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2021 Where to Buy Mooncakes in Vancouver

Posted in Baked Goods, Bakery, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delivery, Joyce, Lower Mainland, News, Richmond, Roundup, Special Occasion, Surrey, Take-Out, Tea, Vancouver, tagged Buttermere Patisserie, Delivery, Maxim's Bakery, Mid Autumn Festival, Mooncake, Saint Germain Bakery, Soirette, Teapurin, To-go, TWG Tea on August 24, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Being Chinese, we celebrate Mid Autumn Festival 中秋節 every year. It is always on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, promising the roundest, fullest full moon of the year. Part of the tradition is to eat mooncakes月餅, a baked pastry with fillings. The most popular versions we used to get in HK are with lotus seed paste or mixed nuts filling, plus salted egg yolk(s). Over the years, mooncakes have evolved. Bakeries have introduced other flavours of fillings such as red bean and lava custard; and some places sell a version called “snow skin” where the exterior is not baked and is made with glutinous rice flour.

Origin of Mooncakes

Do you know the origin of mooncakes? The one version that is forever stuck in my head is that it was created by rebellions in the Yuan Dynasty, who hid secret messages inside baked pastries, and distributed them to plan a revolt to overthrow the ruling Mongols, leading to the fall of Yuan and the rise of Ming Dynasty.

Buying Mooncakes in Vancouver

This year, Mid Autumn Festival lands on September 21, 2021. If you are interested in making your own mooncakes, check out Mama Lam’s recipe for Baked Chinese Mooncake with Salted Egg Yolk Custard Filling that I shared last year. Otherwise, if you are looking to support local businesses and buy some at a store, here are some ideas for you.

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2021 Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea To-Go in Vancouver

Posted in Afternoon tea, Baked Goods, Burnaby, Joyce, Roundup, Special Occasion, Take-Out, Tea, Vancouver, tagged Afternoon Tea, Delivery, Mother's Day, Take-Out, To-go on April 22, 2021| 1 Comment »

As we continue to hunker down with no dining-in service available this year, it looks like Mama Lam and I are going for another afternoon to-go at home this year. If you are looking for something similar with your mom, here is a round-up of to-go afternoon tea available in Greater Vancouver. Pre-order is required but deadline is different for each place. Delivery may also be available.

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[#DineOutVancouver 2021] My Suggestions for Lunch, Dinner, Take Out & Special Offer

Posted in Burnaby, Chinatown, Coquitlam, Culinary Events, Dine Out Vancouver, Gastown, Joyce, Langley, Lower Mainland, Lunch, New Westminster, News, North Vancouver, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Take-Out, Vancouver, West Vancouver, Yaletown, tagged Announcement, Dine in, Dine Out Vancouver, Dine Out Vancouver 2021, News, Prix Fixe, Recommendation, Take-Out, Tourism Vancouver on February 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Dine Out Vancouver is back and reimagined! Running from February 5 to March 7, 2021, 366 restaurants are offering prix fixe menus for dine-in or take-out priced between $15 and $54. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the past year has been tough for the restaurant industry. I was glad to see the return of the iconic food festival, while it’s made some adjustments to accommodate the current situation. For one, the festival has been extended to run for 31 days, to allow more opportunities for diners to participate while restaurants are offering lower capacity and limited seating. Also, there’s flexibility in how each restaurant prices their menu so it’s no longer just the 3-4 price points in the past.

Even though the festival is well underway, restaurants are still open for reservations and there’s always room to accept take-out orders. I took the time to review the menus and here are what caught my eyes, based on past experiences (Dine Out or not) as well as menu attractiveness (e.g. value for the money, choice of ingredients, creativity in the menu, enough options for two people, etc.). Also keep in mind that I curated the list based on my preference (as you know, I’m a meat lover and I’m biased against chicken and salmon), my way of thinking, so it may not all suit your taste. But hopefully this gives you a place to start.

Because the prices vary a lot this year, I can’t break them down by price point like previous years. Instead, I organized my list into Lunch, Dinner, Take Out, and Special Offer. And my recommendations are for that specific menu only, even though the restaurant may offer other menu options, after weighing in my preference and my perceived value of the menus. I’ve also included links to the menu to make it easier for you.

Lunch

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[Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival 2021] Mon Paris Patisserie

Posted in Bakery, Beverage, Burnaby, Cafe, Chocolate, Culinary Events, Hot Chocolate Festival, Joyce, Lower Mainland, Restaurants, Take-Out, tagged Burnaby, hot chocolate, Hot Chocolate Festival, Mon Paris, Ruby Chocolate, Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival on January 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival is back! Given the global COVID-19 pandemic and Public Health Order restrictions in BC, most participating vendors not only offer dine-in hot chocolates, but also to-go options and DIY kits. On the top of my list to try was Mon Paris Patisserie because both flavours on the menu sound so good!

On an almost snow day this weekend, we went to Mon Paris for a taste. I was hoping to sit inside the patisserie actually, but both tables were occupied so we could only take them to-go and enjoy them in our car ride.

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Where to Find BBQ Kit for Father’s Day in Vancouver?

Posted in BBQ, Burger, Burnaby, Home Cooking, Joyce, Lower Mainland, Meat, North Vancouver, Roundup, Special Occasion, Vancouver, tagged BBQ, BBQ Kits, Butcher, Father's Day, Meat Kits on June 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »

If going out for afternoon tea is a tradition for Mother’s Day, then same can be said about BBQ for Father’s Day.

While it is easy enough to visit your local butcher or a grocery store to pick up some meat and veggies for the barbecue, local restaurants have also put together gourmet BBQ kits that you can bring home and surprise your father. Here is a round-up of local BBQ kits this year. Make sure to check the order details for each one to not miss out!