goodeats

It's been a year since they've merged...should the NC-chain part be amended, since, I think, Kroger's is an Ohio chain?

June 14!

I wonder why there is not much mention of here, especially with Chef Koslow at the helm? Has anyone been recently?

If you want something more casual, the sister of District Commons (Burger Tap Shake) is pretty good and fast prior to hopping on the bus from Foggy Bottom to KC. Little man and I have either dined at BTS or just eaten at Whole Foods. The DC Dosa stand inside the WF looks pretty good, too.

Now known as Straw, Stick and Brick Delicatessen (per CP).

Nothing, if you are going purely by the pork cut--both are pork belly. But the difference is in the preparation (i.e., bacon needs to brined and cured/smoked) and execution (i.e., sliced strips vs larger, cubed cuts)..

I didn't have a good experience last time at HK Palace, so it would be good to hear if their version is good. I did find a varied version at Sichuan Village in Chantilly--No. 83. It's the shank version, which is pretty tasty too, if well done.

The last time I made Baozi, I used Yi Reservation's recipe. You can adjust the filling sauces to mimic Toki's. But, if you really want to cheat and just focus on the fillings, my lazy method is to buy ready-made pizza dough from TJ's or Whole Foods to save some time...

This year's Lunar New Year is on Thursday, February 19, and it is the Year of the Sheep.

Did you ever find some, Matt? I recall seeing some on the steam table at Kam Sam Market in Rockville last week, but I will have to keep an eye out for it. Most restaurants don't steam it enough to make the fat soft and meat tender, so I usually don't order it. What about Hunan Taste in Fairfax?

I really should have written down places I visited this past summer, but I'll do a better job at taking notes this summer. If your visit consists mostly of staying in Taipei, here are some useful tips: 1. Cash is king. Like Chinese restaurants here, most people pay with cash or their MRT reloadable (YoYo EasyCard). Many department stores and larger restaurants will accept a credit card, but only an EMV chip + pin (sometimes a chip + signature is accepted, but I got rejected at one of the places) is 100% guaranteed to work. Every other type of credit card has some percentage of being rejected. 2. The MRT and buses are awesome! Prior to going, you'll want to download the MRT app (iTunes or Google Play) or Bus app (iTunes) to help you navigate. 3. Free Wifi in Taipei! It was nice to not have to purchase a cell service with data plan here or pay extra for global service. If you can swap out SIM cards, I highly advise doing so, since cell plans are cheap in Taiwan. If you want to buy a local plan, please do so at the airport mobile shops. This is because if you buy a SIM card or a prepay plan at the airport, you only need to show 1 form of ID (i.e., passport) and credit card. Otherwise, it gets complicated if you try to do it at the local convenience store. 4. Convenience stores are super convenient in Taiwan. If you get hungry and need to eat at that very moment, visit a convenient store to recharge. They often have fun promotions or collectibles (great souvenirs) and you can pay with your MRT EasyCard, too, if you want to save your cash to spend elsewhere. Definite must go places: 1. National Palace Museum. Remember, "jade cabbage." There are nice dining options at the museum, too. 2. HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK. Once an abandoned factory, it has now become a hub for creative stores and artists. If you go, please stop by FAB Cafe for some nice coffee selections. 3. Taipei Zoo and Maokong Gondola. Yuan Zai is the zoo's main attraction, but remember to grab a time-stamp ticket, if you want to visit the Panda House, as it is strictly regulated. The gondola ride (also payable with your MRT card) is worth the trip, as the green, lush scenery is quite unforgettable. 4. Night markets. 5. Sun Yat Sen and Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Halls. Even if you disagreed with their politics or their personalities, the architecture alone is worth visiting for both places. 6. Bookstores. Go to any. I feel like the ones here all pale in comparison. 7. Ximending. A great place to shop or eat--this is a popular area to see old Japanese colonial architecture or try some Taiwanese classics, like Plum or Starfruit juices. 8. Taipei 101. The food court has a wide variety of options, plus the view is unbeatable. Taiwanese famous chains and must-try eats: 1. Din Tai Fung. Xiao Long Bao. Xinyi location is their original store and one most people visit, but if you are doing some shopping at the Fuxing SOGO department store anyway, that location is pretty good too. 2. 85 degrees. Still a pretty popular bakery, it's worth visiting to see the hype, even if there are better places. 3. Coffee. Artisan coffee has taken off in the past few years to the point that Taiwan is cultivating its own coffee beans. The Taiwan Loves Coffee blog is a good reference. 4. Whisky and beer. Of course, Taiwan Beer is famous for its bland, light taste, but did you know it comes in lychee or pineapple flavors there? Definitely missing out. ;-) The craft brew scene is catching on as well as cocktail programs in restaurants. The bonus with whisky is that Kavalan distillery caught most countries by surprise with its win a few years back. 5. Taiwanese famous foods. Too many to list, so here is a link, starting with the famous pineapple cakes.

Okay, now that I have eaten here, I can provide the Chinese characters: 食尚. It is really a tiny place inside, with only 1 table large enough to seat 6, I think, but otherwise, only about 6-10 tables of 2s and 4s. People were definitely willing to wait. Little man and I went with friends, so there were 3 adults and 3 kids in our group. The things we ordered that I thought were hits were: Xiao Long Bao, Sticky Rice Shu Mai, Steamed dumplings (kids gobbled these up), Kaofu (Wheat gluten), and the Pumpkin pastry. After trying the XLB here, at JDS Shanghai, and Bob's Shanghai, I feel like this has juicier XLBs with more flavor. I would probably just ask for more ginger with the sauce next time, since Din Tai Fung spoiled me with its sauce piled mountain-high with ginger.

Very late to chime in here, but I found the soup dumplings to be much better at Shanghai Taste than Bob's. Bob's XLB's meat was dry and flavorless compared to Shanghai Taste.

There was a place in Mclean that has soup dumplings, but I cannot recall where. As usual, for good soup dumplings, you will have to trek to Maryland... Little man and I have been back a few times since this last post. I like that you can get dim sum a la carte at night now. I find the food slightly inconsistent from visit to visit, but not enough to stop dining here.

I think this is the first time, and please correct me, if I am wrong, that a thread is left out of the Dining Guide? Might be my tired eyes, though...

Need to read when not so tired because brain read as "taco curry," instead...

Honestly--it just looks like the one on the left is an older website (see copyright date at the bottom) and should have been deactivated but not, while the right one has a current registration...

My understanding is that the owners/partners have found a production kitchen to bake more goods. It's supposed to be the same, but the quality at Annandale seems a bit inferior compared to Rockville's, so I rather make the trek up north. But it's been about two months since I've gone to the one in Annandale, so hopefully the consistency has improved (I heard the owners have been polling regular customers the same question). The new production kitchen has allowed Bread Corner to begin retail sales on a small selection of breads at the Bangkok 54 market and at the Super H, so it is slightly more convenient if you just want to pick 1 or 2 up to go. The prices at Bangkok 54 and Super H have a $0.10 markup compared to the bakery on the 1 or 2 breads I took a quick glance at, fwiw.

Aw, shucks. Toronto's an amazing place--very vibrant, a lot of personality, and great places to go exploring. Please don't worry/feel bad about Rol San prices. I mentioned it as a point of comparison; I suspect Rol San prices are on par with other dim sum restaurants in the area. Also, I like figuring things out, so it was a good challenge for me re: transportation. On all my trips, I keep receipts from everywhere I went and I try to keep a daily ledger to make sure I'm within budget, just to be safe. For Toronto, I was a bit surprised at my daily spendings, so I feel bad that the cost of living is a bit higher there compared to here...

I actually haven't tried their pho because it is made with their beef stock, but their other noodle soups that don't have a beef base are pretty good, but probably not the super rich type of flavor you may be looking for...

I don't drink enough to justify buying a case, but the Pontificis sold at Trader Joe's for $6.99 is a nice wine to pair with your meal, without breaking the bank. I like that it is versatile enough that, while its flavors come out more when served at a red-friendly warm temperature, it tastes pretty good at a slightly colder temperature.

<sheepish look> I was just thinking how to write this up, now, jasonc, especially, since, I really had a lot of fun! Here's my (long) summary. Prior to arrival, I knew I didn't want to rent a car; I couldn't justify parking prices for the 3 nights, on top of rental costs, so I opted for mass transit. It was very confusing at first, since I tried to research prior to arrival, but my research efforts caused more confusion; however, I got really good at figuring out the system by the end of the trip. There are 3 viable systems in Toronto: 1. VIARail: The Amtrak equivalent in Canada. Also equally expensive, but offers good deals via email subscription. 2. GOTransit: Toronto's regional rail system. The link will take you to the PRESTO card system, which is a reloadable card system like the SmarTrip card. 3. Toronto Transit Commission (TTC): Toronto's local transit system, comprised of subway, buses, and streetcars. Very convenient and pretty frequent. Also expensive, if you pay per fare. Currently, this is the only public transit method to get to downtown Toronto, although the GOTransit will take you to surrounding suburbs/neighborhoods of Toronto. To get to downtown via the TTC from Toronto Pearson International Airport, you will need to take the 192 Airport Rocket (Terminal 1, Column R4 or Terminal 3, C12) to Kipling Station (subway). It costs $3 CAD for adults, $2 for seniors/students, and $0.75 for children, but requires exact change, if paying on the bus. Instead, buy a bus token at the Currency Exchange located near door S (I think) of Terminal 1, ground level, if you don't have exact change. I ended up buying a PRESTO card for my mom and I, which, thankfully, turned out to be useful for the Niagara Falls trip via GOTransit (it was too pricey via the VIARail), but if you are going just be downtown or in the surrounding neighborhoods (e.g., Richmond Hill), you can just purchase TTC passes to save money and time. Or walk. We walked quite a bit because many places were quite walkable. We were lucky to book a hotel near Union Station. This is such a convenient hub to everywhere--highly recommended if you can. Day 1: While walking from Union Station to our hotel, I gleefully leapt for joy at the fact that a Tim Horton's was conveniently located across our hotel. Definitely made my mom try their doughnuts, which we had as a nice afternoon snack. Then we toured the Bata Shoe Museum and a bit of Eaton Centre, prior to dining at the 360 restaurant, located at the top of the CN Tower. 2 things of note: 1. Black Friday was alllll over Toronto during the American Thanksgiving holiday weekend, even though they didn't celebrate it, of course, and 2. Starbucks was equally all over the city--you couldn't really escape from it. I think it is slightly scary how much Starbucks has seeped into their culture too. The CN Tower was beautifully lit and the restaurant was definitely not for those who have slight motion sickness (i.e., me). I was a bit nauseous from the constant turning, but my mom enjoyed every view from the top. The service was lovely and the kitchen was very respectable of our allergies. The food was pricey (as was the wine list--both expected), but well-executed and run-of-the-mill-touristy (nice) fare. It is a great way to sightsee the entire downtown area, especially since you can walk around the observation deck after you have finished dining. I would recommend it because of the experience. Day 2: Kensington Market and Chinatown (the 2 are near each other) during the day and Yasu for dinner. 1. Kensington Market is an eclectic little town-like feel of a neighborhood. It was a bit of shopping, bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants, butcher/fishery shops, and so forth in a concentrated area. You can get off at the center of it via the Spadina Avenue streetcar--very convenient. We started out our day at Jason's recommendation: Nu Bí¼gel. A great representation of a Montreal-style bagel, these are first boiled in honey water and then baked in their wood fire oven. My mom and I split a lox and cream cheese sesame bagel sandwich, which was delicious (think: nice chewy, soft, warm), especially with their housemade honey mayo. Next, my nose led me to Wanda's Pie in the Sky, where I had to buy a slice or two for later...too full and could never resist pie. These are really well-made pies, with a nice buttery, thickish crust and not too much sugar or flavorings to let the main flavor shine through. I opted for a slice of the Ontario Sour Cherry, while mom picked their seasonal Sweet Potato Praline. Mom's slice still tasted great a day later, while I consumed mine happily that night. I think these ran about $4 CAD per slice. Then, my mom overheard a tour guide of the market walking tour proclaiming, "this has the best coffee in Toronto!" So, of course, my mom had to try it, as this guide was the "professional." So we grabbed a cup of joe from Casa Acoreana (Yelp link. Also known as "Casa Coffee"). This was probably the cheapest, decent cup of coffee you can find anywhere, since it was $1. The star is probably its sister store, which sells freshly made cannolis for $3 (I think--this is from memory), if you buy a cup of coffee. Mom never tried cannolis, so I bought one. Being a typical Asian mom, she declared it was "too sweet," but liked the well-made filling and the crispy, crunchiness of the shell. Warning--this place is really a hole-in-the-wall, corner shop. Very lovely place, but turn the corner, and you'll miss it. We proceeded to walk around, heading toward Chinatown, and as I "oohed" and "ahhed" about the butcher and fish shops along the way, I had to drag my mom into Blackbird Baking Co. A neat little shop with breads baked daily, this would be my daily stop if I lived nearby. A sampling of its sourdough baguette had me excited about its sourness, chewiness, bounce, if you pressed on it, and of course, its taste. Alas, needed to make room for dim sum, so no purchases made here. 2. Chinatown, next stop. Mom recalls having the best dim sum in Toronto, even though our last visit here was quite harried. So, we went with Jason's recommendation and dined at Rol San (FB link). I think it was pricier than dim sum in the DC area, but was really good. I especially liked the way they did their shrimp changfen, while mom loved their pork and bamboo rolled in tofu sheets. Their taro dumpling was also the best I've had in awhile. The one thing I didn't like was how they added gratuity onto the bill, even though it was just the two of us. This was the only place we ate at that did this. Even though we were really full, we stopped at various bakeries. I would have to add to this part later, as I can't recall which ones we visited (most of our baked goods were consumed the next day on the train to Niagara Falls). The only two I could recall were Mashon Bakery (Yelp link--the best of all we tried) and Ding Dong Bakery (Yelp link--just alright, but conveniently located next to Rol San). 3. I think the most memorable meal of our trip by far was at Yasu. An intimately designed sushi bar, with a seating for about 8 total, the omakase designed by the chef-owner was very well thought out, with a nice progression through its 18-piece meal (plus dessert), showcasing fresh ingredients sourced globally. (Even though the chef-owner wasn't there that night--I think--since the two chefs present that night do not match online photos, you can still tell they were very well trained. I also liked the fact they asked if you had any food allergies prior to serving the initial course). At $80 CAD, I think it was a good value for what was presented and probably the freshest that I have had in awhile. I will post a dropbox link of photos later. I really liked how there were two chefs available for the tasting--1 for each two pair-seating, and I also liked how the chefs explained where the fish was sourced, along with the staff showing us a picture of it on the iPad from time to time. They answered any question lobbed at them, including my question of what type of rice they used in the restaurant (answer: koshihikari). The most interesting course was the Shirako (I won't spoil the surprise--click on thekitchn.com explanation)--and my favorite was probably the first course, a Hawaiian fish, the name I cannot recall right now (Opah?). It was nice and sweet, with almost an apple-y taste to it. They have a nice wine/beer list there, too. Day 3: St. Lawrence Market and Niagara Falls. By mass transit, you take the GOTransit Lakefront line to the 12 bus, I think, which will take you to Niagara Falls. It was about an hour's ride each way. The baked goods came in handy, as my mom didn't want to eat there, for some reason. The highlight was riding back with a bunch of Maple Leaf fans and seeing a brave 11 or 12 year old girl wearing the lone Caps jersey on the train. (I think Caps lost 3 straight that weekend...) Prior to heading out to Niagara Falls, we started our day at the St. Lawrence Market. If you can, go on a Saturday, as that is when they have their farmer's market in the north building. The South Market, or the daily portion, reminds me a lot of Philly's Reading Market. 1. The Farmers' Market at St. Lawrence Market North (blogTO link) is more like the size of the Courthouse Saturday market, but with much more variety of options, such as a few butchers (with actual pigs hanging in the window of their portable butcher case), more ethnic selections and the like. My three favorites were: a. Meadowview Honey (not sure if this is the correct link, but it is the honey vendor closest to the food stand inside the North Hall). An Ontario-based apiary, they make a variety of liquid and creamed honeys for sale, as well as beautifully carved beeswax candles. We bought two small jars of a type of creamed honey that I still can't bear to use, but found it quite tasty when I sampled. b. Maple Syrup vendor right outside of the North Hall doors leading to the South Hall. Of course I cannot recall the vendor's name or find it online, but of the few vendors' "locally produced" maple syrups sampled, this vendor had the best taste to its syrup. c. Merchants of Green Coffee. The best coffee tasted during the entire trip took place that morning. They only sell beans at the farmer's market, but they hand out sample coffee. You only need to drink it black. That's how good it was. One whiff of the beans and you know they carefully choose their beans and where they source from. I bought a 1/4 pound each of their India-sourced bean and somewhere from South America origin to brew at home. I just finally finished it around Christmas time, and it was still "good to the last drop." I wish I could direct order from here. I finally found two good coffee bean vendors, but one being here and the other being in Taiwan, I'd say I'm a bit out of luck... 2. South Hall was a place one can get lost quite easily. The market is split between two levels, which most of the vendors on the main level. We only made 2 purchases, since we were heading out to Niagara Falls shortly thereafter, but mom's one find made her giddy like no other. a. Anton Kozlik's Canadian Mustard. Ironically, her giddiness was not over the mustard sold here, which rivals many a favorites you all have posted, but rather, she went absolutely delighted over their horseradish. Apparently it is that good. It was a very popular shop, as a queue formed soon after we arrived. So you will have to find out for yourself which type of mustard you like and whether the horseradish is really mom-approved good. b. Future Bakery. Future Bakery actually takes up two stalls in the market (one directly across from the other), with one stall focusing on its baked goods, cakes, and tarts, and the other on its breads. After reading how every visitor should try the famous Toronto butter tart and seeing it sold here at a reasonable price, I purchased one to go. It did not disappoint, but is slightly an acquired texture/flavor, as it somewhat resembled eating a spoonful of Lyle's Golden Syrup. After the market, mom was ready for a cup of latte to drink on the way to Niagara Falls, so we stopped in a Second Cup cafe. I think it is the second largest coffee franchise in Canada, after Starbucks (or third, if you count Tim Horton's). It served its purpose, offering a nice variety of coffee/tea and coffee/tea specialty products along with pastries and food. Mom liked the croissants there. We ate at Momofuku Toronto on our last night here because it was closest ramen/noodle place to our hotel. Not very different from the other Momofukus, so I won't elaborate. But it was nice to have hot noodle soup on a cold night. I think you can see why it took me so long to find time to compose it. As it is, I took an hour, unbelievably. But it was a worth it, as it was a lot of fun. We ended the trip flying out of the Billy Bishop Airport. I highly recommend flying in and out of here, as it was a short ferry service from the Union Station area to the airport, with virtually no wait at security (think tiny airport). A bonus was a nice lounging area with free snacks and beverages.

Hm, would you like a side of snark with that? Yes, economically, "unaffordable" is indeed relative. But I think your usage should perhaps be leaning toward "subjective tastes," instead of economic affordability. Because no, I don't see you preferring MickeyD's or Maxwell coffee, so you'll make room in your budget for them. But sometimes, some our budgets just don't reach those things, no matter how we stretch them, so our tastes can't include them. (well, not if I still want some savings in my bank for a rainy day emergency...) This convo reminds me of the YouTube video I saw of cacao harvesters tasting chocolate bars for the first time, after harvesting the beans for many years....

Precisely why it's unaffordable...on a sale, you can easily get 2 half gallons for $10 or less.Breyer's, minus their fancy flavor line, is still not bad comparatively for ingredients to price. But after switching to Harris Teeter's green lid house brand, I found Breyer's too sweet for me now, actually.

Oh no, it isn't the lack of fish sauce added, although, being the weird Asian that I am, actually don't care that much for fish sauce. So I only add usually a teaspoon of fish sauce, and that's sufficient for me. It's really the dryness of the pork that I haven't had much luck at. I think at Rice Paper, I had it once and the pork still had some moistness/sauce on it that made it a great bun, but once and at other places I've had bun, the meats have been grilled or cooked to a bit more than well-done. More like the chef put the meat on the grill or start cooking it, multi-tasked and then went, "oops." I still like to order it because there's nothing like a good pork and egg roll bun at times. So I still do.