Celebrating the 2,000 Mile Drive at Hong Kong Palace

We drove home over two days from Florida. While the husband preferred driving back in one shot on one day, 16 hours in the car with my parents along with us was more than they or I could bear. We stopped off in Fayetteville, North Carolina for the night. The next day, we finished the last few hours drive home, and handed my parents off to my brother, for their holiday visit with him. After washing a couple loads of laundry and settling back in at home, we headed out to buy groceries and enjoy some spicy Sichuan dishes at Hong Kong Palace in Seven Corners.

 Dan Dan Noodles

 Beef and Vegetables in Spicy Sauce

 Pork Wontons in spicy sauce

 Fried Rice with fried egg, shrimp and bacon.

 Mapo Tofu with leeks

Shanghai Tips with Shiitake Mushrooms

***

We ordered a lot of our favorite Sichuan dishes, and packed up the leftovers for lunch the next day.With the 30 degree temperature change from Florida to Virginia, it was good to have something hot and fiery to eat to ward off the head cold and swollen glands I feel coming on.

Christmas in Fort Myers

My childhood Christmases were filled with snow, cold temperatures and thick sweaters.My parents moved to Florida at the turn of the century. It still seems a bit strange to spend Christmas in shorts and t-shirts, surrounded by palm trees, however, my husband did enjoy playing golf the day before and the day after Christmas. An added bonus, we had delicious food, and got to meet the newest four-legged friend.

 Baked country-style spare ribs.

Food from my childhood, my husband loved this.

***

While my husband and dad went golfing, my mom and I ran errands and had a leisurely lunch at Bistro 41. Fort Myers has a plethora of chain restaurants, but some of their local restaurants are true gems. In the off-season (May-October), many of the restaurants have to offer special deals to lure the locals out. During the winter season when the snowbirds arrive, all the restaurants have hours-long waits. 

 Soup and Half Sandwich Combo ($11)

Half chicken salad wrap with French onion soup, and a small mixed greens salad.

 Prime Rib French Dip with Handcut French Fries, au jus and horseradish cream ($12)

The bread was great and the meat was really tender and flavorful. Best French Dip I've had in a while.

***

Christmas dinner was a super special meal. My parents combined efforts to make a lovely surf and turf, with broiled lobster tail and grilled filet mignon.  

 The lobster tails were immense, about one pound each.

 My mom covered the lobster meat in a garlic butter mixture before broiling.

 Seasoned fillets, ready for the grill.

Steak, lobster, asparagus and rice. Merry Christmas!

***

With the four children grown up and out of their house, my parents have adopted a variety of furry friends. Lily (white) and Mr. Harley were adopted stray cats. Harley loves bags, and waited for Lily to leave before he investigated it for himself. 

 The newest addition, and most rambunctious, is Mr. Bentley. A King Charles Cavalier spaniel, he is very beautiful and loves to be around his people. My husband particularly loved spending time with Bentley.

I am, unfortunately, allergic to cats and dogs. I love petting them, and playing with Bentley was fun, but the dander and dog saliva caused me to break out in hives, sneezes and have trouble breathing. But...when you look at this cute face, or hear Ms. Lily meow-talking to you, you can't resist. Thank goodness for benadryl.

Duke's BBQ in Waynesboro, South Carolina

We set off in a packed car down I-95, as part of the great migration southwards for the holidays. Traffic was heavier than what I had expected. While we had previously traveled to Florida in an SUV which topped off at 21 mpg, our new hybrid managed 38-41 mpg. The improved fuel efficiency was great for the wallet, since we didn't have to fill up the gas tank as often, but that meant the hours between restroom stops lengthened this trip. 

 We stopped for dinner in Waynesboro, SC, at Duke's BBQ.

A popular local joint with cars lined up at the drive up take-out window, we went inside to the $10 all you can eat buffet of southern specialties.

 Pulled pork, fried chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese.

BBQ rib with spicy Carolina-style BBQ sauce, creamy and hot macaroni and cheese, and fried okra bites.

***

If you find yourself in Waynesboro, I would recommend stopping by Duke's. Great price for a hot buffet with plenty of dishes to choose from. The fried chicken was particularly good, as was the okra and macaroni and cheese. 

Bayou Bakery in Courthouse

As a final dinner before we headed out on our epic migration to Florida for the Christmas holidays, we went to Bayou Bakery in Courthouse. A blustery day, the restaurant was not too busy when we arrived. The husband had beignets on the mind.

 Andouille Sausage with rice and herbs.

A single homemade link with a dollop of mustard and a packet of crackers. In our mind, the sausage was served with the rice on the side, not inside. It was good, although my husband had hoped for something a little more substantial.

 Muffaletta Sandwich

This was fantastic. The layers of meats, cheese and pickled vegetables melded together nicely. The bread was the real highlight. The size was just right for me.

 Cup of Gumbo.

Nice slices of andouille sausage.

Beignets

An order of the powder sugar covered fried bites of dough with a cup of coffee.

Don't Trust the Washingtonian for Korean Restaurant Recommendations

For a few years, I've seen DaMoim recommended in the Washingtonian. We had never been, since we tend to frequent Lighthouse Tofu or previously Honey Pig before the restaurant jumped the shark. We met up with our Korean friend one Saturday evening. After deciding the kimbap place looked underwhelming, we tried something new by going to DaMoim upon my suggestion. Just one look was enough, we should have hightailed it out of there. For the sake of brave culinary exploration, we stayed and tried some Korean fusion dishes that were "interesting". 

 Kimchi Quesadilla

 Steamed buns with pork

This was somewhat similar to an item on Momofuku's menu, but probably the weakest dish. We also shared bites of a spicy Italian sausage on a bun, topped with bulgolgi. We washed it all down with two bottles of soju, and then headed down the street to a karaoke box. 

DaMoim looks fancy and clean, appealing to people who like fusion cuisine and drinks. It's not for people who prefer traditional dishes and gentler prices. 

***

After exercising our vocal chords, we headed back to 70 80, a Korean casual spot for makkoli served in large vats and a ladle. We also ordered a hamul pajeon, which was heavy on the scallions and squid.

Indian Food Detox

After the three days of celebrations for our friend's Indian wedding, we returned home to resume work and the holiday season. While I enjoy Indian food, I am not accustomed to eating Indian food for multiple meals three days in a row. 

Sichuan Pavilion Tender Beef with Vegetables in Spicy Sauce

Sichuan Pavilion Dan Dan Noodles with spinach.

PAUL Baguette with ham and Swiss cheese.

A new PAUL opened up at 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The bread was good, with a soft interior and crunchy exterior.

Chicken Banh Mi from the shop below our office.

The bread was not as good as the baguettes from PAUL. While located in DC and easy to get to, these banh mi sandwiches pale in comparison to the more authentic ones in Eden Center out in Virginia.

Eggplant minced pork stir-fry at home.

Yasai itamae, stir-fried vegetables with oyster sauce.

Scrambled eggs with kimchee.

 Devon and Blakely small mixed greens salad with artichokes, tomatoes and chickpeas.

Axian bibimbap with spicy Korean pork and 10+ vegetables.

Wedding Day

The engagement was the second night. We danced behind a van pumping Indian music as we made our way from the front of the hotel to the large tent outside. The groom followed in a horse-drawn carriage. If I recall correctly, the horse's name was Bill. The groom, his father and the groomsmen all danced in a circle. After we entered the tent, the official engagement ceremony took place. Our friend's cousin stopped by and explained the rituals to us afterwards. Following the ceremony, we sat down to dinner. On either side of the tent were buffets, one with northern Indian dishes, and the other with southern Indian. On the southern Indian side, they made masala dosas to order, which our friend had made for us a number of times. I liked it all, even when I mistakenly took a huge bite of mango pickle. 

The next morning was the wedding ceremony. I'm accustomed to 15-30 minute long ceremonies. Fortunately there were programs that explained the various rituals in the three-hour long ceremony. What was most striking, was how involved both families are in the wedding ceremony. It was not just the husband and wife joining in a union together, but the binding of the families. It was a truly beautiful and moving ceremony. 

The Mehendi

One of my long-held wishes has been to attend an Indian wedding, mostly inspired by Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice. My wish came true this year, when I had the opportunity to attend the wedding of one of my friends from my MBA cohort. It was everything I had imagined, and much more. 

Mehendi Night

We arrived Friday and attended the Mehendi at our friend's parents' condo building. They had prepared a wonderful feast of food and festivities, and had a lady drawing designs on the ladies' hands. Traditionally this is done with henna, which temporarily dyes the skin. The artist was able to free-form different designs on everyone's hands.

The longer you leave the dye on, the darker the staining will appear. As it began to dry and crack, you can flake off the dye. If you prefer a lighter pattern, you can remove it sooner.

Despite my best efforts, I could not stop smudging the design.

***

The Mehendi night was a relaxed and fun way to mingle with the guests, who were from every stage of our friend's life. Some were his childhood high school friends, his middle school English teacher attended, and then there were his college friends, coworkers and our MBA cohort. We did a little dancing, ate some lovely vegetarian food, chatted with everyone and enjoyed our first night in Tampa.

Beautiful Commute

Some days the commute up GW Parkway is super slow. Other days super aggressive drivers are all around. 

On sunny days like this, you catch a glimpse of the Potomac and the Washington Monument, and you realize how lucky you are to live in such a picturesque city.

Tampa, the December Place to Be

Grand Hyatt in Tampa is minutes from the Tampa airport, and somewhat under the flight path, but also a nice mixture of natural oasis and resort. 

 Walking out to the gazebo, we passed through a sanctuary with scenic views.

You have to love the white sand beaches of Florida.

Grand Hyatt in Tampa, Florida

Headed to Tampa, Florida, for a three-day wedding weekend in early December with some of my former MBA classmates. We went to graduate school part-time while working full-time jobs. It felt like were in the trenches together, muddling through lengthy Harvard Business School case studies about Apple products, while struggling to balance, work, classes, group work and a social life. We celebrated another MBA friend's wedding in September and in December we gathered for another one. Truly special people.

After an early morning flight to Tampa, I met my girlfriends at the baggage carousel and we caught the shuttle to the hotel. After checking in, we stopped in the hotel restaurant for a quick lunch before exploring the property. $12 lunch special included your choice of sandwich and salad.

 Cubano with a mixed greens salad.

 Blackened Grouper sandwich with a seasonal salad.

Portabello Mushroom Sandwich with cheese.

Faccia Luna Old Town Alexandria

Faccia Luna in Old Town is a neighborhood restaurant with good prices and reliably good food. While we generally order the same dishes, this time we both were a little adventurous. As my husband likes to say, sometimes my experimentation goes horribly wrong. Luckily this time we picked all winners.

 Meatball Sliders (3 to an order)

Super soft bun, tangy tomato sauce and some well-made meatballs. 

 Cobb Salad with grilled chicken, avocado, blue cheese, tomatoes, bacon and boiled eggs.

A perfectly ripe slice of avocado with a light sprinkle of salt is a thing of beauty.

Seafood Linguine Special

The seafood was just ok, but the tricolore pasta was truly lovely.

Homemade Korean-style Pork

Some times Super H Mart has really good prices on odd cuts of meat. I like to go in and pick up a little of this and a little of that, and figure out what to do with it later. This was one of those dishes. Boneless pork loin for under $3? Yes please.

Marinate the sliced pork loin in kochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, chili pepper, sake, ginger and garlic for an hour in the refrigerator. Mix with scallions and sliced jalapenos, and stirfry. Serve with rice, green curly lettuce to wrap the pork, and some mat kimchi. 

Kabob Palace in Crystal City

Ever notice that the grimier, less decorated a kabob place is, the better it tastes? One night after work, when none of our usual haunts would do, we detoured off GW Parkway to Crystal City to a divey, hole-in-the-wall "Kabob Palace" www.kabobpalaceusa.com. If the line of people, waiting somewhat patiently, is any indication, you too need to stop by 2315 South Eads Street. If you're smart, you'll also call in your order ahead of time.

 Palace Combo #9 with lamb and kubideh ($11.95)

Comes with rice, salad and your choice of side (spinach).

Palace Combo #8 with boneless chicken and kubideh ($11.95) 

This includes salad, rice and fantastic chickpeas.

***

This is pricier than Moby Dick and Ravi Kabob, but the flavor is great, the kabobs are cooked to order and end up perfectly juicy and spiced well. If you're in a hurry, just get a combo of the prepared curried dishes and some chickpeas, and you'll be just as happy.