Lunch at Lin Chinese Cuisine

My mom wanted Chinese food ever since her birthday a week ago, so today, we had lunch at Lin Chinese Cuisine after doing groceries.

Tan Tan noodle soup with minced meat - one of my favourite dishes

Shanghai-style Chow Mein

Xiao Long Bao (Shanghai juicy pork dumplings) - MUST TRY! Best one in Vancouver (that I've tried, at least)

Pan-fried pork buns

Pan-fried cake with marinated beef

I am glad to eat here again! I think this is the first time since last Christmas. Please continue to support small, local businesses if you have the means to do so.

SAJetarian at Thank Granville It's Food trucks (TGIF)

Mutlu cumalar! جمعة سعيدة Happy Friday!

The South Granville Business Improvement Association (SGBIA) organized Thank Granville It's Food Trucks (TGIF). Every Friday and Saturday from 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening from June through Labour Day, there will be a rotating lineup of food trucks located along West 10th Avenue at Fir Street in front of the Vancouver School Board building.

Saj Bread

I am familiar with naan, pita, and tortilla, but this is the first time I've heard of saj. According to Wikipedia, Saj bread "is a very thin, large unleavened flatbread in Turkish and Arab cuisine baked on a convex metal griddle, a saj."

This is why I love Vancouver. I get to learn about food from other cultures.

SAJetarian

SAJetarian is a food truck in Metro Vancouver that specializes in Saj Bread. For today, I ordered their Ze Kafta. The saj bread is thin like a crepe but crispy like a fried tortilla. It's definitely unique, but what makes this wrap so delicious are the spices. It's so good! The slaw with fresh vegetables provides crunch while the meat is well seasoned.

Ze Kafta
Kafta (a marinated lamb/beef mix) grilled to perfection, with a Pomegranate Molasses drizzle, tomatoes, and Middle Eastern slaw on Saj bread.

I wonder if I can order just the Middle Eastern slaw. It's so good I am willing to eat it on its own.

Poutine

I am uncertain if there's any other dish more "Canadian" than poutine. I remember my former manager telling me how Canadian it is that each culture (restaurant) has some spin or take on the classic poutine. SAJetarian is no different. 

Ze Poutine

Their version of the poutine means Zaatar (spice mixture) gravy served with fries, halloumi (unripened cheese made from goat's and sheep's milk), kashkaval cheese (cheese made from cow's milk, sheep's milk, or both), topped with fried eggplant and green onions. 

IT'S SO DELICIOUS! If you can only get one item from their menu, please get this one! I couldn't stop eating it, and I want more. I wonder if they'll sell their Zaatar gravy.

They have just converted me to a SAJetarian! I can't wait to see them back in South Granville, so I can try their falafel, and I've been eyeing the Ze Grilloumi. If all Turkish / Arab restaurants serve food this good, please let me know which ones I should visit in Metro Vancouver.

Breakfast at Shine Café

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time in Victoria, BC, so yay!

Happy Sunday! It's our last day in Victoria, BC. The trip felt long and short at the same time. I know, it doesn't make sense. 😂

We started the day by visiting St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral. Originally, I planned to have breakfast at the famous JAM Cafe. However, it's so far from where we were, and I just don't have the energy to walk even such a short distance. I opened one of my favourite apps, Foursquare, to search for nearby breakfast spots with a high rating. That's how I found Shine Café. 

It's also a bonus that they got featured in the Food Network show, You Gotta Eat Here.

Full Breakfast

Hubby ordered the Full Breakfast to try their bacon, ham, and sausage. It's standard brunch fare. For his sides, he chose Potato Scone and Cornbread. I highly recommend the Potato Scone just because it's different. I think it's my first time trying this dish.

Full Breakfast
3 eggs, 2 pieces each of bacon, ham, and sausage, grilled tomato, cornbread, and Scottish potato scone

Unfortunately, the cornbread was dry, but putting the runny egg and grilled tomatoes on top made it such an amazing delicious vehicle.

Nemo Eggs Benedict

Finally! I thought I'll be leaving Victoria without trying salmon eggs benny. This is so good! 

Nemo Eggs Benedict with Hash Browns
Smoked salmon, red onion, avocado, and regular hollandaise

Check out the runny yolks from the poached egg.

Like our breakfast at Q At The Empress yesterday, I was asked how I like my eggs to be - I chose soft because I like my eggs perfectly soft poached runny.

Famous Pancakes

For our extra meal, we were discussing whether to get French Toast or Pancakes. We end up with Pancakes because we had pancakes yesterday, and I need to make some sort of comparison. The pancakes at Shine are much bigger and fluffier than the one from Q. However, I'm still dreaming over the blueberry compote from yesterday.

Famous Pancakes
Classic comfort served with real butter & pure maple syrup.

I recommend the Nemo Eggs Benedict, but I don't think you'll go wrong with any of their dishes.

It was an awesome short trip to Victoria, BC. I can't wait to come back to eat and visit the museums I missed during this trip. Thankfully, Victoria is only a couple hours away by Ferry plus another 30 minutes of bus ride to Downtown.

This is my last post as part of what I now call the "Victoria Food Series." Let's go back to the mainland and continue food exploring.

Unplanned dinner at 10 Acres Commons Restaurant

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time in Victoria, BC, so yay!

I plan my vacation (specifically the food aspect) with research and reviews. I do my best to find the best places to eat in every city I go to unless it's a sudden unplanned trip. Dinner at 10 Acres Commons Restaurant is not part of the plan.

I was planning to go to Big Wheel Burger at Cook Street near Beacon Hill for dinner tonight. Unfortunately, we had to walk the opposite way going back to our hotel. My younger sister is craving steak while I am still feeling full from lunch, so we ate at the closest possible restaurant, and that's 10 Acres Commons Restaurant.

Since I did no prior research and their menu during the pandemic is quite limited, hubby and I ordered three rolls. I honestly thought it'll be a light dinner, but I am so full I didn't even want to walk back to the hotel, which is literally across the street.

For recommendations - I would recommend the Prawn Tempura Roll if you want something crunchy, Spicy Tuna Roll if you like spicy food and the Avocado Roll for something creamy.

Avocado Roll, Prawn Tempura Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll

Avocado Roll
Pickled shitake, avocado, cucumber, green onions, and spicy mayo

Prawn Tempura Roll
Cucumber, avocado, spicy mayo, and tobiko

Spicy Tuna Roll
Cucumber, sesame seeds, green onions, and dashi mayo

Wild Wild West
Bourbon, lemon, and something else that I forget since I didn't take a picture of their menu and I can't find it in their online menu

French Bulldog
Citrus vodka, St. Germain, grapefruit, and lemon

Happy Saturday!

Beat the Heat at MOSI Gelato

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time in Victoria, BC, so yay!

Ice cream! A friend of our only brother recommended that he tries the ice cream from two places: Kid Sister Ice Cream and Parachute Ice Cream.

Kid Sister Ice Cream in Fan Tan Alley in Chinatown is closed, while Parachute was nearly a 30-minute walk from Rialto Hotel (where the family is staying), so we end up searching for the closest best ice cream and found MOSI Gelato.

Salted Caramel Gelato

There was a long line 5-minute before closing, and we felt bad for the only worker there. I am sure she's eager to close, but the line after us is pretty long (more than five people).

After enjoying our gelato, we went to Beacon Hill Park.

Lunch at Pagliacci's

It's my mom's 60th birthday, and it's Father's Day weekend; that's why my siblings and I planned a long weekend (3 days, 2 nights) trip to Victoria, BC. It's our parents' first time travelling outside of Metro Vancouver since migrating to Canada, so this is an important trip for them. It's also my first time at Victoria, BC, so yay!

After a delicious breakfast at Q At The Empress, we went to The Butchart Gardens then the Hatley Castle. By the time we're back in Downtown Victoria, it's past 2:00 PM, and I am starving. We planned to have lunch at Pagliacci's, and that's where we went.

The patio at Pagliacci's on a beautiful sunny day.

Honestly, Victoria is such a delicious city (meaning a lot of amazing restaurants). I thought Barb's Fish and Chips yesterday was going to be the highlight of the trip, then I tried Pagliacci's pasta, and I just can't stop grinning from ear to ear.

Focaccia

Let's talk about the free bread they give out while waiting for your order. It's fluffy yet chewy - it's so delicious, and only after doing a Google search did I find out that it's Focaccia. The only reason I am familiar with the term is because a mobile restaurant game I played has focaccia on the menu. But this is the first time I am trying it, and I can't believe how good it is. The focaccia is such a great way to start the meal.

Focaccia from Pagliacci's

The Previews

Deciding which appetizer to get is so difficult when there's a lot of options. We thought of ordering Ocean's Eleven, but hubby said that according to Google Maps, the Crab Cakes are popular, plus I wanted to try Minnesota Fats (risotto), so instead of Ocean's Eleven, we got both crab cakes and crispy risotto balls.

Edgar Allan Poe's Crab Cakes and Minnesota Fats

Edgar Allan Poe's Crab Cakes

The Crab Cakes is amazing! To be fair, I don't remember having a memorable crab cake, and this is packed with A LOT of crabs - none of those extenders.

Edgar Allan Poe's Crab Cakes
Dungeness & rock crab, panko, and lemon aioli

Admire the shredded crabs

Minnesota Fats

Meanwhile, I prefer the Minnesota Fats as is (no marinara sauce). The outside was crispy, while the inside is creamy and cheesy. It's the perfect combination.

The marinara sauce was perfect for the focaccia.

Minnesota Fats
Crispy risotta rice, asiago & mozzarella cheese balls, marinara sauce 

Look at the cheesy goodness inside.

Minnesota Fats topped with marinara sauce.

The Pasta

Hubby relied on Google Maps to see what people are saying, and he got the lasagna while I know what I want - I am turning into a seafood in white sauce monster. 😂 At any restaurant that specializes in pasta, I order the one with seafood in a cream-based sauce.

Dempsey's Lasagna

It arrived at our table pippin' hot. The cheese was melted, and it's truly beefy.

Dempsey's Lasagna
AAA Angus beef, mushroom, ricotta & mozzarella cheeses, marinara

Layers upon layers of beef and cheese

Sophia

This is the best dish I have had in Victoria, BC, so far. The next time I come back to Victoria, I will come back here and order this again.

Sophia
Canadian Dungeness & rock crab, shrimp, white wine cream sauce, smoked salmon, fettuccine

The Sophia is LOADED with seafood. The white wine cream sauce is not too heavy like Olive Garden. It's much better than the one from Vancouver Fish Co. in Granville Island, and it doesn't even deserve to be compared to the seafood pasta dish from Bridges Restaurant.

As you know by now, on a normal day, I would order desserts. But by the time we're finished with our meal, we're food coma. I haven't been this food coma in a long time.

I am already looking forward to the next time I come back to Pagliacci's.