If you're looking for a quick Korean style fried chicken fix with good happy hour and an incredibly chill environment away from the main city, then you'll like this place. 

Let's start with drinks

Now that the weather is starting to warm up again, my friends and I decided to take advantage of this weather and eat outside. We ordered a Corona, Mojito, and a Yogurt Soju Cocktail (which I highly recommend). 

Korean Style Seafood Pancakes

These were a little too oily and fried for me. I've had better 전 (Jeon: Korean pancakes) before but they were a good dish to order for the table. 

Dumplings

만두 (Mandu: Dumplings). You really can't go wrong with these. 

Fried Chicken

We came to a fried chicken restaurant, so of course we had to order some fried chicken for the table. 

Dessert

Ice cream for dessert to finish up the meal. 

Here's my honest review: Overall, the food isn't great here but because I grew up with authentic Korean meals, I know I'm naturally a harsher grader when it comes to Korean restaurants.  

What I like:  I love the vibe you get. If you want a low-key night this summer away from the city, you should consider stopping by this place. In general, the environment in Bethesda is a lot more calm than the city, so I tend to like this area in general.

It's graduation season once again. A good friend of mine graduated this past weekend, so of course I had to take my camera out and take a few photos for her. It feels like just yesterday I too was graduating from college, it always amazes me how quickly time flies.

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Sarah, congratulations on graduating. I could not be more proud of you. 

I can't believe I've never been here before for brunch. Fun fact: apparently, the Hamilton has a great happy hour deal, so make sure you stop by if you ever have the time. 

The Hamilton

Eat, Drink, Listen. Okay, let's go. 

Brunch Time

And time to study the menu too. 

Hamburger

Can't go wrong with a hamburger and these sweet potatoes are a must. 

Don't hate me but...

I can't remember nor can I find the name of this dish, which is such a pity because I enjoyed every bite of this meal. 

Southern Fried Chicken

I think this dish was the clear winner of the table and my friend munching away said it was absolutely delightful too. I'm definitely ordering this next time.  

There's always room for dessert

Chocolate ice cream

The rice crispy-like chocolate treat that came with the ice cream was the cherry on top of this. 

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Peanut brittle, chocolate sauce, whipped cream. 10 out of 10 out of 10 highly recommend if you're a peanut butter fan like myself. 

Rumor has it this place has a great a sushi menu too. Oh, and don't forget to order the Peanut Butter Cheesecake for dessert! 

Here we go, it's that beautiful time of the year once again. Where everything starts to come back to life, like allergy season. 

Every year, I stop by to visit the Cherry Blossoms. I take the exact same photos, walk down the same path, and end up with itchy eyes feeling dehydrated towards the end of the day. But even so, I do this every year and can never seem to get sick of this. Although I'm not ready to say goodbye to winter just yet, I do love spring, and it's this time of the year that makes me fall in love with this city all over again. 

One of my favorite late night Happy hour spots in DC. I was hesitant in even sharing this post, so I could keep this little secret to myself, but I figured I should share this with you all in case you're ever looking for some good late night happy hours in the city. 

We ordered a chicken sandwich and crab and artichoke dip and some nice cool beer to go with it. There's not a huge selection of food but if you're looking for a low-key late night happy hour spot, you should consider this place. 

For those who know me, they'll tell you that after Korean and Japanese food, pizza is probably my next favorite food. 

I love coming here for pizza if I'm in the neighborhood and to catch-up with friends. One of my friends ordered the pasta dish and it was okay. If you're stopping by Il Canale, I recommend ordering one of their pizza dishes instead! 

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I can't believe how quickly time is passing and we're already at the end of March. Clock keeps ticking, time keeps running, and here I am trying to make sure I don't waste a second of it. I think it's safe to say that it's been a busy and productive year so far as I work to figure things out.

I am trying to post more frequently, this is one item I'm trying prioritize. Make sure you continue to stop by for more, I'm working on some fun new content. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

I loved the interior of this place, it's very Instagram worthy, and they have amazing tacos too. I'd love to stop by here during brunch one day too because they had a pretty good menu. I didn't try all their tacos but to be honest, I feel like all of them would be amazing, so when you stop by, go ahead and order what you're craving that day! 

I finally found my new favorite Cantonese/Chinese restaurant in DC! 

Da Hong Pao!

Let's go. 

Let's study.

If you're here for Chinese food, you need to order off of their Dim Sum menu. Trust me, you won't regret it. 

Round number 1

We're just getting started here. Keep scrolling down for more. 

Steamed King Shrimp Dumplings

This is a classic and a dumpling you really can't go wrong with. 

Steam bun & dumplings

Yet another classic. We ordered the Steam Roast Pork Bun and Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumplings -- two of my must orders whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant. 

Round 2!

We ordered the Chinese Fried Dough, which was my first time trying this, and the Steamed Beef Rice Crepe.  

Shrimp Stuffed in Tofu

I could eat this all day. 

Crispy Fried Pork

I can't handle fried food as well as I used to, so it was hard for me to eat a lot of this dish. 

Roasted Pork

This dish felt a little gamy for me. It was still great but I just personally couldn't eat too much of it. 

Egg Tart

I've had better egg tarts but regardless, this was still a nice way to top off the meal. 

In conclusion...

100% I will be coming back for more. I've been looking for a good Chinese restaurant in D.C. for such a long time, so I'm extremely happy my friend introduced me to this place. It's right around Logan Circle, which is perfect if you want to hop over to a coffee shop after your meal.  

I highly recommend ordering the steamed pork bun, shrimp stuffed tofu, steamed shrimp and steamed pork dumplings (these are a classic), and the Chinese fried dough or Beef rice crepe. 

If you haven't done so already, make sure you stop by this place. For weekend lunch goers, make sure you get there early or see if you can make a reservation. Seats fill up pretty quickly on the weekends. 

I can't wait to go back for more! 

I absolutely love coming to Tryst for breakfast or brunch with friends. It's a nice cozy area and they have a good mix of people too. You have people coming here for breakfast, to study, or catch-up on a good book while sipping their coffee.  

Food pictured: Buttermilk Waffles and Spinach Frittata 

Before you say anything, I know I've been extremely MIA lately. It's been pretty hectic since coming back to the states from the holidays, jumping straight into work, trying to get over my jet lag, and just trying to get back into the rhythm of things. It also took me twice as long to get over my jet lag this time, which threw me off completely. 

2017 has been off to one heck of a start. So much has been going on, I don't even know where to begin, but I guess I can share this one story with you:

My friends and I decided to do a gluten-free-Feb challenge. I didn't realize how much gluten I was eating, so cutting this out of my diet completely was incredibly difficult to do. In order to resist the temptation to order anything with gluten, instead of grabbing food with friends, I started doing workout classes or just grabbing breakfast with them.

I don't think I'll ever be 100% gluten-free but after doing so for a month, I think I just might cut 50% of gluten out of my diet. I can't tell you whether I've started to see a change in my body because we did have a cheat day (it was one of our friend's birthday) but I'll let you know if I feel a change after I introduce gluten back in my diet. 

That's all for now. I promise to start posting for frequently in March. 

Julia

P.S. It's February and we've had multiple high 60F days. As much as I love the early spring/summer tease, this weather is extremely concerning. 

I've been constantly craving some good Chinese food, so during my quick trip to Manila, my mom took me to Canton Road. It was also a nice excuse to check out the new Shangri-la in and also get my Chinese food cravings fixed.  

I loved the feel of this restaurant. It felt like they were trying to mash history with the 21st century. They were able to reproduce this old rugged feel while keeping it classy and clean. See below for photos! 

Whenever I'm craving Italian food in Korea, I always seem to find myself back in this restaurant. I think it also helps that I love their interior design, which you'll see in my photos below, and love stopping by their bakery downstairs afterwards to pick up some bread and pastries. 

Risotto

I liked the clams in this dish and thought overall this was a little too sweet for me, but I know Korean food tends to lean more on the sweet side. 

Margherita pizza

I liked how thin this crust was, which works well with the thick cheese. The dough is soft, so don't expect a 'crunch' when you take a bite into the crust. 

Mushroom creamy pasta

I felt like the mushroom taste was just perfect enough with the creamy white sauce before it would've started to feel too rich. Fun fact: they had peas in the pasta, which I thought was an interesting addition. 

Lasagna

I always tell myself I'll order this dish the next time I come here but always get distracted by the creamy white pastas. I love this dish and liked how the pasta was a little spicy. 

That's all for now from Passion 5's Vera Pizza. If you haven't already, you should definitely stop by this lovely place. 

It’s that time of the year again when we start the New Year with fresh new resolutions, goals, and all feeling hopeful to accomplish many things. I too fall in this bucket. 

I’m proud to say that over the past 4 years, I’ve kept majority of my resolutions and now have high expectations to continue this streak for as long as possible.

Here’s how I do it:   

1. Think of realistic and achievable goals: I do like to push myself, so I usually have a mix of easy (e.g. eat healthy) and challenging (e.g. go on multiple media cleanses for a full day) goals. 
2. Write them all down. I also try to be as specific as possible. 
3. I check back. This helps me make sure I’m staying on track. 
4. Set smaller goals. I do this if I realize I haven't made any progress during my check-ins. For example, for my media cleanse, I might start with turning off my phone for half a day or limiting myself to answering text/calls. Goodbye, social media (for a day)! 

For this website of mine, in addition to keeping up with my regular food and travel posts, one of my goals is to write a minimum of one blog post a month. This will be a reflection post, a lesson learned, or a goal I hope to achieve that month. And so, here’s the first of my many blog posts. 

Hope 2017 is off to a great start for you. 
I’ll talk to you again soon,
Julia 

If you've been following my blog for a while now or know me personally, you'll know I'm a huge fan of Japanese food and that it's my favorite cuisine, after Korean food, of course. I liked how this place had a bit of a fusion twist. 

Ooma has multiple branched across Manila, so don't forget to check them out. Here are a few dishes we ordered: 

Interior Shot

You have to have at least one interior shot of the restaurant, right? (Just kidding, I only started doing this recently for some of my posts). 

Spicy Tuna Maki

This order is a given whenever I eat out with my Mom -- she loves Tuna! 

Soft Shell Crab Taco-Maki

Okay, this is what I was referring to when I said, "fusion twist." I'm a huge fan of soft shell crab, which is why we went with this dish, but I highly recommend ordering one of the taco-maki's when you're here! 

Gyoza

I usually opt-out of ordering gyoza's whenever I come to a Japanese restaurant because I'd much rather eat the rolls, but I loved this one. They had cheese and a bit of a spicy kick, which was a really nice surprise. 

Salmon Tataki

If you're a fan of salmon as much as I am, then this order is a must! 

Salmon Tartare Aburi Maki

Like I said, I'm a huge Salmon fan, so of course I'm incredibly biased and will say this was amazing. 

This restaurant is no Nobu but they did a pretty good job adding a fusion twist to their menu. Highly recommend for causal dining. 

The last time I was here, I came with my High School batch after graduation. I can't believe it's been that long since I last visited Boracay. I wanted to go somewhere warm and a place I could doze off by the beach, so my family and I decided to visit Boracay for our winter trip. Coming here with family was definitely a lot different than coming with my friends but I still ended up having a lot of fun. See below for photos! 

I actually first visited this restaurant when it was fairly new but that was years ago now. It seems like the popularity for Las Flores spiked over the past few years but I may just feel this way because when I asked my friends for restaurant recommendations, three of them mentioned Las Flores.

See below for a few photos. Enjoy! 

How appetizing do these look?

Fun fact: I got my friend to order for us since she's a lot more fluent in this cuisine and I haven't been here in years! 

Gambas al Ajillo

Spicy garlic fried shrimp in olive oil. I feel like whenever I go to a Spanish tapas-style restaurant, I always end up ordering this type of dish. For this dish specifically, I loved the spicy kick -- it was a nice surprise! 

Croquetas de queso de cabra

Goat cheese croquettes! They're a little hidden in this photo but they're in between the bread and shrimp. To be honest, I'm not a huge goat cheese fan, I actually actively try to avoid them, but the way these were made -- yum!

Trio de Chorizos

Aka assorted chorizos (pork sausage) cooked in white wine and olive oil. I say there were my favorite and the winner for me but I also love sausages, so I'm a little biased. 

My friend and I split 3 dishes and between us. At first, I was a little skeptical on whether this would be enough for us but I was very satisfied and full after the meal. 100% I would go back. 

I know I blogged about my brunch experience at La Madeleine, which you can read about here, but this is what happens when this place is your go to catch-up restaurant spot with one of your group of friends. I did mix it up a little bit and got lunch this time instead of brunch! 

:) 

Time to get cozy

A nice fireplace, some Christmas decor, and a nice warm cup of cappuccino with great company couldn't have set the mood better. 

More Decor

Does it bug you as much as it bugs me that the left picture frame is slightly slanted? Yeah. 

Strawberry with Romanoff

I love how light and sweet this is! 

Cappuccino

Rich espresso beneath a creamy cloud of hot frothed milk. Topped with cinnamon or cocoa. Perfect for this chilly winter! 

Pasta la Madeleine with Chicken

Whenever I come here for lunch, I usually get this dish. I love the creamy mushroom sauce and the mini sea salt baguette that comes with it! Yum. 

I'll probably end up coming here again in 1 - 2 months. I might order something different next time if I'm feeling adventurous or skip capturing my meal all together if I order the same thing. Clearly, I'm a fan of this cozy place. This is also a great study spot -- I believe they have free wifi and you'll see a few people with their laptops out. Hope you enjoy your experience here as much as I do. Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you again soon!  

Ah, brunch. One of DC's favorite meal -- it helps that our city is pretty great at this too.  A friend had to run to a wedding after our meal, so we didn't get bottomless brunch but from what I remember, they had a pretty good deal, so if you're ever in the Woodley Park Metro area and your line to Open City is too long, make sure you check out this place: District Kitchen. I promise you won't be disappointed. 

So many options!

Ambiance.

Their brunch is from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. My friend and I met up right at 10 since we both had afternoon plans, which explains the empty restaurant, but more people started to quickly trickle in around 11. 

Yum!

My friend got the Ham Benedict while I ordered the Pastrami Hash. 

She's employed!

Quick time for me to brag: I can't believe this little one will be entering the "real world"/adult-life soon. So proud of this one for getting a job before graduating. Biggest and warmest congrats! 

Ham Benedict

2 poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, DK home fries, english muffins -- you really can't go wrong with this dish. 

Pastrami Hash

Braised onions, sweet peppers, potatoes, sunny side up eggs, with wheat toast -- I was a little hesitant in ordering this dish because I didn't think I would like it but oh my goodness, I loved it and would get this again. It's also so incredibly filling, which is great. 10/10 out of 10. 

I've heard a lot of good things about this place, so of course I naturally wanted to check this place out. Okay, let's go! 

Your typical menu photo

Pi Pizzeria is known for serving both deep dish and thin cornmeal crust pizza, or so they say so on their website. 

Pork & beef meatballs

With parmesan, herbs, tomato sauce, and rustic bread. Had it not been for my friend who's obsessed with meatballs, I wouldn't thought to order this, so thank you, because I highly recommend everyone try this. 

Deep Dish: South Side Classico

Mozz, berkshire sausage, mushroom, green pepper, and onion. Deep. Fried. Although, I do think they could have deep fried the dish even more. 

Here's the thing, if you're looking for the Chicago deep fried dish, this won't meet your expectations. I've personally never tried the original Chicago style pizza but the friend I came here with did. I consulted her and asked her for her opinion, but even without her, I'd come to the conclusion that the dish could've been more deep fried. Does this mean I didn't enjoy the experience? Nope. Does this mean I'll go back for more? Probably. I do love pizza after all. 

I've been craving their pork buns, so of course Tim Ho Wan was one of my must go to places during my trip here! 

Tim Ho Wan

It's been almost a year since I was last here, so I couldn't wait to sit down and order my meal! 

Time to study.

I already knew what I wanted to eat, so I actually didn't have to study the menu too much. 

A Must!

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork: These are a must when you come here. You won't be sorry. 

Chicken Feet

I know some people get squirmish with the thought of chicken feet but it's really not that bad!  

Pork Dumpling with Shrimp

A classic. I feel like you can't go wrong with these. 

Spinach Shrimp Dumplings

I wasn't a huge fan of these when I was a kid (I wasn't a fan of the spinach) but I guess you could say my taste buds matured and I probably would order these again. 

Would I ever come back? Oh heck yes, 100%. 

It's crazy to think that the last time I came to Antonio's was about 4 years ago. Oh, how quickly time flies, doesn't? The ambiance of the restaurant is very quaint-nature-inspired and the meal, of course, always being exquisite. See below for photos! 

Entrance.

I love how there's so many trees and plants in this space, it creates a very nice jungle-esque feel. 

What to Eat?

I had a light breakfast so by the time lunch strolled around, I was staving and everything on the menu sounded delightful. 

Time to start!

All entrees comes with a salad, soup, and dessert!  

Organic Greens Salad

Beu d' Auvergne, Peppered Granola, and Raspberry Vinaigrette. I loved the granola addition to the salad! 

Pumpkin Soup

Perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday season. The soup wasn't too creamy, which I loved. 

Pan Seared Akaroa King Salmon

My mom ordered this, so I took a small bite out of her dish and the salmon was extremely fresh. 

Beef Plancha

Cepes and Morel Ragout, Mashed Potato. This beef was so tender when you took a bite, the meat would literally melt in your mouth because of how tender and juicy it was. 

Dessert Platter

Top left to right: Vanilla Panna Cotta with Lime Tapioca and Black Sesame Cheesecake.
Bottom left to right: Dark Beer Ice Cream with Black Rice Krispy and Balsamic Macaroons. 

Exterior Design

This house is absolutely beautiful. 

Post Lunch.

After lunch, we walked around their garden and roamed the area and took some photos of this lovely house. 

Selfie!

:) 

And that concludes my experience at Antonio's. Per usual, the food was excellent and I would go back in a heart beat. If you're ever in Manila and have time to drive up to Tagaytay or you're in the area, I highly recommend stopping by this place. There's a reason why it's so highly raved and talked about! 

I stopped by the Raku in Cathedral Heights this past weekend with a few friends of mine. I wouldn't say Raku has the best sushi in DC but I say they're worth stopping by. They also have a location in Bethesda and DuPont, so make sure you check them out!  

Interior Design

I liked the ambiance of this restaurant. The place was set up very nicely and I enjoyed how the ceilings would change colors. Make sure you look up when you visit this location! 

Time to order our meal

And study the menu too! 

Ok, let's see if I remember this correctly.

We ordered: 
Red Dragon, Seoul Train, Raku, Rainbow, Crunchy Spicy Tuna, Double Salmon, Shrimp California, Crunchy Eel, 2 Grilled Salmon Harasu, and 2 Volcano rolls. 

Get in my tummy.

I believe you're looking at the crunchy eel (left), the grilled salmon harasu (middle), and the double salmon roll (right) here. 

We also ordered...

The sushi and roll combo under "sushi assortments." My friends beat me to eating this, so I unfortunately couldn't try any of the sashimi. 

Here are my favorites and what I recommend.

Red Dragon, Rainbow, Double Salmon, Crunchy Eel, Grilled Salmon Harasu, and Volcano. 

Except for the fact that our service was extremely slow (could be due to the fact that we were a large group and it was a busy weekend), I don't really have any other comments. Again, this isn't my favorite Japanese spot, but it is a place I'd stop by again! 

Hope this helps you figure out what you should order and you leave with a full and satisfied stomach at Raku when you stop by! Let me know how your experience goes. 

If you're a foodie and you've been living in DC for a while, then the name, Jose Andres and the restaurant, Jaleo should be far from foreign for you. However, if this is the first time you're hearing both names, then that's completely fine too. This is the reason why I'm here for you. 

¡Vámonos! 

Hello, foosball table

How cool is this? Our dinner table was a foosball table, so my friends and I played a few rounds while waiting for our plates. 
P.S. my team won. 

Brussels Sprouts

I couldn't find the original name of this dish. The dish was well done but the taste of brussels sprouts were still pretty strong, but not in a bad way. Although it was pretty good, because I'm not a huge brussels spouts fan, I probably won't order this dish again. 

Espinacas a la catalana aka Spinach

I really like spinach and loved how they added pine nuts, raisins and apples too. Very nicely done. 

Gambas al ajillo aka shrimp

This shrimp was sautéed with garlic and they were absolutely delicious.  

Chorizo casero con puré de patatas al aceite de oliva

Aka sausage + mashed potato. This was probably my favorite dish out of all the others. If you like mashed potato and sausages, I highly recommend this. 

Fideo negro con pulpo

Aka black fideo with calamari, Spanish octopus, and squid ink. 

Squid Ink!

Warning: your teeth may turn black temporarily while you eat this dish because of the squid ink. The flavor was very rich but if you have a big group and you're up to try squid ink, I say you should give this a try! 

Jose Andres never disappoints and sure knows how to keep your stomach satisfied. If you haven't already, make sure you stop by his restaurants. I do want to note that Jaleo is a Spanish Tapas-style restaurant, so you'll have to order multiple small plates and it's best shared and eaten family style.

10/10 I would go back.