Spent my 1st and hopefully, the only long weekend of maternity leave mostly napping and wondering what I'll be eating next. Restaurants are opening up soon in BC, which will make summer much more enjoyable. I'm dreaming of hanging out at Platform 7's backyard at their Hastings location, with the baby napping in her stroller. I'll be sipping on my favourite beverage from there - an iced latte (possibly decaf, if I'm still breastfeeding by that time), and hopefully, enjoy the peaceful charm of their garden. 

The assumption here is that my child will be a good sleeper in public.     

Also, another assumption is that Platform 7 makes it through the pandemic, which I'm sure they will because they have a strong following. Will other places with less history make it through? 

Are we still going to be able to go back to Fufu Pancake after the pandemic?  

H and I visited this place around the end of December, because of all the hype created around these very photogenic souffle pancakes on Instagram, and because we couldn't fit in any of the jiggly pancakes into our packed itinerary during our honeymoon in Japan, where this trend originated. If I recall correctly, I had taken some time off for a doctor's appointment, and it was midweek, so the savoury brunch options weren't available. We ordered the Tiramisu and the Matcha, which were both around $14 each (TOO EXPENSIVE!).   

The Tiramisu pancakes came with a scoop of coffee ice cream, but is not seen in this photo because of my poor photography skills during pregnancy. I can't deny any longer that having a baby does contribute to a decrease in focus and motivation after having experienced it myself... It did look very photogenic in real life, but a bit too sweet for our liking. 

I do not have a close up shot of the Matcha souffle pancakes, but I can tell you that it was also more good looking than good tasting. My conclusion is that Fufu Panacake is the ideal place to go if you enjoy looking at food, and do not care too much about the eating of the food. I expected the pancakes to jiggle more and have more flavour than just the sweetness from each of the individual toppings. 

Going back to the original question of whether they'll still be around post COVID-19... Well, their marketing game is strong, and lots of people in Vancouver are just eating for the 'gram, so it's likely that they could make a comeback. Competition from other souffle pancake stores could be creeping into Vancouver though. Gram Cafe at Aberdeen opened up just before the start of the pandemic, and more shops will be opening around the Lower Mainland. This one looks pretty promising, and I'll probably try it out, hopefully soon.

I have a craving for a hearty brunch, must be the sleep deprivation. Red Wagon would really hit the spot right now.

I came here with my mother one day. I had the breakfast with the pancakes and potatoes and eggs and added some JD syrup on the side.

Mother had the special, with the eggs and I think benedict sauce, beets and other veggies on the bottom. I loved this because it’s so fresh. Service is alright, they’re so busy that the servers really gotta pay attention.

D and I hit up Murrin for the views today:

I’m ready to start flying. I got the DJI Spark.

Hornblower Niagara Cruises

Journey Behind the Falls

We greatly enjoyed getting wet and exploring the waterfalls area, but let’s talk about the food. The Groupon previously mentioned includes $15 off for breakfast at IHOP at the Best Western. Perfectly poached egg, with teeny tiny pieces of bacon and sausage. I always get the blueberry pancakes at IHOP, and these did not disappoint. The perfectly poached eggs did take a bit longer to make and we had to wait for maybe 5 minutes more, but they were poached to a perfect medium. I still wouldn’t come back, not for the life of me, not for how much they charge at this location.

Back to the present – I planted my first aloe plant baby, separated from a huge plant that my father has been growing for 4 years. Let’s see how long it survives!