Bangkok 54

My fiance has always said that he's not a big fan of Thai food in the area. I think it's because he hasn't gone to some of the better quality places. There's mediocre Thai around Old Town, but a short trip to Columbia Pike and it's a different world. Since we were working on a federal holiday, we headed out from our offices right at quitting time. We made it to Bangkok 54 in time for their happy hour specials, including discounted drinks and small plates.

 Grilled Beef Salad

Nice flavor profile, with a hit of fish sauce, spice, cilantro and red onion.

 Tom Yum Soup with Seafood

He would have preferred if the soup had a spicier kick to it. His mom has a recipe I need to try and learn.

 Spicy Mixed Seafood

The scallops were great, although I'm not a super fan of squid cut like this.

Green Curry with Shrimp

I love a good green curry, the sweetness of the coconut along with a spicy kick. This version was good but would have been nicer if a bit spicier.

Basil and chili fried rice with shrimp

***

The servers were really pleasant and attentive. For the first time, I sat over in the lounge area. Very comfortable banquette table and it was not as loud as the other side. Another time, I'd like to order the whole fish with chilies and garlic.  It was a nice change of pace, although for super spicy food, Korean soon dubu is still my go-to. With a comfortable experience and good Thai classics, the best feedback was my fiance finally liked a Thai place. 

Lawson's Deli Turkey Club

Rye bread, American cheese, sliced turkey with lettuce, tomato and mayo. Not a low-calorie lunch, but satisfying. I think I prefer the Club A sandwich at Axian but I was coming back from a lecture over at 15th St.

Cleaning out the Refrigerator Dinner

By the end of the week, our refrigerator gets a little sparse. Trying to be creative and use up some of the odds and ends is a challenge. With some leftover miso soup with soft tofu and vegetables, these salmon steaks and hasselback potatoes were pretty satisfying.

 Salmon steaks with thinly sliced zucchini, scallions and enoki mushrooms wrapped in foil and baked.

Peruvian Salted Hasselback Potatoes

Tastes like baked potatoes with a bit of a crunch on the ridges.

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace lunch

Jeff Black opened up a new, more casual restaurant on the exciting 14th St dining row. What a difference two decades make in DC living, an area that was a transitional neighborhood has blossomed into a really exciting dining destination. With a gaggle of gals, we checked out the newest addition for a leisurely lunch over the weekend.

 You can't go to a place with "oyster" in the name without trying the oysters. PDOP has an extensive list of oysters from the east and west coast, with a variety of sauces including a yuzu citrus version. The waiter was well versed in the flavor profile of the oysters, but it would have been helpful to have a written list like Hank's.

 1/2 order Mussels with garlic, tomato, parsley and white wine

 Fries versus chips

The waiter strongly recommended the chips, although one of the group had tried the fries before and highly recommended them. To solve the delicious dilemma, the fries and chips went head to head in an informal taste test. Interestingly, the super crunchy chips appealed to some of the group, while others preferred the short and thin potato fries. 

Cup of Soup of the Day

Mushroom soup with a melange of mushrooms.

 Oyster Po'Boy

Fantastic fried oysters with a crunchy French baguette. The bread was a bit small, for the $10 price tag. I get it, we're paying for the atmosphere and it's not about quantity but quality of the ingredients. I kind of dislike the extra cost for side items but do like the option of a side salad, fries or chips.

$13 "Banh Mi"

$3 banh mi in Eden Center reconfigured a little on the fancy side with shrimp and pork belly for $13 on 14th St. I understand the reason for adding a Vietnamese-influence item, since the restaurant has a New Orlean's theme and the Vietnamese have added their own influence on the food scene in NoLa. The pork belly was a bit on the thick side, making it difficult to eat in the sandwich but a nice bread choice. 

***

The meal was decidedly leisurely. The gumbo looked nice, although I'm pleased with the mussels and po'boy. If you decide to start off with a dozen oysters, it takes some time for the oysters to be shucked and the price ranges from $2-2.50 each. Select oysters are on special during happy hour, although it sounds like the bar area gets a bit crowded. In all, a good addition to the neighborhood. I'm not patient enough to venture there for dinner because of the no reservations policy, but will stop by again for lunch to try out a few other dishes.

Kaz Sushi Bistro

My college best friend works crazy hours in retail and hadn't met my super sweet guy since we started dating. After we got engaged, my friend's store renovation finally was completed and we were able to meet up for a long overdue meet and greet dinner.

 Fried oysters

 Fried Fugu

 Shrimp and vegetable tempura

 Grilled baby octopus

 Tofu Dengaku

 Sashimi 

Yellowtail and scallion roll, crunchy salmon roll, tuna and avocado roll plus amaebi nigiri.

***

Our server was great, she balanced a party of 10 and her other tables without appearing flustered at all. She also proved to my fiance that the restaurant deserved a second chance. He really enjoyed the sashimi, and he has pretty high standards, and the other items were well executed. Really great to have an indulgent dinner at Kaz while catching up with my friend and introducing him to my sweet boy. The price point is a bit higher than we normally indulge in, but we had a nice night. Prices are much gentler at lunchtime.

Lindy's Lion

My fiance remembers fondly the burgers at the GW staple, Lindy's. It's a dive, but definitely affordable and offers a wide variety of burgers.

 Burger with Swiss cheese, bacon and mushrooms.

American Bacon Cheeseburger with fries

***

The Yelpers were right, service is a bit on the slow side, but our waitress was really pleasant and the griddled burgers were good. I liked that they offer two sizes, with one patty or two patties, and a wide variety of toppings. Most importantly, my fiance enjoyed his reintroduction to Lindy's after a number of years.

Cooking at Home

With the bounty from our Super H Mart grocery store trip, I made our dinner. We've had a fairly fat-filled few weeks. We also have a weak spot for Sichuan Express for lunch, which does not do well for the figure although tastes fantastic.

 BBQ Spiced Shrimp

 Green beans and zucchini with rayu (Japanese chili sesame oil).

Miso, garlic and ginger glazed salmon steaks.