Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Went to dinner at The Source. It was my first time there and loved the romantic ambiance of the place but the food was unfortunately disappointing. It's considered an Asian Fusion restaurant and everything we ordered (sushi rolls, tuna tartar, pork buns, and lamb samosas which aren't pictured) was good but not mind blowing. For the price of certain items on the menu, I expected to be wowed by the dishes but was underwhelmed and not impressed with the flavors from the dishes. Service was good but I would pass on this place in the future. I'm not sure if this place is popular because it has Wolfgang Puck's name on it...

2. Picked up a birthday present for my mom from Chanel. My sister and I knew she's been eyeing a certain piece for awhile, but had no idea we were going to buy it for her on her birthday. Mission accomplished.

3. Bought these super cute gold polka dot mugs from West Elm the that are currently on sale (extra 15% off sale items using code WKND15 and free shipping code FREE4PRES HERE) this past week and used them all weekend. Woke up Saturday morning with a cup of coffee in hand in my new cup and caught up on the latest issue of my favorite glossy.

4. Met up with an old friend I haven't seen in ages (we're talking over a year) and grabbed dinner together at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace. This place has been on my radar for awhile now and am so glad we went. We actually ended up sitting at the Chef's table which is in the kitchen so you can see the backstage action on what goes in the kitchen of the restaurant. The place itself was jam packed and noisy so it was nice to be away from the noise and have a conversation with out the outside noise interfering. I'm not a fan of raw shellfish after a bad seafood poisioning incident several years ago, but we ended up ordering a dozen raw oysters since this is what they're known for. All I have to say is, I would go back and order the oysters from this place again. It tasted so fresh, clean, and smooth. Other items ordered from the menu was the oyster po' boy sandwich, lobster pot pie, and their braised beef appetizer. Flavors were all on point (although the sandwich could've been bigger), prices were reasonable, and the staff was so friendly. They even gave us a complimentary mimosa sorbet (not pictured) for dessert and chocolate truffles to take home with us. Highly recommend this place and have definite plans to return.

5. Was surprised with Georgetown cupcakes (my favorite cupcake place) by a friend who knows me very well. It was such a sweet gesture after having a rough week and was the perfect indulging snack while reading my new book I recently bought.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Went out to eat with my family at Maggianos (my parent's love that place) because it's been awhile since we've all got together. My sister was in town this weekend from NYC which made it all the more sense.

2. Picked up some flowers for my housewarming. I couldn't decide on what kind to get and ended up with these beautiful tulips. I added a black/white polka dot ribbon around the vase to finish the look.

3. Finally hosted my housewarming. The party's been over due but nonetheless celebrated the occasion with a bunch of my good friends. The food turned out wonderfully (from what I hear) and everyone seemed to have a great time. There were lots of beer and plenty of wine that was served and the last set of guests didn't end up leaving until midnight. I'd say it was a success;)

4. Had a mini candy corner at the housewarming and one of the items I made was chocolate covered bacon. It was only a matter of time this was gonna happen in my kitchen and this weekend was that time. A definite hit at the party.

5. Was so tired after hosting the housewarming and was relieved that date night was planned the day after because I was in no mood to cook after the party. I decided to wear my new chevron and sequin top I bought from J.Crew a month ago to dine at Fiola da Fabio Trabocchi in Washington, DC. Though it was our first time there, we were so impressed by the food, service and decor of the place. After reading food reviews on the place, people highly suggested ordering the Ahi tuna carpaccio as an appetizer, and order away we did. Oh man, it was melt in your mouth delicious...I mean, I'm still thinking about it today. Our entree consisted of a warm and creamy Parpadelle of Polenta (wild boar bolognese) and a beautifully plated and heavenly tasting Tortelloni of Duck Confit. I'll end my quick review like this: Fiola has now been nominated as my new favorite Italian restaurant in Washington, DC. Major nom.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Had the food experience of a lifetime by dining at Rogue 24. It's a restaurant that boasts a 16 or 24 course tasting menu executed by Chef R.J.Cooper (we chose the 24 course). Unfortunately no pictures are allowed which was a good thing because it allows you to focus on the beautiful food prepared for you instead of focusing on getting the right angle, lighting, etc for a picture. They provided a printed menu for us at the end of the meal, which was thoughtful and I'll probably write this in the books as one of my favorite dining experiences. Thanks for taking me there Sung--epic night.

2. Explored Eastern Market for the first time. Unfortunately we caught the tail end of the market as many tables were closing shop for the day but we got to explore what the market provided. There were all sorts of tables that were selling things from handmade jewelery to home decor knick knacks. I'll be coming back here when the weather warms up a bit more.

3. Since we were in the Eastern Market neighborhood, I wanted to stop by The Sweet Lobby since a friend mentioned this place to me awhile ago about how their macarons were up there with Lauduree. We couldn't resist waiting until after dinner to eat them so we snuck a couple pieces in. These macarons were probably the best ones I've had in DC so far, but I would've liked more poignant flavors to come through with the Rose and the Green tea. The Hazelnut salted caramel and Earl grey were my favorite out of the bunch. For dinner we were craving something warm and soupy so we went to check out Sakuramen. Since there isn't that many ramen places in DC, I was curious to see how this place would fare compared to Toki Underground. I ordered the spicy miso ramen and pretty much wanted to take the broth home with me. The waiter asked me on a scale of 1-5, how spicy I wanted my ramen and I told him 4. It was the perfect amount of spice in the broth--the kind where it doesn't immediately hit your palate as you taste it but instead has a spicy kick in a couple seconds. My only negative about the ramen was that the noodles could've been cooked longer but the delicious broth overshadowed that mistake so I will be coming back.

4. Went to see C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters on stage. It's originally a novel written by Christian writer C.S. Lewis depicting Screwtape's (the demon) letters to his nephew Wormword on the portrayal of living a Christian faith viewed from the devils point of view. Final performances for this show was this past weekend.

5. Met up and had dinner with a blast from the past childhood friend of mine at Blue Duck Tavern. It was a great night consisting of melt in your mouth food (we ordered the wagyu beef and seared duck breast), a bottle of really smooth Malbec, and a dinner conversation reminiscing about our childhood days and what we've been up to since then. Good times.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Braved the mall with my sister and shopped till we dropped on Black Friday. Our two favorite stores (Neiman Marcus and Saks) were participating in the Black Friday shopping festivity but this year's sale wasn't good as last years. Nonetheless, we both came out with some major goodies.

2. One of the best Black Friday deals my sister found was a pair of gorgeous navy blue Chanel ballet flats for about 70% off the retail price at Neiman Marcus. There was only ONE left which happened to be her size....it was meant to be.

3. Bought gold spray paint to give a makeover to some lackluster things around the house--one of them being this aluminum/silver tray I use in my bathroom to put random things on (contact case, hair bands, etc.). I love the final outcome and can't tell you how easy it was.

4. Dined at Dino restaurant, located in Washington, DC. It was my first time there and there were definite highs and lows of that evening. We ordered an appetizer dish, which was a crispy pork belly paired with Asian Pear but the appetizer came out with the rest of the meal. The server apologized and comped the appetizer but that didn't make up for the fact that it was a disappointing dish. I love pork belly and usually order it when I see it on the menu but the meat was overcooked, dry, and drenched in this anchovy salsa verde-too many flavor profiles going on that wasn't cohesive. I ordered the Pappardelle Cinghiale Bianco which consisted of ground wild boar, rosemary and cocoa, topped with pecorino cheese. Let's just say this dish made up for the appetizer we ordered.

5. Printed out one of my favorite quotes and put it in a frame to place near my work area. There are lots of little home decor details I have in mind that I want to work on and I'm hoping I'll get them done in the next couple of days.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Finally decided on a BB cream that's perfect for my skin. I have been testing BB creams for several months with many different cosmetic brands (Dr. Jart, Clinique, Dr. Brandt, and Dior) and really love how Boscia absorbs into my skin. It has great coverage w/o it being too heavy and though there is one color for the line, it blends perfectly well with my skin tone. I was debating between Dior's and Boscia's but ended up buying Boscia's because Dior's cosistency felt more like a foundation, which is what I didn't want since I use mineral powder on my skin. I don't like the feeling of wearing so much make up on my skin. I also picked up a new nail polish color, which I'm currently loving;)

2. Picked up some winter accessories at H&M to keep me warm from the cold weather. I received a 20% coupon off one item that is valid until 12/31 that I used HERE. Go to the last page for the coupon. Enjoy. Xo.

3. Went to Lincoln restaurant for the first time and fell in love with the space. The food is served as small plates and is meant to share which I like because you can order several things off the menu to enjoy an array of dishes. I couldn't take pics of the dishes I ordered because the lighting in the restaurant is very dim but the one pic I was able to somewhat snap was a picture of their amazing mac n' cheese and bone marrow dish. Another stand out dish was the butternut squash risotto, which had the most perfect creamy texture to it. The decor is impressive with mason jars used as lighting fixtures and pennies covering the floor of the restaurant. It's definitely a place I would come back to.

4. Went to see Twilight with my friend Mel. I've been a fan of these books since they came out so I had to see the last installment of the movie, naturally. The movies obviously don't have anything on the books but it was one of those things I had to see to close the chapter on the movies.

5. Had a craving for Poutine. My usual go to place for this junk food dish is at Victorias Gastro Pub in Columbia, Maryland. It's a French-Canadian dish that is french fries fried in duck fat then topped with cheese curds and gravy. Additional ingredients can be added and the restaurant I went to adds duck meat on top of the french fries. Not pictured is the lobster grilled cheese and escargot. Everything was decadent, delicious, and gym inducing to say the least.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Went on a double date night with my good friend, Mel and her husband to Masa 14. It's an Asian-Latin fusion tapas restaurant in Washington, DC that has a vast menu of dishes intended for sharing. I prefer their brunch menu more so then their menu because it's unlimited drinks (alcoholic) and food. Overall, it was great evening with great people.

2. Was surprised by the boy with flowers he (proudly) picked from the farmers market. I love having fresh flowers in the home. Thanks boo.

3. Explored Baltimore, MD with the boy because we needed to return something at a J.Crew outlet. I wanted to take him to brunch at Blue Moon Cafe which has the BEST french toast and hash browns. These are not just any ol' french toast though--it's Capt'n Crunch french toast. These are so good that they were featured on the food network. Highly recommend if you're ever in the area.

4. Walked along the inner harbor, shopped, and each bought things for ourselves. I ended up buying only a leopard print belt which has been on my shopping list for awhile and the boy ended up buying a pair of Cole Haan shoes. He couldn't get over how comfortable the were so it was a no brainer purchase.

5. Used my new dinnerware I bought from Z Gallerie all throughout the weekend. I fell in love with the ikat print  when I saw it at the store and couldn't resist the set since they were also on sale;)

6. Cooked a Sunday dinner of turkey meatloaf, stir-fry green beans, and the tomato crostini (recipe posted HERE). It was such a good, comforting meal to end the weekend.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Finally received my Mulberry bag in the mail! I took her out this weekend and will post pics soon=)

2. Went to BonChon chicken for dinner because I was having a craving for it. For those of you who haven't heard of the greatness that is BonChon, it is Korean fried chicken (most crispiest, flavor infused skin) done right. Locations in the DMV area include Virginia and now Maryland. Get on that.

3. Received another package I've been waiting for in the mail--my Vera Wang sparkly shoes I purchased on sale from Neiman Marcus. Who doesn't love adding a little bit of sparkle to their shoe closet?

4. Dined at Little Serow located in Washington, DC. It's a recently opened Thai restaurant that has very limited seating (about 28 seats) and reservations can NOT be made. It's a fix prixe menu (7 courses involved) that is basically a hidden treasure. We got there around 5:20pm (doors open at 5:30pm) and a line was forming already. When we got inside the restaurant, we were told that we wouldn't be seated until 7:30pm! If you are a Thai food lover, I highly recommend this place. There are dishes I've never tasted before and the flavor profiles on each dish is beautifully aromatic, pungent, sweet and salty. I asked our waitress (btw the entire waitstaff we encountered were so friendly, including the chef who came over to our table to explain one of his dishes to us) how often the menu changes and she said every 4-5 weeks, so I will definitely be back.

5. Watched the Amazing Spider-Man. I love the whole series on Spider-Man and was doubtful if it would be good this time since the cast changed, but I LOVED it. This time around, the movie focused less on battle scenes and more on character development. Andrew Garfield did an amazing job portraying teen angst and well, I just wanna be bffs with Emma Stone. I loved her since watching her in Easy A and it's easy to see why Peter Parker is smitten with her character. Two thumbs up.

6. Stopped by Saks to check out their designer sale and am so glad I did because I found this Ali Ro trench coat for $69 (original $320)!! I love finding interesting twists on classic pieces and this is the perfect example of that.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Stopped by Panera Bread in the morning to grab some coffee and was told I had a free pastry waiting to be claimed! If you ever eat at Panera, make sure you sign up for their My Panera card which basically racks up point every time you purchase something. I rarely go often so I was surprised I had enough points for a free pastry. Score.

2. Dined at Kushi (again). What can I say, I love that place. Pork belly ftw.

3. Bought the latest issue of Test Kitchen and went post it crazy with so many appealing recipes I want to make soon. I recently made a Filipino adobo chicken dish from that magazine and it tasted SO DELICIOUS. In face, the boy requested if I could make it again next weekend so hopefully I will have my camera ready to share with you guys.

4. Bought a new nail polish because the color reminded me of Spring. It's a beautiful coral color from Revlon called "Marmalade" and I coated it with Essie's "Set in stones." I also bought a blemish balm (BB) cream from Garnier. For those of you not familiar with BB creams, it's a hugely popular in Asia and the US is starting to pick up on the rage. Sephora explains it as "One of Asia's biggest beauty sensations, B.B. cream—short for "blemish balm" or "beauty balm"—is truly an all-in-one skincare wonder. Their lightweight, multitasking formulas provide SPF sunscreen protection and work to moisturize, conceal, and treat skin in just one simple step. The silky, tinted lotions effortlessly blend with your natural tone, minimize the need for concealer and foundation, camouflage lines and imperfections, and serve as a skin-perfecting primer." I've tried a sample from Clinique's and had lukewarm feelings towards it so I wanted to try Garnier's version since it's also much cheaper. I believe Dr. Jart+, Bosica, and Two Faced are the other companies getting on the BB cream rage.

5. Wore a recently bought necklace from Neiman Marcus this weekend. Love the rose gold against gold.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Dined at District Kitchen for the first time with several of my friends. It was our first time trying out this restaurant and all 14 of us enjoyed it. The interior has exposed bricks all throughout the restaurant which gives an industrial look to it, which I love.

2. Bought an orchid thing-a-ma-jig from T.J. Maxx. for my bathroom. Ideally I want my bathroom to have a spa like feel to it and thought this orchid would give a sense of serenity. I love finding random home stuff at that store because it can be a treasure hunt with a very affordable price tag.

3. The boy took me to see La Cage Aux Folles at the Kennedy Center. Unlike me, he's not really into musicals but he said he liked this one haha. It's the story of a gay couple who have a son that wants to bring his fiancee and her ultra conservative parents home to meet them. Along the way there are entertaining and funny adventures the couple has to encounter.

4. Finally had the chance to finally wear this necklace I bought from Neiman Marcus a couple months ago out to dinner. The iPhone picture does it no justice on how it looks in real life. It really is such a gorgeous piece.

5. Overdosed on sushi with the family. Enough said.

6. Dined at BLT Steakhouse with the boy. They gave complimentary popovers and chicken liver pate to start with and both were delicious. I ordered the filet (which was cooked to perfection) and the truffle mash and well, let's just say I was savoring each bite of the mash. I mean, it's truffle--how can anything taste bad when adding truffle?

7. Received home made gummies from a good friend. How amazing is that?

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

 

This weekend I....

1. Celebrated my mom's bday. My sister and I ordered an Alexander McQueen scarf she's been lusting over and it was delivered just in time to gift it to her. Not many older ladies can rock a scull scarf but my mom is one of the most fashionable women I know and it just works.

2. Went to Whole Foods to restock on some coffee beans and couldn't resist buying this gorgeous bouquet of roses for my home in the process.

3. Ate at Kushi, my favorite Japanese izakaya restaurant, (which has the best pork belly) with a friend whom I haven't see in months. His work requires him to travel both state side and out of the country constantly so it was a great time catching up. I was disappointed they ran out of the black cod and crispy duck thigh that night. Both are stellar dishes as well.

4. Went to Neiman Marcus to return a pair of shoes for my sister and ended up buying a pair of ankle boots (on sale) for myself in the process. I was supposed to be on a shopping diet but I obviously failed that task. Sigh. I blame my sister for steering me towards Neiman Marcus, thus my purchase. 

5. Was longing for warm weather. It snowed this weekend and has been incredibly cold lately, which made me miss spring/summer. I painted my nails a pastel color because pastels remind me of spring. The color is in Essie's "Absolutely shore."

6. Had to restock on dog food for Mandu and adjacent to Petco was a La-Z-Boy furniture store. I've never been to the store before so I decided to go inside and take a look. I didn't see any furniture I liked but they were having an inventory clearance on certain household items and I picked up this glass stand (?) for 50% off and ended up paying $15, which also included the accessories inside. I'm thinking of putting lemons or baked goods inside as another option though.

7. Ate at BonChon chicken in Virginia, which has the most crispiest, flavor filled (Korean) fried chicken you'll ever eat. I'm not kidding. They only have two flavors available which is spicy or garlic soy sauce but I highly recommend the spicy flavor because the garlic soy sauce tastes too salty in my opinion. I also tried their seasoned fries for the first time and that was foodgasmic as well. I asked them what it was seasoned with and they said it was a mixture of basil, garlic powder, chilli powder, all topped with shredded mozzarella. The dipping sauce on the left is a combination of ketchup, mayo, and sriracha. Holy deliciousness.




How was your weekend?