Some New & Old

Since I was in major food withdrawal all week, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to do some exploring and check off some restaurants on my extensive "must eats" list.

West Philadelphia Exploration

I admit I am quite a bit behind when it comes to exploring and eating at the plethora of cafes, ethnic eateries and new additions of West Philadelphia. Inspired by all of the recommendations I have been receiving, I spent most of the week taking walks west of 40th and Spruce to see what was out there.

Quickly becoming a Penn staple, this tiny taco shop offers perfectly made tacos: everything from sweet potato to shrimp and carnitas (pictured above). I'm am definitely returning this week to try out the burritos which are supposed to be even better than the tacos.

Stopped by this BYOB after seeing Marigold Cafe was closed for brunch. The menu is quite creative such as the smoked salmon crepe with carmelized apricots and candied walnuts (above), but the portions were quite small and I left feeling a tad still hungry. Good for a lunch but not what I was expecting for a Sunday brunch.

Adorable cafe with wide-range of breakfast and lunch offerings. Wasn't impressed by my particular turkey sandwich but a good place to spend a sunny afternoon away from the crowd.

An oldie (Yogorino), and one of my all time favorite dessert places in Philadelphia & a newbie (Lil Pop Shop). Thought the $3/ tiny popsicle price tag was a bit overpriced but that was before I bit into my chocolate with salted caramel brownie fudge bar which included bits of freshly baked brownie. Definitely going back to try some of the other flavors such as green tea with mochi and earl grey with vanilla bean and black pepper.

Brunch Addition

Been dying to try this pace after I heard people raving about the lemon ricotta pancakes. Will admit it was a bit difficult to find but so worth the trip! The unlimited filter coffee instantly made me a fan of the place.

Huevos Rancheros: toasted corn tortillas, topped with refried beans, roasted peppers, jack cheese, and two fried eggs, finished with grilled chorizo and pico de gallo. [AMAZING, never much a fan of spanish inspired brunch dishes but this one has converted me]
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes: Light and fluffy, was surprised it wasn't more "lemony" but I liked how the dish was really light

All Time Favorite
I lovee Jose Garces and I love love love JG Trading Company (restaurant week post here). Probably has something to do with the wine shop in the store that lets you BYO every meal...Plus, this is probably his only restaurant that regularly changes the menu which gives me reason to keep coming back.

Finally tried to duck fat fries which were fried to perfection. They do taste a bit heavier even though the fries were light and fluffy thanks to the duck fat. 

Serrano ham pizza: Brussels Sprouts, Whipped Ricotta, Pear Balsamic. This pizza is great, all of the flavors work together so perfectly and the duck fat on the dough makes it taste like a cross between a cracker and cheesy bread, I'm usually the one leaving uneaten crusts on my plate but not this time.
The Spaniard: This sandwich came at the recommendation of our waiter but it was basically an underwhelming chicken club sandwich with very dry chicken. Probably won't be ordering any sandwiches next time I come back.

New Header!

I finally journeyed to South Street yesterday after being at Penn for almost two years. I don't kndow why it took me so long to visit considering the abundance of eating and blogging opportunities. Needless to say, I'll be going back a lot more before the semester ends (and probably even after since I won't be going to New York until June). Anyways, after strolling (and shopping) for a good 12 blocks, my pledge sisters and I decided it was time for a foodie break and we ventured into Phileo Yogurt. Now the place looks exactly like Kiwi with the bright colors decor, toppings bar and even the labels of the different froyo flavors.  After having Forty Carrots in NY, Yogorino by Rittenhouse and even Pink Berry in Stanford, Kiwi does not compare so I was not super excited about Phileo. BUT THEN, I saw that they had  Tea and Taro frozen yogurt! That made me prettyyy happy even if it was to just take a shot of the wonderful pale green and lavender hues. I went with the green and purple theme and sprinkled some blackberries and kiwis on top. I have to say I am a fan of the bright green-ness of the kiwi.

Anyways, a new header is finally up. I'm not sure how I feel about it since it is a little busy but I guess it will do for now until I can find a way to simplify the shots.

After the strolling on South Street, I met up with my roomie for a quick cappuccino at Capogiro. I swear I go to that place like its my job now but the cappuccino sure is delicious and who can say no to $2 for 6 day old bagels?

Hope everyone had a relaxing and happy weekend. Will post some of the shots from South Street when I am not falling asleep by the computer :p

some favorite things

Cheesy but cute.

Finally done with finals and the semester!  For some reason, this semester felt distinctly different than last semester but then again, my objectives for this semester were also very different. Can I say I think I’ve finally gotten the hang of Penn? Probably not, since I’m sure there are probably many more curve balls down the road. 

A little self indulgence. [ok I didn't actually get this as I think sprinkles are incredibly gross but I appreciate the numerous toppings all mixed together]

A quick moment of reflection on the lessons (I think) I learned from this semester

•  hardwork still ultimately pays off and all that sentimental cliche stuff life believing in yourself actually matters
• setting off the fire alarm in the kitchen can happen quite frequently (and putting a plastic bag over the smoke detector is both illegal and ineffective)
• true friendships take a hella lot of work but they are also very worth it
• cheap rings from h&m turn your fingers really green...like really really green
• low fat honey mustard dressing from salad works is insanely gross
• not every person you meet is going to like you and that is OK
• when you try and dye your hair - 20 minutes just isn't going to cut it
• every person you meet is amazing in his or her own way
• Korean fruit tea is insanely good
• some things in life just don't work out, but that's ok too :)

Now for the food related part: a quick conglomeration of some snackies and munchies from the past few weeks. 

 From the beach trip before the start of the semester with my wonderful pledge sisters. Favorite beach eat is still Kohrs ice cream (in a large).

From MARR and a great memory of the summer. Lychee bubble tea has definitely become the bubble tea of choice (and ten ren makes one good bubble tea).

From the Parli study break (as a new member of the board!). A quick baking session with M. Cinnamon buns and blueberry muffins.

From brunch with an amazing friend and debate partner at the best brunch place on campus (RX). Please go try this now. I have never been so excited about eggs, potato and toast.

From cramming for the Finance final (at least I’m fairly confident that I picked the right career choice thus far). Some noodle soup made with Korean chili powder and bok choy. I don't know how I would survive without those noodles.

Very, very excited for these few days of break. So many recipes to try and so many cooking dates with friends who I have not seen for far too long!

Coming up next: a french toast recipe and a few shots of the Perky trail.

wishing everyone a safe trip home!

Ramen Redone and a Revisit

Hii Jenny :P

An open window.

Cold noodles with Miso Sauce

Spicy ramen with egg.

Vegetarian stir fried noodles

The first set of NYC posts! So I've heard about the famed Ramen of Greenwich Village, and now I've finally experienced it for myself.  One thing I can say is that the food sure is photogenic. Something about the presentation of Korean cuisine makes it really easy to take deliciously captivating shots. The food was good although not great, but our starving stomachs were more than satisfied after 6 hours of walking/shopping without a break. Sure did a lot of shopping. Fortunately, there was a lot of picture taking in between. Such as these:

Oh yes I went back. Hello again lovely :)

No dark chocolate this time but dutch chocolate also does the trick.

Are you craving froyo yet??

Yummy Express

So I'm usually not a fan of those express eating places, especially when it is for sushi and Japanese food - gotta say I'm kind of skeptical. For a multitude of reasons. Upon passing by the plastic bento boxes in a generic display window, my dining companion insisted that this place (who's name I do not remember) was not shady but "cute". Sure, I can do cute. As long as the food is good.Surprisingly, the food was actually rather yummy and cheap. This quick stop is located on Chestnut next to The Buffalo Exchange.

Shrimp Tempura and Veggies :D

Eel and Cucumber roll

Gyoza Bento Box

Why we still wanted to eat after this enormous meal, I don't know. 

Yogurt City is on 13th and Chestnut. I'm pretty sure they get the fro-yo from the same place Kiwi (aka Sprinkles) gets theirs. Even the the setup of the dispensers is the same. Only difference is You get these bright pink spoons from Yogurt City :)

One went with the healthy options. One did not. Guess which one is mine?

Red boba pearls, they explode in your mouth when you bite down on them. Kinda cool. Also, peach fro-yo with mangoes,

Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter & Cheesecake. Liked the C&C the best.

A great start to Fall Break and the end of one stressful month!