Stroopwafel! A Dutch treat

I've always seen these jumbo sized waffle looking cookies with caramel filling but didn't think much of them and maybe tried them only once. THEN, I was introduced the proper way to eat them and found them quite nice!

Warmed Stroopwafel on top of hot tea with melting caramel.

Off of the info I got from Wikipedia..a Stroopwafel is "is a waffle made from two thin layers of baked batter with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle.^[1][2] They were first made in Gouda in the Netherlands, in 1784. Large versions are sold in the streets as a snack."

As you can see from the back wrapper of this Stroopwafle, its usually served with coffee or another hot beverage. I guess you're supposed to put it on top of a mug (that would fit and not have the treat fall into it) so the heat can melt the caramel inside as I have done below.

And as an end result, you can see caramel inside melt down and become a creamy consitency.

I received this item as a sample.

click HERE for Strropwafel selections.

Salumi: A Must-Stop Seattle Food destination, Review

I had a chance to FINALLY stop by the ever so popula Salumi Artisan Cured Meats storefront in Seattle's Pioneer Square area (website HERE)

Owned by the family of Mario Batali from Food Network, this place brings authentic and family style Italian foods and cured meats.

As I was walking up to the restaurant, I already noticed a line, but realized that the line moves pretty quickly (for people eating to-go which is the majority of the lunch crowd in the area).

They open at 11 am till around 3:30 to 4, Tuesday thru Friday with seasonal menus and daily specials.

 

Assembly line of workers that prepare the sandwhiches right in front of you and have the meat slicer constantly running.

Full menu with platter options

Porchetta: Slow roasted pork in fennel, carrots, and celery for a burst of flavor served with green bell peppers and onion on a toasted baguette. This comes to you warm and really is a flavor explosion. the juices soaked up nicely in the crispy baguette and caught all the flavor. The pork was nice and juicy and tender. Excellent warm sandwhich.

I wanted to try the cured meats so I couldn't help but try the Beef tongue/Lingua sandwhich:

Served on Giuseppe bread I believe. The cured beef tongue was sliced righ in front of me off of a huge beef tongue slab. I asked for Provolone cheese and adde the onions and peppers. This really made my taste buds happy. The flavor was incredible and the texture of the beef tongue wasn't what one typically would think of when they try beef tongue. I brought some to my brother and he really enjoyed this one.

Caldo Gallego soup: with white beans, salami chunks, potatoes, turnip, kale and bell peppers. This was a nice savory, homey feeling chunky soup/stew. There was a nice spicy bite from the salami that had peppercorns in them. The flavors were brought out well and blended nicely togethre. The beans and potatoe helped give the soup some body and texture. My favorite parts were the turnips and kale. I highly recommend this dish, and also dipping your sandwhich/bread in it to soak up all the goodness!

Pricing was mid-range I would say, but well worth it for the quality of the food. I can see why people wait in the long lines daily for their food.

All 3 items I picked up totaled to aroudn $28 with tax.

If you're ever in the Seattle area on weekday, take the time to try this place out!

Walrus and the Carpenter - A Seattle foodie destination

This is really a little ‘hole-in-the-wall’ type place located in Ballard, Washington. It is just West of the University of Washington.

*picture and description heavy*-full review

recent review I found HERE as one the best Oyster bars in America!

Now when you are driving by, you have to make sure you see the cloud looking sign since it is really small. Then you need to actually walk down a corridor before you actually reach the restaurant.

If anything it is a very small place with bar seating, and then some table seating right behind it. Be sure to get there early or else you may have to wait awhile! I don’t really recommend it for big groups, 4-6 is like the max. There’s a really nice ambience to the place and is very good for couples or group dates.

Now I believe the menu is seasonal but it is also very simple and not overwhelming with too many items to choose from. Sometimes, that can be a bit much.

We ordered just about one thing (or more) from each section of the menu and tried every single one of the fresh raw oysters that they had to offer.

wine list

Starting off with their bread/butter and olives, even that was really pleasant, especially the olives. I want to say they make their own brine for the olives because it was seasoned very lightly and not too salty, unlike some other places I’ve been. I also want to say they whip their own butter but I’m not 100% sure on that either. The bread and butter was not bad, but not thee best ever.

This was a cheese spread type spread of a kind of goat cheese with a rose water syrup/dressing and cucumbers. Surprisingly, the cucumbers went really well with the cheese and bread. I’ve never really thought of that as a combo, but the sweetness of the rose glaze blended nicely with the cooling flavor of the cucumber which helped balance out the tartness of the goat cheese.

Then we had fried oysters. I’m not a huge fan of deep fried oysters, id rather have them raw if theyre small, or have them grilled. But, these were actually good. They weren’t dry on the inside like I’ve had before which put me off fried oysters. My mom, whos not a huge fan of oysters, liked these a lot and the cilantro dip that went with it was a nice match as well.

This next dish was excellent! The smoked trout, lentils and pickled sweet onion just matched perfectly. I’m not a huge fan of lentils because they usually mush up on me, but these black lentils were cooked in a way were they were still nice and firm and with good texture. It was in a type of creamy/mayo-ish dressing and the flavor combination of the smoked trout, and sweet and tart onions just made it really enjoyable.

Next was an artichoke and something salad.

I probably wouldn’t order this again only because I thought itd be more artichoke hearts in it .

 

Now the steak tar tare with the raw egg yolk on it was wonderful! I also heard it was one of the most popular things at Walrus and the Carpenter. If you don’t like raw items… you should probably stay far away from this dish. However, if you don’t mind or are more on the adventurous side, please just go and try this. I’m not too familiar with places that do a lot of the raw beef thing but this place does it well. Its finely chopped up with some veggies and seasoning and topped with a raw egg yolk which you break up and mix together with the tar tare and use as a dip with the crusty bread slices. It’s a very simple dish that brings out the natural flavors of the meat which. However, if you have an issue with texture, slimy or raw stuff, you probably shouldn’t try it.

The next item to come up were the oysters, my favorite part! I’ve had some of them before, but I’d have to say my favorite one that was new that I tried were the Treasure Coves. They were nice and mild and sweet. I love my oysters on the sweet side so these were wonderful. I like the coppery and briney ones too, but these Treasure Coves were just delicious. I’d also recommend the Hama Hama oysters to anyone that like a mild but less sweet oyster. The rest were tasty too but only the Treasure Coves really stood out to me.

 

Next was the goat and lamb terrine with (salad). This wasn’t too bad and was one of the better terrines I’ve had. I think what made this one stand out was the fact that it was all wrapped with prosciutto which is one of my favorite cured meats. The salad was actually really good that went with it. They had these nice and plump sweet raisings that complimented the stronger/saltier flavor of the terrine.

And lastly, we have dessert! We almost tried the fig one that people next to us had tried since it smelled divine, but we stuck to the bread pudding.  Now, their bread pudding is unlike any other bread pudding I’ve had before or even personally made. It’s a whole slice of bread they use instead of having it chopped/broken up. Their butter cream sauce they had to go with it was one of the best things I’ve tasted since I love that sort of flavor. I was really tempted to pick up the plate and lick it clean after, but of course, I didn’t.

It was a very simple dish, but the flavor was incredible and the texture of the bread was nice and soft. I’d definitely get this again.

I highly recommend this place (thank you Anthony Bourdain for stopping here on The Layover). It is also pretty reasonably priced. With two pichets of wine and all the food, the total was less than $200 including tax and tip, for what could be a ‘pricier’ food spot.

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! 

Rainier Restaurant and BBQ - review

 So last night, my family and I decided to eat at the Rainier Restaurant and BBQ located on MLK in the Seattle area.

Not gonna lie, we mainly tried it because it was recently featured on Anthony Bourdain's: The Layover TV show on the Travel Channel.

 

There menu is kind of hard to follow for newbies..soo if you have Vietnamese friends that know their food or family members...you should consider taking them with you to help you out!

 

 

The first thing we tried was the Ong Choy salad. I saw Anthony Bourdain eat this on the show, so my dad wanted to try it too. It cost a lot more than I thought it would for the large size ($18.95) so if you wanted to try it, I suggest getting the small. I know it cost a lot more because of the hand work that goes into this dish. All the Ong Choy (a type of chinese green) is hand shredded. Overall it was a tasty dish, with the salad dressing which was sweet and had a peanuty flavor. The beef on top was also nice and tender and went well with the greens.

upclose picture of the salad

 

The next dish we had was another appetizer sort of dish. It was a fried onion, fried garlic, friend lemon grass and baby clam dish with a puffed up black sesame tapioca crisp type of cracker. This wasn't from the show and I ordered it because I saw the word baby clams. It was a lot different than I thought it would be but it tasted pretty good. It actually went well with rice too. Its a bit on the drier side so if you were looking for a saucier dish, this isn't it.

 

upclose of the baby clam dish.

 

Next to come out is the friend quails. Now this dish was very bland in my opinion and I have indeed had way better flavored tasting quail than here. I can see people who do not like the gamey aspect of quail to enjoy this with the lemon and sour salt mixture. But I don't really recommend this one either.

 

 

 This dish however I do recommend! This was also featured on the show I believe. I love the Vietnamese Sweet/Hot/Sour soups and usually try them at every Vietnamese restaurant that has this. Most of them usually only have cat fish and its usually in steaks so it gets a bit annoying to eat because the bones are in the way. However, this one had strips of catfish and other seafood as well such as shrimp, squid, clams and fish balls. They had the basic vegetables and fruit such as the spongey taro stem (I think thats what it is called), okra, bean sprouts, pineapple and some other ingredients.

  

upclose picture.

I will say it was a little sweeter than I have been used to but I don't really mind it. If you're into sweet and sour soups, definietly check this out.

 

 

Now for the last dish, my mom kind of ordered it on a whim and was thinking it would be something else. We knew we were getting fish, but not a whole deep fried Pompano with no sauce added on. It came with a fish sauce you're supposed to dip it in.

 

 

 

I have to say it was probably the most disappointing dish. I ate the head part but it was a little too dried out for me. The fish is also not seasoned or marinated so it was very bland. I didn't really feel like fish sauce so I dipped some in my soup.

 

 

Overall, the place was okay, and we probably have to try some other dishes or go with my aunt who speaks Vietnamese and knows what to order.

Our price too was a little more than I expected, especially for a Vietnamese restaurant. Including tax and tip our bill for 4 people was $100 and that is usually way more when it comes to this kind of food. It was the deep fried fish and large Ong Choy Salad ($18.95 each) that put us over the usual cost.

 

I will say that I will go again to try some other dishes, but I'm in no rush to go that soon. 

Healthy Eating: Avacado and Goat Cheese Sandwhich

 

Despite my many junkfood/candy posts, I do eat pretty healthy.

 

Just wanted to share this healthy sandwhich that not only tastes good, but is good for you and fills you up!

 

 

Taking two slices of Dave's Killer Bread (which is much healthier than plain white bread and even wheat bread since it has seeds, whole grains, spelt and sprouted wheat) , spread one side of it with some hummus and spread the other side with some pecan butter. Add two slices of lettuce to it (romain lettuce hearts tastes the best, in my opinion, because they have a slight sweetness to them).

Then add half an avocado to it, sliced, or mashed, however you like, and sprinkle some fresh cracked sea salt and pepper on top of it. Then add some sliced up goat cheese (in a monteray jack or cheddar form) and add some alfalfa sprouts (it may be hard to find some alfalfa sprouts in grocery stores now, so I had to use home grown ones..its really simple and takes no time!).

 

After that, cut in half and enjoy with a healthy beverage! (I decided on Zico's coconut water since I didn't have an actual young coconut).

 

 

Myung-Dong Soft Tofu House-Korean Restaurant

Today's restaurant review is on this Korea Tofu House located in the U-district of Seattle.

 

 

 

Located right on the side of 'The Ave' (what most UW and Seattlites call it)aka. University Avenue, it is a small Korean restaurant at the bottom of some stairs off a side street (Brooklyn).

 

 

sorry i couldn't rotate this picture for some reason

One of my favorite parts of eating at a Korean restaurant is the Banchan, or small appetizer dishes. (sorry if that's not 100% correct). We had Nappa Cabbage kimchee, this sweet soy potatoe dish, the korean pancake, seasoned mung bean sprouts, and seasoned fish cake. The potatoe one was my favorite.

 

Then my friend and I shared a Dokbokki to Toppokki ,i'm not sure on the romanization for this one either! I thought it was one of the better ones i've had but just wished it had the fishcake in it. My friend said it still doesn't compare to her favorite one she had where it had spam and cheese and all this other good stuff.

  

For my main entree, I had the mixed tofu soup which had the soft tofu, seafood of shrimp and clams, and beef. The waitress also cracked a raw egg over it while it was sizzling hot, which is one of my favorite parts.

 

They didn't ask for how spicy I wanted it to be so I was a bit scared at first that it would be too spicy. But it surprisingly wasn't and was very tasty. It is a little bit on the saltier side so for me it is a must mixing the soup with rice.

 

This was my second time here and I would probably come again if I am craving for Korean food and i'm in the area. The pricing is reasonable, but the only down side is one of the older Korean ladies that works there. Not sure if she was having a bad day, but she had a lot of attitude and it would be funny watching her and her facial expressions to.

 

The service is fast, don't get me wrong, but if you don't mind their shifty attitude, then you should check this place out anyways for the food.