Yellow Bulgogi Truck
A few weeks ago, I was walking back from lunch when I spotted a yellow truck parked at the corner of 12th and G that I had never seen before. Naturally, I had to get a closer look, and it turned out to be a bulgogi truck! They seem to keep a low profile both on the street and online. I found their Yelp page and rather sparse Twitter account, which isn’t very helpful in pinning down where they’ll be everyday.
They have a short and sweet menu, bulgogi, bibimbap, or chicken teriyaki. You can also choose between medium or spicy on the spiciness scale. I got the medium beef bulgogi, pictured above, which came with sticky rice and sides of kimchi and iceberg lettuce with citrus vinaigrette. I thought the portions were pretty good for the money. The kimchi’s spiciness was a nice addition to the relatively muted flavor of the beef. Apparently the bibimbap is a better deal because you’ll get more veggies with your meal.
They don’t tweet their location on a daily basis, but it seems like they try to hit the same spot on the street everyday…at least, for a month. Their last tweet seemed to indicate they’d be on 12th street for a few weeks. The last I saw them, they were at 12th and F, by the metro entrance.
dessert dinner restaurants: american d.c. ice cream pastries seafood seasonal soups
by Lindsey
3 comments
CityZen
CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental has always been on my “must try” lists, and several weeks ago I finally went! Their menu is seasonal and ever-changing, so my friend and I definitely wanted to check them out when the selection looked especially appealing.
We tried their three course option ($80), and though their actual menu differed a little bit from the one they had online, we found plenty to keep us happy.
Pictured above is from the entree course: Atlantic halibut with tarragon panade, served with applewood smoked bacon risotto, fava beans, beer battered spring onion and spring onion coulis. The fish was perfectly cooked and buttery. Loved the risotto with it, and the coulis added a wonderful light layer of flavor to the dish. Definitely one of my favorites of the night.
The rest:
more »
sweetbites
I was pretty excited when I heard that there was going to be another sweets truck coming to DC, especially since this one served more than just cupcakes! Unfortunately, the Sweetbites Truck never came around to my part of the city. (-___-) Finally, I just had to seek it out myself! I took an extended lunch a few weeks ago and metro’d over to Farragut Square to snag myself some sweetness. X)
I ended up getting only cupcakes after all, since the non-cupcake items I had wanted to try had already been sold out. Pictured above is the cookies and cream cupcake, described as having “creamy Oreo-infused frosting swirled atop a rich Belgian chocolate cupcake.” It’s topped off with a half-Oreo. It looked so good I had to scarf it down right there in the park! The icing was oozing from the sweltering heat but still tasted fabulous.
I had to set the cupcake down on a flat surface to photograph, so I grabbed the only thing I had on me at the time. (Any guesses as to what book that is? Lol).
I got one more cupcake:
ChurchKey
A little over a month ago, I headed over to a friend’s birthday get together at ChurchKey, the Logan Circle bar that opened up last fall to great anticipation. It’s got an amazing selection of beer, and though I’m not usually big on beer, I did get a smallish serving of one they had on tap just to try. X)
The bar is located on the second floor (the first floor being occupied by its sister establishment, Birch & Barley), and it’s a mildly chaotic free-for-all for seating. There are no reservations or maitre’d. If it’s crowded – which it really was on the night I went – you’ll have to stay vigilant and nab a table when one frees up. I didn’t like this system, as it made me feel kind of stalkerish and rude as I hovered around people that looked like they might leave soon. The place was kind of dark and noisy, but it did have an energy about it like a typical happy hour hot spot.
Though the service was equally chaotic and spotty, the food was pretty decent and I enjoyed almost everything I tried. =)
Pictured above is the truffled grilled cheese with tomato soup dip. I had a bite, and it was good, though not very “truffled” in my opinion. It was clever to pair it with a soup “dip,” though I would’ve preferred a real soup in its place, had it been my dish.
The rest after the jump:
Kellari Taverna
A whole month and a half ago, I had the opportunity to meet up with fellow food blogger Angela of I Flip for Food for dinner at the newish Greek restaurant in Farragut Square – Kellari Taverna. I am ashamed that it’s taken me so many weeks to blog this, but even though it’s been this long, I remember it vividly and fondly! Angela is even more awesome in person than she is online, and I really enjoyed every minute.
Much of our conversation was spent geeking out over the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin, which I was in the midst of reading at the time. I have since finished the 4th installment, and am eagerly waiting for the 5th, if / when it will ever come to be. The HBO mini-series of the work is currently in production, so that’s something to look forward to as well. (^O^)v
Now, as for the food: You must check out Angela’s post of the dinner here, which is thoughtfully written and photographed beautifully. I agreed with everything she said, so I really have nothing particularly intriguing to add, lol.
We ended up getting a bunch of tapas to share, which was quite enough to be filling for two. Pictured above is the tuna tartare with caviar mousse. The saltiness of the caviar mousse helped balance out the tuna, which was only slightly seasoned.
The rest:
Chirashi zushi
Chirashi zushi is a whole bowl of sushi-fabulosity that’s relatively easy to make at home. Pictured here is my mom’s chirashi, and I gotta tell ya, no one makes it like my mama. XD I suppose I’m just accustomed to this palate, but she’s got a subtle hand that coaxes out the best balance of vinegar, sugar, and salt in the rice. She also makes the best Japanese omelet, which is almost always my favorite topping in her chirashi. ♥
Toppings can be chef’s choice, though obviously raw fish is usually key. This chirashi is topped with tuna, omelet, marinated eel, fake crab meat, and squid. Radish sprouts, shredded seaweed, and shiso leaves to garnish.
A few more pics:
Black Market Bistro
Well, July was a total wash. (^___^);;; Sorry for the big hiatus! It is now August 1, and I’m going to try to do better this month, really. I actually haven’t gone out to eat very much these past few weeks, so there’s the other excuse (aside from sheer laziness). I do have a backlog of some stuff though, and I’m going to start with a Sunday brunch I had with a friend of mine at the Black Market Bistro in Garrett Park, Maryland.
The restaurant is located in the midst of residential neighborhood – one that I’ve driven past many times on my way to Japanese school back in the day. (The school met on Saturdays in rented classrooms at Georgetown Prep). All those years of driving through that neighborhood, and I never knew it was back there. It’s really lovely and quaint, and for those who are in the city it feels like a nice little getaway.
They didn’t take reservations for brunch, but they were able to seat us in twenty minutes or so, in a sweet location just by the window. They had seating on the porch too, but it was much too warm that day to sit outside.
I ordered the orange and vanilla bean French toast served with fresh fruit, chantilly cream and maple orange syrup, pictured above. The French toast was airy and fabulous, with a nice creamy flavor. Loved it!
The rest:
