1st Annual Taste of the Columbus Hospitality Group Cocktail Party | Boston

we attended 1st annual taste of the columbus hospitality group cocktail party tuesday night at mistral. the CHG consists of Mistral, Teatro, Sorellina, Mooo , L’Andana, The Inn at St. Botolph, and the XV Beacon Hotel. the event was featuring dericious small bites from each of CHG restaurants, custom designed cocktails, and wine.

the races- george dickel rye whiskey, mint, lemon, and prosecco
spring thyme – tito’s handmade vodka, rhubarb, thyme, lime & soda – this drink was super awesome. everyone at the event loved, just like the name, very springy, refreshing, light, a hint of sweetness. i couldnt stop drinking it!

swordfish from L’Andana – wood-roasted peppers, onions, cured tomato. loved the roasted flavors and tenderness/juiciness of the swordfish.

Beef tenderloin mashed potato pizza truffle oil

Tomato Marsala pizza

white pizza whipped ricotta jalapeno - i have to say their pizza blew me away, thin crust, fluffy ricotta cheese, i cant describe in words how excellent they were.

tuna tartare, crispy wontons, ginger and soy – from Mistral

one of my fave things of the night. i love tuna, the ginger and soy def complements it.

time for some more drinks ya?

i tried both the Domäne Wachau Weissenkirchen gruner veltliner and villa antinori toscana.
the toscana was def my fave, super light and smooth. easy to drink, too easy to drink i had like ….

beef sirloin sliders from Mooo… with caramelized onions, home made rolls. the beef was super tender and well flavored!

zuppa – chilled pea soup, lemon ricotta crema, chive blossoms – from sorellina

you could def taste the ricotta crema.

hand crafted fig and prosciutto sausage, spicy tomato brodo and shishito pepper from Teatro

tortilla chips from La Nina Tortilleria

http://laninatortilla.com/

sipping on more spring thyme

more wine please!

these ice cream cones were super creamy!!!!

i had a wonderful night at the 1st Annual Taste of the Columbus Hospitality Group Cocktail Party! every single bite and drink was amazing!

On Wednesday 5/1, Mistral, Teatro, Sorellina, Mooo, and L’Andana will be donating portions of profits to One Fund Boston for the Boston Marathon recovery! def check them out!!!!!!!

http://www.columbushospitalitygroup.com
http://www.mistralbistro.com
http://www.teatroboston.com
http://www.mooorestaurant.com
http://www.landanagrill.com
http://www.xvbeacon.com
http://www.innatstbotolph.com

Disclaimer: I did not pay for going to this event. All opinions are my own.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ | Brookline, MA Boston

ive been waiting for gyu-kaku boston to open since last june. the highly highly anticipated japanese bbq joint finally opened couple weeks ago. if you are not familiar with gyu kaku, its a japanese bbq chain that has locations all throughout the country as well as overseas. an interative bbq concept which you get to cook your own food at your own pace and however you’d like it.

gyu-kaku is still in their soft opening period. the reservation was hard to get. they dont accept reservations online at this moment; you ll have to call in to make a reservation. BUT there’s a perk to it during the soft opening period: you get a discount thats roughly 18% off.

pork belly and i got there an hour early so we waited for our friends at the bar.

Kirin Ichiban on tap

altho each meat they have a recommended sauce, but you can also choose a different sauce if you prefer.
here is a menu in pdf form: http://www.gyu-kaku.com/menu/ma_bs/bs_alacarte.pdf

we got a Kirin Ichiban pitcher for the whole group

we ordered 11 different kinds of meat, pretty much all the meat on the menu, ill try my best to match the names with the pix. i cant promise they are all correct tho

Beef Tongue
Thinly sliced beef tongue with delicious scallion sauce, salt & Pepper, and Lemon

Premium Sirloin- Lean & tender Sirloin Flap Steak with: Tare Sweet Soy

Kobe Style Flap Steak with: Ponzu

only grill your meat for 30-60 seconds depending on your preference. this is crucial because overcooked meat will not be as tender.

Bistro Hanger Steak with: Miso

Prime New York Steak with: Ponzu

they have four diff dipping sauces: sweet & spicy, tsuke, ponzu, and lemon.

i believe this one was my fave: Kobe Style Kalbi Short Rib: World renowned for its delicious flavor & remarkable tenderness

Kobe Style Kalbi Chuck with Garlic

Lamb Chop with: Miso Basil

Harami Skirt Steak with: Miso

Kalbi Short Rib
King of BBQ; juicy boneless short rib with: Tare Sweet Soy

Mushroom Medley

Toro Beef
Beef bacon in their special BBQ sauce with: Tare Sweet Soy

oops. i think i jus totally misplaced the names.

steak model: Jay Liu
i heard he got quite famous for modeling the banana in my yume wo katare post

here comes the bill. really cheap for the amount of food and drinks we ordered. even better, we got the soft opening discount!!!!!!!!
awesome deal!!!!!! i think all throughout april we probably can get roughly 18% off. they dont advertise it anywhere so im not sure how long the promo lasts

super satisfied with our meal. i cant remember specifically how each meat tasted, but I do like the meat with garlic sauce the best. Kobe Style Kalbi Short Rib was def my fave. Gyu kaku easily tops any of the Asian bbq places. Yes! Any Korean bbq joint in town. I have been to all of them unless there is an underground bbq place that im not aware of. Sitting by the hot grill and sipping on cold beer eating the best Asian bbq in town with friends, nothing can beat this. remember DO NOT overcook your meat!

Gyu-Kaku
Categories: Restaurants Japanese bbq
1002 Beacon St
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 264-6190

http://gyu-kaku.com/index.htm

Visitng Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Got Any Advice?

my friend tingting and i are visiting mexico end of next month. we are staying in cancun but will be traveling to chichen itza, valladolid, tulum, playa del carmen in yucatan peninsula as well. i did a decent amount of research and came up with this temporary itinerary. although im pretty set with the places to visit, i need suggestions on FOOD please! i prefer local food, restaurants, markets, etc. any advice is appreciated.

also, if you are traveling to mexico around the same time and need road trip partners. hit me up as well!

i seriously cant wait for this trip, being in the sun, chillen on beach, eating mexican food, sipping Tequila, snapping photos with the wide angle lens pork belly got me for xmas, checking out Chichen Itza’s El Castillo, one of the New Seven Wonders! i havent had a REAL vaca forever ever since i started working. it’s not a real vaca for me without the beach. i used all my vaca tim traveling to china visiting the fam and friends. now its about the damn time!

muchas gracias!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daikaya | Washington, DC

we went to check out daikaya, a ramen and izakaya joint, last time we were in town. daikaya is located right next to the verizon center in DC and right in or on the border of chinatown. daikaya consists of 2 floors: ramen on the 1st floor and izakaya on the more intimate 2nd floor.

unfortunately the izakaya section doesnt open on sundays so we could only try out their ramen. they serve sapporo style ramen which is distinguished by its chintan stock. according to their website, their clear soup base is made out of chicken, beef, and pork which requires 16+ hours of prepping.

we sat at the bar.

the place wasnt packed on a sunday

DC Brau

gyoza – fresh, nicely fried

shio ramen with their chintan stock, topped with roast pork, bean sprouts, oinions, ground pork, garlic, nori, scallions, nitamago, menma (bamboos), seaweed. corns.

i asked for a million toppings. i have to say this was the only a few times i got full from 1 bowl of ramen. maybe im just a pig or maybe the portion is pretty big esp with all that toppings. i loved the bean sprouts which had a smoky flavor! the broth was relatively light while remaining flavorful.

the guy stir frying the bean sprouts which gives a nice smoky flavor

shoyu ramen – dark rich soy sauce soup base with toasted garlic and slightly caramel tones.

barley miso ramen

i enjoyed my bowl of ramen at daikaya, maybe we ll return for their izakaya soon!

Daikaya
Category: Japanese
705 6th St NW
(at N G Pl)
Washington, DC 20001

http://daikaya.com/

The Fugu Truck | Boston, MA

i went to check out fugu truck the 1st week they got on the road after their pre-launch party.

they were at their BU west location (855 comm ave)

cold noodles with peanut sauce, shredded chicken, peanuts, carrots, cucumbers, and scallions.

very refreshing and light yet flavorful. the ingredients were mad fresh, you can taste it. noodles were al dente.

kimchi bulgogi panini
super tasty

their grilled pork buns featuring melt-in your mouth pork belly and fluffy buns

it’s only been 2 weeks since their their pre-launch party i already saw a lot improvements. they are constantly working on their menu to provide the asian street food with the best quality. i enjoyed everything we had. everything was exquisitely cut, prepared, and made. Bing, owner/chef of fugu truck, told me that he’s been staying up and prepping til 2 in the morning everyday. he’s exhausted but he has to ensure the quality of the food. like their name ‘fugu’, the preparation of fugu ‘requires an utmost level of devotion and rigorous training’. Bing and the fugu team are def dedicated to the same discipline.

def check them out! my office is actually moving to copley next month, i cant wait to catch them again at their copley location!

for their locations:

http://www.fugutruck.com/#!location/c1inx

https://www.facebook.com/FuguTruck

https://twitter.com/FuguTruck

stay safe everyone in boston!

Ford’s Fish Shack | Ashburn, VA

went to ford’s fish shack last weekend when we were in town.

this place is really popular.

i loved these corn bread!! so warm and fluffy!

there are corns and scallions in them! the scallions really enhance the flavors!

Angry Mussels
Chorizo, Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions, Ciabatta Bread

the broth of the angry mussels

Lobstah Roll

Double Billy’s Lobstah Tails
one fried one broiled
Thin Fries, Grilled Corn on the Cob, Melted Butter

Fish of the Day
swordfish

Fish Tacos
Blackened, Flour Tortillas, Napa Cabbage,
Marinated Tomatoes, Radishes,
Chipotle Lime Dressing
very well cooked fresh fish. i wish these were corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.

we enjoyed our meal at ford’s fish shack. everything was fresh and well made. i wish they had more boiled or raw seafood options instead of mostly fried seafood.

Ford’s Fish Shack
Categories: Specialty Food, American (New), Diners, Seafood
44260 Ice Rink Plz
Ste 101
Ashburn, VA 20147
(571) 918-4092

http://www.fordsfishshack.com/

Dish Crawl Boston | North Shore

i was invited to Dishcrawl north shore event last week. dish crawl is like bar crawl but with food. dishcrawlers get to explore four different restaurants in one night.

we started off with Palmer’s Restaurant and Tavern

the dishcrawl ambassador

John Palmer | owner/chef of Palmer’s Restaurant and Tavern

a seafood dish including oyster on the half-shell, shrimp tempura, and their signature crab cake.

Palmers Restaurant & Tavern
Category: American (New)
18 Elm St
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 470-1606

http://www.palmers-restaurant.com

next stop was Chef Matt and Alison Morello’s brasserie 28

they have live music on tuesdays. i enjoyed his songs.

springtime risotto with great spring vegetables like fiddle heads, ramps and sprouting herbs.

Brasserie 28
Categories: Wine Bars, French
2 Elm Sq
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 470-2228

http://www.brasserie28.com/

the 3rd stop was Sam Petro’s Dylan’s Bar and Grill

steak tips, pork spring roll, sweet potato fries with a special dipping sauce.
my 1st time eating a pulled-pork spring roll. i thought it was kinda interesting.

Dylan’s Bar & Grill
Category: American (Traditional)
22 Park St
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 470-1717

http://www.dylansbarandgrill.com/

last stop: pink tree sweets. they were featured on my blog a while ago -> post.

a crepe station with cherry jubilee crepe

their award-winning chocolate strawberry chiffon cake.

Pink Tree Sweets
Category: Desserts
89 Main St
Ste 123
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 475-2673

http://www.pinktreesweets.com

i thought the concept was cool. it’s a good social event that you can meet people from the same town or just a good night out with friends or family. you also get to try signature dishes and meet the creators of these dishes from four different restaurants in one night. the event was well organized, but as a food event, i think the food could’ve been stronger. ‘some of the food wasn’t really representative of the restaurant or the town’ as one of the dishcrawler said.

you can check dishcrawl out @ http://dishcrawl.com/boston/ for future events.

https://twitter.com/DishcrawlBos

http://dishcrawl.com/boston/

Disclaimer: I got two media passes and did not pay for going to this event. All opinions are my own.