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Food Nomad

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About Food Nomad

  • Birthday April 13

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    Arlington, VA

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  1. I finally had the opportunity to have lunch at Ippudo last weekend while I was in the city. As expected, the place was packed and luckily I could get right in since I was dining alone on this particular occasion. I was seated at a communal table and ordered their Hirata Pork Buns and the Akamaru Modern ramen. The buns were on the thicker side and had that nice fluffy gooey consistency that reminded me of the siaopao I used to eat as a little kid. The pork had that rich fatty flavor that you would expect but I was thrown off a bit by the lettuce in the buns. I don't know if I've ever had lettuce in buns and it was just a foreign taste to me when associated with these. I added a soft boiled egg and some pork belly to the ramen. The egg was a good choice and provided some extra richness. The pork belly was surprisingly flavorless and didn't have a ton of fat. The pork chashu that came with the ramen, however, more than made up for it as it seemed to have ample time to soak up the broth. The noodles were tasty enough but I think I prefer them to be a touch on the thicker side. The broth had a great depth of flavor and, at least to me, tasted a bit lighter than the ramen I've had in the past since I think they used considerably less pork fat in this broth. I'm glad that I finally got to try out Ippudo since it had been recommended to me by one of the owners of Sakuramen way back when they opened. I don't know if I prefer it over Momofuku Noodle Bar but I'm glad to know that it's out there in case I want another option.
  2. I had a pretty great time this past weekend in NYC. I got a chance to catch up with some friends for dinner on Friday night at Ken & Cook (official website here). The food is pretty straightforward and simply prepared almost like a fine steakhouse yet without the primary focus on the steak. We ordered a mixed charcuterie board, (deep breath) grilled squid, beet & avocado salad, beef tartare, veal pappardelle, mussels with chorizo, the black bass, salmon, wagyu flank, fried chicken, and the cote de boeuf. Like most places, the dishes were hit or miss but rather than going through each one, I'll just highlight the ones we liked best. The grilled squid came with a nice char on them which imparted a great smoky flavor. They placed a sunny side egg on to the tartare to make it pretty rich and decadent. The veal and sauce of the pappardelle were spot on but the highlight of the dish was the fresh home made pasta that was ribbon wide and paper thin. It absorbed a good amount of the flavors in the sauce without losing too much of its own. I found it ironic that my favorite dish of the night was the cote de boeuf which was just a simply done rib eye steak that came barely medium rare with garlic and shallots. The meat was flavorful, tender and we probably could have ate another. We went there because one of the managers asked us to come and try it out and we probably would never normally would choose it if we were strictly looking for a good meal. The menu isn't something that would catch my eye and there are simply too many other choices in the city. However, I'm glad we went because the place is an absolute scene. I don't know if it's normally like this but it was fashion week and there were certainly a fair share of 'beautiful people' in this joint. It was packed and there was certainly a lot to take in. It certainly wasn't our typical choice but every once in a while, it's fun to go to a place like this. For the six of us, it was a fun environment to catch up in and while I can't wholeheartedly recommend the food, I can definitely recommend the experience if you're looking for that type of thing just to see what it's like.
  3. I had a chance to swing by Family Meal this past weekend for lunch. I was surprised to find it in a pretty industrial part of town and it's essentially a shiny glass island of a building on a huge blacktop so it's easily found if you're not familiar with Frederick. Even though the place is pretty expansive, there was a constant flow of traffic the whole time I was there. The lunch menu is littered with a lot of familiar American classics like deviled eggs, fried chicken, burgers and shakes. But, if you're looking for something a little more interesting, you can also find crispy pig ears and duck poutine. I ordered the heirloom tomato gazpacho, fried chicken and banana split. The gazpacho was a refreshing start which included two generous chunks of shrimp and a dollop of avocado. The fried chicken was nicely crispy on the outside and really moist on the inside. The side of hot sauce was something new for me when paired with fried chicken and gave it a nice additional flavor. The banana split is more like banana slices on top of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream. I liked the thinner spoon size slices of banana and the bourbon vanilla ice cream stood out in the dessert. I liked the overall experience of the restaurant but I don't know if I would recommend a road trip just to go there. However, if you're in the area or it's not too far out of the way, then it would be worth your while.
  4. I actually love the name of this place. I went to Of Love & Regret for brunch over the weekend and while the outside looks like any corner bar in Baltimore, the inside gives of a great atmosphere with the eclectic art and woody tones. Like the poster above me, I'm looking forward to going back for their more adventurous dinner menu. For brunch, I had a nice, elevated french dip sandwich which came with steak fries. For dessert, I had a brandy & honey poached pear. Nice, smooth flavors and the crumbled toffee on top was something new to me. I tried their Stillwater As Follows, a hoppy little malt and the Stillwater Stateside Saison, a smooth, deeper and heavier almost amber malt. The place isn't like any other place I visited when I was cutting my teeth in Baltimore so I hope that it sticks.
  5. Went to Kushi Izakaya for dinner because of a comment in the Izakaya Seki post saying that they expected Kushi to be something closer to what Izakaya Seki is. I didn't know what that meant so I went to find out. Well, they're absolutely right that the two places, while serving similar food, are completely different. Seki, to me, is a more intimate affair like the girl who you bring home to meet your parents and potentially marry. Kushi is more brash and louder like the girl who you like to have a good time with but stop short of calling it "dating". I felt like the food & atmosphere reflected those personalities well. But, still a good meal and I haven't been to that area since I've been back so good day overall.
  6. Went to Boundary Road for brunch this weekend and I have to agree with the post above (well, 2 posts above). Brunch isn't as extensive as their dinner menu but I liked their clean and simple approach to food and the freshness of their ingredients. I liked the decor and the easy-going atmosphere. The wait staff was friendly and down-to-earth. I agree with above in that the restaurant isn't overreaching to be something that it isn't. It's a nice neighborhood place where you'll be able to find a reliable meal and a refreshing drink.
  7. okay, i feel like an idiot for asking the obvious and i've looked through the forums to see if I could figure it out but i honestly don't know what you mean by that. help!
  8. I finally got back to Toki Underground. I've been trying to go back for a return visit for a month now but the line and wait were always a bit much. Went back this past Sunday and luckily got there a littler earlier than opening since the line had already started forming about 10-15 minutes before 5p. Like most everyone else, I enjoyed the ramen (just the classic) especially the egg and what seemed like a nice wrap of grape leaves in mine. What I wanted to mention was that I got their Braised Beef Shank with Coconut Risotto too which I found to be just as appealing. The beef shank had a nice flavor and came out tender. They made sure to put slivers of coconut in the risotto to give you some crunch. Just a nice dish and it could just be that I'm new to Toki but I'm glad to see that there was more than just ramen and dumplings.
  9. I went to Sakuramen shortly after it opened and my experience was a little different. I actually liked the green onions as they helped cut through the fat of the pork belly. I did want the pork belly slices to be a bit thicker but honestly, when do you not want more pork belly? I didn't try the spicy miso but the gojiramen, I thought, did bring a lot of what I was looking for in ramen. I looked at it as their basic ramen and their menu allowed you add additional items to enhance the flavor. I did wish I added some egg into the mix but as a stand alone basic ramen, it did the trick for me. I liked the place because they're not pretending to be anything they're not. They won't be Momofuku but they fill a nice niche and so they don't have to be.
  10. um, yes. i am quite familiar with the use of search engines. i did find that link but i didn't think krispy kreme would suit my purposes. everything else was either just bread or outside the beltway. it's hard to find out about the quality of these places from google. i posted on here just to see if anyone may know one off the top of their head. i am short on time so i thought it would be worth a shot. apologies to anyone who thought this post was not in the appropriate forum.
  11. I have a friend coming in town this weekend and needs a kosher birthday cake for her grandmother for this Friday. I know there's a Kosher Mart in Rockville but does anyone know of a kosher bakery that's inside the beltway? Thanks!
  12. I swear I saw a posting on these forums about the Julia Child 100th birthday celebration dinner at Cafe Dupont but I can't find it anymore. I wanted to thank that person for posting that. My mom is a big fan of Julia Child and I got a chance to take her and my dad to the dinner on Saturday. The meal wasn't a completely strict interpretation of Julia Child classics but it was tasty and a good deal. More importantly, my mom seemed to enjoy it and even left with a copy of her biography. Thanks to the phantom poster!
  13. I went to H &pizza a couple of times when it first opened and enjoyed my experience. The space is simple but pleasing and I like the experience of watching the pizza made in front of you. It isn't neapolitan but doesn't have to be. I agree about the Farmer's Daughter and I tried the Maverick (Classic Tomato, Housemade Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Hot Sausage, Smoked Bacon, Soppressata, Parmesan Reggiano, Oregano Oil) which surprisingly had less kick than the Farmer's Daughter but still a good pizza. The only thing I wasn't particularly fond of was the dessert pizza. Just needed to work out a few kinks.
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