My Best Friend Conchaboy

Seven years since we welcomed Concha home from a breeder in Alberta. With the right combination of tough love and pampering,  we got ourselves a garburator and half couch potato but by all means, he is a perfect dog.

Concha's photo by Hudson Wren

He earned several nicknames since his "gotcha day", from his first nickname "Conchaboy", then there's: Conchaboo, Conchabels, Belsbels, Smelly Belly, Conchapie, Pie-pie, Bellyboi, Smellyboi, Concha-banana, Whitespot, Conchang,  Fatso and the list goes on. I have composed a few songs about him that I regularly sing to get his attention and sometimes I can sense that he does his best to engage with me in his ways like a silent duet partner.

In seven years of being with us, Concha has gained a modest following on his Instagram account  (@Conchaandme) and has been regularly mentioned in my little spot online. He is a dear family member, my daughter's pillow, and my 🐻's afternoon cuddle buddy, his loud snores are music to my ears, and being in his presence brings me comfort, he slept beside me when I contracted Covid virus.

At seven years old, he is considered a middle-aged dog. Gray fur is showing up on his chin, and he doesn't crave long daily walks. He contentedly snores the day away as I work nearby. Conchaboy has mellowed down a lot, but he still occasionally goes nuts when he senses an upcoming surprise, like a walk with his "girlfriend" or being picked up by Boneheads for a day hike, to keep him active and socialized.

He is our best "boi," and because he is the best boi, We give him our best. We have brought him to most of our family trips and photo shoots. We feed him raw food to ensure that he gets nutritious meals.

As we celebrate his birthday, I wonder if he's aware that he is entitled to a birthday wish. If so, what would he wish?

If I could wish on his behalf... I'd wish for him to live longer...

(っ´ω`c)♡ ∪･ω･∪

Hotteok - Seasonal Favourite

Bungeoppang ready to get in my tummyヽ(;^o^ヽ) 

My Conchaboy's special person introduced me to 'Hotteok" - Korean Pancake

We met Concha's favorite human "J" or we refer to her as Conchaboy's human girlfriend at Concha's old doggy daycare where she used to bring her dog, later I discovered that she's our neighbor and I started regularly met up with her to walk our dogs together. Aside from being pretty and kind, she radiates energy that excites the dogs when she enters the dog park! Eventually, our dog walks turned into drives to visit other dog parks and stopping by to Korea Town Centre for produce and our favourite --- Hotteok.

Kim's Korean Waffles and Pancakes is a popular food cart located in Koreatown beside the Hannam Supermarket. Aside from Hotteok, they also sell 'Bungeoppang 'or the Korean version of Taiyaki. According to "J", Hotteok and Bungeoppang are well-known winter treats in Korea. Following the Korean tradition, Kim's is only open around October till April, Going to Kim's has become my adapted winter season tradition.

Kim's Korean Waffles & Pancakes Food Cart 

There's always a steady lineup of customers whenever we visit Kim's. The comforting scent of sugar and cinnamon mixture creates a strong spell that makes me forget my diet....but it wont...it evokes a nostalgic memory of me on a line up for bibingka and puto bumbong, a popular treat during the Holiday season in the Philippines. Similar scenario but different flavour. I don't have picture of my beloved puto bumbong and bibingka yet so that topic will be saved in the future, So here's a link of me enjoying Hotteok.  

Me, enjoying pancake in the 'cafe'.

Thank you J for introducing to Hotteok! Hope that all your prayers would come true! (⊃｡•́‿•̀｡)⊃

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

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!

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.

Morning Wisdom From Jethro's

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

My gastronomical Guru, Denny's taught me that "Anything can be solved over a stack of pancakes". Then Jethro's Fine Grub came along with a sign with bold statements that caught our eyes:

Jethro's Fine Grub sign (back)

Jethro's Fine Grub sign (front)

Not really in the mood for having bacon for breakfast, but it gave us an impression that they take their bacon seriously. That's a good sign.

It was a weekday so there was no long line up which regularly happens in several popular brunch places in the Vancouver area during the weekends.
We have a table ready and the service is fast; the attendant gave us a Mexican hot sauce right away which I really appreciated. I always ask for hot sauce when I go to brunch places. They also regularly check if we need our coffee refill.

Smoked Salmon Benedict vs. Apple Cobbler French Toast

There are a lot of great choices on their menu; it took me a while to choose between Smoked Salmon Benedict and Apple Cobbler French Toast I forgot to take a photo of their menu. I decided to order the Smoked Salmon Benedict instead of the other, and my 🐻 ordered The Gold Rush.
At that time we were not really in an adventurous mood (but would be ordering Crab Cake Benedict next time we visit)

While waiting for our order, I enjoyed the funny illustration on their wall. For sure it's an offensive joke for vegans and animal rights advocates, but I can see the humour in it.

Bacon is all that matters!

My dear 🐻's facial expression was priceless when he saw his order..it's huge! He was speechless for a few minutes. I gladly proceeded to enjoy my Benedicts and shared some of my hash browns with my dear 🐻. I am also having some bites of the yummy huge pancake.
I remembered messaging my sister about wishing she was with us, we need reinforcements 😂! I even saw the customer's order beside us, french toasts--- and the slices of each toast were thick!

Serving comparison

My order: Smoked Salmon Benedict

And his order...The Gold Rush

What's in The Gold Rush? A giant pancake stuffed with banana, pecans, streusel, and caramel. Topped with whipped butter and more caramel, pecans, and streusel!

We both enjoyed it (I actually loved it) but we couldn't finish it. One of the attendants provided us with a take-out box with instructions on how to reheat our generous leftovers.

Want to accept the challenge?

Jethro's Fine Grub has two locations: the Dunbar location and the Fraser St. location, so there are two battlefields to choose from:

Jethro's Fraser Street Location

Next time, we will be bringing an army to share the giant pancakes with. I guess from their sign it might sound like having too much of good things is great, but the real joy is sharing it with people who are special to us.

We need another empty tummy to help us...

Update: It's a great sadness to write this update...Jethro's Fine Grub has closed.(◞‸◟；)

My First Food Photo Here!

I have lots of food photos, I have this hobby of taking photos of most food that I ate when we dine outside and not mainly for the purpose of reviewing, but compared to a real food blogger, my food pix collection is minuscule, then I remember---before Instagram i have been taking photos some of my dine out experiences in the past! Unfortunately, I lost (eventually deleted) some of them. Nowadays my Instagram account (604Emijoy778) is pretty much 80% food photos, and there's more unposted!
I love good food!

Here's the pic of one of my favorites: cheesecake 😮😮😮

 My "Cheesecake Paradise" in Vancouver---Trees Organic Coffee & Roasting House.