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In product

Hummus Board Inspiration for the Holiday

The holidays are starting to ramp up, which means more holiday parties in the upcoming weeks. If you’re hosting festivities at your place, feeding a group of hungry guests can be a challenge when there is only so much time to prep. I usually like to have a charcuterie board out so guests can nibble on a few items before the main courses begins. This year, we are mixing things up by creating a hummus board to bring more plant-based protein in the mix, plus hummus is so delicious and full of flavour.

To put your hummus board together, it all starts with choosing your hummus flavours. Sabra has 8 flavours to choose from and they are available at most major grocery store chains across Canada.

  • Classic Hummus
  • Caramelized Onion with Smoked Paprika
  • Greek Olive Hummus
  • Roasted Garlic Hummus
  • Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
  • Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
  • Spinach Artichoke Hummus
  • Supreme Spicy Hummus

I went with Classic, Roasted Pine Nut and Supreme Spicy Hummus to have a good diversity of hummus flavours.

When deciding what else to add to the hummus board, you can decide to choose a plant-forward option or meat-forward based on what your guests enjoy. I personally like a good mix so guests can pick and choose what they want to munch on.

When arranging it on the table, I like to use large cutting boards or larger plates to create an epic hummus board. I used 4 boards to lay everything out of my dining room table.

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Cheese:

  • Havarti
  • Herbed Goat Cheese
  • Applewood Smoked Cheddar
  • Double Creamed Brie

[/one_third]

[one_third last=”no”]

Meats:

  • Prosciutto
  • Coppa di Parma
  • Mild Genoa Salami

[/one_third]

[one_third last=”yes”]

Vegetables:

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Red Peppers
  • Cucumbers
  • Celery
  • Olives
  • Artichoke

[/one_third]

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Fruits:

  • Apple
  • Pear
  • Grapes
  • Dried Apricot
  • Dried Mangoes

[/one_third]

[one_third last=”no”]

Nuts:

  • Pistachios

[/one_third]

[one_third last=”yes”]

Crackers:

  • Veggie Crackers

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Mix up the ingredients however you like. I kept my hummus board simple so I didn’t have to do any additional cooking. I spent most of my time cutting vegetables and taking items out of their packaging. Sabra offers delicious, creamy hummus inspired recipes made by hummus experts, check out a few of their recipes on their website.

I am an absolute fan of hummus and a hummus board is perfect for the holidays for entertaining made easy. Adapt the taste to have it more plant-forward or meat-forward by picking and choosing what accompanies the hummus. With 8 different flavours of Sabra hummus to choose from, the combinations are endless. Looking forward to see what is on your hummus board this year.

This blog post was sponsored by Sabra Canada but the opinions are all my own.

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In Indian

Tasty Indian Bistro: Indian Cuisine in Yaletown

Tasty Indian Bistro has opened up their second location in Yaletown and I’ve been so excited since they announced it because their Surrey location is great, but the drive was a little long.

I came here after work with M and BusanGirl to try a few of their classic menu items. Imagine them as a higher end Indian restaurant.

Interior

In the evening, the interior is very dark but the aesthetic is nice as usual. For a Friday evening, it was pretty packed with people even eating outside on the heated patio.

Menu

Sparkling Water

I wish I could have a drink but being pregnant means no more alcoholic drinks for me until next year.

Veggie Pakora

We started with veggie pakora, which are assorted vegetables fritters that are deep fried. It comes with 2 types of chutney for a dipping. Each piece was very crisp and delicious. The chutney helps accentuate the flavours too.

Tandoori Chicken

The tandoori chicken is another popular dish, It has chicken marinated with traditional spices and cooked in their tandoor oven. It is served with lime and an avocado-like mint sauce. It was really tender and it comes on a super hot skillet.

Lamb Vindaloo

This curry has lamb with a curry made of roasted cinnamon, mustard seed, cloves and other spices. It was good with chunk of lamb. The lamb was tender and the curry sauce was tasty too.

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is made with spinach and Indian cheese cooked in spices. This is always my personal favourite dish. I like ordering a meatless item to compliment the other curries.

Butter Chicken

This is a classic item to get as it has boneless tandoori chicken cooked in a rich tomato cream gravy. Highly recommended.

Rice

Rice is a good item to go with the curries as it can soak up all the delicious sauces.

Tandoori Roti

This is leavened wheat bread baked in a tandoor oven. It tasted pretty plain when eaten on its own.

Garlic Naan

This was delicious! It is garnished naan with garlic and herbs. Good eaten on its own or with curries. We much preferred this.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the dinner was good and is a great addition to Yaletown. There are lots of options on the menu and extensive drinks menu too. With the addition of this location, you don’t have to travel to Surrey for Tasty Indian Bistro anymore.

Since they don’t take reservations on busy nights, you’ll want to come early to avoid waits.

Address:
1261 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://tastybistro.com/

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In Langley

Oak & Thorne: Pub Fare and Arcade Games in Langley

Oak & Thorne is one of Joseph Richard Group’s public houses. What was once farmland has become the bustling community of Walnut Grove. Opened in 2015, Oak & Thorne is an adult playground complete with arcade games.

You can watch the game here, grab a drink, and some bites. They have over 25 beers on tap and a growing list of craft beers. The food menu has classic pub offerings, prepared in-house from local, fresh, high quality ingredients.

Arcade Games

If you love arcade games, you can play a few games with friends over a drink. There’s a good amount of games downstairs and some other games on the main floor. Super fun to relive your childhood with these classic games.

Mac and Cheese Bites

This has aged cheddar and American cheese, macaroni, and panko crust with a San Marzano tomato sauce dip. This was delicious and a good item to share among the table. Can’t go wrong with cheese and tomato sauce.

Scotch Egg

This has sage pork sausage, ale infused soft boiled egg, panko breadcrumbs, sweet and a sour tomato relish. A meaty dish but the centre of the yolk is very soft, which is great.

Hand Pie Duo

There is a curry chicken hand pie, an IPA braised pork hand pie, Guinness mustard, sweet and sour tomato relish. Why have one when you get two handpies in this dish.

Cottage Pie

This cottage pie has Guinness braised pork and beef pie, seasonal vegetables, imperial cheese sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, dream rings, and a side of garlic toast. A hearty and salty dish for sure.

Peanut Butter Stack

This dessert has milk chocolate, peanut butter ganache, chewy brownie, toasted peanuts, whip cream, and caramel. If you have a sweet tooth, this dish is great to share.

Final Thoughts

Most people come here to watch the game, have a drink and some small bites. It’s a great addition to Langley with a good bar selection. It gets pretty busy on on Friday and Saturday evenings, so make sure to grab a reservation ahead of time.

Address:
20173 88 Ave, Langley Twp, BC

Website:
http://www.jrg.ca/establishment/oak-thorne/

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In Chinese

Pink Pearl: A Sustainable Cantonese Dinner

Pink Pearl Chinese Restaurant in Vancouver’s east end, has taken a major step in its sustainability journey – removing shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy, from its menu – and highlighting the bounty of sustainable seafood options in classic, Cantonese cuisine.

To celebrate this milestone and the restaurant becoming an Ocean Wise Seafood partner, they hosted a banquet-style dinner featuring a delicious spread of sustainable seafood like steamed black cod, pan-fried clams and Dungeness crab, among other mouthwatering dishes.

Knowing where you food comes from and the impact on the environment is more important than ever as it impacts our health.

Pan Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce

The pan fried clams were covered in black bean sauce and it was delicious. Make sure you get some rice to really soak up a that black bean sauce so it doesn’t go to waste.

Farmed shellfish like clams are some of the most sustainable seafood options widely available globally. These shellfish are grown in suspended rafts and beach farmed and are harvested by hand, hand rakes, or dredge worldwide.

Basa Fillet with Garlic and Roasted Pork Hot Pot

This dish has a combination of tofu, bok choy, mushrooms, garlic, roast pork and the basa fillet. Another delicious dish and the basa fillet was moist and went well with the sauce.

Conventionally farmed basa is not considered Ocean Wise. They are farmed in extremely high density ponds and as a result have a high risk and concern for disease and the spread of pathogens. As a result, chemical use is high.

In contrast, the basa served at Pink Pearl is from an Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified farm raised in Vietnam. In order to be ASC certified, farms must adhere to standards set by ASC and are audited for compliance. This includes standards on minimizing disease, water pollution treatments and monitoring, criteria on the fish feed they are allowed to use, and minimizing impacts on the local ecosystem. ASC also has chain of custody which means that processors, distributors, or any supply chain company that handles an ASC-certified product can be certified throughout the supply chain to improve product traceability.

Oysters with Ginger and Green Onion Sizzling Hot Plate

These big fried oysters are massive and paired with aromatic of ginger, onion and green onion which is always a good pairing. The oyster is definitely a mouthful, so one piece is pretty hefty.

Similar to clams, shellfish are one of the most sutainable seafood options. As these species are filter feeders, they extract nutrients from the water and require no external feed inputs. In addition, chemicals are not used in the production and effluent is not a concern.

Steamed Black Cod in Preserved Vegetables

Steamed black cod with preserved veggies was well cooked too. Some people may not like the preserved veggies, but it add a tang of fermented taste to the dish. The cod was a good texture, but there were a good amount of bones so be careful.

Black cod/sablefish in BC is managed as part of a multi-species groundfish fishery using bottom longline and trawl fishing gear.The sablefish population in BC is considered healthy and fishing rate is stable. There is effective enforcement on the total allowable catch and where they are allowed to fish in order to avoid sensitive habitats.

All fishing boats have 100% at-sea, dockside, and observer coverage that records and accounts for each fish that comes on board a fishing vessel and makes it to land.

Dungeness Crab with Spicy Dry Garlic

The next dish was the highlight of the meal. It was our favourite item of the night, but then again, how can you resist a pile of dungeness crab? The exterior is deliciously seasoned and there was a good amount of meat inside.

Dungeness crab are caught by trap in BC and is considered a well-managed fishery that regulates legal catch limits based on size, sex, and season. They have a life cycle that makes them inherently low in vulnerability since they mature and reproduce at an early age, are quite reproductive and have a fairly short lifespan.

Bycatch concerns are considered low and the trap fishing gear has low impact on habitat since the trap is immobile once it’s dropped and does not drag along the sea floor.

Beef and Lettuce Fried Rice

To end off the meal, we had beef and lettuce fried rice to accompany the other dishes.

Final Thoughts

It’s great that another Cantonese Restaurant is getting the Ocean Wise certification as the clientele likes certain types of seafood like shark fin. The showcase of sustainable seafood for today’s meal tasted good and it takes a lot of effort to make the switch to ensure our oceans stay healthy without depleting the supply of seafood or causing additional harm to ourselves.

To find more about the Ocean Wise program, check out  seafood.ocean.org.

Address:
1132 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.pinkpearl.com/

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In product

Sipsmith Gin: Hot Cozy Cocktail Inspiration

With the winter approaching and temperatures across Canada getting closer to 0°C, what better way to warm up that with some hot cozy cocktails. We have heard of classics like mulled wine, hot toddies and hot cocoa with a splash of liqueur, but have you considered hot gin cocktails?

Gin is great as it has those forward botanical flavours like juniper that speak to the holiday season. Sipsmith London Dry Gin is a great aromatic base for hot drinks. With a twist on the classic cocktail, hot gin offers a way to explore cocktail making when the temperature cools down.

Below are a few recipes you can craft up this holiday season.

Hot Clementine

  • 1.5oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin
  • 1/3oz gomme syrup
  • 1/4 oz freshly squeezed clementine juice
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Sage leaf, to garnish

Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add the first four ingredients and stir well. Strain into a chilled rocks glass, and garnish with a dried blood orange slice and rosemary sprig.

Hot G&T

  • 1.5oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin
  • 0.5oz Jack Rudy Tonic Syrup
  • 1/3oz Sugar Syrup
  • Boiling water
  • Orange twist

Combine Sipsmith gin, tonic syrup and sugar syrup in a mug or heatproof stem glass. Stir well and top with boiling water. Garnish with an orange twist.

Hot Negroni

  • 1oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin
  • 1oz Campari
  • 1oz Sweet vermouth
  • Red berry tea
  • Dehydrated orange

Pour Sipsmith, Campari and sweet vermouth into a mug and stir. Top with hot red berry tea and garnish with a dehydrated orange or a fresh orange slice.

Hot Pharmaceutical

  • 1.5oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin
  • 0.5oz maple syrup
  • 0.5oz coffee liqueur
  • 2 oz fresh espresso
  • Fresh cream
  • 3 coffee beans, to garnish

Add Sipsmith, maple syrup, coffee liqueur and fresh espresso into a glass vessel you can seal. Place the vessel inside a hot water bath and leave until it has warmed to 70 degrees C. Remove and pour into a coupette. Float slightly whipped fresh cream on top and garnish with the coffee beans.

Gingerbread Sour

  • 1.5oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin
  • 0.5oz Lemon Juice
  • 0.5oz Gingerbread Syrup
  • Egg white
  • 1 dash Regans Orange Bitters
  • Fresh Ginger to garnish

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake. Add ice and shake again. Double strain into a chilled glass and garnish with slices of fresh ginger.

Blood Orange Negroni

  • 1 oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin
  • 1oz Campari
  • 0.5oz Picon
  • 1oz fresh Blood Orange Juice
  • Dried blood orange slice
  • Rosemary sprig

Fill a mixing glass with ice and add all ingredients into the glass. Stir and strain into a chilled rocks glass. Garnish with dried blood orange and rosemary

Chestnut Martini

  • 1.5oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin
  • 1 teaspoon Chestnut Syrup
  • 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
  • Green Chartreuse Rinse
  • Glacé Cherries

Combine all ingredients except the Chartreuse in an ice filled mixing glass. Stir well. Rinse a chilled coupette with Green Chartreuse and double strain ingredients into the glass. Garnish with glacé cherries.

Website:
https://sipsmith.com/product/london-dry-gin/

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In Cafe

Ganache Pâtisserie: New 2018 Seasonal Flavours for the Fall and Winter

Ganache Pâtisserie has been one of our favourite bakeries in Vancouver for a long time. Situated in Yaletown, they have been creating amazing pastries since I can remember. It’s always a treat when I go to birthday parties or some sort of celebration and someone has bought a cake from them.

For this Fall and Winter, they have crafted 4 new seasonal flavours for the holiday season. We were invited to give these cakes a taste test.

Hojicha Sake Sésame

Hojicha Sake Sésame pairs hojicha, or roasted matcha tea, parfait with a coconut sake kasu panna cotta, elderflower-soaked goji berries with a black sesame chiffon cake and hojicha chocolate glaze.

This may look sweet because of the chocolate glaze, but it wasn’t as sweet as we thought. A good balance of flavours too.

Earl Grey Chocolat

Focusing on a classic black tea,  Earl Grey Chocolat layers a moist Earl Grey chocolate cake  with a fragrant Earl Grey mousseline filling and a layer of caramel crunch while an Earl Grey ganache is drizzled over top and accented with a dark chocolate tile and gold flakes.

The earl grey flavours really translate well through the cake and the layer of caramel crunch was a good added texture.

Paris Brest au Marron

A new take on a classic French pastry, Paris Brest au Marron fills the donut-shaped creampuff with a buttery chestnut mousseline containing crushed pumpkin seed nougatine, savory chestnut pieces and a Chai-spiced chantilly cream.

Different than the other cakes due to the shape, but it’s not too sweet either and good flavours for the holiday.

Noisette Caramel Chocolat

Noisette Caramel Chocolat combines a hazelnut milk chocolate cheesecake with a layer of moist chocolate cake, a light hazelnut Zephyr Caramel chocolate mousse and a milk chocolate caramel glaçage, dusted with toasted hazelnuts and fleur de sel.

Perfect for those who have a sweet tooth and are chocolate lovers.

Final Thoughts

Overall, 4 great flavours for the holiday and any occasion in the Fall and Winter. Ganache Pâtisserie has always been knocking out amazing pastries in Yaletown and continue to do so.

Address:
1262 Homer St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
http://www.ganacheyaletown.com/

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In product

O’sulloc Roasted Tea Milk Spread: Review

O’sulloc Roasted Tea Milk Spread is one of the newer products from South Korea. After O’sulloc’s success with the Green Tea Milk Spread, they created the Roasted Tea Milk Spread. Since I was curious, I got my mother in law to bring me back a few jars to try. It’s hard to find in North America unless it’s at specialty grocery stores. You can alternatively find them selling online for quite a mark up around $25.

You can eat the spread with bread, cookies, bagels, or milk. It would work well in baking too as it is sweeter. Imagine putting this on ice cream and waffles. It would be pretty darn great.

It has a good depth of tea flavour, which is very enjoyable, but there is a good amount of sugar inside, so it’s definitely not for anyone’s diet.

They come in 200g jars with the delicious Roasted Tea Milk Spread hidden inside.

Website:
http://www.osulloc.com/kr/en

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In Chinese

Shine Valley Lamb Soup: Chinese Lamb Soup, Dumplings, and Skewers in Richmond

Shine Valley Lamb Soup is located in Richmond and they specialize in exactly what their name suggests – lamb soup. I met up with a few friends and headed here for lunch as we heard it was good. They started in 2014 in a food court stall and since it was so successful, they decided to move into a storefront. Their more popular items are Chinese lamb soup, dumplings, and skewers.

If you’re a fan of lamb, you’ll like this place.

The restaurant is located on the second floor, you can take the stairs of elevator to get there.

Interior

The interior is large with lots of tables for small to large groups. The look is very rustic and feels like you’re transported back in time.

Menu

Lamb Soup with noodles and liver

We got the large size to share. The broth was really delicious and the noodles were cooked perfectly. We really enjoyed it. You can tell the noodles are hand made and the whole dish has a very homey feel and taste. Highly recommended.

Eggplant with Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is also one of their specialties. It was surprisingly good. Very savory and not too sour.

Green Onion and Ham Cake

The bun was very flakey and stuffed with a good amount of green onion and ham scattered inside. It’s easily sharable if you don’t want to have the whole thing. You can dab this in eggplant’s sweet and sour sauce too.

Grilled Chicken Gizzard

Chicken gizzard is the thick part of a chicken’s stomach that grinds the food. It’s very muscular and has a crunchy texture. We got this in mild spice level.

There is a minimum order of 5 pieces.

Lamb Skewer

You have to come here for the lamb skewers, we got these with medium spice level. There is a minimum order of 5 pieces.

Lamb Meat Stuffed Dumpling

The dumplings were boiled and can be eaten with vinegar and chili oil. Very delicious too. Simple and just like what you would get at home. It’s a nice change.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the food was delicious and had a homey taste to it. Not too salty at all. If you’re a lamb lover, you’ll enjoy their signature dishes. I would definitely go again.

If you want to pay with card, you have to pay the whole bill. If you want to split the bill, it all needs to be paid in cash. Fair enough, but just so you know.

Address:
4653 Garden City Rd #2215, Richmond, BC

Website:
https://www.shinevalleylambsoup.com/

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In product

Toki Suntory Whisky: A Japanese Whisky for the Holidays

With the holidays just around the corner, a good spirit is just what you need to ring in the holidays with friends and family. Toki Suntory Whisky is an affordable Japanese whisky that works great in cocktails or straight up.

It is a blended whisky made with a variety of whiskies from Suntory’s distilleries. It is clear gold in colour with subtle flavours of citrus, green apple and thyme. Then it finishes with mildly sweet and spicy notes of vanilla and ginger that linger pleasantly. It is smooth and has a good balance of flavours.

It’s a good gift for a spirit connoisseur to explore the world of Japanese Whisky or just for anyone to try something new that they are unfamiliar with from this region. Or as a cocktail at a party to pair with your holiday charcuterie boards.

Here is the recipe for the Toki Highball below:

If you want to use Toki Suntory Whisky in a cocktail, this the Toki Highball.

  1. Fill a tall glass to the brim with ice
  2. Add 1 oz of Toki Suntory Whisky
  3. Stir
  4. Pour 3 ounces of sparkling water
  5. Garnish with lemon peel

When going over to a friends house or giving a gift, check out Suntory Whisky Toki as it might pleasantly surprise you and your friends.

Website:
https://whisky.suntory.com/en/na/products/toki/

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In Middle Eastern

Kabsa House: Middle Eastern Cuisine in Downtown Vancouver

Kabsa House is located on Robson Street on the 2nd floor specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine. We were invited to check out a few of their dishes on their menu.

Interior

The interior has a lot of natural light during the day and over looks a busy area of Robson Street. You can make reservations for small to large groups.

For really large private parties, they can seat up to 80 guests.

Menu

Taboula

Taboula is a salad made of finely chopped mixed vegetables. You will find a lot of parsley with tomatoes, onions, bulgar and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

It’s not for everyone and you will need to like parsley in order to enjoy this salad.

Molokhia

Molokhia is an Egyptian spinach stew served with pita bread. You dip it in and enjoy the flavours. From the first few bites, it has a mouthfeel similar to Okra. Unique dish that you don’t see too much at Middle Eastern restaurants.

Kabab & chicken

This entree comes with a skewer of grilled marinated boneless chicken and a skewer of ground lamb and beef. It is usually served with a house salad, rice and grilled tomato. You can of course customize the sides. We got half & half bukhari & saffron rice. We also upgraded our salad to a Greek salad for an extra charge.

The skewers of meat were really good. Bukhari rice is seasoned and more tasty than the saffron rice, but both are fresh, soft, and moist.

Lamb Awsal

You get two skeweres of grilled marinated boneless lamb served with house salad and grilled tomato. We also made the customization to the rice and salad. The lamb was well seasoned and moist.  We like it the best out of the ground beef/lamb and chicken. Cooked perfectly too.

Final Thoughts

It’s good to have more diversity of cuisine on Robson Street and Kabsa House located close to the bus and Skytrain routes. They have a good amount of items on the menu that it will cater towards those with different tastes.

Address:
1128 Robson St, Vancouver, BC

Website:
https://kabsahouse.ca/

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In British Columbia

Sanrio x Sugarfina: Holiday Collection

Sanrio loves Sugarfina and they are back with another collaboration for the holiday season. There are 12 items in the collection and you can mix and match their delectable treats in their bento boxes.

Chocolate Bars:

  • Hello Kitty Pink Chocolate Bar
  • Hello Kitty Milk Chocolate Bar
  • Gudetama Eggnog Chocolate Bar

Candies:

  • Hello Kitty Mama’s Apple Pie Gummies
  • Hello Kitty Bow Gummies
  • My Melody Sweet Pearls
  • Keroppi Donut Pond Jelly Beans
  • Gudetama Lazy Egg Gummies
  • Pompompurin Creme Caramel Crunchies
  • Tuxedosam Chill Mint Chocolates
  • Badtz-Maru Mischievous Pops
  • Chococat Chocolate Caramels

Sanrio Pop-Up Candy Bento Box

The cutest bento box is their popup candy box. When you open it, your favourite characters are depicted on a gingerbread town and on a train.

Inside the bento box are slots of 3 different candies of your choosing. Pick your favourite candies or Sanrio characters to complete the bento box.

My personal favourite are the Gudetama Lazy Egg Gummies, Hello Kitty Mama’s Apple Pie Gummies, Hello Kitty Bow Gummies, Badtz-maru Mischievous Pops, and Chococat Chocolate Caramels.

Hello Kitty Bow Gummies

Pompompurin Creme Caramel Crunchies

Tuxedosam Chill Mint Chocolates

Website:
https://www.sugarfina.com/ca/candy/collection/sanrio-loves-sugarfina

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In Uncategorized

Jugo Juice: Merry Mandarin, Dreamy Orange Protein and Holiday Chicken Sandwich

Jugo Juice in Canada has released three limited edition menu items for the holiday season – the Merry Mandarin, Dreamy Orange Protein and a Holiday Chicken Sandwich.

I love new items and it keeps companies to continue innovating. For customers, they might discover something new that they really like. We were invited for a quick preview of 3 items to see how they taste.

Merry Mandarin

This drink was first introduced in 1999 and is now back on the menu for a limited time. The fresh spin on an old-time favourite, the Merry Mandarin is made with fresh mandarin oranges, mangos, tropical juices and the addition of Fiasco Gelato’s no added sugar frozen yogurt.

You get the prominence of the mandarin oranges as well as the tang of the tropical juices.

Dreamy Orange Protein

This new smoothie packs protein into it. This has fresh mandarin oranges, mangos, orange juice, coconut milk and vanilla whey protein.

Upon first taste, it really tastes like an orange creamsicle and you can tell there is a gritty texture because of the whey protein.

Holiday Chicken Salad Sandwich

This fire-grilled chicken sandwich has a holiday twist with dried cranberries, fresh celery, apples, spinach and avocado aioli on a herbed schiacciata bun.

The panini was great and I liked it straight from the panini press so the bread is crisp.

Final Thoughts

Two great smoothies to add a bit of Vitamin C into your diet as the cold season has started. Both drinks were good but everyone was torn which one was their favourite. I personally gravitated towards the Merry Mandarin as it doesn’t have the gritty protein taste in the Dreamy Orange.

Website:
https://www.jugojuice.com/

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In British Columbia

Quiznos: Gyro Flatbread and Gyro Sub Returns

Quiznos has brought back their Classic Gyro options to their menu for a limited time. The core of the gyro sandwiches have seasoned, slow-roasted beef and lamb and you can get it in either a classic sammie or classic sub.

When we were ordering this, we kept switching from “jai-ro” and”gee-ro” since we really have no idea how to actually pronounce it.

Quiznos found in a recent national, Twitter-based poll of 3,471 Canadians that the most popular pronunciation of Gyro is “jai-ro,” as indicated by 48 per cent of respondents. “Yeer-oh” ranked second in the poll at 25 per cent, while 17 per cent say “gee-ro” and nine per cent use “hee-ro.”

Gyro Flatbread Sammie

This starts with seasoned beef & lamb gyro, crumbled feta, banana peppers, crisp lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and topped with tzatziki sauce. You can get one at $3.99 or two for $7.

Gyro Sub Sandwich

The ingredients in the gyro sub are the same but you can choose which bread you want it on as well as 6″ ($6.99), 9″ ($8.49), or 12″ ($9.99) sub.

No matter which way you have it, the beef & lamb gyro work well with the tzatziki sauce and red onions. If you are not a fan of banana peppers, you can customize these too. Perhaps swapping them with cucumbers.

Website:
http://www.quiznos.ca/en/

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In product

Bokksu: Japanese Snack Subscription Box

Bokksu creates curated boxes of authentic Japanese snacks and teas delivered to your door every month. Depending on where you are in the world having access to delicious Japanese snacks can be hard to get. Plus, Japan always has the best selection of unique treats, sweets, and teas.

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Referral Code: $5 off your first Classic Bokksu. http://bokksu.refr.cc/dianachan

[/information]

The November 2018 Subscription box celebrates the place of tea in modern Japan as an infused flavour in delicious desserts as well as a beloved beverage to pair with sweet or savoury treats.

In this box, there are 10 different types of teas and snacks inside. There are some similar brands and some not, but it’s fun to try them all to see if there is a new favourite snack.

These are all the items in the box from cookies, to crackers, to tea.

Yamematcha mini dorayaki

Matcha Chocolate Coated Pecans

Alfort Milk Tea Chocolate

Milk Tea Cake

Olive Oil Spicy pepper Senbei

Iced Coffee Chocolate Sandwich

Matcha Milk Beans

Genmaicha Tea

Hokkaido Cheese Mochi

Foliage Rice Crackers

Final Thoughts

My favourite items this month are the matcha milk beans, milk tea cake, and matcha chocolate coated pecans.

If you are a fan of Japanese snacks and teas, you can get Bokku delivered to your home. Each box ranges around $30 depending on your frequency of subscription. They also have a marketplace too on the website if you want to buy the snacks separately rather than a subscription box.

You can get $5 off your first Classic Bokksu with our referral code. http://bokksu.refr.cc/dianachan

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In Bubble Tea

Exposure Social House 曝光奶茶: Bubble Tea in Richmond

Exposure Social House is one of the newer bubble tea shops that opened in Richmond. They are also an event space and hiphop culture event centre. When I was in Richmond, my friend told me about this place, so we headed out to give it a try. They pride themselves of using real ingredients like Avalon Milk.

The parking is a bit tough during the day as there are a lot of other popular restaurants and a grocery store in this plaza. You may need some patience when navigating this area.

Interior

The interior is small as they only have seating capacity of 10. Most people come grab their bubble tea to go.

Mostly standing room, 3 tables, a washroom and a retail area at the back of the shop.

There’s also a lot of little figurines to look at all. This place sure has character.

Menu

Devil’s Fresh Milk

Devil’s Fresh Milk is essentially brown sugar milk tea using Avalon milk. It’s the most trendiest bubble tea drink lately and has taken Asia by storm too. You can get this at set times during the day and may sell out.

Japanese Roasted Milk Tea

Japanese Roasted Milk Tea with pearls was my friend’s choice. The tea is fragrant and tastes pretty good. A classic item to order.

Supreme Milk Tea

I went for the Supreme Milk Tea which comes with a base of pudding an pearls. You can choose your tea, which can be JX Light Oolong, Earl Grey, Assam, Spring Green Tea, Jasmine or Gyukuro. I went with Assam tea for mine. I also got it 50% sweet and less ice. It was pretty good and I enjoyed the combination of pudding and pearl toppings.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it’s good to have more diversity of bubble teas in Vancouver. Any opportunity to customize is great too. On the menu, there is a little bit of everything. They can also make your bubble tea with almond milk, soy milk, ice cream or yogurt.

Address:
131-4600 No. 3 Road
Richmond, BC V6X 3V7

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In product

[Sneak Peek] A Taste of Paris with Nespresso

Nespresso released new festive capsules this holiday season. They want to make this winter a little bit sweeter as holiday parties gather around the home. The Limited Edition Variations coffees and accessories is inspired by Parisian patisserie and designed in partnership with India Mahdavi.

There are 3 capsules for the regular machine and 3 more for their Vertuo machine. Plus, 2 recipes to get the best out of these new flavours. These are available in stores where Nespresso products are sold or online as well.

Original

Paris Macaron
(Intensity 6)

This has a combination of Livanto’s cereal notes and a subtle, sweet almond flavour inspired by macarons.

Paris Praline
(Intensity 6)

This has a base of Livanto with hazelut roasted flavour and a caramel sweetness. Those combinations make a delicious praline dessert.

Paris Black
(Intensity 9)

The stronger of the capsules and it has notes of cereal and nuts with spicy and woody tones.

Vertuo

Paris Exotic Macaron
(Intensity 5)

This capsule has a delicate coconut flavour blend, which gives you the taste of macarons. They use a sooth Arabica blend from Ethiopia, Central and South America giving this coffee sweet notes.

Paris Madeleine
(Intensity 5)

An added hint of almond gives you a taste of madeleines. You get delicate hints of biscuits given by Arabicas from Ethiopia, Central and South America.

Paris Black
(Intensity 11)

Of the 3 new Vertuo capsules, this one is double in strength for a true Parisian experience. It has smooth cereal notes with a strong spicy character.

Recipes

Instead of having it straight or with milk and sugar. There are a few interesting recipes using the Paris Black Capsules to enhance the experience.

Paris Black Chocolate Macchiato

Café gourmand meets café noisette when you drop your bite-sized treat of a dark chocolate square straight into your espresso with milk.

  1. Drop the Nespresso dark chocolate square in the Espresso cup.
  2. Extract the coffee (40 ml) over it.
  3. Add 10 ml of milk.

Paris Back Gourmet Reverso

You’ll taste its decadent dark chocolate, praline, and coffee flavours and its rich, creamy taste when you try this coffee recipe.

  • Pour 8ml of milk in an Espresso cup
  • Extract the coffee (40ml) over it
  • Spread the praline crumbs and chocolate shavings on top

Website:
https://www.nespresso.com/

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In British Columbia

Tim Hortons : Belgian Waffle Breakfast Sandwich Review

Tim Hortons in Canada has just released their Belgian Waffle Breakfast Sandwich with your choice of bacon or sausage and its available all day long. Of course its available for a limited time only.

Since Tim Hortons is so close to my office, I had to go downstairs to try one out for myself. Anytime there are limited time only items, it looks pretty interesting, but taste can be a hit or miss.

It is made with two Belgian Waffles, sausage patty, egg omelette, and processed cheese. You can alternatively get this with bacon too.

The waffle itself was sweet and the savoury ingredients felt muted because of it. I’ve never really been a fan of the sweet and salty combination, but it was definitely more waffle than savoury.

I can see why some people may like this for that combination, but others on the internet are divided too.

Website:
https://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/menu/new-tastes.php

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In British Columbia

Starbucks: Juniper Latte Review

When Starbucks comes out with new items for the holidays, I get pretty excited because I love the usual suspects like gingerbread latte and peppermint mocha. This year, they launched the Juniper Latte. According to people on social media, they either love it or hate it. I had to try it out for myself.

They use their signature espresso and steamed milk with juniper syrup. Then topped with a dusting of pine-citrus sugar.

I was warned by several people to not try it, but you know me, if there is something new on the menu, I must try it. Upon the first sip, I made a face and my friend knew right away that it wasn’t for me. I tried a few more sips and for the first time in a long time, I wanted to return a beverage. Luckily, the lovely barista made me a regular latte as she wanted me to have a happy start to the day.

For me, the Juniper Latte tasted like gin due to the juniper. It has a woodsy botanical taste to it. It was really hard for my taste buds to wrap my head around this taste. They tried to balance it with the citrus, but it didn’t really do much. The juniper syrup was very potent.

Website:
https://www.starbucks.ca/

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