Om nom nom. It’s obvious enough that I like to eat and I think with my stomach. Our family also likes to “explore the world” by way of exploring global cuisine. We’ve passed this interest on to our daughter, who has started requesting food from specific parts of the world. She’s been asking for food from Hungary, Australia and New Zealand. In the meantime, we’ve “traveled” to Japan, Mexico and Germany for some recent culinary adventures, started with the newly opened Tendon Kohaku in Burnaby.

I know, I know. “Say no to vertical video.” But, in a world of TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, that’s where we’re at. So, in case you missed when I shared these via social media, here are some quick highlight reels.

Tendon Kohaku: Japanese Tempura

Tempura rice bowls may seem like a relatively simple affair, but Tendon Kohaku is pretty next level. This isn’t the kind of “homestyle” eating you find at Hi Genki. It’s a little more elevated than that. The eponymous Kohaku Tendon gives you a little bit of everything. That’s prawn tempura, plus chicken, squid, baby corn, French beans, shiitake mushrooms, kabocha, soft fried egg, rice and Kohaku sauce for $16.95. I got the Sashimi Aimori Tendon for $18.95. It comes with little cubes of salmon, tuna and scallop, plus ikura and tempura. Good stuff!

Tendon Kohaku (kohakutendon.com) is located at 1901 Rosser Avenue, Burnaby inside Madison Centre.

Tacomio Vancouver: Mexican Quesabirria Tacos

The first time I tried quesabirria tacos was at Don Oso’s, the best Mexican restaurant in North Burnaby. That was before I knew it was a “trendy” thing to have. A friend of mine recommended Tacomio, so we picked up some Baja fish tacos ($7.15 each) and quesabirria tacos ($13.00 for two, served with consomé) a little while back. The quesabirria tacos at Tacomio were super meaty and not as oily as Don Oso’s. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of opinion. The Strathcona pick-up window is in the middle of an industrial area, but there’s a nearby park to enjoy your takeout if you’d like. Also recommend!

The Tacomio Pick Up Window (tacomio.ca) is at 1245 Glen Drive in Vancouver. There are locations in North Vancouver (1300 Lonsdale Avenue) and at UBC (6025 University Boulevard) as well.

Old Bavaria Haus: German Schnitzel

It’s been years since I last visited the Old Bavaria Haus Restaurant in New West. My daughter requested German food and it was the first place that came to mind. Maybe I was remembering through rose-tinted glasses (or palates), but the schnitzel here honestly isn’t that great. The mushroom gravy tasted burnt too. So, we might have to explore a bit more to find another German alternative. Maybe back to Fraser Park for a German breakfast? Or I’ve heard that North Jagerhof Restaurant in North Vancouver is good?

The Old Bavaria Haus Restaurant (oldbavariahaus.com) is located at 233 6th Street in New Westminster.

Keurig K-Express Essentials: Convenient Coffee Maker

One of these things is not like the others. I know. Talking about a coffee machine is not the same as rapid-fire restaurant reviews. But, the kind people at Keurig generously gifted me this brand new Keurig K-Express Essentials coffee maker and it’s been a great addition to the home office. It’s quick, convenient and super easy to use, feeding my need for caffeine at the push of a button. And it’s super affordable too, making it easy for you to “Brew the Love every day.”

The Keurig K-Express Essentials Single Cup Coffee Maker is available exclusively at Walmart for $59.98.

Around the World Through Our Stomachs

If you want to keep up with what our family has been eating, you’ll want to make sure you’re following me on Instagram (@beyondtherhetoric). I’ve been playing around with more of these short-form Instagram Reels lately. I’ve also been cross-posting them as YouTube Shorts on my YouTube channel too. But, it’s over on Instagram that you’ll get all the posts, plus Stories and the rest of it.

So, the obvious questions remain. Where do we go next? What should we eat next?