Smooch Food: Love Letters to Every Bite

P.F. Chang's, LAX Tom Bradley Terminal Location: Second-floor mezzanine above the food court area, Tom Bradley International Terminal, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Featured Items: Wonton Soup ($17.50 USD), Immunity Ginger & Turmeric Blend Shots (2 for $11.80 USD) Seating: Plenty of seating with TVs, so it's a comfortable spot to wait for your flight. Verdict: Not the plain, clear broth I expected. A savoury, soy-forward soup loaded with shrimp, and the tender peppery chicken at the bottom is the highlight. The ginger and turmeric shot packs a fiery punch, so keep water handy. Okay, I could feel my throat starting to itch, so hubby and I walked around LAX Tom Bradley Terminal looking for a juice or booster shot, and couldn't find one. We were also curious what the P.F. Chang's on the second floor looked like. I hadn't seen their menu, so hubby pointed out a kiosk and suggested we check it. That's when he noticed their displa...

Pret A Manger, LAX Tom Bradley Terminal Location: Tom Bradley International Terminal, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Featured Items: Chicken Burrito Wrap ($16.99 USD), Moroccan Lentil Soup ($13.99 USD) Note: Prices are in USD and exclude taxes. Verdict: A satisfying, healthy airport dinner. The creamy chipotle sauce makes the burrito wrap, and the lentil soup is pure comfort. Thank God, we safely arrived at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)! Walking around Tom Bradley Terminal, I was so tempted to grab Panda Express or KFC. However, my desire for a bit of healthy food won, so we headed to Pret A Manger for dinner. The chicken burrito wrap ($16.99) is amazing. It's filled with hearty quinoa, smoky charred corn, and tender beans alongside the chicken. What makes it stand out is the spicy chipotle sauce, which is creamy and strikes the perfect balance of flavour. Pret's c...

Joe & The Juice, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) Location: Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Terminal E (U.S. departures, after security) Featured Items: Tunacado Sandwich ($13.95), Joe's Club Sandwich ($13.95), Green Sport Juice (16 oz, $12.50) Verdict: Go for the Tunacado. The fresh, well-seasoned tuna salad beats the chicken, and the cucumber-forward Green Sport juice is a refreshing pairing. I love to travel. I work hard to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ and to save money so we can see the world. My current job is a miracle, seriously. Hubby lost his job three years ago and hasn't found anything full-time since, and yet we're still able to travel. Right now we're at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), about to catch a flight to Los Angeles and then on to Melbourne, Australia. Yes, the company asked me to visit again after my first trip two years ago. It's a miracle. Before the flight, we grabbed a quick light bite at Joe...

La La Island, Thanksgiving Weekend Location: 2951 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6K 4N3 Featured Items: Matcha Latte with Oat Milk ($6 + $1.25 oat milk, 12 oz), Blueberry Scone ($3.95), Flat Croissant Chocolate ($5.95), Classic Winter Melon Tea ($4.10) Verdict: The blueberry scone is the surprise standout: moist, popping with berries, and nothing like the dry scones I expected. Happy Thanksgiving weekend! My sister loves putting together a proper Thanksgiving meal, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and this year a green bean casserole. My contribution is always the same: the annual Butter Pecan Pie from The Pie Hole. Unfortunately, we arrived before The Pie Hole opened at 11:00 AM, so we ducked into La La Island, right around the corner, to grab some treats while we waited. I got a matcha latte with oat milk ($6, plus $1.25 for the oat milk substitution) and a blueberry scone ($3.95). Honestly, I had pretty low expectations for the scone, but it turned out moist an...

Braziliant, Team Lunch Location: 552 Seymour St, Vancouver, BC V6B 3J5 Featured Item: Brazilian Hot Dog ($12) Verdict: Rich, creamy and seriously messy in the best way. Corn, peas, parmesan and crispy potato sticks piled impossibly high. Happy Thursday! For our company-paid team lunch, the theme was originally supposed to be Brazilian, but since our Melbourne office couldn't order it there, it got switched to Mexican at the last minute instead. Of course, our Vancouver team decided to stick with the original plan and went for Brazilian cuisine from Braziliant anyway. I ordered the hotdog ($12). If you've been following the blog, you might remember that back in June, we had a Brazilian colleague visiting from Australia who told me all about the Brazilian hot dog, piled high with peas, corn, and plenty of other toppings. What sparked that whole conversation? Japadog, of all things. This one lives up to the hype: a legendary Brazilian hot dog served on a ...