I’ve been planning this trip for months; but truthfully, I’ve been planning this trip in my head for years. My fascination with this city sprouted from movies and TV shows, but the show that truly made me daydream about NY was, of course, Gossip Girl. Because if Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass can find love in New York, then so can I…

KIDDING. Not the purpose of this trip at all. I mainly just want to see all the famous landmarks, buildings, parks, museums, and just overall streets that I’ve been googling since I was a little girl. There’s just a certain magic about New York and it’s one of the cities that I KNOW won’t disappoint. 

I’ve taken it super chill with the planning of this trip. I know areas I want to see, landmarks I want to visit, attractions I want to attend, and food I want to eat. But as far as an itinerary goes—I’m taking it easy this trip. 

Although there is a lot I want to see, I am mostly excited to just explore the city day by day and figure it out as we go. 

My biggest issue right now? How am I supposed to fit all my winter coats in a suitcase?!

If you were wondering, the pink off the shoulder top that I’m wearing is by Tobi, my distressed jeans are from Citizens of Humanity, coat from Aritzia, and boots are from Public Desire! 

Hope you guys enjoyed this post! And hopefully by next week, this street corner will be replaced, and my background image will be the Flatiron building rather than our Gastown replica. 

Until next time, 

So I thought, being someone who is constantly looking for new cool places in Vancouver to shoot, I thought I would do my version of Vancouver’s most Instagrammable places! Not to mention it’s CANADA DAY! ? More reason to show my home some love. A lot of these will be very similar to ones in other Vancouver posts but I don’t want to discredit them just because they are popular. So if you’re planning to visit anytime soon, check these spots out! 

1. That cool alley on Seymour st. by Pender st. 

 

My favourite pizza place is right around the corner. I swear I didn’t come here just to take a photo ?? #ootd #fashiondaily #outfit #myaritzia #wilfredgirl #wiwt

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jun 17, 2017 at 7:36pm PDT

2. Anthropology wall @ Park Royal 

 

Back at my favourite salmon wall ? Was supposed to hop on a ferry this morning but some how ended up at the mall ? @converse #converseca . . . . #babatongirl #myaritzia #summer #ootd #outfit #outfitinspiration #fashionblog #fashiondiary #style #streetstyle #stylediary #wiwt #casualfit #whatiwore

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jun 10, 2017 at 2:57pm PDT

3. Bloedel Conservatory @ Queen Elizabeth Park 

 

Another weekend, another adventure

A post shared by EMELYN JADE (@emelynjade) on Jun 3, 2017 at 9:01pm PDT

*I still have yet to visit this one myself, but shoutouts to my lovely friend Emelyn Jade and her amazing photo there ?

4. Dalina

 

SUNS OUT, TOES OUT. Summer, I’m ready for you. . . . . #ootd #outfit #summer #sun #streetstyle #fashiondiary #fashionblogger #speakoftheangel #chinatown #vancouver #igdaily #currentlywearing #fashioninspo #whatiwore

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Apr 27, 2017 at 12:53pm PDT 

5. Vancouver Art Gallery

 

Was definitely vibin’ with this wall at the @vanartgallery

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jan 2, 2017 at 10:09am PST

6. McArthurGlen Outlet

 

Little something about me: I have an obsession with stationary. Notebooks, agendas, pens, paper… The amount of half-finished agendas and notebooks I go through is embarrassing ? #oops // and if you were wondering I’m currently using a @shinola agenda which I actually love! #NotAnAd #genuinelylovethisagenda

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jul 17, 2016 at 9:39am PDT

7. Blood Alley in Gastown

 

Can you tell that this is my favorite @houseofmackage leather jacket, it does honestly go with everything!! ?

A post shared by mary kang (@marykng) on Oct 24, 2016 at 8:06pm PDT

8. Le Marche St. George 

 

Peek-a-boo it’s back to school ? As you can see that my bag is already spilling ? #interiordesign

A post shared by Janice Fong (@jjanicefong) on Sep 13, 2016 at 9:04pm PDT

9. Le Casa Gelato

 

ate this ice cream lickity split ??? #couldntwait | Go check out my new blogpost! link is in my bio ! // wearing @benchcanada #speakoftheangel

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jun 20, 2016 at 4:13pm PDT

10. Steveston

 

Happiest when I’m with bae…. (Aka ice cream) ??? #madetobebroken #shoeme

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jul 2, 2016 at 8:40am PDT

If you think I’m missing some KEY places in Vancouver, let me know! 

Until next time, 

Another adventure in beautiful Gastown. My friend Thomas invited me to join him and his friend, Uno, on a photo-walk. It was  perfect timing because Vernice and I were actually getting some filming down in Gastown that same day. 

One place Uno introduced us to was the rooftop level of a parking lot across from the Woodward’s building. The lot was mainly empty while we were there, so it was perfect for photo / filming ops. I really do appreciate it when people can show me hidden gems in Vancouver, and take me to places I’ve never been. I’ve been trying to get more creative with my photos, as to really capture the gorgeous city that I’m lucky enough to live in. I’m making it a goal to use my blog and Instagram feed to inspire people to get active and explore their cities more, whether it’s Vancouver or somewhere else. I hope to inspire people to find something they love doing, and pursue it !

One big inspiration to me is my friend, Vernice. She made the huge decision this Summer to quit her job and chase her passion and dream. She is a social media influencer (Youtube, Instagram, Twitter etc.) that creates amazing content. Although it was tough in the beginning, she really has pushed through and is seeing rewards to her hard work now. It has brought her many amazing opportunities, and she has only just begun making it into a career. I’m so extremely proud of how well she’s doing and hope to be as bold as her one day ! 

For now, let me just take my baby steps and keep working on my IG feed ! 

Go and check out her feed @vernicet and her youtube channel www.youtube.com/msbeautyinabox

and mine as well !

@speakoftheangel_ 

www.youtube.com/angelzhng

More soon, 

I’ve been trying to explore my city more. 

One challenge that I face everyday, is trying to find new, interesting backdrops for my blog/instagram photos. With all the amazing travel photos that I’ve seen this summer, I’ve been inspired to put a little more effort into my photos than just using a plain white wall. 

One location that I recently visited is the historical Woodward’s building in downtown, Vancouver. Originally, it was built for the Woodward’s department store, and was a feature attraction in Vancouver. but when Woodward’s went bankrupt, it was redeveloped, and finally became the residential/business building that it is today. 

One feature that caught my attention the most, was the giant mural installation on the north wall inside the building. There is a 50 by 30 feet photograph of the Gastown riot, in 1971. Definitely one of the cooler art installations that I’ve seen around the city. I admire that they featured a snapshot that really captured a piece of our history that maybe not everyone would know about. After staring at it for ages, I even went ahead and researched about the scene captured. (If you know what I’m talking about, you can read more about it here ! http://thetyee.ca/ArtsAndCulture/2010/02/17/GastownRiot/) 

If you haven’t been, I definitely recommend checking out the Woodward’s building, whether you’re a local or a tourist. There are some cool photo ops in and around the building, and being there definitely made me feel a little more connected to Vancouver’s history. 

More soon, 

Another food date with Megan, we decided to venture down to Gastown to eat Catch 122 for brunch !

I’ve actually been to Catch 122 once before for brunch, and I ended up loving their dishes. The first time I went I had the braised shortrib eggs benedict (braised short ribs, poached eggs, english muffin, hollandaise sauce, yukon nugget potato hash). That one was an obvious no brainer for me. I mean let’s be real…. braised short rib? eggs benedict? I already knew I was going to love it. It was very juicy and flavourful.

This time I decided to try something else. I ordered the croque madame “open-face” (poached egg, house-smoked ham, gruyère cheese, cherry tomatoes, béchamel sauce, yukon nugget potato hash)  SO GOOD. OMG. I think I may even like this dish better than the short-rib eggs benedict, if that’s even possible. The smoked ham was SO amazingly tasty. It went perfectly the sauce and poached egg. OH and not to mention Catch 122 has the crispiest potato hash. They’re cooked to crunchy, seasoned perfection. I love mixing ketchup with their hot sauce and using it as dip.

I happily give this place a 10/10 ! Catch 122’s food is delicious, made to perfection, and most of their brunch dishes are 12 dollars ! The only problem I have with them is the wait time during weekend brunch hours. BUT , you can’t really blame them for that… they’re extremely popular and food is amazing so I don’t expect any less. Fortunately though, when I went with Megan (because we only had 2 people) we only had to wait about 10 minutes before they were ready for us.

Check out their website and their menu if you want to see what else they have to offer !

Their address is 122 west hastings st.

Phone number : 604.731.3474

Hours of operation :

monday: 8 am – 4 pm; tuesday – thursday: 8 am – 9 pm; 

friday: 8 am – 10:30 pm; saturday: 9 am – 10:30 pm; 

sunday & holiday: 9 am – 4 pm

let me know if you’ve been to Catch 122, and what your favourite dish is !

More soon,

 On Sunday my friend Summer and I visited Soft Peaks, a relatively new organic milk soft serve ice cream place. Soft Peaks have definitely blown up since its opening, and every time I’ve been so far, there has been a pretty substantial line up outside the door. This place is known for their soft serve ice cream that is made with Avalon organic milk, organic cream, organic milk powder, and organic stabilizers/ emulsifiers, which makes their desserts all-natural, and lower in fat and calories than regular ice cream.

Soft Peaks also greatly supports local businesses, from their toppings down to their cups and napkins. Oh not to mention, part of their sale proceeds goes to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as well. TALK ABOUT AWESOME.

So far, their menu consists of 9 different topping combinations for their delicious dessert and also 4 different syrups you can further add to your ice cream. You can check out their website for the full menu here. Their also apparently coming out with milkshakes this summer ! Trust me when I say, I will be all over that shit in a heartbeat.

The two flavours I’ve got in the picture are the Green Forest and the Honeycomb Peak. Both of these cost $5.75 for a small size, and $6.75 for a regular.

The Green Forest consists of Organic Premium Matcha powder, sweet red beans, and condensed milk on top, and the Honeycomb Peak is their signature swirl topped with a piece of local honeycomb on top. We both got regulars !

If you’ve tried Soft Peaks before let me know how you liked it ! So far I’ve tried 4 flavours out of the 9, and these two are my favourites.

Their Address is 25 Alexander St. Their located right next to Portside Pub in Gastown for my fellow Vancouverites.

Their number is 604-559-2071

Hours : Wednesday – Sunday 12 – 9 pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)

Until next time,

So I am starting something new on Speakoftheangel. This is the dedicated weekly food feature that I will be doing, starting today ! Each week (sometimes every two weeks, if I’m broke) on friday, I will be sharing with you a restaurant, or cafe, or some sort of food feature! I’m pretty excited for this new little segment because I go out to eat quite often. And this not only gives me a reason to try out new restaurants, but also I get to blog about FOOOOOOD. It’s a win-win situation. This one is from a thursday that one of my closest friends, Cathleen, and I decided to make a “Thirsty Thursday” one week after class. We decided to explore the Gastown area of downtown Vancouver that night, and stumbled upon this great little hole in the wall that we found in Blood Alley.

The restaurant we found was Gringo Gastown.

Now when I say that this place was a hole in the wall…. it really was a hole in the wall. This place was super tiny, but set up in a way that really made good use of the space that they have. They set up a long bar table along the store front window and actually had that entire window open (I think they were sliding doors) so that they could actually place a line of chairs along the outside of the restaurant as well. Much genius. So wow. I don’t know about you, but I loved that idea.

I started out with a Michelada ($6). Made with “Lager, tomato and lime juice, and a chilli salt rim”. I’m just going to say now, I really don’t enjoy drinking alcohol. I’m actually slightly allergic to it so it just has a really exaggerated bad effect on me. The only alcoholic beverages that I’ve enjoyed drinking EVER are ceasars and specific brands of really sweet white wine. And with that being said, I actually barely ever drink either of those things. But it was a rare thirsty thursday, so I succumb to the peer pressure and ordered a drink. I couldn’t even finish it.

It was a good drink though ! It pretty much tastes just like a ceasar.

For food I ordered the Quesadillas ($9) which came with four delicious Quesas and some mexi rice. Although the quesadillas were delicious and cheesy and amazing, what actually won me over completely was the mexi rice. It. Was. So. Damn. Good. I don’t even know how to explain it, but it was just delicious. Super flavourful, unlike the mexi rice that I’ve had at other places, it was really the main attraction for me as far as this dish goes.

The food from Gringo are mostly small dishes like nachos, hotdogs, chilli rice bowls, and quesadillas. Just a lot of really yummy mexican styled food that would go great with drinks.

The address for Gringo is :

27 Blood Alley Square

(604) 721-0607

Check out their website for more information! If you’re ever in Gastown, this is definitely a cool little place to check out.

Also, you can check out all my other Foodie Friday features here!

Have you been to Gringo Gastown? What did you think about it? 

More soon,