Lunch from Siegel's Bagels

Happy Saturday! It's a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver, and hubby and I planned to go to Hadden Park. Before heading there, we decided to grab lunch from Siegel's Bagels. This place is popular! There's a long line of people placing their orders in person and more people waiting for orders at the pick-up window.  

They also have an option to place your order using an awesome app. That's what we did. Hubby got the Reuben while I ordered Lox and Cream Cheese.

For the Reuben, we picked Double Toasted Everything Bagel

Reuben
A layer of smoked meat, sauerkraut and melted swiss with mustard.

Lox & Cream Cheese
Wild Sockeye salmon and cream cheese with red onion + capers.

I enjoyed both bagel sandwiches. The bagel is freshly made and the toppings are great. Though, I tried their Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich at Granville Island a couple years ago and thought that was still the best. 

Although, a week ago I tried Atlantic Salmon Lox Bagel sandwich from Mon Pitou and that's just better. The tomatoes and cucumber added freshness that the Lox & Cream Cheese sandwich from Siegel's didn't have.

I can't wait to come back and try their other sandwiches. More importantly, get their Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich so that hubby can try it.

We enjoyed our meal at Hadden Park, specifically at Elsje Point. We spent two hours there. Then, on our walk home, we stayed for another hour at the VSB Park.

View from our picnic spot at Elsje Point

View from our bench at VSB Park

I love Vancouver! I still feel like a tourist in the city now I call home.

Croissants from Beaucoup Bakery

Bon Dimanche! Happy Sunday!

It's a cloudy day in Vancouver today, but we decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood. I enjoyed the croissants from Mon Pitou yesterday, and I thought of getting more, but I changed my mind and got a couple from Beaucoup Bakery instead.

Thankfully, they're still open, and the line wasn't long.

Butter Croissants and Almond Croissants

I ordered a couple butter croissants, two almond croissants, and hot chocolates. We thought about enjoying it at a nearby park, but there are no available tables. Instead, we end up walking home to enjoy our croissants there.

Butter Croissant

The butter croissant is saltier and not as flaky compared to the one from Mon Pitou. Or it's possible that because I ate Atlantic Salmon Lox Bagel with capers yesterday that I didn't taste the salt from the croissants from Mon Pitou. I don't know; it just tasted like Beaucoup used salted butter in their croissants.

That said, the almond croissant is so much better. It's sweet, flakey, but the middle part is chewy and dense because that portion has most of the almond on top. I love it!

Almond Croissant

Tower of Almond Croissants

Beaucoup Bakery

Beaucoup Bakery box, paper bag, and coffee cups

Beaucoup Bakery Paper Bug and Hot Chocolate Cup

Walking home with a cup of hot chocolates

Support local business in your neighbourhood, and happy long weekend!

Breakfast from Mon Pitou

Joyeux Samedi! Happy Saturday!

We're meeting a former colleague near our old office. They're closing down the office to save on rent. My former teammates will now have to work from home permanently. This means giving away, selling, and donating old office furniture and equipment. I got a free office chair, and we picked it up today.

We're scheduled to meet at 10 in the morning, and for extra motivation (as if a free office chair is not sufficient motivation), hubby and I planned on having breakfast at Mon Pitou. Originally, I planned on grabbing breakfast from Paul's Omelettery Restaurant. However, hubby mentioned that we should try the newly opened Mon Pitou. They opened this year at the former location of Slickity Jim at 7th Avenue and Hemlock.

I can finally use this photo I took last February when Mon Pitou is only a week old.

We planned on ordering from their brunch menu. However, we're too early. They will only start serving their brunch at 10:00 AM. We were there at 9:00 AM. Instead, we had to quickly decide which items to get from the "Grab and Go" menu.

Atlantic Salmon Lox Bagel

I went for the Atlantic Salmon Lox Bagel. It was delicious. The bagel is hard and chewy, the cream cheese was well creamy, the Atlantic salmon is melt in your mouth, the capers on top provide a surprising bite of saltiness and the cucumber and tomatoes give the freshness that it needs. Overall, it's an amazing dish.

Atlantic Salmon Lox Bagel inside the bag

Hubby ordered the Chicken Salad, and I like the bread they use. It has some berries, which is sweet amongst the creamy salad—another good dish. I'm willing to order both again. BUT when we come back, I am looking forward to trying more dishes, especially from their brunch menu.

Chicken Salad

Lastly, I ordered a couple butter croissants. My favourite croissant is from Beaucoup Bakery and Cafe, located a couple blocks away at Fir (between 5th and 6th Ave). The croissants from Mon Pitou is flakier and lighter than the one from Beaucoup. However, it's not as buttery.

Croissant

A couple croissants inside the bag

We enjoyed our food at nearby Granville Loop Park under the shade of the tree. Mon Pitou is such a great addition to South Granville / Fairview food scene, and I can't wait to come back.

Lunner from Poké Bar in Davie Village

Hauʻoli Pōʻaono! Happy Saturday!

We decided to take a walk going to Downtown Vancouver today across the Burrard Bridge. On the other side of False Creek, hubby and I met my sister, who recently moved to West End, specifically near Davie Village.

After hanging out for an hour at English Bay Beach, our only brother arrived. We stayed for an hour more and were having a great time just sharing stories and travel plans. I am so grateful to God for giving me, such wonderful siblings! We're missing our youngest sister, but in time I'm sure she'll be able to join us when she's more responsible and independent.

When we've had enough vitamin sea, we grabbed lunner (late lunch / early dinner) from Poké Bar. Our brother loves poké ever since his trip to Hawaii a couple years ago. The closest poké place to my sister's apartment is Poké Bar.

Poké Bar Aloha Curry
Brown rice base, chicken karaage, almond milk, curry powder, green onion, and onion chips.

If you know me by now, I love curry, so when I saw Aloha Curry on the menu, I know I will get it. Hubby and brother Aburi Poké. They both thought of getting the Poké Bowl, but the thought of mixing their own seems too much work.

Aburi Poké
Our chosen protein (salmon, spicy salmon, ahi tuna, and shrimp), crab meat, spicy crunch garlic chips, cucumber salad, spring mix, onion chips, green onion, corn, and sauce (teriyaki, spicy mayo, and rayu - Japanese Chili Oil).

I enjoyed the food more than I thought I would. The Alola Curry is delicious. I enjoyed the green onion and onion chips on top. It provides the needed crunch to the bowl. The chicken was surprisingly juicy. Meanwhile, I took a couple bites of hubby's Aburi Poké, and I like it. This poké experience is so much better than the first one.

I honestly can't wait for my next Poké bowl! Here are a couple of my favourite pictures from today.

I love big trees and the shade they provide.

View from Burrard Bridge at around 6:00 PM.

Beautiful Vancouver!

New York Cheesecake Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

Happy Thursday! Hubby and I did our 30-minute walk around the neighbourhood, and right before going home, we bought Salted Caramel Iced Capp. It's the one drink I look forward to from Tim Hortons every summer.

Two of my favourite things from Tim Hortons: Potato Wedges and Salted Caramel Iced Capp

I also secretly love their potato wedges and got those as well. 

New York Cheesecake Dream Donut from Tim Hortons

Hubby loves sweets, and whenever we're at Tims, he usually asks for whatever new or limited-time donut they offer. Today, we got to try their New York Cheesecake Dream Donut. It's alright. I still prefer the Sea Salted Caramel Dream and Chocolate Hazelnut Éclair Dream from earlier this year.

What's your favourite Tim Hortons Dream Donut?

Mother's Day Lunch Celebration from SURA Korean BBQ (Hazelbridge)

Happy Mother's Day to all moms! After more than a month, we went to Richmond today to spend the day with Mama and my siblings.

We also watched the Vancouver Whitecaps FC game against Montreal, and we won! Thank God!

Anyway, for our lunch celebration, we ordered from SURA Korean BBQ. I loved and enjoyed all the dishes we ordered.

Delivery from SURA Korean BBQ

Banchan

Royal Beef Galbi (Beef Short Ribs)

Royal Pork Galbi (Pork Spareribs)

Seafood Pancake

Japchae (Potato Noodles)

Kimchi Fried Rice

Which dish will I totally order again? The galbi. The sauce is delicious! Although, I couldn't justify the price for the serving size.

I can't believe that after a year we're still celebrating at home. Hopefully, next year we enjoy mom's favourite dishes in her favourite Korean restaurant. We actually miss grilling Korean BBQ in a Korean restaurant.

Lunch from Triple O's

Happy Friday! Hubby's team is having team lunch today, and their team manager gave them each a $30 DoorDash gift card (Yay!). We decided to order from Triple O's.

When I was thinking about what to order, I looked at old blog posts to see what I have already tried. There's just a lot of blog posts, so I made a list to help me decide (refer to the end of the post).

Limited Time Pizza Burger

Holy smokes! We love ordering limited-time dishes from basically anywhere. Last year, we tried Triple O's Chicken and Waffle. This year, it's time to give their Pizza Burger a shot alongside their limited-time Chocolate Espresso Milkshake.

Triple O's Pizza Burger
Our NEW Pizza Burger is made with our delicious 100% fresh Canadian Beef, Genoa-style salami, mozzarella sticks, banana peppers, mayonnaise, and a zesty pizza sauce.

The Pizza Burger is spicy because of the salami and banana peppers. The mozzarella sticks provide crunch and cheese to tone down the spice from the peppers. It's a delicious burger, but the patty on this one was overcooked and dry - not the juicy beef patty we usually get from Triple O's.

Chocolate Espresso Shake
Made with hand-scooped, premium, rich, vanilla bean ice cream. Contains caffeine.

I was expecting more coffee taste in the espresso shake, but it just tasted like their chocolate shake.

Buffalo Chicken Burger

Where has this burger been all of my life? It's like eating buffalo chicken wings in a burger! It's so delicious.

Triple O's Buffalo Chicken Burgter
Our spicy, seasoned, crispy breaded chicken breast drizzled in Franks RedHot™ sauce, topped with naturally smoked Canadian bacon, aged Canadian cheddar, crisp iceberg lettuce, fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, and ranch dressing.

Slicing the Buffalo Chicken Burger in half

Buffalo Chicken Burger - look at that hot sauce and ranch dressing on the juicy burger

I also discovered that Triple O's toast their bun. I never noticed them before, but I love how crunchy the edges of the bun.

Sides - Cajun Fries and Garlic Parmesan Fries

Garlic Parmesan Fries is still my favourite side. I didn't enjoy the Cajun Fries. They both use the creamy Caesar sauce, but the Garlic Parmesan Fries have that extra yum, which I could only attribute to the salty parmesan cheese.

Cajun Fries
Our signature Kennebec fries are tossed in a Cajun spice blend and drizzled with our Cajun Mayo and creamy Caesar. These savoury fries are bold in flavour and perfect for snacking.

Garlic Parmesan Fries
Our signature fries are made from fresh local Kennebec potatoes, topped with garlic seasoning, creamy Caesar dressing, and Parmesan cheese

Trying all Triple O's Burgers

I am going over my old post to find out which burgers I have tried from Triple. O's. I'll summarize it here.

Chicken

• B.C. Chicken
• Buffalo Chicken Burger
• Southern Buttermilk Chicken Club
• Spicy Ultimate Crunch Burger

Beef Burgers

• Bacon Cheddar Burger
• Chipotle BBQ Bacon Melt
• Monty Mushroom Burger
• Original Burger
• Original with Cheese Burger
• Double Double Burger - I don't think I'll try this 🤣

Lifestyle Combos

• Crispy Fish Burger
• Fish (3) and Chips
• Original Impossible™ Burger
• Veggie Burger

Limited Time Offer

• Chicken and Waffle
• Pizza Burger
• Chocolate Espresso Shake

Sides

• ✓ Garlic Parmesan Fries - my favourite!
• ✓ Sweet Potato Fries - the signature chipotle mayo is the bomb!
• Poutine - I can't remember the last time I ordered this to make a comment.
• ✓ Fries - I am actually not a fan of their fries. They're thick-cut, so it doesn't get crunchy, although the inside can be chewy.
• ✓ Onion Rings - It's good onion rings. Not as awesome as A&W, but you know it's onion rings.
• Pickle Chips - I haven't tried, and I don't know if I want to try.
• Cajun Fries - I think it's new since the last time I ordered from Triple O's (October 28, 2020).

Cinco de Mayo: Burrito, Nachos, and Quesadilla from Salsa and Agave Mexican Grill

It's the fourth year in a row that we enjoyed Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo (May 5).

• 2018 - We had nachos, quesadilla, burrito, and churros from Sal y Limon
• 2019 - We had nachos, tacos, and churros from Tacofino Taco Bar in Gastown
• 2020 - We had nachos, quesadilla, burrito, and churros from Las Margaritas in Kitsilano delivered at our home.

This year we ordered the same dishes from Salsa and Agave Mexican grill. The best part of the celebration this year is I paid only with DoorDash credits.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Nachos

We ordered large beef nachos. I chose Salsa and Agave because they're part of Daily Hive Dished Vancouver's list of Best Nachos in Vancouver. True enough, the best dish from today is the nachos! The chips arrived still crispy, and the pico de gallo on top is delicious.

Large Nachos (with extra beef)
Chips, cheddar cheese, beans, jalapeño peppers, pico de gallo, fresh homemade sour cream, topped with feta cheese

Chicken Quesadilla

It's dry. Extremely dry and cold. I want to blame it on delivery, but who knows. We reheated it in the air fryer, and the tortilla got fried and was crunchy like chips while the cheese at the edge of the quesadilla became fried; it's much more tolerable.

Chicken Quesadillas
Flour tortilla with melted cheese and chicken

Burrito

I added beef to the burrito, but somehow it's still mostly rice. Don't get me wrong, the rice was good (the one from Las Margaritas last year is still better, though), but the rice to other ingredients ratio is way off.

Mar y Tierra
Diced steak, grilled shrimps, rice and cheese

Churros con cajeta

Churros with caramel sauce are delicious! The outside was crunchy, and the inside is still so chewy. I wished we reheated it as well. I guess that's really the downside of delivery - the food is not enjoyed directly from the kitchen.

Churros con Cajeta
Fried-dough pastry dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

Overall, I am happy to have food from a restaurant again. It's been more than a week since we last ordered because of a new food rule hubby and I created.