RTN Uwaji's June Foodtruck Round up

This past weekend, I attended the Renton Uwajimaya June Foodtruck Round Up. The rise of the Mobile foodtrucks have been growing popular in the greater Seattle area over the past couple of years and I was able to try two new trucks that I haven't had before.



Athena's food truck


Athena's was the first place I went and their truck was really cool! They had I believe Triton, messenger of the Sea and a Greek warrior (sorry I don't know who it is! Achilles maybe?) painted on the side of their truck. It really caught my eye. I had their Lamb Gyro.

It was fairly big and cost $8.00. The lamb part wasn't what I was used to (usually the sliced salted and soft lamb I usually have in other gyros). This was more like straight up lamb with not much seasoning and ha a little chew to it. I didn't mind it since the feta and olives gave it complimentary flavor. Overall, I was pleased.

You can check out Athena's info HERE.

One of my friends had a shrimp po'boy from Jemil's Big Easy, Cajun/Creole food, and I had some of hers. It was absolutely amazing! The dressing/sauce that they put in it really blended well with shrimp which was nice and crunch on the outside, and moist inside. I loved that they used the french bread with it. The texture and mild flavor of the bread paired nicely with the shrimp. Check out Jemil's HERE.

Lastly, since I was craving something sweet, I went over to Street Treats, which features a 'build-your-own ice cream sandwhich! I picked the snickerdoodle cookie to match with the Toasted coconut ice cream! This was absolutely delicious and was a pretty generous portion for a gourmet dessert. It cost me $5.00. The only downside is that the ice cream did melt before I could finish the cookie so it became a little messy.

Check out their stuff HERE.

 

Peyrassol: A place for relaxation--Restaurant Review

Yesterday, I had a wonderful Mother/Daughter dinner date with my mom that was followed with shopping.

We went to one of our local favorites, Peyrassol-Cafe at Southport located by Gene Coulon Park in Renton, Washington.

The service is always wonderful and the food is always delicious. I finally now have the chance to write a full review of the place (and probably more to come as I try their other dishes)

Check out their menu and other info HERE (note that the website is not updated for their current menu)

Bread service is always a must. They serve a Grand Central Bakery bread that is delivered fresh and paired off nicely with an aromatic olive oil.

We had the charcuterie that came with nice ham, coppa (i think?) and salami with pickled fennel.

The fennel matche perfectly with the drier cured meats and overall very appetizing.

We also had a small cup of their soup of the day which was a lentil soup. For some reason, the chef made this extremely flavorful and I would love having this all the time compared to the plain lentil soup my mom makes >.< It had tomatoes and was topped with olive oil and filled with all sorts of spices.

Then we had one of their special salads that had bresaola (I believe) topped with arugula, mushrooms, parmigiano reggianom, olive oil, salt and pepper. This dish was so simple but very well put together, along with the presentation. My mom had a little trouble with the cured meat since it was a little too chewy for her, but other than that, it was very enjoyable.

Now for our main dishes. My mother ordered this Beouf Bourguignon- a slow roasted beef chuck with a polenta cake. Flavor wise, I feel like it could have been better and the beef could have been more tender. I do believe my mother could have made this dish better, at least flavor-wise, maybe adding a hint of star anise or some spice. It felt like a layer or 2 of flavor was missing. However, the polenta cake was excellent. Nice and crunchy on the outside, but nice and moist on the inside with a nice mild flavor.

Then my dish came and I was definitely happy! I ordered their Papparadelle in a bolognese sauce and it was exactly the type of flavor I had imagined and craved! The wide cut noodle texture was nice an aldente. The sauce was amazing with the right amount of meats running through it along with just enough pepper spice and it wasn't too heavy with tomato. By far one of my favorite dishes I have had at this restaurant and I highly recommend it.

better up close shot

If you're looking for a nice relaxing atmosphere or even one with romantic ambiance, then defnitely check this place out. It is in a nice little quite corner right by the lake with both indoor and outdoor seating which is perfect for the nice sunny days. It isn't too crowded in here and the service is excellent. It does take a little while for food to come out since it is basically all home made and made to order. The price is decent too for the quality you receive with some items right under $20. I think this place would be perfect to take for a special birthday or even a date. I have only been here for their dinner menu and will need to go back to check out their Brunch and Lunch offerings.

Foodtruck Goodness !

Today, I went to my first Foodtruck Roundup event of the 2013 year that was at the Renton Uwajimaya in Washington. I didn't have a specific taste for any particular truck so I tried one new truck, Street Donuts, and an oldie but goodie, The Box.

We got really lucky today since the weather turned out so nice! The day before it was snowing in some areas and we had pouring rain and high gusts of wind earlier in the week too!

 

donuts from Street Donut, sliders from The Box

Click below for upclose shots ! 

 

The first place I stopped at was Street Donuts where they make these mini sized donuts right there in front of you and can pick your flavors they have. I got Curry and Caramel, which wasn't exactly on their menu since the Curry was supposed to be paired with Chocolate, but I asked if they could do it with Caramel and Voila! Curry and Caramel donuts =P

The Curry flavor wasn't too overpowering and paired up with the Caramel really nicely. I kind of wished the Curry flavor was a little stronger, just for my own taste, but other than that, it was really good! I'd definitely go back to this truck, but only if they don't have a super long line! I went back around and saw they gathered one of the longest lines there.

upclose picture

 

 

The next place I went was The Box, where they do a sort of Asian fusion style and these amazing sliders on these Chinese buns, mantou/bao (or I like to call them the Toilet seats that you order with Peking Duck, since it looks like a toilet seat.hah). I ordered 2 of the Pork Belly sliders and 1 Kahlua Pig slider. I've been here before and liked it, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

 

Here's and upclose shot of the Pork Belly. The Pork Belly is nice and tender so it just melts in your mouth and theres a peanut/hoisin type of sauce I belive that goes with it and some pickled/marinated veggies like cabbage to go along with it. Really nice! 

  

Then the Kahlua Pig slider was nice and smokey and had some sweet chili sauce and a Salsa type of condiment along with it. Its not as good as the Pork Belly one, in my opinion, but its still up there in flavor!

 

 

Overall, a nice day to enjoy some good local food. If you ever get a chance to go to a Foodtruck event in the Washington area and you see these guys, Check them out!