I never pretended to be easy going
But I do love Asian food
Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! Check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate.
Salmon roe rice ball at Izakaya Seki
1117 V St NW, Washington, DC 20009
“Sophie,” my coworker said. “You only pretend to be easy going, when in fact all you ever want to eat is Asian food.” After I picked myself off the floor from reeling over at the audacity of that statement, I proceeded to march myself to Izakaya Seki. If liking Asian food is what I’m known for, I might as well commit to my image. Seki is my favorite restaurant in DC. Located in a small house on a quiet street, and it’s the perfect place for a close-knit group of friends or a one-on-one catch up. All the dishes on the menu are small dishes, meant for sharing. I’d recommend getting a trio of vegetables, some sashimi, something fried, and a side of onigiri. If you like fish, don’t even bother looking at the other flavors, and point straight to the salmon roe rice ball; a triangle of perfectly cooked sushi rice studded with orange orbs of roe.
Tomato salad at Izakaya Seki
1117 V St NW, Washington, DC 20009
I was as surprised as you are to learn that on a menu filled with fried chicken, fresh raw sashimi, carby rice balls and all kinds of treats, a simple tomato salad was the most delicious thing I ate. What can I say, Izakaya Seki really knows how to handle its vegetables. The “salad” was a tiny dish of cherry tomatoes, perfect bright red spheres that were peeled (!), lightly poached (?), and topped with a dash of something acidic, perhaps vinegar, that made them taste even sweeter and more tomato-y than I thought was possible.
Old fashioned donut at Mah-Ze-Dahr bakery
28 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10011
Mah-Ze-Dahr is known for its brioche donuts (which are very good!) but I like the old fashioned ones even better. Instead of light and airy, these donuts are dense and moist. I love that they have a craggly texture and are buttery and eggy on the inside. Despite the fact that I adore baked goods and desserts, I don’t love things that are too sugary. Instead, what I really seek are intense and rich flavors: Things that are buttery, creamy, salty-sweet. These donuts live up to that craving. They’re almost savory, and perfect with a cup of hot milky tea.
Bakefully yours, mini paleo chocolate chip cookies
Available in the DC area, or online
I normally would never spend 7.99 on a small bag of chocolate chip cookies, least of all paleo ones, but I was in a rush and needed a hostess gift. I’m very glad I did spend those dollars, because I can’t stop eating these cookies, which manage to be extremely chewy and moist all at once. There’s only seven ingredients listed, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, chocolate chips, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, but the results are greater than the sum of its parts.
Valrhona Le Noir Amer 71% Cacao
Available at Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores
The Purse Chocolate™️ of the month for me is this excellent dark chocolate bar from Valrhona, which I purchased at Trader Joe’s (but you can also buy elsewhere). It’s so smooth and intensely chocolate-y, I like it even better than Green and Black’s, my old favorite bar, which now tastes slightly chalky in comparison. There’s a dark deep fruit flavor, that reminds me of my favorite red wines. Speaking of which, it’s great paired with a glass of rioja and malbec, when you’re not snacking straight-from-purse.
Till next time,
Soph