Photastic!
Due to the surge of Asian people (and cold weather) in my life, I have been wanting pho everday. Some weeks I eat it three times! What is it about pho that is so addicting?
Let me count the ways:
1) it’s cheap
2) it’s a lot of food
3) it warms you right through on those cold days
4) it’s delicious
5) you can never get bored with it
Lately I have been to Pho Bac on Broadway which is good, but not great. The parking sucks and I will never step into the bathroom. My current fave is the #4 which comes with rare steak, flank, tendon, tripe. Mmmm.
Yes, it sounds gross to some but there is something special about chewy tendon and the right amount of crunch from the tripe that makes every bowl so good.
Then one can customize one’s bowl as one likes. How considerate! I like every condiment that is on the table: hosin, sambal, fish sauce (just a dash!), sriracha, lime, basil, jalapenos, bean sprouts, a little soy and just a pinch of sugar. Whew – a lot of flavors but so good!
It is imperative that the broth be very red to indicate the spice level. Multiple napkins – for your nose and forehead are a must! Sweating is encouraged. How to tell if you are “there” in a relationship – eat spicy pho! It’s not pretty.
Granted, you will leave sweaty and bloated but it is well worth it.
Tamales make everything better
This morning was the CA International Marathon which finished at the Capitol. We had a friend running the marathon so we went to watch him cross the line. He did great, the marathon was cool, etc. However, it was a bitter 43 degrees which is very cold for us Californians. Needless to say, we were hungry and decided to walk aroudn the neighborhood to find a good breakfast location. I wanted pho (since I am on a pho kick but that’s another post) because it was super cold. I have been wanting to try Kim’s Pho on J Street but its closed during the weekends. Bummer.
Onward to Danielle’s Creperie which now had a second location on 8th and K. I had great hopes for this restaurant and hoped that it would help out our lame K Street Mall. From the outside, it looked like a very cozy place to have a great breakfast and eat some crepes. This is what my review said on Yelp:
“”Meh. I’ve experienced better.” is right.
I just got back from this place (which I was very excited about opening) and I have to say that I was very disappointed in the overall experience.
The waitstaff was incredibly friendly and the service was great – unfortunately what makes me give this place two stars is the product. I was easily sold by the thought of the “Spicy Avocado Crepe” which promised a spicy, cumin flavored cornmeal batter. My bf ordered the “Danielle’s Omelette Crepe Special” which came with chorizo. We also had ordered coffee since it was a bitter 43 degrees outside. The coffee arrived in two clear glass mugs with saucers however the color of the coffee looked like tea. In fact, it tasted like a coffee/tea hybrid – it was very weak. Nevertheless, we drank it because it was hot.
As I was waiting for my food to arrive, I checked out the other Yelp reviews of this place via phone and my expectations dropped considerably. When the crepes arrived they looked lonely (as you only get a crepe – no sides) but good. Mine had a nice GBD look while the other crepe looked slightly underdone. Granted the batters were different which may have helped with the coloring.
The flavor of the exterior of my crepe was good with subtle hints of cumin but it was no where near spicy as it promised. The inside however was relatively cold which was probably due to the fact that it was filled with sliced tomatoes and avocado. But don’t put shredded cheese into an crepe and NOT melt it down. It was served with a large dollop of sour cream which was fine, however it would have been more needed if it was spicier. To make my crepe better, it was then doused with green jalapeno hot sauce.
My bf’s crepe was considerably better – the flavors were there and it was hot. The chorizo had a good flavor and the eggs were light.
We sat for a while longer while reading the paper and trying to make our dismal breakfast experience better. Our coffees were always refilled and our server still pleasant.
In the end, it was not really worth the price point and quality of food. I do like the fact that they have some interesting and different crepes on their menu however after my experience, I highly doubt I will go back.”
After our lame experience, we went towards the mall on the way home. And then, I saw it….”TAMALES”. Sweet mother of God, there is a tamale stand outside of the mall by the ice rink. I love California. Since were somewhat “full” from our breakfast, I ordered one pork tamale each (oh why would you eat any other kind is beyond me) and a container of their salsa. These tamales were super hot (I burned my tongue), fresh and AMAZING. Foodgasm.
I asked the girl if they were only there on the weekends and she replied, “We are here every day”. Where the hell have I been? Obviously I have been missing out. I was in a fairly foul mood thanks to a bad breakfast, but tamales make everything better. 