First Time Kaiseki Dining

Kaiseki Dinner

I used to be not a big fan of eating in smaller portions; the idea of the joy of eating has to be presented in a buffet style - the grab-all-you-can-eat type of setting -  the bigger, the better. Eventually, the excitement of looking at food in immense portions wore out, and the foodie in me started to crave a wider gastronomic experience.

'Kaiseki' dining is a must experience for every foodie, this opportunity came when I and dear 🐻booked a Ryokan for a honeymoon trip in Japan. Being pregnant at that time and having had a myriad of food to avoid as advised by my physician, the thought of kaiseki dining had made me worried; will the raw fish be safe? can I have a sip of their wine? and will my dear 🐻enjoy it?... Ignoring the voices in my head, I proceeded...with a touch of caution, it's only for one night.

The dining room boasts a panoramic view of their property's garden. We were very lucky to have the window seat to admire the view. The view was not visible during nighttime, but the vision on the table is worth admiring. When the menu of the dinner was handed, I noticed that my dearest 🐻 showed a sign of being intimidated, he was out of his comfort zone, food-wise. Knowing I have the solution for this challenge, I need to ask permission from the fragile blueberry-sized human inside me, I whispered "be strong...I have to eat some of this seafood with a possible few drops of mercury that can possibly harm you...most likely not, you have a portion of my durable cells!" --- for sure pregnant Japanese women have been eating raw fish for years and their life expectancy is one of the longest!

Menu March 2018

*Aperitif*

“Saika”

Plum Wine Produced in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan

*Appetizer*

Tofu Flavoured Fukinoto* And Sesame

With Salmon Egg, Flower of Shiso, Wasabi,

Bamboo Shoot, Shrimp, Fried Fukinoto

*Fukinoto: Japanese Butter Scape

*Soup*

Chicken Soup with Bun of Tofu, Kelp, Ginger

*Sashimi*

Daily’s Special

Shiso leaf (Japanese Herb), White Seaweed, Wasabi

*8 Assorted Dish

Jellied Monkfish / Wasabi Flower / Boiled Herring/

Shrimp Norimaki (A kind of sushi) /

Boiled Beans and Squid / Pickled Japanese Ginger / 

Mille feuille of Bread and Salmon /

Beef, Mitsura & Pine Nuts Dressed with Miso Sauce

*Stewed Dish*

Local Odawara Chicken, Turnip,

Red Konjac & Canola Flower

If you like, dip ingredients into citrus soy sauce,

Green onion and spicy radish.

*Fried Dish*

Fried Local Ashigara Beef and Vegetables

With Curry sauce, Grated Cheese,

Tomato, Green Pepper

*Shimmered Dish*

Yellowtail Flavored Arimani*

*Arimani: Flavor of Boiled Soy Sauce,

Sake & Japanese Green Pepper

*Rice*

*Miso Soup*

*Japanese Pickles*

*Dessert*

“Setoka” Premium Mandarine Orange & Strawberry

The whole thing sounds so foreign to both of us, but I immensely enjoyed the whole experience, I just wished that there will be more of this in my future dining experience.

Sashimi Part of the Menu

To see the whole Kaiseki gallery please click the emoticon: 

☜(⌒▽⌒)☞

Tea Time in H Tasting Lounge

It has been planned a few months earlier, right after our afternoon tea at Trump Vancouver on one snowy weekend. We have decided that the next tea salon to visit will be the H Tasting Lounge of Westin Bayshore.

Aircraft illustration on the menu cover

H Tasting Lounge is still new to the afternoon tea scene of Vancouver, but it seems it has everything to match other tea salons in all Metro Vancouver could offer.

Live music was playing a favourite song as we were led to our seat, hinting that this experience will be different than others. The weather was lovely, and to our luck, we were seated beside the floor to ceiling window so we were able to see outdoors. The tea menu was presented to us, they carry the same brand of Tea as L' Orangerie's. While waiting for our tea set to arrive, my sister and I savoured the live music as we admired the H Tasting Lounge's interiors. The whole soul of the lounge pays honour of Westin's one-time resident - Howard Hughes.  

The menu has an illustration of an aircraft on the outside and a quote from the man, who was an aircraft enthusiast and a pilot himself: 

These were the unique experiences we had on this occasion: it's our first time having a candy floss, very nicely perched on the silvery trunk to form a pink tree. The whole tea set was presented in four sets - the Ferris wheel tray for the savouries, a glass box for the sweets, a plate for the scones, and the whatsitsname for the candy floss that formed into a tree and underneath it rest the confiture and butter for the scones. No tiered tray and still fab - big plus having a crooner with a seductive voice as background music!

Afternoon tea set

Ferris wheel tray - Learn the art of balancing act ೕ(•̀ᴗ•́)

As for our favourites: Pork bao and the steamed bun with salty yolk filling. The menu at that time seems to have a good mix of the typical afternoon tea fare - scones, cucumber sandwich, with Eastern touch. I am looking forward coming to H Tasting Lounge when they have their own themed afternoon tea in the near future and perhaps get myself a cocktail too. ( ͝° ͜ʖ͡°)つY

Following the Sweet Man's Pilgrim at Hatsune and Kinozen

I love the Japanese show 'Kantaro' from Netflix. It's based on the manga Saboriman Ametani Kantarou, following the (mis)adventures of a book salesman juggling between completing his tasks and indulging his sweet addiction during work hours. What I love about Kantaro is the way he describes his sweets finds, he describes them with passion as if he is making love to them. Kantaro is food porn, period.
After watching one season, I made sure that I have to include at least one of the places that were featured in our Tokyo itinerary.

My Anmitsu

Kanmidoko Hatsune 

Anmitsu

Founded in 1837, it's Tokyo's oldest confectionary restaurant. This joint is known for its Anmitsu.

It was the feature on the show's pilot episode. For the uninitiated, it resembles an ordinary fruit salad drenched on heavy syrup. Anmitsu is a Japanese dessert that has sweet beans, syrup, mochi (rice cake) and agar for the signature ingredients.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at Hatsune, the place is not so busy that we were able to sit where Kantaro sat. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و

Using the best of local ingredients, carefully crafted to achieve perfection, no doubt Hatsune etched to every Tokyo residents' hearts. It's their secret why they exist up to this day, sweetening Tokyo's day since it opened almost 200 years ago.

Iron Kettle

My dear 🐻ordered another kind of sweet bean with mochi dessert; while me I came here for the Anmitsu. 

It was not my first time having a dessert with a medley of ingredients of different textures and flavours; Halo-halo' sans ice, the beloved Filipino snack during the torturous heat of summer, which makes my first bowl of Anmitsu as same as enjoying a glass of good ol' halo-halo.

Matcha Bavarian Cream

Kinozen 

Matcha Bavarian Cream

Pig shaped rice crackers

In the sixth episode, Kantaro discussed a mouth-watering result when east and west work in harmony in a form of the rich Match Bavarian Cream of Kinozen.

Matcha formed into a creamy jello-like consistency, with a side of sweetened bean paste and whipped cream made from Nakazawa cream. It's a product a year long of hard work and experimentation, with trial and error to attain the right consistency of the gelatinous matcha, and finding the suitable sides to complement altogether. It is Kinozen's main attraction.

Unfortunately, It seems Netflix has cancelled Kantaro after its first season. It saddens me that a show that is really close to my heart has been prematurely ended. I will terribly miss seeing him describing his cravings of the day intimately.

.·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·. 

There were also several questions that were left unanswered. Did the 'Sweet Knight' and the 'Sweet Princess' ever meet? What are other joints would Kantaro visit when playing hookie? Did he fulfil his promise to the Almond Tofu?. I can always read the manga version, but nothing matches Matsuya Onoe excellent portrayal of sweet-lusted book salesman.
I'd always say my prayers to the sweet deities for few more seasons. Will my prayers be heard? As Kantaro always say-

Only sweet heaven knows... 八(＾□＾*)

Date in Origo Club

We got married in Richmond, BC;  A city known for its popular night markets and predominantly Asian restaurants. Most of these food joints give you the feel of traveling to Asia in one bite!  Recently I heard about a new French restaurant in Richmond. It also offers afternoon tea - that's something new and romantic!  As Valentine's approached, I suggested to my dear husband that going to an afternoon tea in Richmond would be our Valentine's date. I want to make a tradition to regularly visit the city where we had sworn to be each other's partner-in-crime for the rest of our lives.

Breakfast Tea

I booked ourselves for an Afternoon Tea for two in Origo Club without reading further on what this place has to offer. Let the first experience surprise me!

As we sat on our table, sparkling water was offered. I started to savour the ambiance while looking at their menu to decide which tea should I pair with my meal. Unlike most afternoon places, their tea selection was limited, with no signature tea blend. But one thing that Origo offers with their afternoon tea was pour-over for an additional charge. I was torn between pour-over coffee and breakfast tea; the English breakfast tea won in the end, with the thought of going back for the pour-over experience and champagne on the next visit.

Origo Club Afternoon Tea

Their signature "O" shaped tray was a visual treat itself with or without the sweet and savory treats that garnished it. Its design is my second favorite, next to Higashiya Ginza's wooden tray.

We both took note of everything we ate: about their scones, at first, I was worried that my dear 🐻would not enjoy the chive scone - he is not a fan of anything that's too garlicky. He ate his share of scones with no qualms at all. We both agreed that our favorite piece was the duck breast (Canard et Poire Pochée au Thym - seared duck breast, thyme poached pear). On the dessert side - the Matcha tart (Tartelette au Fromage Blanc et Matcha) is the one I enjoyed the most.

A row of savoury tidbits

Sweets on the top tier

During our stay in Origo Club, an entrance to another quarter with interesting displays caught my attention; upon reading later, I found out it's an art gallery that can be viewed by appointment only. Perhaps a peek in Origo's art gallery will happen in the future after a glass of Barons de Rothschild Champagne Brut.
It's nice to be back romancing in Richmond!

Reissue

Visiting this cafe was the main highlight of the day; I pictured myself clearly - me in a charming coffee house, admiring my coffee that was designed by a master latte artist!

There's plenty of coffee places around Metro Vancouver that does latte art, but I haven't encountered who does beautiful frothy sculptures, being in Tokyo where's there a handful of cafe that specialized in latte art, it should be an experienced that I shouldn't miss!

You have arrived!

Reissue Cafe is known for its beautiful masterpieces on their coffee, bring a picture or any image in your mind and few extra hundred ¥; the artist will painstakingly turn your cup of joe into a work of art.  Reissue is located on top of another establishment along the quieter street in Harajuku; once inside I was greeted with a very laidback vibe, I would have probably mistaken it as someone's else house if there's no extra tables around. We were still full from our hearty brunch earlier so we decided to pass from their food in their menu, we are looking forward to the latte art.

My dear husband 🐻ordered to have our baby Concha's photo that we got from his breeder, mine the 3D design - the pink Sugar cubs' character - 'Latte'.

Concha at 3 weeks
Photo credit to Cowboy Up Kennel

Concha on coffee ;)

Unfortunately our orders didn't arrived together, I was hoping that I could get a photo of both orders while the chocolate ink on the froth was still sharp, so pardon my photo of Concha on coffee, the chocolate has (verrry) slightly dispersed. As soon I received the 3D art, I snapped the photo of them side by side right away!

Sugar cubs' Latte and my forever pup Concha

Latte and Concha

Both were beautifully rendered, both tasted great! If I was not pregnant at that time, I would be ordering my second cup of coffee to request for another latte art and for more photos too, I guess sometimes, I can't have too much of the good thing...
They say that having a cup of coffee in a quiet day is one of greatest pleasure in life; having coffee rendered by an artist take this statement to the next level!

Fun in the Sunshine Coast

View from the terrace

Not really in the mood for out-of-town trips lately, but my dear 🐻, suggested a short getaway in one of the Islands of British Columbia.

Me: "Okies my dear 🐻, but...do all the planning!"

🐻: "Challenge accepted."

One day, he said that he is looking at Sechelt, and wants my input in choosing our accommodation. Soon we found ourselves a good catch in AirBnb.

Friday, just right off from work, my dear teddy bear picked me and with no time to waste, we zoomed to Horseshoe Bay, because of my dear fiancé's superb driving skills, we managed to catch the ferry right on time😝!

Reminders: You don't need to ferry reservation; just plan ahead and arrive early at the terminal!

Watch out of the fish sign!

Catch of the Day Cottages...and it's indeed a catch!

It's my first time staying in a log cottage, and it looks like exactly what I have in mind - like the one in old fairytale illustrations, rustic, charming, but it's equipped with modern appliances to fit modern living needs.

There's terrace garden outside, nice patio where we can enjoy the gorgeous view of Straight of Georgia; sometimes cruise ships can be seen passing by according to our host.

Our Cottage!

After few minutes of rest, we started exploring the town and noticed instantly how quiet it is for a Friday evening, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of big city during weekends, it's a nice short escape from the chaotic feel of the city; we stopped at a liquor store to grab ourselves some drinks to enjoy our evenings with. 

We watched the sunset in the garden terrace, we were hoping there's a luxury cruise ship passing by to watch. Theres none but the gentle sound of the water rushing to the rocks was enough to sooth our tired body, then call it a night.

Saturday in Sechelt

Smoked salmon bennies waffles

My teddy bear chose Gourmet Girl @ Pier 17 for breakfast. Conveniently located beside the Davis Bay, their waffles were very good starting meal for a busy day.

Berries and cream waffles 💖

We started our day walking along Davis Bay, while reminiscing our recent trip in the Philippines, we reminded each other that this would be one of our countless great memories together and there will be more to come.
Being raised from the east, now based in the west coast and had a chance to travel around the globe, I am glad that I experienced immersing in the waters of the east and west part of the Pacific Ocean, It's like listening to a story from opposite perspectives.

I started beach combing right away and found myself some nice  treasures --- sunbaked driftwoods for my air plants (see photo below); the shores were covered with pebbles and there are stacked rocks on display which inspired me to make my own, although I am no master of stone stacking but I added a playful touch on mine:

Make it stylish!

One of the suggested activity by our cottage host was to check out the Farmers' Market, the biggest on the Sunshine Coast.

Sechelt Farmers' Market banner

Morning shoppers in Sechelt farmers market

It's my first farmers market outside Vancouver, and was looking forward what their market has to offer. I noticed right away the abundance of art works made of beached trinkets, can't help admiring them that I admit that I splurged a bit 😉 and bought something for my mom back in the city. 

Dried lavenders

Aside from artworks, there's plenty of local produce, preserved fruits, and baked goods; we were intrigued by the melonpan being sold by one of the vendors as it resembles concha,  my 🐻's favourite bun. We were both too full to try all the goodies, we told ourselves that we will be back in Sechelt farmers' market anytime soon.

Two Birthdays And A Wedding

"I am very sure Canada as a Cancerian is a very caring country, she welcomes everybody with open arms, encourage their growth, watch over her people's well being...."

Vegan strawberry vanilla cake

<--- This is a very beautiful strawberry vanilla cake from Edible Flours, unfortunately because of extreme warm weather during its transport it melted part of its icing...😓




I promised myself not to fear aging; I just turned 35 recently.

The same age as the lead character of one of my favourite TV series to watch back when I was in Manila. The show is about the complicated and exciting personal lives of four ladies in a big city in the States, the lead character is a writer, with a weekly column, and lots of designer shoes, but she doesn't seem happy, I still love this show and been watching reruns, but I don't like to be like her...

Though at 35, I am grateful to found love and We will get married this November. I am not a big fan of designer shoes and I don't have a weekly column, but WEGO is where I share my joyful experiences in my travels and life here in Vancouver. 

My special birthday tea & birthday specials from The Body Shop

It's quite unfortunate that there is a lack of appreciation for getting older. We all dread it. When we were kids, we all looked forward to our birthdays, then once we became adults, we eventually stopped mentioning our age and never mentioned our birthdays anymore.

Our reasons are understandable. 

I am trying to improve the way I think about aging. I figured that it would be better to start earlier by welcoming each number as another friend; a friend who would assure me that good things are coming.

My birthday dinner in Joe Fortes

How did Emily celebrate her Birthday?

When Emily Goes Out is all about celebrating my life experiences. Working on my blog is a celebration, of my happiness and my way to constantly remind myself that there is something to be rejoiced about. 

Last Day Of Being 34 

The day before my big day I booked a nice afternoon tea in Pâtisserie Für Elise with my sister, as we are both fans of afternoon or high tea. 

Layers of goodness!

Cute house in the city 💖

<---This house has been in Vancouver
since 1893!





I had Darjeeling tea to paired it with this --->
and also came with quiche











Entering Pâtisserie Für Elise is like being transported to a different time! The venue is a Queen Anne-style heritage house, with all things pink and girly interiors.

La vie en Rose! 💓

After our afternoon tea bonding time, my sister brought me one of their flavoured loose-leaf tea (Crème Brûlée) as a treat. Feeling guilty after the treats we spent the night walking around Downton Vancouver and took advantage of my birthday discount from The Body Shop.  

It was a great day, why not celebrate now when technically it's already my birthday in Manila!

Enter 35

And on the big day, my dear 🐻 planned everything, he kept it as a surprise! I was spoiled by my dear 🐻 he bought me a nice purse for my everyday use!
We went out for a walking tour around Downtown Vancouver and got to know the early history of the city's red-light district. I have already been to other walking tours in Vancouver, and I enjoy every single one of them, I find it very educational and I appreciate the visual and sometimes interactive aspect of it while listening to the stories of the tour guides about certain places.

My fiancé knows that I love seafood especially oysters so he brought me to Joe Fortes for dinner, and their Lobster Oil--it is something to die for and it's not safe for dieters!
I indulged myself with oysters, by ordering the fried and raw oysters!

Joe Forte's complementary bread and Lobster Oil 

Raw and Fried Oysters for me to enjoy! 

...and oh  I got myself a free drink from Starbucks!

Free frappuccino from Starbucks

(My) Mon Paris in Burnaby

I consider Paris one of my favourite cities, and she probably has a piece of my heart. I remember summer 2011, when my sister and I visited Paris.

Late last year, while walking around the neighbourhood, I passed a place that has a potential spot among my “favourites”; I noticed the illustration of an Eiffel Tower with a heart on it as a logo —it send a message to me clearly, the logo is something I can relate to, the love of the city of Paris; then there’s the word “pastries” - now that’s the magic word! But the sign also said: Coming Soon—that got me curious and swore that I will come back once this place is ready.

When Emily comes back:

We were in the early steps of wedding preparations: there’s checking of venues, searching for possible caterers, and recently checked a place where we were considered for our wedding favours. There are a lot of things going on that I forgot about the heart of the Eiffel Tower logo.

One rainy Friday afternoon, my other partner in indulgence, my sister decided to meet up. She mentioned this new bakery that she wanted to try out - - -Mon Paris. 

The place with the heart on the Eiffel Tower logo! I didn’t really see the whole name the first time I passed by it. I am thankful she mentioned this place and I was so excited to finally have the chance to try it!

Our first order from Mon Paris

Inside Mon Paris we were greeted by the decadent displays of chocolate Easter eggs, croissants, and other pastries. 

We were completely hypnotized by all the goodies, they are all talking to us: “try me, buy me, try me…”, it is a small place and we felt the only unoccupied table will be gone as soon another customer shows up, so we grabbed the table and proceeded to order right away.

Easter chocolate special

Warning!!! Not safe for dieters!!! (NSFD)

We both ordered London Fogs for a drink; it has a few pieces of lavender floating which we found cute; we had a hard time deciding which sweets to order with our tea as they all looked tempting! 

While ordering I kept glancing at the display of the rows of the colourful chocolates beside me; they all looked elegant. 

Mon Paris chocolates

That’s when I decided to choose Mon Paris chocolates for my wedding favours! My sister seems to think that it’s a great idea and volunteered to cover the wedding favours as her wedding gift for me. 

The owner of Mon Paris Chef Elena Krasnova, was present at that time, my sister and I discussed with her that we were very interested in ordering boxes of chocolates for my upcoming wedding.

We were absolutely impressed with our orders; the presentation is sophisticated, the taste not too sweet; Chef Elena mastered creating masterpieces by blending all the different flavours and textures.

St. Honore

Strawberry Cheesecake

Enjoying our dessert I thought about grabbing several pieces of Mon Paris goodies for my teddy bear’s upcoming birthday, but I can’t wait for a few more weeks so before we left, I grabbed a box nine of chocolates for my 🐻 to enjoy.