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Monthly Archives: October 2016

Honest Biscuits (Pike Place Farmer’s Market, Seattle, WA)

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After exploring Pike Place Market for some breakfast, Honest Biscuits seemed really appealing! I can always go for a simple biscuit with white gravy! The area is hidden away in a little corner at Pike Place but there’s plenty of places downstairs to sit and enjoy your biscuit since the restaurant itself is restricted to just a couple of tables and a small bar seating area.

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Biscuit Menu. 

 

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My first impression wasn’t the best because the cashier was the worst. Luckily, the large, pillowy, yet lightly crisped biscuit helped us to forget the lack in customer service. The white gravy was amazing and had a little bit of a kick to it. The wait was a bit long for a biscuit (about 25 minutes) and they may have initially even forgotten our order, but it’s good. I enjoyed their biscuits, but I’m not sure I’d return until a few kinks in service are fixed.

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Rating: 3/5 spoons
Honest Biscuits Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato




Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar (Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA)

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My friends and I stopped by Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar for a bite and beer. It’s a small oyster bar setup very much like a bar where you grab a drink except it’s for oysters! We don’t have anything like that down South so I am a bit jelly. Usually, our “oyster bar” is another bar setup in a full-service restaurant but having an actually bar restaurant dedicated to servicing different types oysters from different coasts around the U.S.

 

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Fresh Oysters.

 

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More fresh oysters calling your name…

 

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Beautifully plated.

 

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Bottoms up!

I ordered the Shucker’s Dozen Platter, which is the chef’s selection of oysters. Our selection of oysters were the Fat Bastards, Shigoku, Virginica, Kusshi, Kumamoto. The selection was excellent! I was a bit jealous of how flavorful these oysters are compared to the Gulf Coast oysters. Gulf Coast oysters tend to be much larger, but they’re more on the blander side compared to East and West Coast oysters. It’s amazing the amount of flavor that these tiny little oysters can hold. Luckily, some of these oysters are offered in New Orleans too.

What to love: The excellent oyster selection and oyster bar concept.

What NOT to love: They tend to be pricier here so I would come here for drinks and an oyster snack, but it’s not the best if you’re hungry and on a budget.

 

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Rating: 4.5/5 spoons
Taylor Shellfish Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato




Din Tai Fung (University District, Seattle, WA)

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Are you a soup dumpling fan? I sure am! On a recent trip to Seattle, I just had to try Din Tai Fung (DTF). The Hong Kong and Macau locations were awarded a Michelin star in 2014, but since we can’t just hop onto a plane to China right now, the Seattle location will do!

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Bar Seats available. 

 

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Soup Dumplings. Hot and ready even before menus were given!

 

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Dumplings. 

 

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Pork Chop Fried Rice. 

 

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Sautéed Spinach with Garlic. 

 

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Potstickers. So beautiful! Perfection. I could never make potstickers like these!

 

There was a bit of a wait of about 40 minutes on a Sunday afternoon, but the restaurant is located in an outdoor mall and you’ll receive a text/call whenever your table is ready. Once we got in, soup dumplings were hot and ready to serve even before we got our menus. SO worth the wait! They were delicate morsels of homey goodness. Refined but still made me feel at home…

We also ordered some Potstickers, Sautéed Spinach, Pork Chop Fried Rice, and Shrimp and Pork Wonton’s in Spicy Sauce. I really loved the Potstickers which were visually so perfect, you almost don’t want to eat them but when you do, they are SO good. My next favorite was the Wonton’s in Spicy Sauce. The Spicy Sauce wasn’t ridiculously-spiced…just a small kick. That sauce was sooo good with rice.

Was it well worth the wait? Indeed! I don’t get many soup dumpling choices in NOLA but everywhere I’ve traveled, I always fit in soup dumplings and these are one of my favs!

 

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Rating: 4.5/5 spoons
Din Tai Fung Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato




Rock-n-Sake Bar & Sushi (CBD, New Orleans, LA)

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It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Rock-n-Sake. I went years ago and loved it, but after moving out of the city for a few years, I hadn’t had the chance to try it again until recently. The feel is still very warehouse-y modern with some techno-y club music in the background. It can be loud at times, but I didn’t mind the hustle and bustle on a night out with friends.

 

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Pork Belly Lettuce Rolls. Grilled Pork Belly. Carrots. Butter Lettuce. Hoisin Cilatro Glaze.

 

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NEW! Sautéed Shishito Peppers. 

 

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Tuna Ceviche. Fresh Tuna. Lemon and Lime. Sriracha. Ponzu. Green Onion. 

 

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Beef and Asparagus Maki. Asparagus. Thinly Sliced Ribeye. Teriyaki Sauce. Sizzling Platter.

 

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Killer Scallops. Sea Scallops. Garlic Butter Sauce.

 

My friends and I initially came for Happy Hour, but unfortunately it’s only on Tuesdays. No biggie, but we were disappointed since happy hour is what drew us there. The really good food made up for it. My favs were the Baked Salmon, Tuna Ceviche, and the Killer Scallops. The Baked Salmon was cooked so perfectly! Other restaurants tend to overcook the Salmon Roll and it comes out dry but this was perfection Rock-n-Sake! Tuna Ceviche was awesome. Wish I didn’t have to share. The Killer Scallops were good BUT a bit pricey for only 4 scallops. Be sure to check pricing without your waitress because it’s listed as Market Price on the menu.

Ordered: Baked Salmon. Red Dragon Roll, Tuna Ceviche, Beef and Asparagus Maki, Killer Scallops, Simple & Spicy Hamachi, Shishito Peppers.

LOVED: Baked Salmon. Tuna Ceviche. Killer Scallops. That’s a lot of favs considering how many items we ordered…and they were all so delicious.

What NOT TO LOVE: Happy Hour on www.thehappyhourfinder.com is not honored here even though it’s listed. Happy Hour is only on TGITuesdays for the roll of the month as well as 1/2 priced wine and liquor. Can be noisy here at times especially on the weekends.

 

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Rating: 4/5
Rock-n-Sake Bar & Sushi Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato



Banana Blossom Thai Cafe (Gretna, New Orleans, LA)

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I re-discovered this restaurant recently with a group of friends and the hubby and I couldn’t help but return. When the old Cafe Zen relocated to the corner center of this strip, we accidentally went inside this restaurant but never gave it a chance. Now, they’ve “blossomed” into something great. They’ve never updated their signage so it could easily be missed. The sign says “THAI” in red letters and that’s it…

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts. 

 

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Roti. 

 

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Fried Rice with Fried Chicken. 

 

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Pad Thai. 

 

YUM! Solid dishes all around and our waitress was so spunky and sweet! She had the best recommendations. We ordered the brussel sprouts as her suggestion and it was beautifully plated but equally as delicious. We also ordered our usual Roti and Pad Thai. Be sure to request for spice if you like a little kick. I forgot and was so sad! We opted for Fried Rice with Fried Chicken and it was actually amazing! If you’re in the Gretna area and are looking for a good Thai spot, try Banana Blossom!

LOVE: Solid Thai food. My fav was the Fried Chicken Fried Rice. Great fresh strawberry mojitos!

What NOT to LOVE: Pad Thai is a bit dry but still good. Signage is poor so it can be easily missed. Look for Yoga Krewe and Cafe Zen nearby.

 

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Rating: 4/5 spoons
Banana Blossom Thai Café Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato



Royal Thai (Harahan, New Orleans, LA)

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Another Thai gem! I use to think there was limited good Thai food in the city, but I’ve realized there’s plenty hidden throughout the city. The latest and greatest find is Royal Thai located in Harahan.

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Chicken Thai Basil. 

 

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Green Curry. 

 

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Pad See Ew. 

 

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Royal Dip. 

 

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Thai Chicken Wings.

 

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Curry Puff. 

 

Nothing failed to please! My friends and I LOVED the Royal Thai dip and ordered a second..maybe even a third??? (Along with maybe 5 rounds of sake…) Everything was great. We ordered the Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Chicken Wings, Curry Puff, and Green Curry. I loved every single dish. The restaurant is not too far from the Elmwood Shopping Center, but it is hidden in a more warehouse-y commercial area. It’s so worth it!

LOVE: Royal Thai Dip. Solid and delicious classic Thai dishes. Affordable drinks.

What NOT to LOVE: nothing?

 

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Rating: 5/5 spoons
Royal Thai Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato




Crêpes à la Cart (New Orleans, LA)

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Crêpes à la Cart is a catering service that serves delicious crêpes with filling of your choice. They’re at all the NOLA festivals and can be hired for an event as well. I’ve had them 3 times this year! I had crêpes at the Fried Chicken Festival 2016 and Gretna Food Truck Festival 2016 this past weekend and at Wednesdays at the Square (WATS) a few months ago. My verdict? Delicious! They are definitely hit or miss depending on who’s working the booth. Great crepes and service at the WATS and Fried Chicken Festival, but a big FAIL at Gretna Food Truck Fest 2016. Execution and service was slow and poor that day. My favorite flavor? Speculoos, a delicious cookie butter found at Trader Joe’s. I’ve seen them use a generic cookie butter brand also but it’s still good.

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Rating: 4/5 spoons
Crêpes à la Cart Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato