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I love afternoon tea, high tea, any kind of tea + dessert type events where you can relax, eat, and hang out with your friends. :) I went to a few tea places while I was in Vietnam in August, so it was fresh on my mind. So me and another blogger friend of mine decided to take action and actually plan one. We were searching for some options of places to go when I came across someone's Instagram post on the tea at Bangkok on Beltline. Now this was already on my radar, but I had for some reason forgotten about it. They only have high tea on Saturdays from 2-4PM and it's by reservation only because they have to prep all the goodies. The date we had planned was a Saturday so this worked out perfectly. And to our luck, the PR company for Bangkok saw my comment to that post and reached out. Yay!
Bangkok on Beltline - Thai High Tea
100 S Central Expy #108
Richardson, TX 75080
(469) 930-9755
http://www.bangkokatbeltline.com/
Price: $35 per person
Most of the group were already food bloggers so now we are being hosted! Woohoo!! All of us got half off the regular price. It was great, since we were initially planning this as just a casual outing with friends. Yay. Thank you so much for hosting us, Bangkok on Beltline and Red iD Agency!!
I had seen pictures, but it was even prettier in person. We arrived on Saturday and the table was decked out with three 3 tiered tea trays FILLED with beautiful and colorful creations. I think it took us a full 30 minutes to get all of our photos taken... haha. Food bloggers, amiright? :P
We then met the owner of the restaurant and he proceeded to explain all the different items and the progression of the tea service.
We started with the Bottom Tier and work our way up. It has all the savory items. It is also paired with a Chinese Green Tea. With unlimited refills. I think I had 4 cups of this. I drink a lot of tea.. haha. Especially when I'm eating sweets too. The tea is light and unsweetened. There are sugar cubes for those who wanted sweetness.
Pad Thai Croissant. What a creative combination! East meets West. I wished the pad thai was warm, but I think that's kind of hard to do since the tea trays have to be prepared before the party arrives. Also... we took forever taking pictures. haha. The pad thai had a sweetness to it which I wouldn't have liked if I was eating it for dinner, but since this is mainly pastries and desserts, it worked well with the buttery croissant.
Chicken Satay Sandwich. This was my favorite. It had really great flavor. Almost a curry flavor in there.
Yellow Curry Puffs (filled with potato). This was also really good. The crust was flaky, not dry. The potato had good flavor. I'm assuming this is a vegetarian friendly item.
Middle Tier:
This one is paired with Chrysanthemums Tea, one of my favorite teas of all time. When I go to dim sum, I ALWAYS have to order this. It's a flower, and you can definitely get the florally fragrance when you sip it. I lost count on how many cups I had of this one. haha.
This tier had most of the Asian influenced desserts.
Black Rice Pudding (with coconut milk, palm seed jelly on top). Reminded me of all those Asian desserts I grew up eating. I enjoyed the rice pudding texture and I love coconut milk. Can't say I've had palm seed jelly before though. Yay for trying new things!
Rice Crackers with Caramel Coconut Sauce. The rice crackers were Asian style... so there's basically no sweetness to it. Just the slight nuttiness from the rice. If you are expecting a rice crispies treat, this ain't it. You can spread some of the caramel sauce over the rice crackers. The sauce itself was quite interesting. It was almost more savory than sweet... reminded me a bit like peanut sauce in Vietnamese/Thai cuisine.
Sticky Rice (with Thai Coconut Custard). I still don't fully know what all is in this. But the sticky rice was inside a layer of pastry or something. I liked this a lot, especially the coconut custard.
Top Tier:
Unsweet Thai Tea was served with this tier. I was curious to try it because I've never had Thai tea without the condensed milk or sugar... I really liked it. It almost tasted sweet on its own without adding sugar. It went really well with this tier. Actually all of the teas were paired really well with their respective tiers. I was quite impressed!
Pistachio and Raspberry Macarons. Beautifully made macarons. The colors were so pretty with the Matcha Tiramisu. The textures of both macarons were both really good. I especially loved the pistachio's flavor.
Green Tea Tiramisu (with red bean). This was the favorite of the group. Not only was it beautiful, it was delicious. The matcha cream had a rich matcha taste. I was surprised to find a layer of red bean in there, which added an interesting texture. Again, this is where the Asian influences play into a typical dessert. Definitely one of the best desserts in the display. I wished I could've taken some home... but it was in a glass so I couldn't.
We also got some of their signature Flower Sesame Cookies. These are light and crispy and really cool looking!
We were all stuffed! Some people couldn't even finish all of the different items. A few of the girls came in and scoffed at the amount of food saying they were still gonna be hungry after. They ate their words. It was a lot. I would recommend eating a very light lunch or none at all before you go to high tea in general. You'd be surprised how much little sandwiches and cakes can fill you up! Plus you're drinking a ton of tea. Well, at least I was. I had to go to the bathroom twice!! haha. I think I drank well over 10 cups total.
We had SO MUCH FUN! It was a super unique experience with the Thai inspired flavors. I've definitely never had a tea experience like this before. For the price point, this is a great value in Dallas for high tea. Most other places I know are at least $50+ a person. I highly recommend you try this. Great for a girls' day out, or a bridal shower. I'd even do this for a birthday party! :)
Thanks again for hosting us!! :)
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True Food Kitchen is officially open in Legacy West in Plano and I cannot be more excited! I freaking love this restaurant and now I have 2 locations to dine at! This is literally 5 minutes from my parents' house. I may just go visit them more! haha.
I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek last week for their Friends and Family night. My friend and I arrived on Friday at 6:30PM. The new Legacy West center is huge btw... this was my first time driving through. So excited for everything that's happening there. And the new True Food Kitchen location is beautiful! It's much bigger than the one in Dallas but it has the same overall feel and colors. It's so bright and open, I love it! And lots of patio seating too.
True Food Kitchen - Plano
7601 Windrose Avenue, Suite F100
Plano, Texas 75024
(214) 291-9591
www.truefoodkitchen.com/locations/plano/
Price: $$$
--- I want to specially mention the service that night. Everyone was super friendly and accommodating. I know they are still training and had a few mistakes here and there but they were quickly fixed so I was very impressed. Also, when I arrived, I had a bag with me with perishable food inside. I asked if I could put it in the fridge in the back. Adrian? (I think that was his name) was super helpful. Not only did he put my bag in the fridge he also put a note on it with my name and table number. He also said he would remind my waitress at the end of the night so I won't forget it. Sure enough, I forgot about it, but he personally came and reminded me and grabbed the bag for me. :D Like I said, super accommodating. Keep up the good work, y'all! ---
I was seated quickly and greeted by the waitress. She brought out some waters while I waited for my friend to arrive. I perused the menu... even though I had just been to the Dallas location a little over a week ago. hehe. While waiting, I also asked a few questions about the menu and the waitress was very helpful.
Once my friend arrived, she ordered a Hangover Rx (pineapple, orange, honey, coconut water) $5~ It's so pretty and definitely refreshing. It tasted ike a lighter, healthier version of a pina colada.
We got a couple appetizers to start.
Chioggia Beet Bruschetta (vegan almond ricotta, amaranth, arugula, pomegranate molasses) $9~
This is a vegan dish. One big reason I love True Food Kitchen so much is they make healthier foods taste so good! And they're also great at accommodating dietary restrictions. I cannot believe this is completely vegan. I loved the almond ricotta. I loved this whole dish! I think the hippy nutty bread really completes it. So much texture. The nuttiness of the bread with the creamy ricotta and tender sweet beets... this was one of my favorites of the night.
Kale Guacamole (pink grapefruit, cilantro, roasted poblano, sunflower seeds, pita chips) $10~
This is also a vegan dish. My friend and I were both intrigued by the addition of grapefruit in the guac. I have to say, it's a nice little addition. Although there were segments of pink and yellow grapefruit in it and one of them was really sour. haha. When you get a bite of the sweeter one with the guac, the combination is really fantastic. However, they did not segment the grapefruit well so it was a little difficult to eat. The 'skin' was still on the segments so it took a little effort to cut those off. We weren't sure if this was their version of pita chips, or they just decided to change it for that night... but I really liked it. It's thinner and nuttier than your typical pita chips and went really well with the dip.
Daily Market Soup - Sweet Potato and Poblano $7~
I love sweet potato so the soup sounded really good. I expected it to kind of be like a butternut squash soup. However, it was surprisingly sour... not sure what component of the dish make it that sour but I didn't care for it. The texture of the soup itself was good but I wanted it to be creamier. I think this is the first thing I've ever ordered here that I didn't really like.
Scottish Steelhead (smoked onion farro, arugula, roasted beet, cilantro pumpkin seed pesto) $23~ My friend ordered this as her entree. Everything on this dish sounds fantastic. And it was! The fish was cooked well and everything tasted fresh and flavorful.
Sustainable Seabass (broccolini, sugar snap pea, roasted mushroom, ancient grains, umami sauce) $26~
I ordered this. But I subbed the snap peas with snow peas and the roasted mushroom for roasted beets. I love both of those ingredients but I recently I found out I'm allergic to them along with several other "healthy" foods. Sigh. I asked the waitress if they are ok with substitutions and she said "of course!" The dish came with mushrooms... but they quickly remedied it and were very apologetic. It was a beautiful dish and the subbed veggies paired well with everything. And that umami sauce... it sure was umami! I wanted more!
We were getting pretty full but they asked if we wanted desserts... Well, if you insist. :P
Key Lime Pie (coconut chantilly) $7~
This is vegan and gluten free. We did not see a dessert menu so we didn't really know that it was vegan and gluten free. You can tell from the custard that it's more translucent instead of creamy. The pie on its own is a little too tart for me. But when paired with the coconut chantilly it was perfect. I loved the coconut chantilly. It was just slightly sweet enough to round out the lime in the pie. The crust is made from almond flour and has a lighter texture than normal. It did not feel like it was loaded with butter. We enjoyed it.
Coconut & Chia Seed Flan (caramel, mixed berries) $7~
This is also vegan and gluten free. Neither of us thought this should be called a flan... it's not the same texture, not eggy or bouncy enough. (Maybe closer to a Pot de Creme?) But it was goooood. I liked this better than the pie. The coconut flavor was perfect and light. I thought the caramel was a little too sweet but I've been cutting back on my sugar intake so my tolerance for sweets has gone down. Whatever they may call it... order it. It's delicious!
*The meal was comped but all opinions are my own.*
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I'm so behind on my posts... I almost don't want to do them anymore. Too many other things that take priority lately... mostly wedding planning. It's coming up in 3.5 months! Eeeeks!! So much to do still.
I thought I'd post about the really important places that happened in the last few months. :)
We start with the wonderful pies from Kessler Pie Co. They make all their pies and desserts from scratch. It's never frozen. They're currently offering pick up and delivery only. But they've recently announced that they are opening a store front soon!! Congrats to them. :) It'll be in Oak Cliff. Follow their Facebook page to get updates. And check their website for pricing and delivery options.
Kessler Pie Co.
Oak Cliff
(469) 877-6800
www.kesslerpieco.com
I got my lovely delivery in December. They were so sweet to drive all the way out to Rockwall and hand deliver these. I felt so special! I got an assortment of mini pies in jars and one in a standard sized jar. They were super cute!
All the pies were great. I especially loved that flaky salty sweet pie crust on some of the flavors. Some I did close ups...
The Mellow Yellow (hand spun vanilla custard, banana, vanilla whipped topping, salty-sweet crust). Loved the crust, wished there was more banana. But this was a sample size jar so I assume the normal size will have much more fruit.
Apple Cranberry (granny smith apples, cranberries, house herb mix, salty-sweet nutmeg and cinnamon infused crust). Warmed it up in the microwave for a few seconds and it was oozing over!! Yaasss! Sweet and tangy. If you like tart, this is for you.
Banana Nut Bread. Nice and moist. Pretty standard banana bread. But that little jar was loaded with nuts!
BP214 (cubes of bread and raisins soaked in coquito cream). I always love bread pudding, but I think I also like the crispy edges when you bake them in a pan better. This was good, and the raisins were super plump, but no crispy texture.
Cherry Cream Cheese (graham cracker crust, sweet cream cheese filling, country red cherries). My fiance loves cherries and absolutely loved this one. I let him have most of it cuz I'm nice. haha. :P
The Coco Loco (hand spun vanilla custard, coconut shavings). I'm not a fan of shredded coconut so this wasn't one of my favorites. But again... awesome crust.
Blue Magic (graham cracker crust, fluffy cream cheese, blueberries) #1 Seller. This was in the regular jar size. I can see why this is their number one. It was my favorite as well. The mixture of the blueberries and cream cheese was fantastic. The cream cheese was super fluffy... like a really light cheese cake. Yum!! Not to mention the gorgeous color.
What a nice treat to kick us off into the holiday season. Thanks to Kessler Pie Co. for sharing some of their creations with me. And I'm loving this new dessert in jars trend. Much easier (and cleaner) to eat than a cupcake. hehe.
*Note: I received the pies for free. But these are my honest opinions.
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I recently went on my first brunch crawl with the other two Community Leaders of MyFab5 (IG: @bestfooddallas), and another food Instagrammer/blogger from NYC (@moodyfoodyadventures). For those of you that don't know. I'm part of a team of 3 Community Leaders for MyFab5, with the Instagram @bestfooddallas. We bring you food recommendations and delicious food photos 7 days a week. Be sure to follow us!! You should also follow our individual Instagram accounts: @chompdallas @thediningdino @phileats_ and see food all day everyday!! :D
@moodyfoodyadventures was coming to Dallas and reached out to us to meet up for brunch. It's always great to meet other foodies! And since we all love brunch so much, one place is just not enough! :P
We met up on a rainy Saturday. The weather was dreadful but that's not enough to stop our eating!
Our first stop was at Meddlesome Moth. I had only been there for dinner before but their brunch menu looked awesome. Unfortunately, we found out that they don't have brunch on Saturdays, so we were given the lunch menu. Oh well..
Meddlesome Moth
1621 Oak Lawn Ave.
Dallas, TX 75207
(214) 628-7900
www.mothinthe.net
Price: $$$+
It wasn't busy at all that day. So we were able to get a seat by the window... for better photo lighting and all. Kinda sucks that it was so overcast outside.
Catalan (Prince Edward Island mussels, Spanish chorizo, charred tomato, fresh garlic) $15~
The Moth always has some great mussels. They have several flavor selections. This was yummy, as always. That broth is everything.
The One-Eyed Jack (Webster City bacon, pit-smoked ham, Tillamook cheddar, cheddar jalapeno bread, nested egg; served with fries) $11~
First time I've had this... always love a runny egg on anything! This made for some delectable pictures. #yolkporn The sandwich itself was pretty good... a tad salty. But I was starving so it was delicious. haha. The fries were good too. I had to remind myself that this was only round 1 so I forced myself to stop eating the fries.
Shrimp & Homestead Grits (jalapeno gravy) $24~
We all knew they had great shrimp and grits. One of my favorites in Dallas I think... it's totally the jalapeno gravy. The shrimp was nice and plump. The gravy was a vibrant green. It's truly a beautiful dish. And tasty of course.
It was a great start to the brunch crawl. Didn't overeat and got to make new friends! On to the next!
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Round 2 was at Kessler Park. I had never heard of the place at all. It's really close to Bishop Arts District. Driving up, it looks like a simple diner type place. Walking in... it's totally a diner. Wasn't much to look at as far as decor, so I really didn't know what to expect. There weren't that many customers in there either.
Kessler Park Eating House
1619 N Beckley Ave.
Dallas, TX 75203
(214) 782-9273
www.kesslerparkeatinghouse.com
Price: $$
We started looking at the menu, and they actually have a bunch of stuff that sounded amazing. We wanted to try so many things but had to edit down because we had a third location. hehe.(...but we failed. ordered to much. hahaha)
Chicken and Waffle (Chef Jon's tabasco brined chicken tender, fresh baked Belgian waffle, and peppered gravy) $11.50~
This was on their specials menu. Who doesn't like chicken and waffles, that was a must. It was a great looking dish. The waffles were soft and fluffy. I wished they were a little crispier on the outside, which is how I like my waffles, but it was still good. The chicken was fried nicely. I liked the fresh slices of jalapenos on top too, added a nice pop of color. It was a yummy dish, we all loved it.
Hunka-Hunka Burning Waffle (fresh baked Belgian waffle with peanut butter fluff, fried bananas, and bacon) $13~
It's Elvis' favorite! This was also on their specials menu. It's got waffles, peanut butter AND bacon! So we HAVE to get it! This was my favorite of the day. It's got all my favorite things. Again, nice and fluffy waffles (wish it was crispier). But that peanut butter fluff... not sure how they made it. It's more like a crumble... but it's like crack. I wanted a bucket of this. So. Freaking. Good. The saltiness of the bacon complimented the sweet elements well. Lurrrrrved it!! I'd soooo get this again.
Coconut Cream Waffle (toasted coconut waffle, coconut cream, whipped cream, toasted coconut) $11.50~
We were only gonna get the 2 other waffle dishes, but at the end of ordering, we threw this one into the mix. THREE waffle dishes. hahaa. But it was a win cuz all their waffles were fantastic. This was really good too. I'm not a fan of shredded coconut, but even I liked it. It was like a coconut cream pie, but in waffle form! The cream was fluffy yet still rich. It was some of the other people's favorite dish.
Chilaquiles (crispy corn tortillas with roasted chicken, smothered in tomatillo sauce with 2 eggs) $13~
This seemed like the odd man out. haha. 3 waffles and a chilaquiles. hahaha. It was HUGE! We definitely over-ordered. But everything was good. This dish barely got touched though since the waffles were sooo awesome. These were good, loaded with toppings, but was completely outshined. I ended up taking 3/4ths of this home.
This was an amazing find! Thanks to @moodyfoodyadventures. Otherwise I would've never known about this hidden gem!
Chocolate Cherry Muffins (with almonds and chocolate chips) Free~
So they were having issues with the register and credit card machine. We weren't in a rush so we were just hanging out. They came over and gave us a couple muffins on the house. They were big and packed full of stuff! Oh man, we were already full but I had to try some. We decided to cut one and save the other. This is one fluffy and moist muffin. I loved the combo of the chocolate chips and large chunks of cherries. They made this in-house. I'd say one of the best chocolate muffins I've ever had. And I got to take the other one home! A few seconds in the microwave the next day... ohhhh baby. :P
Loved this place. The service was warm and friendly. Large portions and yummy food. Definitely get something with waffles in it, you won't be disappointed!
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Round 3. Boulevardier. Always a great spot for brunch. I have yet to go for dinner, but it's on the list!
Boulevardier
408 N. Bishop Ave., #108,
Dallas, TX 75208
(214) 942-1828
http://dallasboulevardier.com
Price (for brunch): $$-$$$
We were almost all at full capacity so we ordered light.
Legs and Eggs (crisp duck leg confit, sunny-side up farm eggs, homestead stone-ground grit cakes, huckleberry preserves) $16~
I've had this dish before, it's one of their most popular brunch dishes I think. This time it seemed like the duck was a little drier, but still tasty. The grit cakes totally stole the show. Soooo good, everyone agreed. Just gimme a plate of those next time, thx. hehe.
The others wanted Raw Oysters. I'm not a fan of oysters in general, plus I was super full. So I passed. They said it was good so I'll take their word for it. :P
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Oh man... we were done! ...or were we? Since we're in Bishop Arts, we had to go to Emporium Pies. We HAD to!! So we stood in line... as usual, and slowly made our way to the front. I got 2 pies to go. I thought the others were gonna do the same, but they all got pies to eat there! Beasts! I was done... haha. Luckily a table opened up and we were able to sit down.
It was a great day. Meeting new people, eating great food, and taking lots of food pictures! hahaha. Sounds perfect.
Don't forget to check us out on Instagram!
@chompdallas
@thediningdino
@phileats_
@moodyfoodyadventures
@bestfooddallas
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