Menya Japanese Noodle: Nagahama Ramen

Menya Japanese Noodle Restaurant is a small restaurant at the corner of Broadway St. and Yukon St. 

Menya Japanese Noodle Restaurant

We arrived at the restaurant for dinner and they weren't very busy at all so we were quickly seated and served tea. The outside of the restaurant made it seem boring and plain, but when I entered, they're actually quite cute and unique. They have long benches along the wall as well as stools (for sitting, not poop), which gave it a kind of street-eat feeling.

Menya Japanese Noodle

I ordered what seemed to be their most popular and the specialty, the Nagahama ramen. The description states that it is "authentic tonkotsu ramen" with pork bone soup and Menya special soy sauce.

Nagahama Ramen $6.95

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Marulilu Cafe - Cozy, Cheap, and Calming

I always go down to Broadway and Cambie for food and groceries, but I don't know why I never noticed Marulilu Cafe until I saw it on a several foodies blogs. Marulilu Cafe is conveniently located right across from the Broadway City Hall Canada Line station. It's a small and cozy brunch/afternoon cafe with an affordable menu offering Japanese and western foods.

On other foodies blogs, I've heard a lot about the Japanese style breakfast which consists of grilled salmon, Japanese plain omelet, rice, miso soup and your choice of natto or tofu. So I've heard a lot about natto, (fermented soybeans), which have a very unique taste and texture and is high in protein. I'm always up for trying new foods, whether it be traditional or innovative, so I chose natto. 

Japanese Style Breakfast (grilled salmon, Japanese plain omelet, rice, miso soup, natto) $6.99

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My 2013 Earth Day Pledge + Free Starbucks & DavidsTea!

Our Earth is such a beautiful place that lets us breathe and live. We should really take care of it, protect it, and love it, so our future generations can enjoy what we're having. Ok, I won't try to sound smart or philosophical (because I ain't), but Earth Day is just around the corner - on April 22nd! 

Earth Day should not be the only day where recycle unwanted paper, pick up litter, bring reusable bags for groceries, or take transit. These should be incorporated into our lifestyles and become habits. Earth Day is a reminder for us to stop hurting our planet (or to a lesser extent). This year, I pledge to avoid buying products that are ridiculously or individually wrapped. I hope you'll all take an extra step and change one thing, such as carrying a mug so that less garbage is produced. Think about it - Starbucks is constantly packed with line-ups, how many cups from Starbucks alone, go into the garbage cans each day?

In fact, if you carry your mug around on Apr. 22nd, you can get rewarded with free Starbucks coffee or tea AND/OR DavidsTea!

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Pajo's Fish & Chips: Free birthday meal and for winter babies

Pajo's Fish & Chips

One of my mom's fondest memories during her early days in Canada is having fish and chips. Apparently that's the only thing she had no problem ordering. Fish and chips - easy to pronounce and simple to the point.

Pajo's Fish & Chips has 4 locations and I went to the one at Fisherman's Wharf, the best location in my opinion. Why? Because it's their very first location (original location is always better!) and near the water on the dockside wharf!

Steveston Fisherman's Wharf is absolutely a stunning place even on a not-so sunny day, like today. It's very easy to commute to too. I just took the 401 bus from Richmond Centre and in about 20 minutes, bam, I'm there! Yay for transit! Yay for the dockside,  beautiful views, fish boats, and fresh seafood!

Steveston Fisherman's Wharf

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Creamy Avocado Almost-Pesto Pasta: Simple & Yummy

Creamy Avocado Almost-Pesto Pasta

I love pasta with creamy sauce. I'm constantly trying to make my meals healthier, nutritious, and of course, easier with less prep time, which means that the food would be ready in no time! Now, this dish has all three of those elements plus more (that being extremely satisfying and yummy).

Here's what you'll need (for two):

Pasta for two (any type will be great) - I used spaghetti

A clove of garlic

Avocado

Half a lemon

Basil leaves

Salt & pepper 

Here's what I did: 

1. Boil pasta in salt water. 

2. Dice garlic into very tiny pieces.

diced garlic

3. Mash Avocado with a fork. Mix in garlic, squeeze in lemon juice, and stir in some basil leaves, depending on how much you like. I put in about 2 tablespoons of basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

Creamy avocado sauce

4. Mix avocado sauce with drained pasta. Sprinkle on some lemon zest if you wish.

Enjoy!

This was absolutely guilt-free as avocado is a superfood and contain all the 18 essential amino acids, rich in omega-3, high content of good fats, and the list goes on! So why use cream when you can have creamy avocado pasta? 

Each person is different so tweak the amount of ingredients to your tongue's liking and make yourself happy! =) 

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