino's carbonara, so I thought of ordering it for lunch the day after eating the one from Olive Garden to do a comparison.

Domino's Pasta

Chicken Carbonara

Compared to the carbonara from Olive Garden, the one from Domino's is not as heavy and creamy. It's a bit watered down. I do love the bacon, grilled chicken, and mushroom better so topping wise Domino's got it right. For $7.50, it's a satisfying dish.

Chicken Carbonara
Grilled 100% all-white meat chicken, bacon, onions and mushrooms mixed with penne pasta and baked to perfection with creamy sauce.

Italian Sausage Marinara

I thought of ordering the Chicken Alfredo for hubby so he can compare it from the one in Olive Garden, but he said he wants something different, so I got him the tomato-based Italian Sausage Marinara, instead.

Italian Sausage Marinara
Penne pasta baked in a zesty marinara sauce with Italian sausage, a blend of Italian seasonings and Provolone cheese.

Domino's Side: Chicken

I ordered the Boneless Chicken with BBQ sauce.

Boneless Chicken
Boneless chicken is lightly breaded with savoury herbs, made with 100% white breast meat. Comes with our signature BBQ sauce for dipping.

Domino's Side: Bread

I also got us Parmesan Bites. My only regret is not ordering a Marinara Sauce Cup with it.

Parmesan Bites
Oven-baked bread bites handmade from the buttery-tasting dough and seasoned with garlic and Parmesan. 

Where is your favourite place in Vancouver to get Carbonara?

Ice Cream from Seaside Scoop

After a complete meal at Olive Garden, we drove to White Rock and walked around the pier. Before heading home, we decided to eat ice cream from Seaside Scoop.

I had my usual flavour, Cappuccino while hubby had pistachio.

My 1-scoop of cappuccino ice cream in a cup with a waffle cone on top

Hubby's 1-scoop pistachio ice cream in a cup with waffle cone on top

Yay for Saturday!

Lunch at Olive Garden in Langley, BC

My sister called me early Friday morning asking if we want to go with them to Langley to have lunch at Olive Garden the following day. I said yes because I have been craving pasta all week. I have been thinking about getting carbonara from Domino's Pizza, which I enjoy.

After a 30-minute drive to Olive Garden, we had lunch. Of course, we have to enjoy ourselves together separately. Hubby and I enjoyed a private lunch together while my parents and three siblings sat it on another table on the other end of the restaurant.

Appetizer

To start our lunch date, we ordered A Sampler Italiano with Calamari, Fried Mozzarella, and Lasagna Fritta. A choice between soup and salad came with our main course, so we both ordered their creamy soup.

A Sampler Italiano

For the appetizer sampler, we picked calamari, fried mozzarella, and lasagna Fritta. My favourite of the tree was calamari. The mozzarella was not the best one I've tried, and it wasn't hot when it arrived at our table. The lasagna Fritta, I just didn't know what to expect.

A Sampler Italiano

Lasagna Fritta and Mozzarella Sticks

Calamari - lightly breaded and fried squid served with marinara and spicy ranch.

Soup

Chicken and Gnocchi

For soup, I picked the Chicken & Gnocchi, which was still as delicious as I remembered.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup is a creamy soup made with roasted chicken, Italian dumplings, and spinach.

Zuppa Toscana

Meanwhile, hubby ordered the Zuppa Toscana, and I liked it better than the Chicken and Gnocchi. I'm making a mental note to get that next time.

Zuppa Tuscana includes spicy Italian sausage, kale, and potatoes in a creamy broth.

Main Course

I have been craving pasta all week. I just didn't know it's carbonara I am thinking about until I thought about Domino's Pizza.

Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara

By the time my carbonara arrived, I was nearly full, and the first bite was delicious. The chicken was a bit sweet, while the shrimp was cooked perfectly. However, the sauce itself felt heavy, and there was nothing to cut through all the cream and oil. I kinda wished the chicken was grilled instead of fried.

Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara is spaghetti tossed in a creamy sauce with bacon and roasted peppers.

Steak Alfredo

Hubby ordered from the "Amazing Alfredos" section of the menu. I just took a small bite of the steak and the pasta, and both were good. We took some home, so I'll enjoy it tomorrow.

Steak Alfredo includes grilled 6 oz sirloin topped with garlic herb butter and fettuccine alfredo.

Dessert

Olive Garden has some really great dessert options.

Chocolate Brownie Lasagna

We settled with Chocolate Brownie Lasagna. It was sweet and decadent. Surprisingly, we didn't finish it even with the hot tea, so yay for having dessert tomorrow.

Chocolate Brownie Lasagna

Chocolate Brownie Lasagna is eight layers of rich, fudgy brownie and sweet vanilla cream cheese frosting with chocolate drizzle. Yum!

Drinks

For drinks, I had an unlimited iced tea while hubby enjoyed the Blackberry-Pineapple Iced Tea. After the meal, while enjoying dessert, I ordered a hot tea because I felt too full to finish dessert.

I can't wait to go back here and try their other kinds of pasta dishes.

Lunch delivery from Ogenki Sushi Fusion

My youngest sister requested for Japanese food delivery (specifically, Chicken Katsu). I'm more than happy to oblige, but I wasn't sure which restaurant to pick from SkipTheDishes, so I selected the "Japanese" category and sorted by Skip Score. The first result is Ogenki Sushi Fusion.

Hubby and I shared the following three items:

S6. Tuna and Salmon Sashimi (8 pcs) from Ogenki Sushi Fusion
Four pieces of tuna and four pieces of salmon.

The sashimi is delicious, but it's not the freshest I have tried, but that could be attributed to it being delivered. 

A20. Tako Yaki (6 pcs)
Ball-shaped Japanese octopus snacks topped with bonito flakes, nori, green onions, mayonnaise, and takoyaki sauce. One order comes with six pieces.

My only regret with the Takoyaki is not ordering more. It's so delicious, and I haven't had it in a long time.

A10. Pork Gyoza (6 pcs) from Ogenki Sushi Fusion
Six pieces of deep-fried pork dumplings.

The gyoza arrived crispy and delicious.

My mother ordered the Beef Teriyaki Bento Box like she always does in every Japanese restaurant we try. I think she can start a blog for beef teriyaki review.

Beef Teriyaki Bento Box
Beef Teriyaki on rice and four pieces of California roll served with miso soup, green salad, tempura, and spring roll.

Meanwhile, my brother chose "Combo 1 (20 pcs)," which means assorted rolls.

Combo 1 (20 pieces) comes with Salmon roll, tuna roll and California roll. One order comes with twenty pieces.

Lastly, my youngest sister gets to enjoy her Chicken Katsu Don.

D8. Chicken Katsu Don with Veggies
Chicken katsu served on a bed of rice with vegetables.

Have you tried Ogenki Sushi Fusion? Which is your favourite Japanese restaurant in SkipTheDishes?

Lunch from Win Win Chick-N

I love fried chicken and I'm trying to decide for myself which one is the best in Metro Vancouver.

Today, I finally had a chance to try Win Win Chick-N from their branch in Steveston, Richmond BC.

Juicy and Crispy Fried Chicken from Win Win Chick-N

Look at all the black pepper in the chicken skin.

10-pc Fried Chicken from Win-Win Chick-N

We took it home to enjoy for snacks and dinner. The chicken was perfectly spiced and crispy. The breading is not as thick as Church's Chicken or KFC. It's delicious.

Win Win Chick-N Storefront

My number one favourite chicken is still LA Chicken, then Hi-Five Chicken. I'm still debating whether I like Win Win more than Juke. Hmmm.

What's your favourite source of fried chicken in Metro Vancouver?

Sweets from Outpost Mini Donut Company

Yay! A fantastic place to get mini donuts in Metro Vancouver is in Steveston, Richmond BC. It's freshly baked, soft, and delicious.

Assorted Mini Donuts from Outpost Mini Donut Company

Cute Donut Counter

Where do you get your mini donuts to fix?

Lunch from Pajo's at Garry Point Park

It's a long weekend! We're sleeping over at my parents, and we decided to spend a couple hours eating in Steveston.

We started our food trip to Steveston with fish and chips at the famous Pajo's.

One of Each Fish (Pacific Wild Cod, Pacific Wild Salmon, and Alaskan Wild Halibut) & Fries $26

Pacific Wild Salmon

Order Counter

It's such a beautiful day to be here!

Guest Post: Lunch at Pearl Castle Cafe

This is another post written by my brother.

I have not gone out for a while and decided to meet a friend after work. We decided to have dinner at Pearl Castle Cafe as it's close to both of us. We first ordered Milk Tea, she ordered Matcha Milk Tea while I had Red Bean Milk Tea.

Red Bean Milk Tea

We each ordered an appetizer for us to share, I ordered a Taiwanese Sausage and she ordered a Fried Tofu.

Fried Tofu

Taiwanese Sausage

For our main course, we both ordered fried rice. She ordered Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice while I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki Fried Rice.

Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice

Chicken Teriyaki Fried Rice

Buko Pie and Egg Pie from Ruby

I was craving buko (coconut) pie that I miss from the Philippines. I decided to ask the Facebook Food group I'm part of for recommendation, and the first person to send me a message and picture is Ruby Dacanay.

Buko Pie in Vancouver from Ruby

The buko pie is delicious! It's more buko than sugary filling, which I love. The crust is flaky, and it just crumbles.

Buko Pie

I sliced the buko pie. My skills need some work.

Look at the layers of coconut.

Egg Pie in Vancouver

The egg pie is not overly sweet, creamy, and delicious.

Egg Pie

Egg Pie

Egg Pie slice

I can't wait to bring this to Richmond tomorrow. Be sure to send Ruby Dacanay a message on Facebook to order a buko and egg pie.

Where to get Buko Pie in Vancouver?

I am craving for Filipino buko pie, but I don't know where's the best place to get one that will deliver to our home. I asked the Facebook group I belong to and below are their suggestions:

Vancouver Restaurants with Buko Pie

• Kumare Restaurant and Bakery - They have a branch in Richmond, Delta, and Vancouver.
• Hapag Ihaw Ihaw Filipino Grill - Two people, recommended the buko pie from Hapag. They're located in Victoria Drive, Vancouver.
• Aling Mary's - They're located in Main Street, Vancouver, and I have ordered a buko pie from them in the past, but I know they don't deliver.

Home-Based Online Vendor with Buko Pie

• Pinay Bakes - Facebook page - Two people recommended their buko pie.
• Ruby Lyn Dacanay - She's the first one to send me a private message and pictures of the buko pie, and it looks great.

Do you know of other places in Vancouver that serve buko pie? Leave a comment below so I can include them on this list.

Buko Pie

Guest Post: Lunch delivery from Ikura Sushi

This blog post is written by my only brother.

Lunchtime and we wanted to eat something different than our usual meals. Mom wanted to have Beef Teriyaki and my sister handled the online ordering and she found Ikura Sushi.

Our mom wanted to have Bento Beef Teriyaki and it didn't really matter to me what I got so I just ordered the same thing.

Beef Teriyaki Bento

My sister ordered Chicken Teriyaki bowl for herself.

Chicken Teriyaki

Have you tried Ikura Sushi? What do you think?

Filipino Food from Tasty Pinoy BBQ Skewers at iba pa

 It's the last day of the month, which means we can pigout. Today, we ordered lunch from Tasty Pinoy Skewers. As expected, we got too much food (is there such a thing?), which means we have food for the whole week (or at least, most of the week).

What to order from Tasty Pinoy BBQ Skewers?

Feast from Tasty Pinoy Skewers

Kwek-Kwek

I haven't had Kwek-Kwek ever since I was in the Philippines last February 2019, so I was really looking forward to eating Kwek-Kwek. And this one is delicious. I even sent a photo to my sister, who loves and misses this dish.

Kwek-Kwek

Pork BBQ

Saucy is the best word to describe their pork BBQ. It's delicious and hoped I ordered more.

Filipino-style Pork BBQ

Crispy Dinuguan

This is the surprise of all the things I ordered today. The Diniguan (pork blood stew) is good, but the bagnet on top made it excellent. I highly recommend this dish.

Crispy Dinuguan

Creamy Kare-Kare

You can never go wrong with kare-kare (peanut butter stew) with bagoong (shrimp paste). It's delicious and creamy (as the name suggested). I can't wait to reheat and eat it with rice.

Creamy Kare-Kare

This delivery just made Monday 100x better. Thanks, Tasty Pinoy Skewers, for the food delivery. Check out their Facebook page for the menu, prices, and send them a message to place an order.