Feb 11

A progressive meal is where you go to more than one place for one meal. Some people like to do it by course: an appetizer at one eatery, the main course at another, dessert at a last place. My friends and I do it by what the restaurant is known for. This entry is the third (out of four) progressive stop of a lunch we had in Houston. If you missed the other entries here is a chronological list:

1. First stop: Niko Nikos
2. Second stop: Asia Market
3. Third stop: Straits

Photos used in this blog entry were taken by Thomas.

Straits

800 W Sam Houston Pkwy N
Ste 940
Houston, TX 77024

(713) 365-9922
www.straitsrestaurants.com/

If you click on their website, you’ll see that Straits also has a location in San Francisco, in Atlanta, and in San Jose. I’ve been to Straits before for drinks but have never thought to try their restaurant. Willis, a Houston foodie, recommended that we tried Straits because everything he’s had there he’s enjoyed. Specializing in Asian fusion, the restaurant certainly has a trendy and modern flair in both their cuisine and their atmosphere.

The Food

Our group of four ordered the Roti Prata, a pulled duck sandwich, and Indian street noodles.

Roti is a crisp griddled Indian Flatbread. It came with the a curry dipping sauce. My three eating buddies LOVED it. I thought it was good. It’s like eating puff pastry with a delicious dip and really, that’s hard to go wrong with. I like my carbs.

Pictured above is the slow roasted pulled duck sandwich that comes with a dipping sauce. Seriously, out of all the dishes we’ve tried that day (I’m also including a dinner that is not included in this lunch), if I could only have one thing over again it will be this pulled duck sandwich. It was heavenly. The Asian Slaw and Shiitake Au Jus with the pulled tender hearty duck, dipped into that sauce was such a powerful fusion. You could taste everything! All the flavors and textures contrasted in such a harmonious way that it’s STUNNING. Shit. I’m not kidding when I say of all the delicious food I had that day, if I could only have a repeat of one, it’ll be this sandwich. The fries, dusted with garlic and Parmesan, were a nice complement.


Our last tasting from Straits was the Indian Street Noodles (“Mee Goreng”), wok fried spicy egg noodles,
fried with cabbage, tofu, prawns, tomatoes. This was pretty decent. It sounds perfect after a night out drinking. I guess it was overshadowed by the fabulous pulled duck sandwich. The prawns and tomatoes were especially satisfying.

The Bathroom

One quality I realize I cherish in my friends is their ability to have fun (almost shamelessly). Thomas left us girls to use the bathroom and came back reporting that the bathroom was “awesome.” So we three girls left Thomas to check it out. To our utter childlike amusement, we were delighted that in addition to the hot pink lighting, the bathroom was also a UNISEX. Party in the bathroom! So we came back and fetched our boy, Thomas and proceeded to have a photo shoot.

All in all, I’m pretty impressed by Straits and cannot wait for my next opportunity to come back. (Again, for that pulled duck sandwich!)

Next up and last for this progressive series, dessert at Juicebox!

Feb 5

Last weekend, Thomas, Kim, and Jessica and I embarked on a progressive lunch in Houston. Except for the photo of him and Jessica, photos used in this blog entry were taken by Thomas.

A progressive meal is where you go to more than one place for one meal. Some people like to do it by course: an appetizer at one eatery, the main course at another, dessert at a last place. My friends and I do it by what the restaurant is known for. Follows is the list of entries in series in chronological order.

Progressive Series
1. First stop: Niko Nikos
2. Asia Market
3. Straits

Asia Market

1010 W Cavalcade St Ste D
Houston, TX 77009
(713) 863-7074
asiamarket-hou.com

Asia Market was actually Willis’s recommendation and was supposed to be our last stop of a progressive meal the previous time we did a progressive in Houston. Willis took Thomas and me there but they were closed for Thanksgiving. You can see Willis’s review of Asia Market here. He wanted us to try the pastry puffs that were stuffed with curried chicken. (Willis couldn’t join us again this round because he went to LA. Funny, Thomas came to Houston from LA and Willis went to LA from Houston.)

Our little eating group of four trekked to Asia Market after our satisfying tasting at Niko Nikos. We each had a curry pastry (priced at under 4 dollars for a box of 4) and we sat our bottoms down at the very modest Asia Market and nibbled. We even shared a Dragon Fruit drink. I’ve confirmed with my parents that I’ve never had Dragon Fruit, a tropical fruit you can find in Asia. Very seedy, that fruit.



Yes. Kim and I totally inadvertently wore the exact same outfit. Leather jacket, leather boots, jeans, and striped shirt. What?

The puffs were tasty. The pastry was nice and flaky and buttery and the curried chicken, flavorful.

They had a Thai restaurant in the market with entrees for very reasonable prices. I’m tempted to come back to this place and try out their kitchen menu. It’s quite tiresome trying to eat the world.

So this concludes our trip to Asia Market. Next up, Straits! Stay tuned for stop number three of our progressive lunch.

Feb 4

A progressive meal is where you go to more than one place for one meal. Some people like to do it by course: an appetizer at one eatery, the main course at another, dessert at a last place. My friends and I do it by what the restaurant is known for. Follows is the list of entries in series in chronological order.

1. Niko Nikos: First stop of Progressive Lunch
2. Asia Market: Second stop of Progressive Lunch
3. Straits: Third stop of Progressive Lunch

This past weekend, Thomas, Kim, and Jessica and I embarked on a progressive lunch in Houston. Our first stop was at Niko Nikos. Photos used in this blog entry were taken by Thomas.

Niko Nikos

2520 Montrose Blvd
Houston, TX 77006

(713) 528-1308
www.nikonikos.com

Thomas alerted me that Guy from Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives went to Niko Nikos, one of my favorite Greek restaurants. He had the lamb shanks and honey balls. I haven’t had either but I LOVE lamb. Thomas nominated that as one of our stops and it ended up being our first eatery. Interestingly, the first time I ever went to Niko Nikos was in 2008 with Thomas! Our whole eating group has been to Niko Nikos numerous times but the famed lamb shanks and honey balls were new for all of us.

I’m a big fan of lamb. When cooked right, the meat just falls off the bone. We watched in anticipation as Thomas easily cut away the meat with a plastic knife. We all shared the plate because Thomas and I learned from the last time we did this, it was best to watch our portions. The lamb came with a side of the potatoes I always get when I go to Nikos. Buttery, lemony, soft potatoes.


Beautiful, isn’t it?

For dessert we had the honey balls. Tasted like donut holes that are dipped in honey and dusted with powdered sugar. Delicious. The four of us had 2 balls each. ;)

All in all, I’m a little upset that I loved the lamb so much. I don’t live in Houston, my stomach lining can only stretch so much, and I already love Niko Niko’s menu so much…. to add yet ANOTHER favorite from here? Torture.

A picture of our photographer.

Video Clip of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives at Niko Nikos

Feb 3

I’ve been blue and I’m guessing this will be my general status quo for a while. I’m very much a type 7 kind of person so I don’t do very well sitting on my couch and feeling sorry for myself. I’m the kind of person who when faced with bad moods and heartache, I do my best to battle it with good times and reflecting on blessings. I cackle extra hard at mediocre jokes and I seek adventure. I’ve jumped out of planes and shot guns and traveled all in the spirit of avoiding pain. I’m pretty open to new experiences, but especially so when faced with adversity.

Although this is how I am, I don’t think it’s exactly healthy. I think we have to let ourselves mourn and feel what we feel now so that it’ll eventually run empty. It doesn’t mean I have to like it when my melancholy catches up to me and holds me in a lingering embrace. Actually it felt more like an unwelcomed, crushing bear hug. And that’s exactly what it did yesterday. The afterglow of my weekend in Houston wore off and I just felt extremely sad. All day. Most of the night. I’m a pretty rational person and I know bad times (and obviously good times) will pass. It’s just that I’m fucking impatient.

In the spirit of being more healthy about my coping with pain, I sat yesterday and bore the depression during work hours. Then, true to form I tried to use it as a trigger to propel me away. I completed tasks I was avoiding because I figured, hell, I’m having a bad day anyway, let’s just get this all out of the way. I cried my way through it and eventually made it to bed.

Here I am this morning. Ready to face it again. Tonight I’m meeting up an old/new group of friends and cooking something. Don’t know what yet. You know, to distract myself.

To nurse that afterglow I mentioned, I’m going to post random fun pictures from my weekend in Houston. (I have a progressive meal series to work on posting as well).









This picture makes me laugh out loud. I accidentally grabbed his butt right at the very second the picture was snapped. I thought it was his back! I did this to Jessica earlier that same day too. Oi.


What do you do when you’re feeling down?

Jan 5

1103 S Shepherd Dr
Houston, TX 77019
Phone:713.521.2239
http://www.backstreetcafe.net/

After Kim and I released our balloons right before the year’s end, we had our new Sunday in Houston tradition of eating brunch at a nice place. Instead of Hugo’s, we went to Hugo’s sister restaurant, Backstreet Cafe. We were pleasantly surprised to see that Backstreet Cafe is a two story house (apparently built in the 30s) renovated into a restaurant. Very quaint for Houston. I’m still exploring Houston, but whereas Austin is abundant in quaint, romantic, little restaurants, Houston seems to have a knack for grander interiors.


We were seated upstairs not far from the fireplace which was housing a real fire.


Our window.


We both ordered the wild berry mimosa which I liked even more than Hugo’s guava and watermelon mimosa. I had to consciously not drink it too fast. (I have to REALLY pace myself with alcohol.)

For an appetizer, we shared the roasted pear salad. Neither of us have had a roasted pear and I think both of us have thought about roasting our own pears. After eating this delicious warm pear, more than ever, I’m resolved to roast me a pear now. So warm and moist!


My first roasted pear. It definitely won’t be my last.


Stuffed with bleu cheese, dried fruit and nuts, served with greens.


Bistro Breakfast

Pictured above is Kim’s order, the Bistro Breakfast, which is comprised of a grilled 4oz tenderloin served with two poached eggs, rosemary potato cake, spinach and tomato hollandaise sauce. I had a taste of her tenderloin and it was magnificent and tender. I have to watch it with steaks because it’s usually tough on my lockjaw but this one was perfect.


Spinach Soufflé

I ordered the Spinach Soufflé (pictured above) with mushrooms, poached eggs topped with sabayon and crumbled crisp bacon with a small artichoke salad. I thought I should attempt to eat more greens in the spirit of a new year and new beginnings. I managed half the salad. The soufflé was just as it should be, light and fluffy. The poached eggs on top gave it a heartier bite. I wished they were a tad more generous with the bacon but all in all this dish is a winner.


Bread Pudding

Kim and I never skip out on dessert when dining together. It’s our rule. The bread pudding was good. It didn’t blow me away or anything but it was not a bad tasting bread pudding.

Backstreet Cafe is unique from its brother, Hugo’s. The feel, the food. It’s a lot quieter and calmer than Hugo’s. It’s a great place to unwind after a crazy night out whereas Hugo’s ambiance is not so good for a hangover. I’m definitely bookmarking this place for future reference. Hugo Ortega, the executive chef, owns Hugo’s, Backstreet Cafe, and Prego. I nominate Prego to be our next brunch or dinner stop for Kim and me next I’m in Houston.

I’m loving Houston’s eats!
Dec 31

In comparison to 2008, 2009 was awful! The one thing I can think of that 2009 had over 2008 was that I read more than double the books I read in 2008. I’m anticipating the fresh feel of a new year that is 2010. In the meantime, here’s a review of how my year has gone with heavier emphasis on my blessings verses my misfortunes.

Note: All links open in a new window.

January 2009


Celebrating New Year’s with the boyfriend

February 2009


Alan and I at the Killer’s Concert

March 2009


Rodeo, Austin, TX

April 2009


Selina’s Birthday

May


Celebrating Sae’s law school graduation

June 2009


Cindy and me at Grand Lux Cafe in Houston

July


Brandi and me on Fourth of July

August

  • The first two weeks of August, I tried to squeeze in as much time as I can with Alan because he was about to leave for Korea for up to 4.5 months.
  • Starting, August 16, I started counting days Alan was gone.
  • Kim came to visit the weekend of the 22nd and we saw Wicked.
  • I saw 500 Days of Summer three times this month, in theatre, of course. This is the first movie I’ve done that.
  • Jon visited from NYC.
  • I got a part-time, part-time (yes you read that right) job, thanks to Brittany dropping a good word for me.


Alan’s last night out with friends before going to Korea.

September

October

November


Having hot chocolate at Ren Fest.

December


After party in the car.

I’m a blessed girl. Instinctively, I’d tell you my 2009 was pretty awful but when I write it all out like this and focused on the good rather than the bad, I can see now I’m still quite lucky. Farewell, 2009.

Tell me how your year went. Or better yet, if you have a year in review entry, I’d love to read yours.

Dec 30

One of my New Year’s resolutions should be to get better at taking self portraits. These photos were all taken by me Saturday night. The last one was REALLY off but maybe it’s because I drank half a beer. (I’m weak sauce.)


The last one is a really cute one of Pinky but it was originally supposed to be a group shot.

Dec 30

5120 Washington Ave
Houston, TX 77007
(281) 701-4248

Okay, let me get this fact out of the way first. Taps has NINETY-SIX BEERS ON THE WALL. NINETY-SIX.

I was in Houston for the holidays and had a fun night out at Taps with some Houston girl friends. I like the crowd here. No attention hungry loud girls, no dudes in Affliction/douchebag t-shirts, just young professionals in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties. The bar staff is super friendly, the prices were reasonable, the beer abundant. I’m liking this place on Washington Avenue. It would be a great place to come back to on an off night when it’s less crowded and watch a sports game.


More beer on tap


Cindy, me, Pinky.


Lovely sisters: Pinky and Aishah. Aishah was a roommate of mine in college for three years!


In case you are wondering, Aishah’s doing a fist pump, a la Jersey Shore.


There was a time when this girl was in middle school and would come up to Austin to visit her sister and me in college, now she’s all grown up and is our fricking designated driver.

Dec 28

I’m back from Houston and am EXHAUSTED. I’m running on 4-5 hours sleep a night. I work both jobs today but soon enough I shall explain this picture (and relive some really good meals with you).

Dec 10

This entry is part of a series. Here are the other entries in case you missed them.

1. Sneak Peak/Introduction
2. Sneak Preview of Little Bigs
3. First stop: Kolache Factory
4. Second stop: Antones

Little Bigs: Third and Thankfully Last Stop of Progressive Lunch

2703 Montrose Blvd.
Houston, TX 77006
http://littlebigshouston.com

Our third and last stop was Little Bigs. (We were supposed to go to fourth place but I’ll tell you what happened to that place later.) You order in threes at Little Bigs which works out perfect for a group of three. We let Willis take the reins and order 2 of whatever he thought best for us. Unfortunately they stopped doing their famous mushroom burger so Willis chose a black bean vegetarian burger and the signature all beef patty burger (with caramelized onions). The boys started with the black bean sliders which I should have done. The black bean was meh to me. I guess it tasted too much like black beans for my taste. I started with the signature slider which was juicy and perfect. I wished I had the black bean slider first so I could finish on a higher note. Their special sauce is special in a good way and their fries were a great complement to the sliders. Mmm. I understand the hype.

Before I tell you about what happened at our fourth destiation, here’s a pictural intermission.

When the guy behind the counter told Willis they don’t make their mushroom burger anymore, he said almost too seriously, “Are. you. serious?!” It made Thomas and me laugh because the poor cashier looked a little nervous.

Patience is a virtue.

Thomas having a hard time with the ketchup.

Still having a hard time.

Which tickled me!

How beautiful is our feast? We were already full from our previous stops and my mom making me lunch, but we managed to enjoy anyway. (It’s hard out there for a foodie, ya’ll)

After we stuffed ourselves to the point of MOANING, we took deep breaths and drove to our fourth place. Willis wanted to take us to get us pastry puffs at Asia Market. We got there, hurting, but still excited to finish our 4 part progressive lunch. We were greeted by a locked door and a sign that stated they were closed for Thanksgiving still. More relieved than saddened, we stood around in the parking lot because it hurt to sit. :) I love progressive meals. I’ve only done it twice before. Once with Cindy (we only hit up 2 places though) and once more with Alan our first night in San Francisco.

P.S. Since we never made it to Asia Market, I’ll leave you with Willis’s food blog entry of Asia Market.

Photos in this entry were taken by Thomas.

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