Tag: Asian

Shrimp and Strawberry Summer Rolls

Well Dined | Shrimp and Strawberry Summer Rolls

Shrimp and Strawberry?  Do you think I sound crazy right now?  Trust, young padawans, and learn the ways of combining sweet and savory.  Rice noodles, pickled veg (and mango!), basil, mint, scallions, shrimp, and strawberries are combined in a rice wrapper for the ultimate summer freshness.  Served with a delicious peanut sauce for dipping – get in my face!

Well Dined | Shrimp and Strawberry Summer Rolls

I had seen a blog photo ages ago that I loved on this site, but I was scared to try it because I had never made summer rolls before and it seemed finicky.  Then I was over at a friend’s house for dinner and that is what we made!  It was a bit tricky, but not as scary as I had imagined.  She was a pro, so I asked her to help me make my shrimp and strawberry rolls.  Then I looked at the recipe for the photo I loved, and wasn’t a big fan of the ingredients.  I wanted noodles instead of cabbage, and mango instead of bell pepper.  So I switched some things around.

Well Dined | Shrimp and Strawberry Summer Rolls

Then we got to work!  She was skeptical of my flavor combo, but ended up loving it.  You can see the progression here from back to front where I put the ingredients on in the wrong order so the pretty parts didn’t show, then exploded one, then finally got some decent rolls.  The good news is – it doesn’t matter if you don’t get the best looking rolls, they still taste amazing! (more…)

Local Favorites – Chantilly, VA

I wanted to give a quick shout-out to a couple of my favorite local establishments in Chantilly, VA.

Well Dined | 5T*Ice

First up is 5T*Ice, an Asian dessert shop at Dulles Landing.  I used to frequent Tutti Frutti, owned by the same people, but 5T opened much closer to where I live. Yay! In addition to frozen yogurt and gelato (including hard-to-find durian), they serve Patbingsu – shaved ice topped with ice cream, fruits, and syrups.  I really like the coconut and ube bingsu with coconut shavings, sweetened condensed milk, and ube ice cream.

Well Dined | 5T*Ice

They also have bubble tea, smoothies, milkshakes, and other various similar drinks.  I really like the Che Thai – a Vietnamese drink with coconut milk, grass jelly, coconut jelly, pomegranate jelly, lychee, jackfruit, and toddy palm.  It is crazy good.  If sweet is not your thing they also have steamed pork buns, sticky rice with Chinese sausage, and other goodies.  And, no, I don’t know what the name means – no one I know does! (more…)

San Antonio Country Club Chef’s Table

Well Dined | SACC Chef's Table

While we were in San Antonio for Christmas, my father (from whom I inherited my love of food) set up a special dinner in the kitchen of the San Antonio Country Club with Chef Nelson Millán, a Puerto Rican native who has been working at SACC since 2010.  Chef Millán specializes in Latin flavors, but is versed in a variety of cuisines; so when I told my father that I’m not a huge fan of Latin cuisine in general he was able to put together a menu combining two of my favorite cuisines – Asian and French (or Frasian, they joked).  My parents, my brother and his fiance, my sister, my husband, and I were set up at a big metal table inside the kitchen with a close up view of the action and a very dedicated server who made sure our glasses were never empty.  Let’s begin our Frasian adventure!

Well Dined | SACC Chef's Table

First up was a White Bouillabaisse with Clam, Mussel, Lobster, White Fish (I can’t recall what kind), Prawn, Potato Puree, and Roasted Fennel with a Togarashi Rouille.  This was accompanied by a 15 yr Oloroso Sherry.  Beautiful.  Each piece of seafood was perfectly cooked and the broth was packed with flavor.  I liked the modern way the chef incorporated the traditional potato and fennel into the dish, and the togarashi (Japanese condiment with chili, citrus, ginger, seaweed, and sesame) in the rouille (sauce of olive oil, breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron, and chili traditionally served with bouillabaisse) was a fun way to bring in Asian flavors.

Well Dined | SACC Chef's Table

Here we see Chef Millán arranging the seafood over the potato puree before pouring in the broth.  I should add that we also had all kinds of bread to munch on, my favorites being the sweet potato biscuits and the cornbread drops that I loved as a kid. (more…)

Miso Butter Four Ways

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This innocent looking container holds a magic ingredient that will take your food to the next level.  What is it?  Miso butter.  Two ingredients – miso and butter – combine to make a perfect substance.  So simple, but so good.  You could just slap this on some toast and call it a day.  But if you want to get a little more creative, I have a bunch of ideas for you.

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First up – scallops seared in miso butter.  That’s it, it’s that easy.  I served these with my other miso obsession – miso creamed kale.

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Next – broiled salmon topped with miso butter, served with miso butter glazed baby carrots and coconut-miso barley.

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Moving away from seafood for a bit, I made this coconut chicken recipe and replaced the regular butter with miso butter.  It made it so much better than the original, which I was already a fan of.  I also used cherry preserves in the sauce because that’s what I had, but apricot or peach would work better.  I made a side salad with romaine, sliced radishes, blanched green beans, and a carrot-ginger dressing to go with it.

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Lastly, we have a stir-fry made with miso butter.  Fast, easy, and delicious.  The salmon was broiled with a store-bought red miso and yuzu glaze.  I’d say it wasn’t any better than the salmon topped with the miso butter.

Best of all?  All these meals are healthy and low-carb.  Most of them are grain-free!  What would you do with your miso butter? (more…)

Sea Pearl Restaurant, Mosaic Center

The new Mosaic Shopping Center in Merrifield, VA is super cool.  There’s a Target, an indie movie theater, a gym, boutiques, and cafes.  Sea Pearl is one of the larger, less casual restaurants in the center.  The website describes it as “Asian inspired modern American cuisine.”  The main focus is seafood – they have both cooked dishes and sushi – but they also have some meat dishes and a pretty good brunch (on Saturday, too, which I love).  It’s quite large and the decor is really lovely.  It’s a little on the feminine side, which would make it perfect for ladies’ brunch or girls’ night out (the drinks are good, but with DC prices).  I’ve never seen it packed, so large groups could be seated easily.

Let’s start with Brunch, because that is what I go for most often.

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Cinnamon churros with warm chocolate dipping sauce: these are super awesome – hot, fresh, crunchy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside.  Love it.

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Ricotta fritters with honey and seasonal fruit (this time it was apple): these are good too, fluffy and rich.  If you had to choose only one pastry though, I’d go with the churros. (more…)

Maple Avenue Restaurant

I have been going to Maple Avenue Restaurant (located on,  you guessed it, Maple Ave) for lunch pretty regularly the past couple of months.  I am so sad that I didn’t discover this place sooner, because it is awesome!  It is super tiny (like 20 seats max) and not much to look at, but the food is super fresh and seasonal and local and just great all around.  I don’t know much about the chef, I haven’t been to one of their “meet the farmers” events, and I haven’t even been for dinner, but I just love this place.  They have a super awesome lunch deal of 2 courses for $20 which, considering a main is like $22 usually, is a pretty good bargain.  The menu changes all the time, so it’s likely that dishes I post about here won’t be on the menu any more, but they can give you an idea of what you can expect.

The baked mac and cheese – this is one of their most popular small plates, and for good reason!  Really good pasta, cooked to the perfect al dente, with gruyere and cheddar, topped with an herbed panko crust. (more…)