Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Edamame: Snack Review

The other day, I went into Trader Joe's and was looking to try the Dark Choco covered pomegranate seeds but they were out of stock! So I kept my eye open for something else and spotted these

 Dark Chocolate Edamame.

Edamame is basically soybeans before they are taken out of the pod and dried (I believe). I picked up this 10 oz size for around $3.29 (somewhere around there).

They're about the size of a chocolate covered raisin or peanut.

Now for the actual product itself, it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be. When I usuall eat edamame at home or at at Japanese restaurant, it's boiled/steamed and soft and nice in texture. I didn't realize these were dried and roasted (I guess they'd have to be to be covered in dark choco-but not necessary..). The soybean inside was very dry but I guess it pairs well with the smoother dark chocolate? I found this really plain and the soybeans themselves really dry and grainy. I ended up not caring too much for it, but my mom loved them, so I think it really is a preference thing.

Overall, I wouldn't repurchase this item. It just wasn't unique/special enough and wasn't up to my expectations.

Have you tried any Trader Joe's snacks/treats? What's your favorite?

Vostok Dumpling House: Restaurant Review!

I was in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle the other day and was in the mood for a quick meal. I was going to head over to Marination Station, but I noticed this place Vostok Dumpling House right next door! Since I haven't really had Russian food and love all kinds of dumplings in general, I figured it be a good of time as any to try something new =P

 A look at their menu

Basically, you can pick the type of dumpling you want and your own sauce and any additional add-ons. They had other items such as their sides, but I didn't have enough money on me so was only able to get a half order of dumplings to try >.<

Decor inside-Soviet inspired.

I picked the Potato Cheddar Varniki which already comes with their traditional butter sauce and caramelized onions (so I didn't have to do any extra thinking!)

A half order came with around 9 dumplings I believe and nice slice of thick bread.

I'm all about the skin of a dumpling. I'm not too picky, but I like a good dough and this one didn't disappoint! It wasn't too thick or too thin and had a good chew to it.

The inside filling wasn't quite what I expected. I certainly tasted the potato but I think I expected more flavor, especially from the cheese, but it wasn't disappointing either, just not what I had originally expected. I absolutely loved the caramelized onions and felt that it went perfect with the mild butter sauce and potato cheddar dumpling. It definitely added that bit of flavor I was craving. It is especially good too when you swap up some of the onions and sauce with the thick slice of bread provided! This half dumpling portion with the bread was the perfect amount for a filling lunch for me.

My total was less that $5.00 ($4.93 to be exact) and I couldn't have asked for a better meal at that price. I highly recommend checking this place out if you are in the area or if you want a feel for Russian food.

I will definitely try some other dumplings next time with a side of Borscht!

Have you tried Russian/Soviet inspired food? What is your favorite dish? What would you recommend?!

Le Pichet-French Restaurant Review

One of my favorite restaurants of all time serves some of the best traditional and regional French cuisine. I went here the other day with a few friends over the holidays (it's basically a tradition) and we just enjoyed some good company and excellent food!

I love these girls!

Sorry ahead of time if the pictures aren't as bright or focused, this place is very lowkey and I didn't want a bright ass flash to disrupt people!

For a look at their menu, click HERE! We at there for dinner, but they have Le Casse Croute and Le Charcuterie all day.

Okay, so they started us off with these sesame crackers and a goat cheese spread. I love goat cheese and the tartness paired nicely with the simplicity of the sesame crackers

Now for my starter dish which we shared along with the Gateau au foie de volaille (smooth chicken liver terrine--frikken amazing), I had ordered their special which was foie gras with poached apples and reconstituted plums and toasted bread.

Such a fatty but rich and decadent starter, and not for everyone, but I absolutely loved it! When I have had foie gras  in the past, it was always pan seared or served warm some way. I've never had it just as a spread. It was prepared ever so delicately with some sea salt and the liver spread so nicely on the bread. The taste was mild, more mild than the chicken liver, but had a delicate flavor. The fat (yellow on the bottom) was solidified when served but using it on bread was heavenly. It melted like butter and was amazing. Needless to say, I'm glad this was a special they had (not on their every day menu) and am so happy I tried it.

They kept serving us bread, which was amazing to go with everything. Featured is also the chicken terrine.

My friend and her cousin ordered the Gratin Lyonnais (basically French Onion Soup) and let me just say this is the best French onion soup I have ever had. It is so flavorful and instead of beef stock, they used chicken stock. The onion flavor is intense and so fragrant and naturally sweet. The crouton and cheese are nice and toasted. I highly recommend this if you like French onion soup and use the bread the servers give you to soak all of it up!

My other friend that went ordered the Confit de canard, which is an oven roasted Muscovy duck leg confit with winter squash sage bread pudding, apple-calvados butter and Brussels sprouts.  The squash bread pudding was so smooth and I didn't really taste the squash which I think made it better since it was so subtle. The duck leg itself was so moist and melted in your mouth, literally. If you are a fan of duck, then you definitely need to try this preparation. 

Then my other friend and her cousin again, shared this Poisson blanc grille, a pan seared white fish fillet served on a buttery carrot puree Paris styled gnocchi and wilted spinach. 

Let me just say that the butter/carrot puree was genius! I am not a fan of cooked carrots in the slightest, but this was delicious! It paired nicely with the fish, which wasn't dry at all and so smooth. The gnocchi was nice and tender, not too chewy, but not mushy. A bite of the fish and gnocchi with the sauce was just divine.

Our other friend that came ordered the Bavette grillee, grass fed beef skirt steak with braised cabbage and apples with a  roasted chestnut sauce and pommes frites (french fries but fancier!) The meat was tender, with some parts a little chewy, but overall it was good. The sauce was very warm and sweet and paired nicely with the cabbage. I probably wouldn't order this for myself, but if you are a lover of meats and like medium rare on your steaks, you will enjoy this.

Now the final dish, is mines! I had the Grande Assiette, a full sized plate with 8 of the chef's selection of the Charcuteri and served with cornichons. To be honest, I don't remember most of the meats but I do know I loved the beef tongue (long rectangle pieces) and it basically melted in your mouth! The different salami was delicious as was the duck liver and pork terrine. It was all so much  and we were all really full!

And then there's this..

random manhole, it looked like a pig!

I hope you guys enjoyed my last post of this year and that you were able to see many of your friends and spend time with family and of course, eat lots of yummy food!

Do you guys like French food? What is your favorite French dish (if you have one??!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Korean Cream Wafers-Review

Today, I have a quick little goodie review on these Korean Cream Wafers.

I'm not sure what the brand these are since, I can't read Korean, and also, the English labeling on the back only has a description and ingredient lists >.<

Basically, these wafers come wrapped in a parchment paper inside the foil packaging which I can appreciate since this helps keep the freshness. I would also assume this cream flavor is supposed to be a vanilla ice cream type flavor because of the picture on the front packaging.

The wafers were way smaller and thinner than I thought they would be which made them quite cute! They aren't like the Chinese wafers I've had where they are thicker and about 6 layers as opposed to 3 and I think I do prefer the thinner layers when it comes to wafers.

Now the taste/flavor was a little weird...The wafer itself was fine and nice, but the cream flavor sort of threw me off. It almost had an initial taste of bubblegum and then turned into vanilla. It wasn't necessarily bad, but just a little off. I probably won't repurchase this since I wasn't 100% in love with them. I did find them at H-Mart for about $1.29 so it is very affordable.

I plan to review more Chinese and Korean snacks (but of course still the Japanese ones) so look out for those soon!! =P

Glico's Midi Poterri Matcha Pocky: Review

I was able to get my hands on this midi green tea pocky stocks and I have to say, they're really kawaii (cute!)

You really don't get a lot in here (I feel like they could have placed 16 sticks in here) and the sticks are these short chubby matcha/maccha cream coated pocky sticks.

As you can see, the sticks are dipped and coated with a lot more of the chocolate than normal pocky sticks.

Overall, I have to say that though you don't get a lot of the sticks, the flavor of the green tea chocolate is excellent and eating the chubby sticks just seem to be a little more fun than normal sizes.

I did receive this as a sample, but I believe this retails from $1.99 to $2.29 or somewhere along that line.

If you can find it at your local Asian or Japanese market and love green tea flavored snacks, then I highly recommend this one!

The Kingfish Cafe: Restaurant Review

On Saturday, my family and I went out to do some errands and then went to the Kingfish Cafe for breakfast. I've always seen this place since it was so close to my old high school, but have never tried it! Finally, I was able to fulfill my curiosities !

Located in a slightly quiet area of Capitol Hill, this restaurant is on the corner of 19th and E Mercer St. and is placed in a nice little neighborhood. They serve Southern style cuisine and have been in business for a little over 10 years.

I have always seen this place on the outside as I either have walked/bussed/or driven by and was excited to finally be able to sit inside. I didn't get to see the entirety of the place since we were seated pretty close up front to the windows but it had a relaxing atmosphere. The seats by the windows are actually very nice when it's sunny out because it is just nice and bright.

They had a paper menu with a breakfast and brunch option and most of us opted for the brunch side (except my brother who is in love with buttermilk pancakes).



My parents both got the same thing, the crab and catfish cakes eggs benedicts style and I have to say those cakes were really good! It was a little crispier than what I usually prefer to in a crab cake, but the crunch was a nice added texture. The crab and catfish were flavorful too and added with the poached egg and hollandaise on top made for a nice bite.

I had the grits topped with gravy, chicken and onions that came with scrambled eggs and a hot biscuit.

I kind of wished the gravy sauce was a little more 'savory'--it felt like it was lacking in something--but I liked the chicken and onion throughout. I had to give it a little kick so I added their habanero (I think) hot sauce to it and it made the dish a whole lot tastier.

 I don't care too much for scrambled eggs so I gave that to my brother. I did really like the hot biscuit though since it was freshly made and the jam that came with it was really perfect. I think it was raspberry, but that jam with the butter melted onto the biscuit was comfort.

I highly recommend checking this place out especially if you love or want to try Southern style food. I would definitely go back (I  want to try that bread pudding!) and also see their menus for what they serve for lunch and dinner. I think it is a good place for families, a friend get together, and even a date since the area is so quaint. The staff was nice and friendly and so very easy to work with. This is a definitely a place to check out.

Do you like Southern food? What's your favorite dish??

Birthday Celebrations w/ Food !

My birthday was the other day and I just wnated to share the family celebration I had that, of course, centered around food!

Last Sunday, we had a larger family dinner to celebrate my birthday and I decided to eat Korean BBQ!

If you haven't had K-BBQ before and you love meat, then you should definitely try it! We went to Palace BBQ in Bellevue (there's another one in Federal Way). To check out their menu and site click HERE)

I love the fact that you cook everything yourself and can watch it sizzle and smoke  >.< There's a large selection of meats and seafood and my personal favorites are the pork belly (pictured above--its like bacon), Kalbi (pictured above-marinated short ribs), shrimp and bulgolgi (marinated thinly sliced beef).

I also love the banchan (small side dishes) that they will keep refilling for you as well. My favorites are the cucumber kimchi and potato salad that they make. The dipping sauces for the unmarinated meat are so simple but good as well. There's sesame oil that I like to add dopanjang (fermented bean paste) and garlic. Then I like the citrus-y soy sauce with jalapeno to dip the pork belly in. It's all just so tasty!

If I have to be honest though, I think I do like the Federal Way restaurant slightly better than the Bellevue one, but they both make me happy =P

And of course, for some reason, I have to have beer (Korean beer of course) with my bbq. I'm not a beer drinker, but I realllly love OB--its not too heavy but isn't too watery. It has a nice lager flavor and I love the carbonation. It's good for washing down the grease haha. 

Just for kicks, but I did like it. It's a baby octopus (like calmari).



Then on my actual birthday day (yesterday the 21st ^^), my brother treated me out to Ramen at Kukai Ramen & Izakaya. I've been here before but don't think I've written a review on it. Anyways, in Chinese tradition, you are usually supposed to eat noodles on you birthday to represent a long life/longevity. I was feeling for some Japanese ramen so this is where we went!

We started off with some appetizers: their yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls) and their house salad. I wish their onigiri was less mushy and more hard/crunchy. The rice was too mushy for my taste and it was barely crispy on the outside--like it was too wet. The flavor of it was good though and there was some sake (salmon) bits in it I believe and I like it when it's wrapped in the nori (seaweed).

I didn't try the salad but it was just a simple one with tofu, chicken, nori, and a miso dressing.

Oh yea, and we also had agedashi tofu, which is basically a deep fried tofu in a dashi broth topped in bonito dried tuna fish) flakes and shredded daikon (a type of radish).

Now the best part--the actual ramen! I really like their Tsukemen (dipping noodles) with a tonkotsu (thick pork broth) dipping stock.  I like dipping ramen sometimes because I can control the amount of flavor and bits of what I eat since I don't always like mixing everything together. I choose the regular broth (they have a lighter portion) so I could enjoy the full flavor of the pork broth. It was very rich, thick and savory and slightly intense in flavor but it's exactly how I like it. The pork slices were also very flavorful and tender so it wasn't chewy at all.

One of my favorite parts to the dish is the half boiled tamago (egg) and how the outside was nice and cook but the inside yolk was nice and runny--having none of it cooked at all! They must have their timing down to be so consistent. Anyways, I definitely loved that and always love my yolks in eggs extra runny.

Of course to top off the night (even though the weather was basically freezing!) I picked up a mini treat of Menchie's frozen yogurt which was basically only one store over!

I picked the mango sorbet (hella bomb), blueberry pomegranate (I wanted to keep in the same tart theme) and of the plain original flavor. I topped it off with some mochi (chewy rice cakes), popping boba in mango, cheesecake chunks, cookie dough, pomegrante seeds, kiwi and strawberries and I was very content for the night.

Hope you guys enjoyed the food post! I love sharing good meals with photos =P