Parents’ weekend at Hank’s, apartment rearranging
October 28, 2009 § Leave a comment
The weekend of October 15 I got my LSAT results, and my dad and sister #3, Laura, visited me for parents’ weekend the very next day, which was a nice consolation. Laura had a bunch of extra credit places to visit for her AP US History class, so most of the day was spent traipsing around the DC monuments in the bitterly cold rain, including the Washington Monument, the Korean War and Vietnam War memorials, the Lincoln Memorial, basically everything you could think of.
On the plus side, we got a good amount of seafood at Hank’s. Laura got to try her very first oyster and lobster roll, both of which were as delicious as the first time I had them. But for some reason, I still feel very iffy about the fried oysters; something about their taste changes when they are cooked (they get this really strange bitter taste) and I don’t think I like it very much. I’d rather stick with their raw, deliciously briny and cucumber-y brothers and sisters. yum. I forgot that the restaurant likes to leave really good dark chocolate as an after-meal snack, but this time, we had a leftover plastic bag from the oyster crackers and scooped up all the pieces to save for later.
While we were out during the day, my roommates Danielle and Quint went on a rearranging rampage. Now, the living room/kitchen space looks so much more open now, and we’ve got a little desk in the nook near the window. I love that there’s an extra light now too; one of the major problems we had before was the dimness of the living room, where most of us like to get work done in the evening.
Considering how much furniture moving we did that night, we held a spontaneous wine and cheese night. The brie and white wine were from dean&deluca (so delicious), and my dad just brought down a bunch of fruit (concord and table grapes, tangerines, bananas) so we had quite the snack. I took the baked brie with honey and walnuts out of the oven while we were still moving things around, and since it stayed on the hot plate for a while, it melted so much more than the first time I made it. It still tasted delicious with the toasted french baguette, though.
My dad’s in DC again this week for a conference in Rockville, MD, and I think tomorrow we’ll be going to the Maine Avenue Fish Market in southwest DC to have some tasty Chesapeake Old Bay Crabs before they go out of season. After that, I’ll be working on law school applications all weekend since deadlines are coming up, but I’m going to do my best to post about the crab dinner and recipes next week!
Taste of Georgetown 2009
October 12, 2009 § Leave a comment
This past Saturday, October 11, was the annual Taste of Georgetown event. All the restaurants near campus get together on Wisconsin Avenue, set up tents, and serve tastings to event-goers. There’s also a giant Wine Tasting Pavilion for those who can drink that’s set up on the lawn of Grace Church (which I find kinda ironic). Tickets were $5 for each tasting and $20 for 5, so Erin and I decided to get our money’s worth and go for the $20.
It was the first time I’d ever attended, and in my opinion, the entire thing was really well organized. They had people standing on the corners of M and Wisconsin handing out maps of where individual restaurant tents were located and what kind of tastings they were serving as well as Purell wipes. The people running the ticket booth were also really efficient; one of my main worries was that getting our tickets would take more time than actually tasting the food. Luckily, Erin and I got there pretty early (around noon), so it wasn’t too busy yet. When I returned at around 2:30 to get redeem my Baked and Wired ticket, I could barely walk down Wisconsin without getting jostled by people.
We opted to try 1789, considered by most the best restaurant in Georgetown, Bodega, Mie n Yu, Hook, and one of the two Georgetown bakeries, Georgetown Cupcake and Baked and Wired, for dessert.
Bodega’s seafood paella was divine. I knew it’d be pretty delicious because I’ve had their tapas multiple times and love almost all of them, but to see that giant pan full of bubbling orange rice was a whole ‘nother story. The smell of the shrimp, clams, and other oceany critters cooking was amazing, and they gave us a good amount for one tasting. I think I might take my dad and sister there when they come this Friday for parent’s weekend.
1789’s crispy duck confit was great as well, and I liked how the tartness of the cranberries in the compote balanced out the fatty and rich duck. I’m really looking forward to eating there before I graduate in May. The sweet potato pie from Hook was ok, but I’ve had Heather Chittum’s other desserts before (like her Nutella dessert) and it didn’t really live up to my expectations. Something about the texture of the sweet potato custard was off, and it wasn’t as smooth as i would’ve liked it to be.
Mie n Yu’s kimchee was really surprising. I think it was the first time I’d ever had kimchee and liked it. My mom always used to buy those giant glass jars of cabbage kimchee at the Asian supermarket and everyone in my family would eat it except me, so now I want to go home and try it again to see if I’ve changed my mind. Their bulgogi wasn’t like the Korean bulgogi I’ve had before. Whatever they used as a marinade didn’t have that sweet flavor that you usually get from the pear or kiwi puree. The meat was tender and well cooked though. However, while eating all of this savory food, I really needed a drink. One thing the organizers could add for next year is a separate stand where they sell non-alcoholic drinks, because not all of us are old enough to drink wine (even if we want to).
Our last stop would’ve been Georgetown Cupcake, but they ran out early and said that we’d be able to redeem our tickets for 3 cupcakes at the store. We walked over to their location on Potomac, and the line was RIDICULOUS. Definitely not worth waiting for. Later, when I had to go back to M to return some purchases, I walked past the store again to see if it was any shorter, but it was almost TWICE as long, winding around the block. Since it was only 2:30 and Taste of Georgetown ended at 4, I thought it’d be best to go to the Baked and Wired tent and pick up their trio of brownie, bee sting, and fig newton to go.
The saddest part was that, as I was walking by the line for Georgetown Cupcake for the third time back to my apartment, I heard this woman telling her friend that they had the best baked goods in D.C. She was wrong on two counts. Georgetown Cupcake has…duh, only cupcakes, not a variety of baked goods. And second, in my humble opinion, Baked and Wired deserved that title. Their carrot cupcake is out of this world and the bee stings are my favorite. But she’d already been waiting in line for 30 minutes and I didn’t have the heart to tell her the ugly truth.
So while she was probably still waiting in line for her cupcakes, I was already back in my apartment, sitting on the couch watching FlashForward and enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with a selection of B&W’s best .
Bistro D’Oc
October 4, 2009 § Leave a comment
A couple weeks ago I visited the National Gallery for an assignment (btw, if you’re in the area, the Art of Power exhibit is definitely worth looking at) and ate at a Languedoc restaurant called Bistro D’Oc.
I don’t remember too many of the details, but the duck confit that I ordered had an extremely crisp exterior and there was just enough fat (yum) left over with really tender meat. And of course, anything with mushrooms and fried potatoes is going to be that much better than without them.
Emily ordered a basil, crepe-wrapped salmon that I wasn’t too crazy about, although the cream pepper sauce that it came with was out of this world – rich and filling on its own. Our creme brulee was a nice, light dessert and the lavendar flavor did a good job of cutting the sweetness of the custard.
Post-LSAT visit to Momofuku Ssam and Milk Bar
September 28, 2009 § 1 Comment
I’m not getting test result for another three weeks, and even though I’m still pretty nervous, thank goodness the LSAT is finally over (for September anyway).
Sunday, our entire family went to New York City since Laura had to take pictures with the Wall Street Bull and some other historic NYC sites for her US History course. The weather was pretty awful, a drizzle that came at us sideways, but when we got out of the car to take a photo with the bull, there was a film crew surrounding it! Turns out Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell were in town filming a new comedy called The Other Guys.
Even with our intrusion onto a film set, the highlight of our day definitely had to be a visit to Momofuku Ssam and Milk Bars near Union Square. The last time I had visited was two summers again and I missed those pork buns like no other. Plus, I was dying to try the awe-inspiring desserts (with names like “Crack Pie”) at the new bakery.
The Momofukus did not disappoint. For savory, we got the famous pork buns, spicy rice cakes with chinese broccoli and sausage, and braised beef brisket pho. The pork belly oozed of fatty delicious and I loved how the cucumbers and Sriracha cut the richness just enough. The rice cakes were Korean ddukbokgi on steroids, fried so they had a crispy outer crust and gnocchi-soft on the inside. Plus, they were spicy as hell, mixed with a good amount of greens and…of course, more pork. And what is more comforting than a good bowl of pho? ‘Course, the $16 bowl was more expensive than an even larger portion at Pho 99, but after walking in the rain for so long, I thought it was well worth it.
Ssam Bar is the place for savory Asian food with a twist, but Milk bar just reminded me of my childhood. There aren’t any seats, just tables where you stand and eat your food. Laura and I tried the horchata soft-serve with the cinnamon sugar and tortilla toppings, a blueberry cream cookie, and the biggest slice of strawberry cake I have ever seen.
Everything tasted wonderful. The ice cream was rich and the toppings were inventive and delightful, the blueberry cream cookie (85 cents since they were actually from yesterday’s batch) was heavenly and still soft – Laura and I later regretted that we didn’t snag more – and the cake…with strawberry jam and sweet corn crumble fillings (which definitely reminded me of Cap’n Crunch cereal) was so large but so delicious that we felt obligated to finish it all regardless of the calories. Laura now demands that she gets such a cake for her birthday. We’ll see what happens.
Our visit to New York concluded with a visit to the Met, where we had hoped to see the roof garden exhibit, but it was closed due to the weather. However, the new Egyptian wings and American wing were more than interesting enough to keep us occupied until we had to head home. What started out as a rainy, gloomy day ended up being quite memorable.
Georgetown Clyde’s and a Two Week Hiatus
September 13, 2009 § Leave a comment
This past week Amy and I went to Clyde’s on M. street for dinner. Our original intention was to try Old Glory Barbecue since I was really craving some pulled pork and cornbread, but when we got there, it turned out there was a wedding reception going on for the rest of the evening.
I’d never been to Clyde’s before, despite the fact that it’s a classic. When you enter the restaurant, you can see why it’s a Georgetown favorite – the wood paneling, the old-school aviation decor and the long bars. We were seated in a nice area in the back where there were sky lights, so I didn’t have to do anything with the point and shoot I brought along, even though the tables were a bit cramped.
Amy and I ordered the grilled pizza – mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil pesto and chanterelle mushrooms – as an appetizer which turned out to be surprisingly good. The exterior of the crust was really crispy while the interior still doughy soft and there was definitely a good glug of extra virgin olive oil in that pesto.
My entree was the chili-lime hanger steak with roasted corn, pico de gallo, and black beans. Though there could’ve been a bit more seasoning with the salad, the meat was perfectly pink and not stringy at all, which is usually a problem. Amy’s grilled shrimp looked HUGE and delicious, although I didn’t get to try any because I already had my own food to contend with.
Verdict: Clyde’s is good, but not great. The ambience certainly gives the restaurant extra points, but I’m going to have to try their brunch before on deciding how I feel about the place.
Also, just wanted to mention that I’ll be taking a two week hiatus from posting. I’m taking the LSAT on September 26 and it’s SERIOUSLY crunchtime for me. People keep asking why I’m taking it so early as a junior, but truth be told, I’ll be graduating a year early (this coming May to be exact) and applying this fall. I have no idea what’s gonna happen after I take the test (who knows, I might even have to take it again >.<) and I don’t even want to think about it right now.
See you in two weeks! I’ll probably cook/bake/grill/fry something to celebrate afterwards.
Korean Barbecue in Annandale, VA
September 5, 2009 § Leave a comment
Last night a bunch of us went to a Korean BBQ place called Honey Pig in Annandale, VA, about an hour’s bus ride away from DC. I never knew this but there’s a really big Korean community in that area; once we got off the bus, almost all the signs I saw had Korean translations as well. When we went inside the restaurant, there was pop music – Korean and American – blaring as loud as possible and tons of little bbq stations set up. The decor wasn’t fancy or pretentious at all. In fact, it reminded of those little hawker stands in China where everyone just crowds around a table on makeshift chairs and just eats to their heart’s content.
One of us pointed out the huge posters advertising their current sales (1 serving of barbecued pork belly for only 12.99!) but it turns out that those posters are always up to make the customers feel like they’re getting a better deal.
We were seated in the back of the restaurant, far away from all the really loud music, and give two grills. Because one of the girls, Yung, had been before, she suggested that we just get pork belly instead of beef, which apparently was only mediocre. And oh. my. god. Well, in all honesty, the plain pork belly wasn’t that great; our lady didn’t get a good first sear and some of it was overcooked, but whatever’s in the spicy sauce of the second round, I LOVE. I’m willing to bet there’s a healthy amount of gochujang in there and if that’s really the case, I’m making some as soon as I get home.
Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean Grill
7220 C-Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003
703.256.5229
Not your average ham
June 28, 2009 § Leave a comment
This past winter while walking around M St, I noticed a small sign on the door of Dean and Deluca, “Jamon Iberico: $80 per lb.” As much as I love dried and cured meats, I couldn’t imagine paying that much for a slice of ham. But little did I know, Spanish jamon iberico is nowhere near your typical Hormel deli meats but the Rolls-Royce of everything porky.
Jamon iberico entered my life again when I started becoming obsessed with Spanish food after watching Anthony Bourdain gorge himself on No Reservations. My mom bought me a wonderful cookbook called Culinaria Spain that covered all the country’s different regions and cuisines, and there it was: a huge blown-up picture of the black bellotas and what they would soon become. But I never thought I would get to try this ridiculously expensive ham (which is also extremely hard to find in the US since only a couple slaughterhouses in Spain meet the necessary USDA regulations) so imagine my surprise and childish delight when I found it being sold at the C!tysuper (think HK’s version of Whole Foods) for about $12 per package (which is still pricy since each package only had several thin slices) in Hong Kong of all places. I know, I know. If I’m in China, what the hell am I doing lusting over Spanish food? But, everytime my friend Kendall and I would get groceries, we’d find an excuse to wander to the deli section for samples straight from the leg.
While I would never buy this regularly, jamon iberico certainly has a reason to be that expensive. It was complex, smooth, and truly special, and I’ll always remember its distinct and delicious taste. Even now I’m drooling just thinking about it. One day I’m gonna have to go to Spain just to have it again.
Easter Brunch at Hook
April 19, 2009 § Leave a comment
I think my first visit to Hook is responsible for my current obsession with all kinds of seafood. I’ve loved sushi for a long time, but there really aren’t enough restaurants that serve delicious, sustainable fish like Hook. According to the Washingtonian, they also supposedly have some of the best brunch in DC, so for Easter, my floormate Alan and I decided to stop by and get our fill of seafood.
The first time I went to Hook with Amy, it was for dinner and we were seated at the long table across the bar since we didn’t have any reservations. This time around, the restaurant was airy and filled with light, and Alan and I were seated a cute little alcove, from where we could actually see the cooks working in the kitchen.
For appetizers, Alan got the almond scones (he wanted to compare them to Leopold’s and Poupon, I think) and I got one of Hook’s signature dishes, the grilled calamari with walnut-pesto and some smashed potatoes to which I didn’t really pay attention. That single dish is now the one that I find myself craving the most often. Actually, I had it at the Tackle Box, the more casual, lobster-shack inspired sister restaurant of Hook, with Amy yesterday.
My seared barramundi was tasty and light. One of things I love most about Hook is that all the fish has this wonderful crust on the outside that’s perfectly seasoned, and the fish just flakes at the touch of a fork. Also, the vegetables and sides, like lentils or black eyed peas, that accompany each of these dishes are something that I would never really crave or want, but everything comes together so beautifully that I wish there was some way for me to reproduce the taste. Which I probably can’t.
My first raw oyster
April 14, 2009 § Leave a comment
After staying at a friend’s house in Fairfax on Friday evening, my family and I then drove to Old Town Alexandria to walk around King Street and look at cute antique stores. There was a lot of rain, but in a way, it was a good thing since there were less people walking around town that day. We had a late lunch at Hank’s Oyster Bar, which also has a location at Dupont Circle, much closer to Georgetown campus.
Now, I’d never tried raw oysters before. I don’t even remember if I ever tried them cooked, but when I read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, I knew that if I was ever given the opportunity, I wouldn’t let it pass me by. Eating raw oysters was one of his food revelation-moments after all. Luckily, my dad happens to really love them, so going with our waiter’s recommendations, we ordered the Kusshi, Steamboat, Bluepoint, and Wildcat; this was one case where he didn’t want to hold back the food. Though all were delicious and wonderfully fresh, the Kusshi stood out and I actually got a bit of that “cucumber finish” that our waiter mentioned. At $2 a piece, they weren’t too expensive, and my dad found out that on Saturdays, you can buy tickets for $65 for all-you-can-eat oysters and all-you-can-drink beers. Needless to say, I wouldn’t be surprised if he just happened to visit me next time during the weekend.
Oh, and this is a beautiful box of mochi that my dad got during his trip to Tokyo. It was gorgeously wrapped, but the box itself was plain white, which is driving me crazy now because I want to know if I can order the same set online and I don’t even know the company name. Anyway, there was a lot of sesame-seed-crusted red bean mochi, some apple and orange, but my favorites by far were the individually wrapped yuzu (yellow) and sakura (pink). Both of them were so floral and not disgustingly sweet, and I just love that sticky rice texture compared to the smooth filling. Sigh. I need more.
The Quans go to Washington
April 12, 2009 § Leave a comment
There’s only about 3 weeks left in the semester, and to help me through to the final stretch, my parents and youngest sister Jackie came down this past weekend to keep me company during my Easter break. At first I was a bit nervous since the weather didn’t look too good, but Friday, it was sunny and clear and we spent the entire day downtown at the National Mall and Smithsonian museums – American History, National Gallery (of course) and Natural History.
My parents left all the eating up to me, and I have to say I planned out a pretty damn good itinerary. We had a lovely light lunch at Teaism which was fast and cheap, but the bento boxes and other food were surprisingly fresh and tasty. Jackie really liked the mango lassi and the salty oat cookies (which I could eat with the tea alone), and I loved the little pot that the tea came in. The adjacent tea shop next doory wasn’t open at the time, but I think I might go back there to get a Mother’s Day gift or something. I could see how people go there day after day for lunch; there are so many different choices, so many possible combinations.
We started on campus, which was absolutely beautiful because all the tulips and flowers had already started blooming. Plus, mom and dad had to get the requisite shot of them in front of Healy Tower. My parents really enjoyed the National Gallery, especially the large rotunda on the second floor with the giant marble columns. I don’t think my mom realized that there were so many important paintings in DC, so she was pretty impressed with the Monets and Van Goghs housed upstairs. There was also a temporary orchid exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, so if you’re in DC during the next month or so, I’d recommend stopping by there as well. All Smithsonian museums have free admission! One reason why I really love going to school in DC. Free culture!
Finally, we had dinner back at Jaleo in Penn Quarter since my parents had never tried Spanish tapas before and Jaleo was one of the first restaurants that I had reviewed for The Hoya. I have always loved Jose Andres food since then, so I thought it would be a special treat for them to try a lot of his small dishes. Everything we ordered was delicious, especially the classic tuna salad ensaladilla rusa and the semolina cake for dessert, which had a lovely light texture, paired with the cinnamon ice cream.
So that concludes the first day while my family was down here. We spent the rest of the night at my mom’s college friend’s house in Fairfax, VA where a bunch of them got together and just drank cocktails and ate snacks while reminiscing about college life and passing along gossip about other classmates. The next day we went to Old Town Alexandria and had some of the best seafood of my life, but that’s for another day’s post.
Notes on Food 