Cake balls made easy!

Hello... I know I went MIA for a while, but now I'm back (and with a super easy recipe too!).

I've noticed a huge craze for cake balls and I've seen tons of recipes for them as well.  In fact, my friend bought me one from Starbucks because she was surprised I haven't tried one out yet. Let me tell you... they are yummy, but not so easy to make (at least the coating of the cake ball isn't).  However, after much "research" I found an easy way to make cake balls! WOOHOO!

First, pick up your favorite cake mix box (i.e. Duncan Hines or Betty Crockers).  I picked the cheapest box there was, which ended up being Duncan Hines.  My favorite flavor: red velvet :)  So yes, I went for my favorite cake mix and I also picked up a whipped cream cheese frosting by Duncan Hines as well.  

Now... make the cake as directed on the box.  After the cake is ready, allow the cake to cool down (takes about an hour).  Then crumble the cake with your hands! Yes... in a bowl, crumble the cake and add half the container of frosting to the bowl.  Make sure the cake and frosting is thoroughly mixed... if the cake mixture feels dry, then add more frosting.  

On a cookie sheet (with parchment paper on top), mold the cake mixture into a ball and place it on top of the cookie sheet.  I used my hands to do this, but if you want less mess then I suggest using an ice cream scooper (a small one).  Once you've finished making the balls, place them in the freezer or the refrigerator and let it "harden" (takes about another hour or so).  

Once the cakes are ready, it's time to dip them in chocolate!  Now, I'll admit, my first few cake balls ended up poorly because I was trying to use white chocolate and it just did not coat well and I kept burning the chocolate (yes, they were wasted).  However, I used dark and milk chocolate and that worked out.  Make sure you buy a few packages of either chocolate chips or chocolate bars because it takes a lot to coat the cake.  

Follow the directions on the back on how to melt the chocolate.  Then, dip the cake balls one at a time in the chocolate.  Place it back on the cookie sheet and either refrigerate them or freeze them for another hour.  Viola! You've just made cake balls!  Now, you may decorate them with sprinkles prior to placing them in the fridge.   

My cake balls apparently were super tasty and moist (I used almost the entire container of frosting).  

The Capital Grille- Houston Restaurant Week

Just the other night, I took my family to The Capital Grille for dinner.  It was Houston Restaurant Week (HRW) and I was thrilled to see The Capital Grille on the list again!  Here, I had absolutely the BEST SERVICE EVER!  We came over here for two reasons (1) daddy's birthday and (2) HRW, but really it was daddy's birthday so that's why I made reservations here (he never heard of The Capital Grille, so why not?!).

Anyway, what's awesome... because they knew it was a birthday celebration, the table was decorated with confetti (ribbons and ballon confetti - pretty awesome!!).  Once we sat down, the server, Susan, wished my dad happy birthday!!! (Okay, fine... I did say "celebrating dad's birthday" on the reservation, but still... it was really nice!  

So some of us ordered off the HRW menu and others ordered off the regular menu.  Regardless, the food was amazing!  My mom tried their filet mignon- she states "this is the best grilled filet mignon I'd ever had in my life!" (and she's had plenty too).  She even started cutting her steak up for everyone to try.  

My brother ordered their Ahi Sear Tuna... umm... YES SIR, I'D LIKE ANOTHER ORDER!  The tuna steak was plump, juicy, and seared perfectly!  It was even sprinkled with sesame seeds.  The tuna came with ginger rice (yumm) and three dipping sauces.  Honestly, you don't really need the dipping sauce, but! the honey-ginger one is fabulous!  The other two were wasabi (which was very light) and soy sauce.  I didn't hear her tell my brother the green one was wasabi, so I had fun when I dipped it in and took a bite =/ 

Our table also ordered their Carpaccio- very, very good!  The carpaccio was sliced perfectly and seasoned well.  The arugula salad served on top was paired perfectly with the carpaccio.  It's a must try!  

I tried their 14 oz bone-in kona sirloin... it was not as good as the filet, but it was still yummy.  The Sam's mashed potato was also a delight.  The creamed spinach was definitely creamy!  The only thing I wasn't to thrilled of was their french green beans.  We weren't sure if there would be enough food, so that's why we ordered another side dish.  

Now dessert... yumm... I tried their home-made ice cream, which was vanilla mint... my three-scopes were gone before someone could tell me to breathe.  My dad had their espresso cake, which paired well with my ice cream (I know... it's his birthday and I stole a few bites!).  What was absolutely amazing for anyone to order is their cheesecake!  The cheesecake here has a caramelized top (yes, creme burlee style).  It was light and delish!  Honestly, I'm not a big cheesecake fan, but I will go back and order that!  

So... after my adventures of trying out a few HRWs, I'd have to say this was the best of out of 4 places I tried.  It's also a place I'd drag my boyfriend to for a romantic dinner (yup... you've read it correctly mister!).  Sorry! I didn't take any pictures :(  by the time I remembered to... it was too late and my plate wasn't very presentable, but I will next time!

Brunching at Max's Wine Dive

Another brunch place taken down by "hungry sandy"! ::clears throat::

The other Sunday, I went out to brunch at Max's Wine Dive with two of my guy friends.  I don't know how I ended up here, but I think it's partly because I've heard so much about their fried chicken AND the boyfriend is still not back from his business trip so I made plans to keep myself busy.  Anyways, I was able to make reservations 2 hours before I got there!  (I know... I love it!) However, even with the reservations, we still waited for about 10 minutes.  But I'm still glad I made them because this place was PACKED! 

Real quick about the place: its small!  Basically there's a bar (where you can sit and dine as well) and two rows of tables.  A friend of mine mentioned how he doesn't think the place would fulfill the disability standards, and I agree.  So if you're claustrophobic, don't even think about coming here.  

Since it was crazy packed, we had a lot of time to look at the menu.  I was torn between the fried chicken and jack cakes or the fried chicken with the collard greens, brioche bread and potatoes.  I even bugged our server about which dish she'd order.  However, I ended up with their Chicken Fried Ribeye with over-easy eggs and their jalapeno cheese grits.  WHAT?! I decided I didn't want to eat around chicken bones!!  Regardless, it was a scrumptious dish.  I cleaned off the entire plate before the boys even finished their entrees (yay me!).  

Anyway, the fried chicken was not the only dish I was pondering about.  I was having a difficult time deciding what to get that day.  They have Red Velvet Pancakes and Nutella-Banana Crepes... I really couldn't decide!  Luckily, I was with some boys who also love red velvet and we ordered the Red Velvet Pancakes for the table to share.  Now, don't get me wrong... the pancakes were good, but it wasn't as good as I hoped.  It wasn't as flavorful as an actual slice of red velvet cake.  What's amazing was their cream cheese butter.  That butter did make the experience better, but I have to be honest I was a lil' disappointed with it.  Even so, I finished off my share of the pancakes too.  

Actually, looking back... I'm dang proud of myself!  Not only did I manage to finish off my glass of mimosa before the boys (there were two), but I cleaned up my plate before them (one didn't finish his entree) AND I cleaned up my share of pancakes (there were 3 so we each had one).  I didn't even realized we were competing to see who ate the most until I was sipping on coffee and watching the boys try to do the same damage I did!  One of the boys finally managed to finish everything just to make us "even"- NICE TRY, but I think I won.  I at least enjoyed everything... he was miserable half way through his pancake.  

Okay, sorry, I went off on a tangent over there.  Back to the food... I say its definitely a place to try out.  I really loved the jalapeno grits.  It was really tasty and I wish the serving was bigger!  The mimosa here was pretty darn good too.  Not the best that I've had, but it was good enough to where I enjoyed it.

I want to head back here for the nutella crepes and maybe even their egg sandwich.  Heck, I just want to try everything because it looked so good and everything I had was great!  Yes, so come try this place out!  Remember... you can make reservations the day of!

My Birthday FEAST...

For my birthday, my boyfriend took me to a restaurant where both of us have never dined before: Feast Restaurant near the Montrose area.  He wanted us to try something "adventurous."  I'll be honest, I was kinda iffy about this place because I was expecting a more "traditional" birthday dinner (you know, steak house or Italian), but after reading a few yelp reviews about it, I got excited.  

Let me preface about Feast.  Feast is an old-world cuisine restaurant.  It's located in a two-story house and has a "homey" feel to it inside.  Due to the casual feel of this place, one would not suspect that it's prices are at the higher-end of the spectrum.   Since we've heard about this place, we also expected it to be pricy and not casual (my boyfriend tried to wear shorts that evening and I begged him to change).  However, once we arrived at the restaurant and noticed how another guest was wearing t-shirt and shorts... you can just imagine how that comment went! 

Anyways, Feast updates their menu on a daily basis. There are two columns on the menu: the left side is their "standard" menu and the right side is their daily specials.  We mainly tried items from the left side just to see how their "normal" menu tastes like.

We ordered Chicken and Onion as our appetizer.  When it came out, it was not what we were expecting and to be honest,  I didn't know what to expect, but not this:   

It's basically fried chicken skin wrapped over a whole onion.  Sounds super unhealthy, but we all know that means YUMMY!  And it was!  The mixture of the chicken skin and onion was very tasty.  The dish was pretty greasy and I tried to eat the salad as well (to try and make it seem healthy), but the grease that rolled off from the skin made it unhealthy (but flavorful).  This is definitely an appetizer I suggest trying. We left nothing behind on this dish. 

For my entree, I tried their Crispy Roasted Pork Belly, Potato Cake and Red Cabbage with Apples.  Pork belly?? Well, it was fabulous!  Granted there was a layer of pure fat between the crispy skin and the pork, but it was still very good.  Of course, I scrapped off most of the fat, but even without most of the fat, the dish was still very delicious.  The potato cake paired well with the red cabbage and pork.  Other than the fat, I didn't leave much behind this dish either.  Even my boyfriend kept reaching over for an extra bite!

This dish sounds like a 1000 calories and it even looks like it, but its soooooo worth it!  Pork belly was not an item that I saw and said "okay done!"  I ordered it because I was told that it was the dish to try and it was!  Again, super greasy, but the restaurant is called Feast! 

My boyfriend ordered their Braised Chicken.  I actually wanted to order this dish (probably because it was the only "normal" dish there), but after our entrees came out... I was glad I didn't!  This entree is basically chicken in a pot.  It was chicken, potato, and celery cooked in chicken broth.  The red potatoes were good and the chicken was tender, but it wasn't special.  If anything, this dish was overpriced for what it was because I can make that at home!  But we tried it out and know what not to order next time we're here.  Honestly, unless you're not the adventurous type, don't order this dish (actually, don't come here at all!).

For desserts, we tried their Sticky Toffee Pudding and Strawberry Ice Cream.  I was told to try their Toffee Pudding, but that was a mistake!  It was super rich!  The cream that came on the side helped make the dish not as sweet (which was a good thing).  It was so decadent, I could not finish it!  I was actually sad about this because I was expecting it to taste heavenly.  Luckily, my boyfriend ordered the strawberry ice cream and it literally saved our dessert experience.  The ice cream was perfect!  It wasn't too sweet or creamy.  You can definitely taste that it was made fresh at the restaurant.  The only complaint I have with this dessert was how there wasn't enough!  My boyfriend and I were fighting over it!  

Overall, I really liked this place.  It's an experience that everyone should try at least once!  We are coming back here eventually to try out the rest of the menu, but probably in a few months after we burn off the 10,000 calories we ingested.  

Parking here is a hassle, you must valet.  The valet guy was kinda weird though... there were no signs or anything, but he demanded $3 from us.  Granted, we were trying to tip the guy $1 (but that was ALL we had in our wallets and it was pretty embarrassing), but I did not appreciate the guy trying to weasel out an extra $2 from us! I was about to go back to the restaurant to figure something out and the valet guy finally told us to not worry about it.  Hmmm... that made me a bit suspicious.  Aside from that incident, this place was worth trying and I had a wonderful birthday dinner.  THANK YOU SWEETIE!

The Bake Off: Cookies n Cream Brownies or Cupcakes?

My dad's side of the family loves getting together for good food.  This past get-together I decided to make something for the kids (we have a HUGE family).  Anyways, with my food-porn addiction, I came across two recipes that I've been dying to try: Cookies and Cream Brownies and Cookies and Cream Cupcakes.  Who would be the best judges on dessert!?  THE KIDS!  So... I whipped both of them up.  

Just so you know.. I took a TON of pictures while I baked my heart out (my boyfriend doesn't like sweets so I rarely get to bake).  

I know... hindsight this might not have been a fair challenge, but I have to admit it was fun and the kids really showed what they liked by leaving NOTHING behind and hiding some to take home.    

The first thing I baked was the brownies because it was the easiest thing to make.  To be honest, I was trying to make both as the same time, but I finished the brownie before the cupcake.  

I usually like to tweak recipes, but I didn't this time.  I wanted to make sure I can trust the blogger so I can have a reference for future cooking/baking ideas.


So... the Cookies n Cream Brownies: first, I crumbled a bar of Hershey's Cookies 'N Creme bar (and I pre-heated the oven to 350 degrees F).

Next, I melted 1/2 cup of butter in a sauce pan (in low heat).   After the butter was melted, I moved the sauce pan from the heat and stirred in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Then, I beat in 1/3 cup of cocoa powder, 1/2 cup of flour, salt, baking powder, and the candy pieces.

After the batter was mixed, I poured it in a greased 8 x 8 square pan and baked it for 25 minutes.  If you don't want a fudge-like texture in the middle (and it is yummy and gooey), then bake it for 30

minutes.  

The recipe for the brownie:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 bar of Hershey's Cookies 'N Creme bar (4 oz.)

By the way... I took this recipe from someone on tastespotting.  I know... I saved it on PDF format, but I did not save the person's name ::sigh::

Okay, so the Cookies and Cream cupcakes... I first twisted off 12 Oreo cookies and made sure the side with the icing is placed on the bottom of the cupcake liner.  I saved the other half of the Oreo cookies as toppings on the cupcake.  Afterwards, I mix in butter and sugar first, then added the eggs.

In a separate bowl, I combined the rest of the dry ingredients (to be listed below).  Then I add milk and mixed the better until it was smooth.


Then I spoon the batter into the cupcake liners with the Oreo on the bottom.  Bake for about 20 minutes.  Then I mixed the Cookies and Cream Frosting while I waited for the cupcakes to cool down.




Cookies and Cream Cupcake: (makes 12 cupcakes)

• 12 Oreo cookies
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/5 tsp baking power
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup milk

Almost forgot!  I preheated the over to 350 degrees and baked it in that temperature.

So onto the frosting (which was decadent!).  I grind the other half of the cookies in a food processor and set it aside afterwards.  I then mixed the butter and powdered sugar.  Added the milk and vanilla and beat until it was fluffy looking.  I then added the cookie crumbs and combined.

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 12 oreo cookie half crumbs 

The frosting was the most amazing part of the cupcake!  After I tasted it, I thought the cupcakes would be amazing! But... at the end... the brownies were the kids favorite.  Sadly, after the 10-year old took a small bite of the cupcake, she sat it down and no one else would try it.  I didn't think it would be that bad because of the frosting, but the cake mix was absolutely TERRIBLE!  I was embarrassed that it came out so badly! (and it isn't my recipe either! I actually took this off Heather Christo's blog.)

Luckily, the brownies saved me!  It was so yummy, the kids were all fighting over it!  It was such a hit, I was asked to make the brownies for my cousin's upcoming birthday.  WOWZER!   Now, all I have to do is find a better chocolate cake recipe and the cupcakes will be the next hit with the kids.

Grizzly House in Banff, Canada

Melting Pot... MOVE ASIDE! Welcome Grizzly House!  Yes... I actually found a fondue place that I enjoy more than the Melting Pot... exciting!!!

 

Ah hem... anyways, we had their 4 course-meal, which included a soup or salad, an appetizer, the main course, and dessert (what else were you expecting!?).  For the appetizer, we had a choice between the Neuchatel fondue or the Bagna Cauda (vegetable fondue).  The Neuchatel was basically cheese, wine, and Kirsch.  I remember gouda being one of the cheeses mixed in and I forget the rest.  Anyways... the Neuchatel was very tasty.  The bread that was served tasted like it was day-old-bread; however, when it was dipped in cheese... the bread could of had mold on it and it would have still tasted great. Yes, I thought it was just that good!  Just a caution tho, the cheese on the bottom will burn (see photo).  

For our main entree, we ordered their Original Fondue Dinner, which was beef and chicken.  They had 6 different types of combos to choose from: the Original, Beef and Lobster, Beef and Prawn, Beef and Scallop, Hunter Fondue (Buffalo, Wild Boar and Venison), and Exotic Fondue (Shark, Alligator, Rattlesnake, Ostrich, Buffalo, and Venison).  

 So we "played it safe" by ordering the Original.  What's awesome about this place is how our meats were cooked.  The server confused me when he placed a hot granite slab in the middle of our table.  Frankly, I was expecting a soup/fondue pot since we're at a fondue joint; however, the slab of granite was interesting.  It reminded me of Korean BBQ.  Anyways, the server told us that the granite was heated up to 500 degrees so it will safely cook the meat.  He also gave us two small containers of garlic butter to help us cook.  O.M.G. The garlic butter was amazing!  I basically used it all!  

Grizzly House provided us with five dipping sauces for our meats: teriyaki, baked potato, sun-dried tomato, garlic-herb, and thousand island.  Out of the 5 dipping sauce, the baked potato was the BEST!  It even had bacon bits mixed in it!  Yummm...  The runner up was the garlic-herb sauce.   The one sauce I didn't like was the teriyaki sauce. It didn't even taste like teriyaki!  I digress.  

So... for dessert... it was TOBLERONE CHOCOLATE FONDUE! O...M...G... I was in heaven :) This fabulous chocolate fondue was served in a copper pot.   It also came with fruits and hazelnut chocolate wafers.  It was soooooo good!  The only thing I was sad about was how small the fondue pot was!  Even then, we weren't able to finish all the chocolate.  After the fruits and wafers ran out... I was tempted to pour the rest of the chocolate in my mouth.  However, if I had done that... I think my boyfriend would have disowned me.

Overall, I have to say the 4-course meal was superb! The cost of it tho... one could say it wasn't really worth it because we didn't get a lot of meat (and that "one" was my boyfriend).  However, I thought the experience was fun and worth it.  

The table where we sat at had a view of outside, which was gorgeous!  Mountains and snow... What was also fun at our table was the phone.  During the middle of dinner, the phone rang right behind me.  So for fun, I answered.  It was a guest calling from either the waiting area or another table!  They asked about our meal and what we would recommend them to drink.  Before I hung up with the stranger, they thanked me for answering.  I assume other guests ignored their call so I was happy that I picked up that phone.  I actually wanted to call a random table, but there were no dials to push and I gave up trying to figure out how to dial out.  

Anyways, the decor of this place did not match the prices on their menu.  Grizzly House reminds me of a log cabin.  It looks like a place for you to escape the snow and warm up.  There were random lava lamps in the dining area and it just looked a bit random.  The server we had was a jerk.  That was also the first thing I wrote on my notes about this place so service also did not match their pricing.  

One last thing... with regards to finding the ladies room...  I was walking down what I thought was a hallway to the restrooms and I ended up interrupting this couple in a private table.  It looked like a table where you have to call ahead and book because it was completely separate from the rest of the dining area.  Needless to say, I apologized for interrupting and ran off to find the ladies room.  So... be careful when you venture off because you might awkwardly disturb a date.  

So if you're ever in Banff (and I do recommend going there to snowboard/ski... the town is beautiful), you must visit this spot!  Yes, it is pricy, but I think the overall experience I had here was worth it.  

Anju - Calgary, Canada

Recently, I traveled far, far away to... Calgary, Canada and found a Korean "tapas" restaurant called Anju.  Okay, fine... I didn't find it... my boyfriend did, but who's keeping score!  Anyways, we ventured over here because my boyfriend had heard good things about this place from his coworkers.  To be honest, I was somewhat skeptical because the food there (in Calgary) wasn't that great.  However, I have to admit that this was the first place I've eaten there that made me happy and satisfied. 


Since this place is a "tapas" place, we ordered a few items.  First off, we had the AAA Short Ribs with Sweet Soy Marinade and Potato.  This dish was DELISH!  The short ribs were marinaded in this heavenly sauce and it was very flavorful.  The potatoes that came with this dish was cooked perfectly as well. 


However, the potatoes that came with the short ribs were in no comparison to their Truffle Yam Fries with Gochugaru Sauce Aioli.  OMG!  The sauce was AMAZING! (and spicy).  The fried sweet potatoes were simply the best I'd ever had!  This place was not kidding when they say they have the best sweet potato fries!  ::sigh:: yes... I'm craving for them now....



We also ordered their Chicken Stone Bowl.  Basically this is a rice dish topped with diced chicken, red bell peppers, soy beans, zucchini, and a lightly poached egg.  The bowl was really made of stone and I believe the rice was cooked in it.  The stone bowl was crazy hot (so be careful!). I didn't like the fact that the server failed to mention how hot the dish was, so it was a joy when I tried to move the bowl.  The idea of this dish... you mix together all the toppings with the egg and the egg gets cooked while its being mixed.  It also comes with a side of chili paste.  We used more than half that container (the hot sauce is right next to the bowl in the picture) and the dish still wasn't spicy.  I'd have to say that this isn't a dish you'd want to try here  because it wasn't that great.  My boyfriend wasn't impressed with it (and he LOVES rice).  Honestly, I've had better rice stone bowls from the Korean market in Houston (and its way cheaper there as well- I'll blog about it soon, no worries!). 


We also ordered their Seasonal Vegetable, which was bok choy.  It was cooked with kimchi and fermented tofu paste (I know it doesn't sound good, but it was).  I'd have to say I enjoyed the veggie more than the rice bowl.


Now, when you go to Canada, you must try their Caesar!  It's basically a Bloody Mary but made with clamata juice instead of V8.  Now, I don't know what the deal was, but the drink is AMAZING.  The glass is also rimmed with salt and pepper and super SPICY!  For those of you who know how much I drink (please sense sarcasm)... I can down these baby faster than my boyfriend and can have at least 2 within an hour.  It was just THAT good!  Anyways... we tried Anju's Kimchi Caesar and it was pretty good.  I prefer a "regular" Caesar, but this wasn't bad either.  My boyfriend, on the other hand, hated it.  He didn't like the kimchi mixed with it (and you do get pieces of kimchi in the drink).


Overall, I liked this place.  The restaurant is located in a two story house.  You could walk right past it if you're not looking for it.  The place was also very small.  There weren't a lot of tables/seating.  The upstairs had a bar and what looks to be a lounge area.  This place is definitely worth trying out if you're ever in Calgary, Canada.

Anvil... heaven in your mouth!

RAMOS GIN FIZZ!!! My favorite drink in the whole wide world!  ::clears throat:: This will explain how fabulous this drink is... it comes with a DISCLAIMER!  So let me give you the outline of this disclaimer:

1. it takes 15-20 minutes for the bartender to shake up this drink, and 
2. it costs $20.

Yes, it's a $20 drink, but it's worth every penny!  Now, if you know me... you would know that I am "allergic" to alcohol (meaning I turn red after one sip- and yes, it's the Asian gene) and I can always taste alcohol no matter what's mixed in it, etc.  However, when I take one sip of Ramos Gin Fizz... it just tastes so heavenly and I forget that there's alcohol!  This milkshake-looking drink is made with an egg, which is why it takes the bartender about 15 minutes to shake it.  The freshly shaved nutmeg on top of this drink makes the experience that much better... and for $20, this drink is pretty potent.  You might not think this drink is strong, but after you're done with one, it'll hit you.  FYI: I think they took this off the menu, but you can still order it.  

Alright, let's talk about the venue and the menu.  If it wasn't clear, this bar is called Anvil and it is located in the Montrose area (in Houston, TX of course).  Anvil serves "old world drinks."  They make everything fresh and most of the drinks on the menu are made with gin.  They only have one type of vodka (and I forget which one it is, but its NOT Greygoose).  The beers are all on tap and its usually never the same beer.  Once the keg is done, they refill the tap with a different type of beer.  What is also unique about this place is their ice.  Depending on the drink, you either get pretty ice cubes or nicely shaved ice (like the ones from Sonic).  I don't know if its psychological, but for some reason the ice makes the drinks even more appealing.  

Keep in mind that this bar is small and it also gets pretty crowded.  It's also difficult to order drinks so know what you want and be nice to your buddies and get their drinks for them as well.  As you can tell from my blog, drink prices here are on the higher end.  Parking can also be a hassle, but this place is worth it.  

Convey Sushi... yum yum!

 A sushi conveyor belt in downtown Houston... say what?!  

Anyways, this place was fabulous!  I went there for lunch AND dinner on the same day... yup, you heard me... same day (and it was worth it too!)!  During lunch, this place serves everything on the conveyor belt for $3.  I walked out with a $13 tab and that included tip!  Anyways, the fish was fresh and the rolls they had out were tasty and delish.  I tried their gyozas and it wasn't bad either (have to be honest tho, there were 3 pieces of gyozas and it was not that crispy since its been circling around the belt).  They also had katsu (fried pork cutlet) and it was fantastic (crispy and tasty)!  The only complaint I have is that most of their rolls during lunch were california rolls dressed up.  

For dinner... what I LOVE about this place is how you can order what you want on the conveyor belt.  Yup, that's right! You can "customize" your experience with rolls you like!  The server explained that since it's usually not busy during dinner, the sushi chef lets the customer choose what sushi rolls they'd like and he'll make them for the belt price.  Now, this is a great idea to just sample random sushi rolls you've been dying to try (but haven't worked up the courage to).  

The most expensive plate for dinner was $4.50.  For two people, the tab was $55!!!  And trust me... I was STUFFED!  My favorite rolls there were the Red Moon and the Congress roll.  And... on Fridays, its all day happy hour!


Now, don't come here with high expectations with service.  Our server kept forgetting our order and she also was not familiar with the menu.  I asked her about a specific roll and she couldn't answer me... luckily she was pretty.  Anyways, its a mom and pops restaurant, which is a plus in my books!  I should be back there sometime soon for dinner because I'd like to try all the rolls on their menu.  

Brunch Time at Paggi House (Austin, Texas)

ALL YOU CAN EAT BRUNCH BUFFET!  Should I say more??  Actually, yes since I'm blogging.  Anyways, I was in Austin last weekend and ventured out here with my friends since they raved about it.  They also mentioned how this place is comparable or even better (I forget) than Backstreet Cafe.  Ummmm... WHAT?! Okay, now I REALLY have to try it.

The drinks here are definitely cheaper than Backstreet Cafe.  Mimosas are $1 per glass.  Yup... one dollar; however, it was not as tasty as the mimosas at Backstreet (considering that Backstreet pair theirs with other fruits).  I didn't get to try the Blood Mary, but I heard it was good (it was also $2.50).  

So what can $24 get you?  Apparently, it gets you: an assortment of cheeses, fruits, pastries, french toast, bacon, sausage, corned beef hash, quiche, bread pudding, roasted pork, veggies, and home fries.  Now, those are what were out on the buffet.  You can also order from their menu: chicken and waffle, eggs (any way you want it, but know that an order comes with 2 eggs), a garden omelette, and a bacon omelette.  

Let me tell you... the chicken and waffle was DELICIOUS! Omg... I'm craving for one right now as I'm typing away.  Anyways, you get 2 fried chicken tenders and two pieces of waffles (I know I suck... I didn't get a chance to take photos).  The syrup that comes drizzled on this dish was amazing as well.  

I also tried their poached egg.  Talk about YUMMY!  The egg was perfectly poached and it was served on top of a thick, heavily buttered toast.  It was absolutely delish!  Something I can eat everyday and gain weight on.  

The Bacon Omelette was not that impressive.  Even though it was made with brie cheese (and I love brie cheese), it wasn't that flavorful.  It was actually kinda bland, like it needed either seasoning or more ingredients.  Anyways, I digress.  

Everything I had here was awesome!  I was really impressed with the blue cheese grits.  It was creamy and tasty.  The bread pudding was also fabulous.  I can go on and on about each item, but if you haven't noticed I would only talk about how good it was.  

Service here was excellent.  Everyone was friendly, even the dude who sliced the roasted pork.  So, to answer the million dollar question... is Paggi House better than Backstreet Cafe??  I'd say "yes!"  The drinks here are cheaper (even the pitchers) and the food was delicious and unlimited!  

Now, I suggest you valet your vehicle here even though you may park on the streets.  There's a golf course located right across from the restaurant so... I don't recommend it.  I also recommend making reservations.  We were lucky that the hostess was able to seat us because the place was apparently booked.  

Chicken Nicoise- FAILED!

So one night, after realizing that I should eat a lil' bit healthier... I pulled out my Betty Crocker Cookbook to see if I can find a tasty and healthy meal.  If anything, this cookbook is my favorite because it has never fail me... until now.

I wanted to make a chicken dish and saw the recipe for Chicken Nicoise.  What really caught my attention about this dish was the "low-fat" coding next to the name.  Anyways... I followed the instructions to the T and it tasted pretty bland.  Or as one might put it, "it tastes like a low-fat meal."

Anyways, if you're wondering what's in this chicken:

• 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth
• chicken breast
• 3 cloves garlic- chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen small whole onions
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 medium bell peppers, sliced
• 6 Kalamata olives- pitted and chopped

The ingredients sounds great, but the chicken turned out alright.  Maybe it was me, but I really think this dish needs something else to make it yummy.

Hillstone (formerly Houston)

Recently, we had friends in town and decided to dine somewhere "fancy." We headed over to Houston restaurant on Kirby; however, to our surprise the name was changed to Hillstone.  Now, just because the name changed does not mean the menu changed (thank goodness!).  Houston is part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group so don't worry.  

We went to Hillstone on a Saturday night (7:30pm) and to our surprise there was no wait.  We were seated promptly for a party of 5.   But... it was during Rodeo so that could be the reason why.

Anyways, the server here was pretty attentive.  Since I wasn't really hungry that evening (I know... I was surprised myself too), I ordered their Prime Rib (cooked medium rare of course).  The steak came out PERFECT!  It was tender, juicy, and just melts in your mouth!  This dish comes with a side of french fries (I think), but I subbed it with a baked potato.  Now, what made that steak so wonderful was the au jus. So if you order this, do not forget to dip that piece of goodness in the au jus! 

I also had their caesar salad prior to the meal and it was delish.   The romaine lettuce was fresh and crisp.  I forgot to request the server to place the dressing on the side; however, the salad was mixed well and it wasn't soggy.  Please keep in mind that the salad is HUGE so consider sharing it with another person. 

Regarding drinks... a friend of mine ordered Dr. Pepper and the server brought him a bottled DP (which means no refills and DP is made with imperial cane sugar).  Just FYI for those of you who must have the unlimited refills.  

Another random thing is their "check tray."  The tray felt like it was made of stainless steel or sterling silver (basically it was heavy)!  It was definitely an item to boost the ambiance of the venue and illustrate the class of the restaurant.  It was also something my table wanted to jack (but we didn't, I promise).  

I was not able to get any good shots of my meal so I apologize for no photos :(  It was dark and I was using my phone (I know... ghetto).  But, I will visit Hillstone again and I will bring a camera with me the next time I venture out there.  

Sushi King for a "princess"

My sister apparently has never been to Sushi King, so for her birthday I took her there to celebrate. Just to let you know... Sushi King is one of my favorite "high end" sushi restaurant.The food here is savory and mouth-watering. The staff definitely matches the ambiance of this place as well.

Since its my sister's birthday, I "popped" a bottle of sparkling sake. We had the Stars Kizakura Pure. This sake was fabulous! It was light, sweet, and bubbly! My sister and I polished it off by the time dessert came around.

For appetizers, wehad the Beef Ishiyaki. Omg...just typing that out is making my mouth water. This lovely (and fun) appetizer is cooked on a hot stone at your table! You get a plate of thinly sliced certified Angus beef (raw of course) and marinade. It was my first experience with Ishiyaki, so our server cooked half of it for us. The smell of the beef being seared over the stone was amazing! What's great was, it tastes just like it smells... AWESOME! This is definitely an experience one ought to try when you visit Sushi King.

For our entree, my sister ordered their Sapporo Rib Eye. This dish was yummy! The ribeye was marinated with Sapporo beer (hence the name) and was cooked to perfection (medium rare). It was served with a side of mashed yam (topped with corn) and green beans. The mashed yam was heavenly and rich. The steak itself was tender and juicy.

Now, I ordered two rolls (of course I did... its a sushi place!). I ordered their Poseidon Roll and their Cowboy Roll. The Poseidon roll is made up of blacken tuna and avocado and topped with spicy salmon. It was creamy and delish! The Cowboy roll is made up of spicy tuna, crunch tempura flakes, and avocado and its topped with blacken beef. Again, absolutely amazing!

Now, for my sister's birthday, the restaurant gave her fried banana with ice cream. It was cute... the restaurant prepared it to look like a dragon. The dessert hit the spot and ended the evening well. I'd have to say that my sister's birthday dinner was a success!

Okay, about the place itself. Sushi King honors their reservation so I highly recommend that you make one, especially during the peak hours/days. We went on a Thursday night and the place was not crowded; however, after dinner the place looked like it filled up some. What I love about this place is how there is a piano in the middle of the dining room and a pianist actually plays on it (hey now, sometimes the piano is just decor). It is definitely a place to impress someone on a first date or bring your significant other just because.