little pearl

little pearl
921 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003
tel: 202) 618-1868

what was consumed: smoked brisket sandwich, fried chicken sandwich, greek panzanella salad ... and a DELICIOUS decaf latte (with white sesame milk!).

ok, so i'd very much enjoyed the delicious bites at pineapple and pearls some time ago. so when i heard that they had a cafe, i was super excited to try it out.

kdk and i met up for lunch at little pearl. i was still having my aversion to chicken (which has finally passed. yay!), so she took one for the team and tried the japanese fried chicken sandwich (which she polished off quickly and even despite her gluten sensitivity. totally worth it, she said). she did comment on how the chicken was a little sweet and that an entire dish of the fried chicken might be much. but in the sandwich, along with the complementary veggies, was just ... perfect.

my brisket sandwich was just ... so ... delicious. chock full of slices of perfectly smoked meat, along with the lettuce and pickles, it was definitely a lunch on the very filling side. i got mine without horseradish (because that's how i roll - don't judge), but for horseradish lovers, i  bet you will not be disappointed! also note that we also most definitely enjoyed the panzanella salad that had just the right amount of pickled stuff to enjoy with the rusk and other fresh veggies. 

and be sure to get some coffee! pay extra for the white sesame milk. it's super creamy and adds a touch of sweetness to your beverage. i can't wait to go back and enjoy the regularly caffeinated stuff. hehehe ... and, of course, their dinner menu. and maybe even other parts of their lunch menu that seems to be every changing!

online: https://www.littlepearldc.com/

colada shop

colada shop
1405 T St NW, Washington, DC 20009

tel: 202) 332-8800

what was consumed: iced cuban coffee, media noche

simple concept, done well. that's what colada shop provides. cuban sandwiches, cuban coffee ... YUM. they don't have a whole lot of indoor seating, but stick around for a seat outdoors! customers tend to turn over quickly so seats open up. there is little better than doing some quality people watching while enjoying delicious treats

online: https://www.coladashop.com/

rye post

rye post
서울 용산구 이태원로 164-1; also at 서울 용산구 이태원1동 72-34
tel: 02-792-9991

what was consumed: sandwiches! we were looking for good bahn mis and their korean cheesesteak is also pretty good. and don't forget about the fries!

i went through a phase in seoul where all i wanted was sandwiches (ok, so maybe it's not a phase and it's something i'm always looking for). like a good, solid, delicious sandwich with delicious filling on delicious bread. you'd think it wouldn't be too difficult in a cosmopolitan place like seoul, right? right ...

enter rye post. isa and i had heard about it as a place to go for bahn mi. and yes, their bahn mis are pretty delish. during my time in seoul, i visited rye post a few times, especially to get that sandwich fix. the other one i'd recommend is the kimchee cheesesteak. kimchee, cheese, and steak, all in one? yes please!

rye post's fries are pretty solid as well (though, there are few fries i've met that i didn't like. i'm looking at you, in 'n out -__-). i wish an order of fries came with the sandwich, though. of course, i dished out the few extra won to have the delicious addition. YUM.

casablanca sandwicherie

casablanca sandwicherie

what was consumed: moroccan chicken sandwich, lamb sandwich, carrot salad, tomato salad ... all delish!

sometimes (lots of times?) i just want a sandwich. some good bread (and, mind you, i'm no connoisseur), some good fillings, lots of veggies. my friend with a more discriminating palate (at least for bread - she grew up in france!) told me she wanted to check out casablanca for some sandwiches. who was i to disagree! 

casablanca is located in the popular hae-bang-chon area which is rather convenient, but dangerous as i'm likely to visit casablanca regularly.

i've never been to morocco, though i hope to some day. and so, i don't know how "authentic" the moroccan chicken sandwiches flavors are. what i do know is that the moroccan chicken sandwich is delicious. the flavors, the delicious bread, the fried potato inside, and and and ... i've definitely wished for multiple bellies so that i could eat more.

i always see posters for music performances on their window. i want to check it out! i've been so lazy (apologies)! but who am i kidding. i don't need any excuse to grab me a casablanca sandwich. YUM!!!

online: https://www.facebook.com/CasablancaSandwicherie

g by mike isabella

g, by mike isabella

2201 14th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20009, United States
tel: 202) 234-5015

what was consumed: tasting menu! and the roasted cubano and roasted cauliflower sandwiches for lunch.

turns out, i'm a fan of mike isabella's establishments. so i jumped at the opportunity to visit mike isabella's sandwich shop by day, price fixe dinners by night place "g." 

rockstar m and i were getting together for the first time in months and while he told me stories about life on the road and i told him about my first tour as an FSO, we enjoyed multiple courses of tasty treats. our meal started with multiple small and fresh bites, presented on a large tray, a bite for each of us. we then moved to pasta dishes (rockstar m and i opted for 1 of each of the options so that we had more to try).

the dishes were as delicious as they were pretty to look at. i'll also comment on the value. at $40 per person for dinner, i'll wholeheartedly concur that the meal was delicious and affordable. i can't even begin to describe how delicious all of the bites were. i secretly hoped rockstar m wasn't hungry (he is never not hungry. like me. haha) and not-so-secretly hoped i had another stomach so that i could enjoy the entire meal again. good good coupled with good company always makes for delicious delicious evenings!

bjl and i then later went back to try their sandwiches. we were looking for something delicious, but quick. in response to my recent viewing of the movie "chef," we opted for the cuban sandwich and the recommended roasted cauliflower sandwich. half-sies, of course. and how do they do it?! the bread, the filling, the sauces! i sort of didn't want to go half-sies (except that i wouldn't have been able to stuff all of that in my belly, so i'mm glad we did). i could have also eaten all of the fillings on their own. cuban sandwich insides? roasted cauliflower insides? YES PLEASE.

when mike isabella changes his dinner tasting menu, i for sure wanna go back with bjl. and sandwiches, ALWAYS. delish!

online: http://gbymikeisabella.com/

nurish food & drink

nurish food & drink
1231 good hope road, se, washington, dc 20020
tel: 202) 903-7134

what was consumed: lemon zest belgian waffle (belgian waffle infused with fresh lemon zest, served with fresh fruit & syrup); mushroom & gruyère tartine (open sandwich with tomato sauce, sautéed mushrooms, gruyère cheese, and fried egg added); indian spiced pork loin (slow-roasted, curry spiced pork, red cabbage & carrot slaw, jalapenos, fresh coriander on ciabatta); aaaaaaand spicy grilled cheese sandwich (cheddar cheese, hot peppers on pain au levain)

i've known kera carpenter for quite a few years now, both as employer and friend. i continue to frequent domku (it's a usual stop for me when in dc, especially for brunch) as i enjoy both the food and the company. over the years, i'd also heard that she was embarking on a new venture, this time in anacostia.

nurish is located in the anacostia arts center. i like that i can go, see some local art, and enjoy some delicious food. for now, the only quip i have is that i, as someone completely reliant on public transportation but less familiar with the bus routes, find it hard to get to without a vehicle (yes yes yes, i should spend a few minutes figuring out the bus situation ... !!! will do). but i imagine that will change as dc continues to change.

i've read and heard that nurish does a tasting menu/family dinner sort of event. the next time i'm in dc, i'm going to for sure check it out. can't wait!

online: http://www.nurishfoodanddrink.com/wordpress1/

chocolateness

chocolateness
grand avenue, the avenues

what was consumed: molten chocolate cake! and other delicious desserts, coffee, etc.

i'm not a big dessert person, but if there is chocolateness, i will most definitely make sure i get at least one for me.

the first time i had chocolateness was when i attended diwaniya samiya, sponsored by training gate international. turns out, chocolateness does a lot of work with local organizations, especially ones like training gate (TGI works with and advocates for people with disabilities). 

chocolateness is individual servings of chocolate molten cake, served in cups and served warm. even if delivered, the cups stay warm for a while (or heat them up!) as they are delicious-er warm. they're also pretty darn good after they cool. they also have a number of different flavors (e.g. nutella), but i like the classic chocolate. delicious cake on top, gooey (and warm!) chocolate in the middle. i want one NOW!

chocolateness initially had a storefront in kuwait city and did most of their business via delivery. they then opened a cafe in the grand avenues of the avenues mall. the cafe serves the delicious molten cake in addition to a series of sandwiches and beverages. but seriously, go for the cake.

online: https://www.chocolateness.net

baking tray

baking tray
address: mishal tower, jaber al-mubakar street, dasman, sharq
tel: +965 2225 1544

what was consumed: sandwiches, salads, cookies (delicious, delicious cookies), CRONUTS.

omg, i can't believe i haven't written about baking tray yet!

a colleague of mine told me that a new place had opened up in kuwait city (it's not that new anymore, but new when i first heard about it). he has a pretty good palette (imo), so i made it a goal of mine to visit the baking tray - he told me about some tasty salads, yummy sandwiches, and some really good bread (i'm not a big bread person, so i prefer places with good bread. of course). and then, another friend of mine (not from work) mentioned that he had had some of the best cookies at baking tray. more reason to give 'em a try.

so, i finally made myself out to the baking tray. if you eat in, when you sit down, they bring out some delicious bread with a tomato butter spread (i think it's tomato butter. all i know is that i couldn't seem to get enough slathered on to my bread ... !!!) the first time, i had their chicken salad sandwich on foccacia. delicious. the chicken salad wasn't mayonnaise-y and flavored well. and the foccacia! yum. they also had oven baked potato wedges that are seasoned with who knows what. all i know is that they're super duper delicious and i could've sat and eaten multiple portions :O

baking tray has indoor seating for about 20 inside and 20 outside. you can order at the counter, order at your table, eat in, take-out, etc. the options are endless! and i think i've done all of those things.

i hear that baking tray will also deliver meals to you, during the day, during ramadan (in comparison to most places that are closed to any and all food service, per local law). my guess is that they are cooking in a private kitchen and delivering to private citizens (both of which, from what i understand, is all legit and OK).

speaking of ramadan ... during ramadan 2013, i also read an article about how baking tray was trying their hand at cronuts (per the craze in the U.S.) cronuts. CRONUTS! i couldn't not try it, of course. who doesn't like croissants in the shape of donuts (and made like donuts too, aka fried) and then filled with either chocolate or custard. so i dragged some friends up to kuwait city on a weekend (after ramadan, of course. i'm being sensitive!) for some eats including cronuts. nom nom nom. cronuts are served cold, though i sort of think they'd also be delicious warm. maybe even MORE delicious. i prefer the custard one over the chocolate one, but that's me. and i'm not going to turn down a chocolate one. obvi.

so, when're we going to baking tray next? hehehehe.

taylor gourmet

taylor gourmet
485 K street nw (city vista), washington, dc (there are multiple locations; this location is the only one i've visited)
tel: 202) 289-8001
hours: daily 11am-9pm

what was consumed: 9th street italian hoagie (with genoa salami, capicola, prosciutto, sharp provolone), broad street chicken cutlet sandwich (fried with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone), rocky's risotto balls (arancini - served with marinara sauce)

i didn't really grow up eating sandwiches (i'm korean. we eat rice). i'm also not a connoisseur of fine breads and other baked goods (i mean, i can tell between good and bad, but i have a hard time between great and greater ... it's all great to me!) when i eat it (bread) at all. but i will say that a really good sandwich is always welcome. always. after all, i do love all of the rest of the ingredients that go into sandwiches, meats, veggies, cheese. a combination of all of those things sounds wonderful!

so, after some contemplation, j and i decided on taylor gourmet for dinner (ok, so it was more me saying "this is what i don't want to eat" and j saying "what about this, what about this, what about this" ... thanks for the ideas and suggestions! hee hee ... i'm so bad about thinking about/suggesting where to go to eat when i'm not 'in the mood' for/craving something. sigh. food is all so good! nom nom nom ...). yay sandwiches! ... which is the bulk of taylor gourmet's options. their location also has a number of other options for sale (beer, wine, pastas, etc.) of which i have not enjoyed, but maybe i will. one day. maybe. anyway, we opted for sharing 2 different sandwiches (yay! sharing is caring!) and risotto balls. yum yum yum ...

the sandwiches at taylor gourmet are delicious. made to order and on crusty bread with wonderful things filling the middles (see previous personal comment about bread and sandwiches). the 9th street italian hoagie was a cold sandwich filled with lots of meats. and veggies. and cheese. and onions (blech) which flavored the sandwich wonderfully after i took out the onions (no offense, onions). i could've gone for more veggies, but that's just my schtick. yum. the broad street chicken, a hot sandwich, had fried chicken with cheese and ... broccoli rabe! i love broccoli rabe. i could eat it all day, in lots of different forms. and it's definitely a delicious addition to the combination. the cheese was nicely melted into the sandwich and the mixture of flavors was delicious. one cold, one hot. a wonderful sandwich dinner combination.

oh, and risotto balls! taylor gourmet's risotto balls are delicious. delicious. delicious. fried on the outside, savory, and cheese in the middle! you can't go wrong with cheese in the middle of a fried ball of risotto. of course, like many fried things, these are best eaten warm so that the cheese oozes out when you take a bite of it. oh, and dipped in marinara sauce is awesome. yum. i imagine dipped in marinara sauce mixed with sriracha sauce is even better!! i will have to try that next time (the sriracha sauce combo is a mix of my own, not offered at taylor gourmet. but it should be!! haha).

j said something about that night not being taylor gourmet's best work (our risotto balls were really fried, as was the chicken). of course, that didn't prevent sandwich enjoyment.

i dissappointedly did not finish my half of the sandwiches we purchased (my stomach has shrunken! shucks!). i did, though, polish of the leftovers for lunch #1 on the following day. despite my laziness that prevented me from even contemplating some sort of microwave for heat/water to restore moisture, the cold sandwiches were still delicious (and i wish i hadn't eaten all of the tomatoes on the 9th street italian hoagie the night before). but that's a good sign, right? delicious that day, still delicious the next day. yay! i will have to go back to taylor gourmet and try the other options on their menu. and many many more risotto balls. YUM.

online: http://www.taylorgourmet.com/