Meatless Friday Dinner @ Scotts Landing Fish and Chips (Surrey)

As I have mentioned on this post, I am abstaining from eating meat on all Fridays of lent.

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March 8, 2019. After Nathan's vaccination, we went to Central City in Surrey to just wait for Daddy Ford there. Past 3pm pa lang kasi at dahil ilang araw kaming hindi lumabas ni Nathan, syempre kailangang gumala muna. Dad fetched us after his work and we did some errands. Pagdating ng dinner time, nag-aya na ako sa Scotts Landing Fish and Chips kasi nga ayaw kong kumain ng karne at wala naman akong maisip na ibang kainin. Sa totoo lang, ayaw kong kumain ng fries kaso nga ano ba ang pwedeng makain na labas na walang meat?

I've always wanted to eat sa Scotts. We used to live in Guildford at palagi namin yang nadadaanan. Katabi rin yan ng Church's Chicken kaya palagi kong natatanaw. I yelp'ed it at maganda naman ang review kaya sabi ko kay Ford subukan namin.

Sa totoo lang, ayaw ni hubby ng fish and chips that time. Ako na lang daw at doon siya kakain sa malapit na Filipino restaurant that sells Ilocano food. Pero closed na yung restaurant na yun so naki-join na lang din siya sa akin.

Expectedly, the place was small pero maganda at malinis naman sa loob. I wasn't able to many pictures of the interior kasi nahiya ako sa owner/cook.

May isang group of diners lang inside when we came at 6:50pm.

Here's their menu:

Picture grabbed from Scott Landing's website

We ordered the cheapest fish pollock hahaha! It's an ordinary day at parang di na kami sanay kumain sa labas ng mahal kapag walang okasyon. The past months, puro fastfood lang kami kasi yun ang mura (kaya naman kami nag-gain ng weight waaah!). Kailangan din kasing magtipid kasi ang daming gastos tapos syempre mahal ang mortgage (plus strata fees at real property tax) ng bahay.

Medyo matagal kaming nag-antay ng order namin kasi pagkabayad ko saka pa lang niluto yung fish. Medyo nakakainip na nga pero ayos lang din kasi masarap ang bagong-luto syempre.

And finally! Two orders of 2-pc pollock with homecut fries and homemade tartar sauce for $24.99 (or Php1,000.00). Wala pang drinks yan ha. Hindi na ako nagbigay ng tip kasi wala namang 'service' eh. Kinuha ko lang sa counter yung food nang maluto na. Saka yung owner na rin mismo ang nagluto.

Our Verdict --- MASARAP nga! At malaki rin ang fish. Naisip nga namin na sana nag-share na lang kami o kaya sana bumili kami ng 2-pc tapos nagdagdag na lang kami ng fish tutal eh konti lang naman ang kakainin kong fries. Oh well, we know na next time.

Mas mahal ang cod at halibut kaya mas masarap for sure. Pero naisip ko, will I shell out $9.40 (tax included) or roughly Php375.00 for one piece of fish? Hindi siguro. Haha, ang kuripot ko na talaga. Ang mahal kasi talagang kumain sa labas dito kaya nagkaka-guilt feelings ako. Tapos as a nanay, panay din ang kuwenta at convert ko.

"Thanksgiving" Dinner @ Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken (Guildford)

November 23, 2017 (Thursday). It was Thanksgiving Day in the US. Though hindi kami taga-doon, naki-thanksgiving na rin ako kasi talagang grateful ako that Nathan was already ok and back to his usual energetic and makulit self. Halos six days din kaming di napakali at nakatulog nang maayos dahil nga he got sick.

Nag-sink in na sa akin ang exhaustion that day so I asked Ford to bring me to Dollarama so I could "breathe" (aka shop) a little. Mababaw lang naman talaga ang kaligayahan ko dito, makatingin-tingin lang sa dollar store ay ok na.

When Ford suggested that we eat out na rin. Haha, alam ko namang gustung-gusto na niyang kumain sa Nando's kasi may coupon siyang nakuha from our mail box. Pero naisip ko, hay kain sa labas na naman! We've overspent na this month (because of our California trip) kaya ayaw ko na muna sanang gumastos ng gumastos. Kaso ako nga itong naunang mag-aya sa Dollarama, di ba? Haha, sige na nga. Thanksgiving na rin kasi nga feeling better na si Nathan.

There's a Nando's branch near our place, mga 3 minutes away lang siguro, pero first time naming pinasok yun. When we discovered kasi na there's a Nando's sa foodcourt sa Metrotown Mall, doon na lang kami kumakain. Aside from fast service, iwas-tip pa haha.

Ford loves Nando's. I introduced it to him in March 2016, when we were still living in Edmonton. Kabubukas lang ng first ever Nando's noon doon kaya na-excite ako (may 3 branches na yata sila ngayon). Una ko kasing natikman ang peri-peri chicken nila sa Malaysia at na-appreciate ko talaga. I am glad na nagustuhan din ni hubby. In fact, madalas siyang kumain sa foodcourt sa Metrotown nung nagbakasyon kami sa Pinas ni Nathan.

Bagong renovate ang Nando's Guildford na ito eh. It closed for a while (palagi kasi naming nadadaanan kaya alam ko) and I even thought na for good na. I am glad nirenovate lang nila talaga.

I instantly liked the restaurant's interior pagpasok namin. Maaliwalas. Hmm, parang hindi naman maaliwalas dati sa Edmonton ah (at saka sa Malaysia).

Hindi gaanong maraming tao because it was a Thursday. A server guided us to a table and gave us the menu.

More or less alam na naman namin ang oorderin namin haha. Dapat around $30 lang kasi ang coupon namin ay "less $10 for $30 bill."

We ordered the Classic Share Platter (whole chicken + 1 side and garlic bread) na ok na for two people. Pero dahil $28.95 lang siya, we added a small sized side (peri-peri vegetables) pa worth $3.75.

After looking at the menu, you need to go to the counter to order and pay. By the way, I paid $26.70, including the 12% tip.

Then you get your preferred sauces and dressing sa isang corner. Nandun na rin ang pop (soda) dispenser if you ordered some.

They first served the garlic bread. Hay, ang sarap! Di talaga namin na-resist. #cheatdayforthenthtime

It didn't take long for the chicken and the vegetables to arrive. Haha, nagkatinginan kami ni Ford nang makita ang gulay. He knows me too well, alam niyang hindi ko kakainin yun. Kahit siya hindi nya rin type yun (pero kinain niya pa rin kasi sayang). Buti na lang we didn't get the bigger size.

Medyo matagal bago dumating ang corn pero masarap sya ha. Four pieces yan eh, nakalimutan kong picturan bago kainin. Namiss ko talaga ang inihaw na mais. Talagang pikit-mata kong kinain kahit na ma-carbs. I liked it more than the chicken haha.

Nathan didn't eat. Panay pa-cute lang ang ginawa. Hay, ganun naman talaga siya, matumal kumain. He's three pero ayaw pa rin talagang kumain masyado. More on dede talaga.

Oh well, basta super happy ako that night because Nathan's good health has been restored. Ang gaan-gaan ng pakiramdam ko.

I have this feeling na madadalas na kami sa Nando's na ito. Kanina lang nagtatanong na si hubby kung may bagong coupon ba eh, haha!

PS. Katulad ng Max's, mas mura ang Nando's dito kesa sa Edmonton. Yung platter na inorder namin na $28.95, $30.45 sa Edmonton. 

Dad's 39th Birthday Dinner @ Kyo (Vancouver)

September 6, 2017. Dad's birthday this year fell on a Wednesday so there's nothing else to do but eat dinner out after his work. Nagkataon pa na ang dami niyang load so past 6pm na siya nakauwi. Buti na lang it's still summer kaya maliwanag pa.

Oops by the way, he was given a cake daw in the office and his officemates sang for him. Ayos, at least may cake na siya kasi hindi na ako bumili (#hellodiabetes). I asked him to take a picture of his cake pero ayaw, nakakahiya raw haha.

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We drove to Granville Street in Vancouver because I found a restaurant that serves my husband's favorites -- sushi and korean BBQ. Maganda ang review sa Yelp so I suggested it to Ford. Game siya, lalo na at buffet. #cheatdayagain!

Buffet dinner is $30.95 + drinks + 5% tax + tip. Mas mura pa rin kesa kakain kami sa Tony Roma's or Old Spaghetti Factory. And no, we are not fond of fine dining. Kahit dati pa lang, hindi na (mga simpleng tao lang kami lol). Lalo na ngayon na may anak na kaming bitbit.

There's a similar buffet restaurant Il Uk Jo in Surrey (near our place) that we frequently go to if  we want to pig out pero mas sossy dito syempre kasi mas mahal at mas maraming food options.

 The ambience of the was was nice and cozy. Medyo madilim nga lang kaya pangit ang pictures.

Unlike in traditional buffets na nakalatag na ang food, usually ang korean BBQ dito ay per order. You will be given a paper where you can check what you want (and put the quantity too). Maximum of 1.5 hours lang daw ang eating pero hindi naman siguro nila inoorasan haha.

I don't eat sushi (or anything raw) but I love BBQ and tempura and teriyaki and tonkatsu.

Here's some of what we ate:

We asked for 10 pieces of mussels pero 6 lang ang sinerve. Ginto kasi ang tahong dito.

All protein, I know. Meat lovers kami talaga. No salad, no kimchi, no soup, no noodles. We just asked for plain steamed rice. Thankfully, hindi tumaas ang sugar ko after kasi nga low carbs. Kaso patay naman sa liver kalurkey!

 My very picky eater son (mana sa amin kanino pa ba?) only had rice and chicken wings.

Keri lang naman ang service. I was expecting more from the food though, pero parang mas ok pa ang sa Il Uk Jo.

We asked one server to take our family picture, parang hesitant siya. Hindi ba talaga uso ang makipicture dito? I didn't like the said picture kaya di ko na ipopost. Itong groufie ko na lang. Again, pangit ang lighting eh.

Ford had a small strawberry pudding for dessert and then we asked for the bill. He paid $75.73 all in all.

We had nowhere else to go after that. It was past 9pm, wala ng mapuntahan. Di na rin pwedeng mag-frappucino sa Starbucks.

Bigla tuloy namin namiss ang Manila! Yung area kasi ng Kyo ay parang street sa Manila, busier-looking lang sa Manila syempre. Saka marami pang bukas na establishments kahit alas onse na ng gabi.

Kyo has an underground parking nga pala na ayos sa reviews sa Yelp ay very steep kaya ayaw kong magpark dun. But we were left with no choice kasi wala na talagang available na street parking kahit nakailang ikot na kami.

My hubby laughed at me nang makita ang sinasabing "steep." Maluwag naman pala, sa standards nating Pinoy ha. Kahit ako hindi mahihirapang mag-park doon noh. Isa yan sa advantage nating Pinoy drivers eh, sanay sa masisikip. Masyadong spoiled ang mga taga-first world lol.

Ay nga pala, when we were in the car na, we saw the server who hesitated to take our picture. He went to his car to get something eh. Nagkatinginan kami ni Coblancs, brand new BMW ang kotse nya ha! Naloka talaga kami.

CES -- Baka naman sila ang may-ari ng restaurant? Tapos gusto lang siyang i-train ng tatay nya.
FORD -- Ano yun, koreanovela?
CES -- Haha, asar talo ka lang kasi yung nag-serve sayo eh naka-BMW!

Oh well, common naman dito talaga na naka-magarang sasakyan ang blue collar worker. I know pa nga one person na sa McDonald's nagwowork pero naka-Mercedez Benz. Ay correction, isa ang McDonald's sa mga work kasi triple job nga pala siya. Kanya-kanyang trip talaga yan. Kapag mahilig ka sa kotse, you will do everything para mabayaran ang montly or bi-weekly amortization.

I remember just a few weeks ago, I asked my husband if he's not envious of those with 'magarang' kotse. He simply answered: "Mi, kung gusto ko ng mamahaling sasakyan, sana bumili na ako noong binata pa ako noh." 

Oo nga naman. Modesty aside, he could afford a really flashy car naman (lalo na noong hindi pa niya ako asawa at binubuhay haha) pero hindi niya talaga trip. Kaya ngayon we're happy na with our  reliable Subaru. Hindi ko rin naman din kasi type ang mahal na sasakyan.

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We just went home after dinner. Pagod na rin kasi si Dad and he still has work the following day. Corny nga eh. Di bale, next year when he turns 40, I'll make sure to prepare something special na talaga.

I was sad nga kasi we had no gift for him except for this card (na pinasulatan ko rin kay TanTan ang loob). Eh kasi wala naman akong makitang magugustuhan niya. I am telling you, Ford is the simplest guy you'll ever meet. Walang mga kiyeme sa katawan. Binilhan ko na nga lang ng card sa Dollarama (no cute happy-birthday-daddy card kaya itong pang-hubby na lang) para may maiabot sa kanya si Nathan. I want our son to grow up kasi nang nagbibigay, nang thoughtful at caring at generous.

Happy 39th birthday, Daddy! Everyday we thank the heavens for giving you to us. We love you very much!

This song is for you!

Pinoy's Chicken (Surrey)

I have a list of Filipino restaurants here in Metro Vancouver and I plan on dining in each of them. I love Filipino food so I am in constant search of places that serve delicious Pinoy dishes.

Nathan hasn't eaten the whole day two Fridays ago (July 21) so when Ford got home from work, I suggested that we eat at Pinoy's Chicken. Obviously, it specializes in crispy fried chicken. Umay na umay na ako sa pritong manok sa totoo lang (because my son is a #chickenboy) but still, I was excited. Masarap din kumain ng hindi mo luto syempre.

We arrived at Pinoy's Chicken at around 6:15pm. It's located in a commercial complex so parking was not a problem.

I couldn't contain my excitement. I was really hoping na masarap kasi sawa na ako sa fried chicken na luto ko, pati sa KFC at Church's Chicken. I've read some pretty good reviews on Pinoy's Chicken from Yelp so I had high expectations.

They have a $5 lunch and dinner special that I initially wanted to order.

But my husband and son were hungry so we thought a family meal would be better.

We ordered the $23.99 meal -- 9 pieces chicken + medium gravy + medium fries. We added an additional 2 plates of palabok at $6.50 each.

Just like in a fast food restaurant, you have to pay after ordering. Whew, $38.84! Medyo pricey nga.

I realized later that I didn't give a tip, wala kasing tip option sa credit card machine nila. Sabagay, fast food nga ang style sila, walang service ang staff aside from bringing your food.

For dessert, they have halo-halo and mais con yelo. Natakam din ako, pero naisip ko we'll order na lang if there's still space in our tummies after eating our meal.

The staff informed me beforehand that it will take a while for our food to be served because they have many orders for pick-up. No choice naman so I said ok.

The restaurant's dining area is small. I guess most of their parokyanos are those that just picks up the food.

There were two other groups of diners aside from us. Nauna syempreng dumating ang order nila kaya lalo akong ginutom. Nakisilip ako sa pagkain nila tapos may nakita akong rice. I checked on the menu board, walang rice na nakalagay. Actually yun nga ang isang observation ko, how come na walang rice option? I mean, Pinoy chicken ang concept pero walang rice? Dapat pwedeng french fries or rice.

At long last, after 35 minutes, our food has arrived. The chicken and fries came first. I asked the staff how much their rice is. $1.50 daw so gora, the husband went to the counter to pay for two cups.

Then came the palabok. Whoaah, ang laki pala, considering na $6.50 lang ang isang plate. We really thought na pang-solo lang. Namroblema tuloy kami kasi nga nag-order pa kami ng rice.

Anyway, the fried chicken looked really good. Bagong luto kaya super crispy.

Pero unang kagat pa lang namin ni hubby, nagkatinginan na kami. Hindi siya masarap. To be honest, hindi naman mataas ang standards ko sa fried chicken (kumakain nga ako ng pritong manok sa Pinas na tinitinda sa tabi-tabi) pero ito yung fried chicken na hindi ko talaga kakainin kung pwede lang. Kahit yung gravy nila hindi rin ok, parang hindi Pinoy gravy (if you know what I mean). Saka konti pa, bitin na bitin for 9 pieces of chicken.

Ford ate some fries and hindi rin daw masarap (hindi ko kasi tinikman). Parang yung nabibili lang daw sa supermarket na fries eh.

Their palabok tasted bland too. Pahirapan talagang ubusin kahit na ang tagal ko ng nagke-crave nun.

I was full of regrets. Sayang talaga ang $41.84 namin! Sana nag-Korean buffet na lang kami.

But in fairness, the owner nicely approached us after going to another table na kakilala nya ang kumakain, and asked us if we need anything. I am sure that as a business owner, he wanted to hear good feedbacks from us. Pero ngumiti lang kami. We couldn't lie eh.

Kung masarap lang ang chicken na ito, we could easily devour the 9 pieces. Sa lakas ba naman naming kumain. Kaso sapilitan lang talaga haha, syempre me natira. 

I don't think we'll be eating there again. So for now, back to Church's Chicken muna uli kami.

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NOTE: As much as possible, I don't want to give any negative feedbacks on Filipino restaurants here in Canada. Syempre gusto ko namang suportahan ang businesses ng mga kababayan natin. But I want to be honest din kasi. 

There were several customers who picked up fried chicken that night, so baka nasasarapan sila. Magkakaiba naman ang panlasa ng mga tao. To each her own na lang po.