4 Countries 1 Day

Blueberry scones!

We're finally in England!  We've  been anticipating this trip for a solid 6 months and we are here at last.  Travelling was a chore as always..  We live in the Seattle area, and for pricing purposes we bought tickets that flew out of Vancouver up in Canada: about a three hour drive from home.  It was a lovely day out and we got to Vancouver in plenty of time to drive around a little and find a decent bite to eat before our long flight.

So we were desperate on the road for the nearest bite to eat, so without caring too much for selection or price we went for the nearest place with a kitchen.  In a botanical park on the side of the road there was a fancy looking little place called Shaughnessy, which had a great range of fresh sounding foods from breakfast to dinner.  When you pop in for brunch they start you off with some delicious looking and smelling blueberry scones.  The butteryness was smelt several yards away from the table, and I was soo ready for these babies.  I had never thought of it but these truly do make a really nice appetizer.

Hannah's Vegetable Crepes w/ Green Salad

Hannah ordered the vegetable crepes, which seemed to be a perfect brunch meal.  The crepe was nice and thin with the signature slight eggy hint, very nice.  Stuffed perfectly with a bit more egg and plenty of chopped veggies with a bit of cheese.  Very fluffy and full of flavor.  The crepe was accompanied by a very clean and fresh looking green salad, a fine accompaniment for a fufilling brunch.

My chicken, mozz, lettuce and tomato panini

Being a lover of sandwiches and burgers (an American) I ordered a panini.  Inside this tightly packed grilled sammich I found tender roasted chicken, fresh tomato, lettuce, and very fresh tasting mozzarella cheese.  This was one of the better panini sandwiches I've had in my life, given that a lot of times when I order a panini it is packed so fat that the contents want to slide right out, however it wasn't the case this time, as everything stayed very centrally within the bread, making it delicious.

Bacon-like almonds

After a little bit in the Vancouver airport, with no delays we had boarded our KLM flight for our layover in Amsterdam Schipol airport (3 hours).  On the plane Hannah and I felt like we were in the serious minority speaking English on the dominantly Dutch speaking plane, but no big deal considering that most of Europe has some command of the English language, and I never want to offend anyone's culture.  These almonds you see in the picture above were some of the best plane nuts I've ever had!  They called them smoky almonds, and they SERIOUSLY had some smoky almost bacon like flavor.  Great!

BBQ Chicken

On to dinner.  On a transatlantic flight it is hard to expect a 5 star meal, but KLM did alright.  They had two choices for dinner: BBQ chicken and a salmon pasta dish.  Being people that like to try everything we got one of each.  At first I had the chicken and Hannah the salmon, however Hannah not being too hot on fish sometimes switched with me, which was fine.  The chicken was nice, had a sweet flavor, nothing spectacular but not bad for an airplane.  On the side was some nice yellow rice which tasted like it came off of an airplane..  The salmon pasta was alright, I didn't really like the sauce they put over it, but the whole dish wasn't terrible, something to eat on a long flight.  Both dishes had a little potato salad on the side which was alright, again, nothing to get too excited about.  They offered some butter and crackers with everything which were good, and for desert they had a chocolate chip cake, the flavor was good and sweet but the cake was a little dry.  

Salmon Pasta

When we finally landed at Amsterdam-Schipol we were both really beat, and I think the size of Schipol really took us for a ride.  That place is ENORMOUS and there certainly is a good amount of shopping to be done.  I picked up a few treats.  We also got something to drink after the long flight.  I felt like a cold beer, and what beer to get in Holland other than Heineken.  Hannah felt like a warm-booster so we got a cappiccino too.  We had packed a lot of our own snacks so we thought it was ample time to eat some.  We had our vegan beef jerky which was spicy thai peanut flavor.  Kinda funky tasting it in jerky but we still thought it was good.  Also we had these nori sticks, which were basically a flavored filling (curry in this case) wrapped in a seaweed-like film and it was..ok.  I really liked the curry filling but I'm not sure how well it goes with the fish flavor of the nori.  We still ate it.

Cappuccino with creamer

The beer of Holland

After all the travel and commotion we finally got on our last little plane to London Heathrow airport, met up with Hannah's Grandad and made it back to their place in Surrey county, East of London.  We were absolutely exhausted and went to bed shortly after.  More to come :)

Last day of Senior Year

Senior Breakfast

So, Tyler and and I graduated high school yesterday and in all the festivities, the day before graduation we decided to go out shopping.  Earlier in the day we had our senior breakfast which consisted of the whole class visiting a convention center, eating breakfast and watching a slideshow of the past year at our school.  The breakfast that was served was a martini glass filled with fresh fruit, bacon, an apple french toast sort of thing, and pastries.  In addition there was plenty of coffee and fruit juice.  I personally enjoyed this senior breakfast because we got to spend time with friends before heading our separate ways. 

Taro Bubbletea

Thai Tea from a bottle

After breakfast we went out shopping.  Tyler and I got some new shirts and a kendama (a very popular Japanese cup and ball game that is sweeping our school with popularity), and some good old taro bubble tea.  Then we went to another Asian food market and bought a Thai tea.  Usually we only find these in restaurants, so we got it on impulse because we didn't know that they were available in bottles.  It was actually surprisingly good.  Finally we decided to stop for dinner.  Originally we were searching for some Pho or Vietnamese place, but we ended up going to a Teriyaki restaurant by the name of "Teriyaki Best", but, in my opinion it was not the best.  We walked in and the place was filthy, the door was open and there were flys, the wallpaper was peeling, and the floor was covered in dirt.  So for this reason I felt very uncomfortable eating the food.  Having said that the food was not too bad, it was actually quite good for teriyaki.  We ordered a tofu yakisoba and a kung pao tofu dish.  They were both fairly big portions for the price that was payed and we came out feeling full.  I'm glad that we were able to try it; so, don't let the dirty look throw you off, the food is actually good.

Teriyaki Best

Inside

Tofu Yakisoba

Kung Pao Tofu in front, Yakisoba in back

Also, after graduation ceremony, I went to Anthony with my family and had some copper river salmon.  It was absolutely amazing.  What a great way to graduate and end senior year.  Tyler and I leave on our trip in just 2 days, so be ready to see some foreign foods!

Hannah's Graduation cake

Copper River Salmon

Peanut butter...and bacon?

Today we spent another day in Kirkland, but this time the weather was gorgeous.  65 and sunny, which is a definite change from the awful rain that we had last week.  After school, we were starving, so we decided on trying a place called The Slip.  One of my friends had told me about their fantastic burgers, so we just had to try some out!

The Slip!



Wonderful outdoor seating (in the sun!)

After being seated and reading over the menu we realized that it was truly overwhelming.  There were appetizers, burgers, chicken sandwiches, salmon burgers and veggie burgers, but they all had unique twists on them.  In addition, this place has a very large selection of beers and cocktails.  So, we finally decided on what we wanted to order.  Tyler got peanut butter burger, which was a beef burger, topped with bacon, arugula, pickles and smothered in peanut butter.  It was absolutely delicious, the peanut butter plus bacon tasted heavenly!! I, on the other hand ordered the "we go pbj", and yes, you guessed it, it was a unique peanut butter and jelly burger.  However, the burger itself had a patty made of portabella mushrooms, onions, quinoa, millet and cheddar cheese, and the "jelly" was a chipoltle raspberry jam!  So simply, the "we go pbj" was a spicy, savory, sweet and peanut buttery delight.  By now it is probably obvious Tyler and I have an obsession with peanut butter and Thai food!  Oh, and we also ordered some good old chips and salsa.  Just another weird fact that I have to put in here is that their bathroom has antique items and even a TV!  We will surely return here to try some of the other unique foods.  If you happen to be strolling around Kirkland on a hot summers day, I highly recommend The Slip

We go PBJ

Peanut Butter Bacon Burger

 After we ate, we had to walk off the burgers, and we happily ended up at the Metropolitan Market.  Tyler and I love Kombucha tea, so since there was such a large selection here, we had to get a bottle each.  Tyler had "Clear Mind" and I had "Spiced Apple Kava".  The brand was Brew Dr., and I would recommend it for you kombucha lovers out there. 

Yay Kombucha!

Tofu: Not For The Weak Hearted

I finally got a chance to see Hannah play one of her softball games, which was fun for me :)  The weather was upwards of 80 and not a cloud in sight since we started our day with a walk along the Burke-Gilman.  After the game I could tell that Hannah was spent and all we had thought of for the past few hours (along with the growl in our tummies) was a gnarly plate of some good tofu teriyaki!  Not too far from where the game was, we started a little hunt in downtown Bothell for a teriyaki place that met our vegan standards, and after poking our heads into a couple we found ourselves in Happy Teriyaki, just in the main drag of Bothell.  The interior was a bit seasoned, but the staff were friendly and ready to make whatever was cooking in our imaginations..

 Naturally we ordered the tofu teriyaki plates.  Now if you've ever made tofu before at home then the first thing you probably noticed about these plates is the amount of tofu!  Tofu comes in a sealed package in the store, and typically you put one package in for a standard sized recipe, but at Happy Teriyaki they threw this common idea right out of their tinted windows: each individual plate contains an ENTIRE PACKAGE OF TOFU.  Some people would be frightened at this gigantic sight, but as hungry as we were, we were smiling and giggling like little girls when we found out it was all for us and our growing teenage bodies.  The fried tofu was the bomb, and the traditional teriyaki glaze on top was exactly what we had dreamed upon all day.  All this joy was nestled comfortably on a bed of white rice where the glaze seems to ooze downward and make for a sweet and ricey side dish.  The salad on the side was good as well, all though i'm not entirely positive what the white dressing was on top, the best I can describe is an Asian version of Hidden Valley.  Pretty good :)
                                          Hannah and I give Happy Teriyaki two thumbs up!!

Bathing In Peanut Sauce

So walking around Kirkland: one of the best places to just get lost in by foot.  Kirkland is packed with little restaurants and coffee shops that people like us just can't get enough of.  In one of our walks we stumbled upon a must-go-to place called Plume.  Looked very new, and the fact that it had food from ASIA in it is just something we cannot seem to get away from.  Anyways we weren't incredibly hungry, so we just decided on a little bite to eat.

So these clear things, YES THEY ARE SPRING ROLLS.  I have no freaking clue what makes up these magical beings but the main attracting factor to us was the PEANUT SAUCE.  Oh my lord we drank this stuff straight out of the dish when we finished the rolls it was so good..  The rolls themselves contained tofu, lettuce, some shredded carrot, and my personal favorite: a hint of mint.  I wasn't expecting it but it was such a smart infusion of flavors to add the mint!  Such a great treat for someone who wants a light lunch or something.  And don't you dare forget to ask for a BUCKET of the peanut sauce :D

Tofu and a night to remember

Hannah and I have jumped around to soo many places that sometimes it is hard for me to keep up with where we go, when, and finding the time to post it!  Anyways I sifted through some photos on my phone to see what I needed to post and it turns out I was depriving our page of some good stuff and good places.  But not to worry, I'm catching up!  So Hannah and I had our senior prom a little bit ago, definitely a night to go down in history :)  But I'm here to talk about the food part of it, which will also go down in history!

 So, our prom group decided on a place in Seattle (convenient and fun since the dance was at the EMP) called Wild Ginger.  Hannah and I have always been the biggest fans of Asian food in general, but in all honesty I CAN"T put my finger on what country this food is supposed to be from.  Lets give you all some vantage point: if there was a strange mystical country in the middle of China, Thailand, and Vietnam, it would be called Wild Ginger.  This place was incredible no matter what Asian kitchen it came from.  To start we got some drinks other than water (her and I are huge believers in ordering water).  On the right is Hannah's drink which was called the Peachy Keen.  Very fruity and sweet, and peachy!  It was almost like a thawed smoothie.  On the left was my drink, which was a raspberry ginger ale.  I have to be honest: not as good as i expected.  Quite bitter and not enough ginger taste.  But good enough to drink given the price :)

On to the main attraction!  Ordering off of the vegan menu in this place really was nothing to miss out on, they had vegan versions of many things on the menu, and less expensive!  Ordering two plates between us never means we stick exclusively to our plates.  We go APE on both!  On the left was a plate that Hannah's neighbor even recommended to us called the Seven Flavor Tofu.  Holy schneikes.  It may only say seven flavors but I tasted more flavors than I could ever point out in a can of Dr Pepper.  Directly on the sweet and tender tofu was a teriyaki and hoisin flavor off the bat, something I've never experienced before.  The textures of this dish were perfectly crafted with the tofu being firm but tender and the refreshing crunch of bean sprouts underneath.  Definitely the dish to try at Wild Ginger.  On the right was one that we chose without help, called Rama Setu.  This dish was made a little bit more like a curry, having a more stew-like consistency.  Tofu of course, with sweet potato, onion and lots of curry flavor.  The red curry flavor was awesome. Something that I wasn't expecting from this.  But soo worth it :)

Boy I'm tired tonight, but I have more to do, and I promise I'm writing another post tomorrow night!  I've got more to show.  In the meantime Hannah and I have found ourselves down to crunch time before our trip to England in less than two weeks!!!

A day on the AVE

So, last week (over the memorial day weekend), Tyler and I decided to go on a bike ride to the University of Washington (Seattle).  It seemed like a fun day out at the time, but we had not planned on the rain.  The ride was nice because there were so many interesting houses and neighborhoods to look at on our way.  Once we arrived, we were cold, wet and ready for some warming food.  One of the talks of the town on the Ave is a tiny restaurant (only seats 20 people) called Thai Toms.  This place has mixed reviews, but we think it's amazing.  We ordered a thai tea, pad thai (3 stars) and panang curry (3 stars).  The thai tea was yummy, but personally I think that the food was a little too spicy to enjoy.  I love the atmosphere of this place as you get to sit right up close to the chef, and watch as they sizzle and cook the meals!

Thai Tea

Not the greatest photo, but it shows how close you are to the cooking of the food

Pad Thai on the right, Panang curry on the left

Tylers Panang curry

After we ate, we took a walk to our favorite little vegan grocer to get some snacks for our upcoming flight to the UK.  Then we stopped by a place called Tea Republik a nice warm Tiger Chai latte.  This is by far the best Chai latte I have ever tasted and I highly recommend it!
~During the memorial day weekend, Tyler and I also took another trip to Seattle to check out the Folklife Festival.  Luckily the weather was a whole lot nicer that day, so we got to see Seattle at one of its finer days.  There was lots of little booths with vendors selling handmade clothes and jewelry.  But, what was the main reason we were there? To check out all the unique foods of course!  First we got some African food (a garbanzo bean patty and a lentil samosa) then we got a potato dish, finally we finished up the food with an African red bush tea and a mango lemonade.  Seattle has such a unique culture that while we live here we feel as though we need to make the most of it.

Potatoes with a dill sauce

While we are still on the topic of Seattle and the Ave, here are some other photos of some places to try.  I went here with a few of my friends, but Tyler was working, so he didnt get to experience these, the Ram and bubble tea at WOW.  Just a quick word, I have a total obsession with bubble tea, so you ever see more posts on here about bubble tea, just be prepared.

The Behemoth Burger at the Ram

WOW Bubble Tea