Thank You!

There must be something in the air, because I have been a sentimental dork to the umpteenth degree lately. The incessant use of ♥ symbols on Facebook, the non-stop verbal affection for friends and strangers alike, I have become a walking-talking pile of mushy goo! 

Fungi Love

Sometimes, when I have had big meals for breakfast and lunch, I end up having something light for dinner. One of my standbys is mushroom soup. It's fast and easy, and is just enough to satisfy my late night hunger. I would love to say that I make the soup from scratch, but being the busy gal that I am, canned stuff it is. I do try to be more creative with it, by adding other ingredients. Usually, I just throw in chopped wild mushrooms. Tonight, I didn't have any shitakes, but I had something far better:  black truffle salt.

April 17 - April 23: Top 5 Sins of The Week

District:  Birthday party. Drinks were weak, pick-up lines were weaker. But the music? Absolutely solid!

KFC:  Yup, just had to try the Double Down Sandwich. Getting it grilled is better, right? Again, ran a couple extra miles to nix that monster.

Shawarma Spot:  The setting for a really deep discussion about Connecticut, 'roid monkeys, and the Baltimore vs. DC debate. Thanks B'more, the beef shawarma was awesome!

Union Street Public House:  Gotta love a place where the bartenders will change not one, but two television channels so you can watch the hockey playoffs from both angles! Thanks, Bruce.

Ventnor Sports Cafe:  Had to kill some time before heading out. Labatt Blue... pretzel... hockey game... Is it just me or is every other guy in the restaurant/bar industry named Scott?

It's All Greek (Yogurt) To Me

I now have a brand new food obsession, and I cannot get enough of it. Oh Greek yogurt, how is it possible that our paths never crossed before? Now that we have been introduced, I cannot imagine you not being in my life.

Hit Me With Your Best Spot!

I know I have been pouring on the hockey references lately, but what can I say? I love the sport, so just bear with me. In a way, I liken life to the playoffs: you win some, you lose some. You can do as much preparation as you can, but sometimes plans just fall apart. This past Saturday was yet another busy day for me. I had errands to run, work to do, restaurants to review, and a couple of parties to go to, so I had to put my time management skills into overtime. I started my day early but I still didn’t get home until around 5 o’clock. As soon as my head hit the pillow… zzzzz! I was planning on just a 30 minute power nap, since I planned on going to Party #1 around 7 o’clock and hanging out for about hour. I must have been pretty tired, because when I woke up, it was close to 8 o’clock already (sorry I was a no-show, Road Runner!). Party #2 wasn’t until much later, but Dibby and I wanted to hang around Adams Morgan for a little bit, so we cabbed over and walked around.

Moving On Up... To A New Weight Class

For those of you who do not know me, I am quite petite. I am about 5' 3" tall and have a three-pound fluctuation range for my weight. In fact, it's pretty difficult for me to gain any pounds, despite my ravenous appetite. Don’t hate me, blame my mom and dad, for the superb Asian genes! Because of this, I eat without holding back, without any thought, without any guilt. I have never dieted, never obsessed about clothing sizes, never even bought a scale! Over time, people told me that eventually my metabolism will slow down and I need to be mindful of my intake. After high school, I waited. After university, I waited. I've been waiting, but it never happened...

Burger Prep For Bathing Suit Season!

It's almost bathing suit season, ladies! The time of year that strikes fear and anxiety in most women is right around the corner, and already, some women have started their prep by doubling up on their gym time, going to the tanning salon for a base tan, and being meticulous about their caloric intake. Myself, I prepare by eating burgers! Not to fear, I will do this gluttonizing in complete moderation!

April 10 - April 16: Top 5 Sins of The Week

Astor Mediterranean:  Hit the spot, after some door-to-door campaigning in Adams Morgan.

Circa at Dupont:  Lunching al fresco? Divine. Mimosas at 1pm? Fabulous.

Hello Cupcake:  The Carrot and Vanilla Gorilla flavours were delish! And no, I don't mean Jesse James.

Poste Brasserie:  Still cannot stop raving about "20 Bites" (really, it was 21) because it was such an amazing meal. Will definitely be the first restaurant for the Professor.

Ray's Hell-Burger:  Ridiculous lines, but The Dogcatcher was well worth the wait.

Canvassing 101 in the District... Canadian-Style

I know the District is HQ for government, but little did I know that I would soon get myself entangled in politics. I'm from Canada, so my headquarters is the nearest bar to watch the hockey game! Yesterday though, I got recruited to pound the pavement and canvas for votes & support for Fenty's re-election this coming September. DC had called me in the afternoon, asking if I and any friends were available to help. He pleaded a good case; if I said no, he'd have to do the whole district all by himself. Oh, a sucker for a good sob story, I am! I made a few calls to friends, and while some were interested in helping, they weren't getting off work until much later. Looks like it's going to be a two-person job, and the ironic part is that this half of the team is Canadian and a Virginia resident! Oh well. After a quick tutorial on Canvassing 101, I was handed my clipboard and off we went! 

Sensational Saturday, Daytime Edition!

Bestie Dibby and I have something we like to call "Sensational Saturdays", where we pick out a new hotspot in DC to explore each Saturday night, be it a restaurant, lounge, or club. Instead of always going to the same ol' spot over and over again, this forces us to check out a new place. We tend to visit at least a couple of places, because DC just has so much to offer. It feels like there is always a new place opening each weekend! Over the past few months, we've had our crazy nights (hello, Tattoo security cam!), but we have also had our share of once-in-a-lifetime, amazingly fun times. Living each day to the fullest, we both like to say!

April 3 - April 9: Top 5 Sins of The Week

El Pollo Loco:  Craving the chicken.

Capitol City Brewery:  Just cannot stay away from their pretzels. Oh, and their beer!

Chinatown Express:  Yummy cheap eats in the heart of Chinatown. During the weekends, line-ups extend out the door. 

Funxion:  Organic, healthy eatery that becomes a club afterwards. The concept seems a little schizophrenic in concept, but fun nightlife!  Vodka and cran, a little on the strong side, but if you're paying double-digits, shouldn't it be?

Home:  Been cooking again, made Shrimp Pad Thai. I won't say I'll be opening a Thai restaurant any time soon, but at least it transported me to the Bangkok airport.

Top Chef Stalking Starts... Now! (Supposedly)

Guess what today is! Today (supposedly) is the first day of filming for Top Chef's seventh season, if you read Tom Colicchio's tweets. As metrocurean mentioned, the location has yet to be confirmed, although all signs point to DC. There is also word that the chefs (supposedly) are staying somewhere around 20th and R Streets. If Top Chef home base is Dupont Circle, I am willing to bet the chefs do their shopping at the Whole Foods Market on 14th and P Street.

If any of this (supposed) news is true, then I am packing up my bags, leaving the office, and setting up stalkerazzi cameras around the perimeter of the Whole Foods Market!

[Editor--Oh Bravo... you have the best photos! Thank you.]

March 27 - April 2: Top 5 Sins of The Week

Bob & Edith's:  Greasy diner food on a rainy day. Hits the spot.

Chipotle:  Three soft tacos, carnitas, with guac and sour cream. Always good.

Don Pablo's:  Salty shrimp tacos and bland black beans are never a good thing. And people thought that Mexican food was foolproof.

Hunan One:  Never would have imagined this place as the go-to place for Happy Hour in Clarendon. But yes, all the yuppies come in full force for the $3 giant beers. Learned all about CrossFit and the Paleo diet. Possibly found the longest name for a dish (Chicken-and-scallops-just-tell-the-tall-blonde-it's-what-Connie-orders).

Wasabi Sushi:  Sushi and shopping? Is there a better combination?

Take It With a Grain of Salt

Sensational Saturday was upon me again, and I was excited about my daytime plans. I was going to go to Annapolis to have lunch with a chef friend, but due to bad weather there, our meeting got moved to DC. I was a little disappointed because I wanted to play tourist and I also wanted to review a seafood place. But it didn’t matter. As long as Chef was buying lunch, I can gluttonize anywhere!

It seemed like everyone (tourists and locals alike) was “oot and aboot” in DC, since the weather was gorgeous and it was the peak time to see the cherry blossoms. We chose Chinatown as our food destination. With the plethora of restaurants in the area we decided to walk around for a little bit and check out menus and peek inside restaurants. After much hemming & hawwing, we finally settled on Chinatown Express.

You know something is working when a place that is the picture-perfect definition of “hole in the wall”, has a line-up that extends outside to the sidewalk. On Saturday, there were over two dozen people standing outside. This place definitely had some fans, especially those craving handmade noodles and authentic Chinese food. I myself am one, having eaten here several times before. I love the beef tendon hot pot (there’s something about the gelatinous texture), pan-fried dumplings (amazingly, not greasy), and the roast meats (what’s not to love about crispy pork skin?). Today though, was all about simple, comfort food.

Crankasaurus Rex Sighting!

So I'm a Crankasaurus Rex in the mornings, I’ll admit it. I have an early morning wake-up call for work Mondays to Fridays, which makes for one very grumpy person at the hospital. The only exception is on Thursdays, my designated “Sleep-In Day”. Yes, my boss is cool enough to acknowledge that I am not a morning person and that I need one day out of the week to catch up on sleep. On top of that, Thursday also happens to be Donut Day.

Breaking Story! DCG > WCG!

Exciting news! I have been talking to friends up in Vancouver about food writing and restaurant reviewing for a while now. Well, you know how it goes… a friend of a friend of a friend knows somebody. A close friend of mine works with one of the writers for Vancouver Courier, a city newspaper. I went ahead and sent my CV along with a few articles, and got offered a sweet job as a writer for their Arts & Entertainment section!

It looks like I’ll be going back home to Vancouver in the next couple of weeks. So, DC Gluttony will go through a slight metamorphosis to become WC Gluttony! Details to follow!


...


And if you didn't catch this already, HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!