CHOMP! gets Married! :)

I think I've been on hiatus long enough... The past 6 months have been some serious wedding planning and it pretty much took up all my free time. Doesn't mean I haven't been eating well tho! haha.

My new husband and I got married almost 2 months ago on June 4, 2016. Lots of hard work and planning but it all paid off. Definitely one of the best days of our lives. :) Here are some pictures to showcase the food we had! All the guests loved the food, which was a huge relief for me. I had a lot of pressure going in to the wedding... To have "the best food" is what everyone was expecting. haha. CN Catering really delivered. And our cake table ("my baby") was pretty epic imo. :D

And just so you know how important food is to me. I even had food in the bridal and bridesmaids' bouquets! Kale, bay leaves, and rosemary. It smelled so good! Thanks to The Backyard Bouquet for such beautiful work.

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

(the professional photos are by Meggie Taylor Photography - she's the best! The rest are taken by me or friends.)

We had a whole roast pig during cocktail hour. As requested by the groom. It was a hit! There was nothing left but the face and feet. Which we snacked on at 2 in the morning after the reception. :P A big thanks to my friend, Hung, for taking care of everything from ordering, to picking up, to delivery.

Meggie Taylor Photography

Passed Apps during cocktail hour (by CN Catering):
Mac N Cheese Balls. Everything was a big hit.

Meggie Taylor Photography

Chicken and Waffle Bites. They're so adorable. And delicious.

Signature cocktail: "Blushing Brandy" created by my friend Leslie: Brandy, Cassis, Sprite.

Meggie Taylor Photography

Dinner Stations (by CN Catering):
Pasta a la Nostra (Grilled Chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, penne pasta, in a basil cream sauce) The pasta was perfectly al dente!

Meggie Taylor Photography

Garlic Dinner Rolls
Salad

Our main protein was a Grilled Tenderloin of Beef carved to order. With a side of Shiitake Mushroom & Sesame-Hoisin Au Jus. 

 

 

Sides:
Russet Mashed Potatoes (with sour cream, smoked cheddar, bacon, chives)

Meggie Taylor Photography

Roasted Cauliflower

Meggie Taylor Photography

And of course our amazing cake table. 4 flavors in all: Tres Leches from Del Norte Bakery, Toasted Almond (with and without raspberry) from Lala's Cakes/Three Twelve Company, and All American Chocolate from Costco (our money saver option... and the cake is delicious!) I made all the cake stands, name signs, pom poms, and decor bottles btw. Blood, sweat, and tears fo sho! Flower decor provided by The Backyard Bouquet. 

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

 

I'm not sure if the cakes were just REALLY good or I was really good at estimating the portions but we had almost no cakes leftover. (I think it was both!) Only like 5 slices of the chocolate. And we had another half sheet of the tres leches in the back too! All gone! Nothing but compliments from all the guests on the cakes AND the food.

Oh yea, I also made mini Sriracha bottles for each table. Cuz you just gotta have some hot sauce, ya? ;-p

Meggie Taylor Photography

Meggie Taylor Photography

I'd say as a foodie and super high expectations for my wedding food, everything turned out fantastic! People constantly came up to me throughout the night to compliment all the food. Even my mom liked it all, which rarely happens. And I continued to get compliments days after the wedding was over. Success!! :D Thanks to all that made it happen.



~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Banh Shop

Earlier this month, my co-workers and I went to go check out Banh Shop for lunch. None of us had been but we wanted something Asian.

Banh Shop
5629 SMU Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 890-9776
http://banhshop.com/
Price: $-$$

We got there around noon, the place was pretty empty, which was good because we didn't have a lot of time. You order at the counter and they bring the food to your table.

I saw on Yelp that you get a Free Soup Shot or dessert if you check-in. They were out of desserts that day so I got the soup shot. It's a cute little cup of what looks like pho broth with a few stands of rice noodle. Way too sour for me, so I didn't finish it. Aside from the sourness, the rest of the flavors were not bad.

I also got the special for the day: Korean Fried Chicken Banh Mi (crispy hand dipped chicken breast in beer batter, a layer of house kimchee, a layer of house cured pickles with red pepper flakes; served with tangy Korean pepper sauce and sriracha aioli) $6.95~ 

 

I do love Korean fried chicken! And I always like trying new things. The rest of the menu items will always be there but daily specials can go away. It was a pretty big sandwich and piled quite high. The bread was toasted a bit too much in my opinion because it felt like it was going to cut the inside of my mouth. Also because the sandwich was so tall, I wasn't sure how it was going to fit in my mouth. haha. Aside from the slightly hard bread, the rest of the banh mi was great. The chicken was fried well. I loved the kimchi and pickles, and didn't have too much sauce. I hate it when things are over-sauced. It wasn't very spicy so I put sriracha on it. I quite enjoyed it. I would eat it again.

One co-worker got the Vietnamese-Style Chicken Soup (char-grilled chicken in a seasoned chicken broth with Asian spices, scallions, bean sprouts, cilantro, red onion, lime, bean thread noodles; served with a baguette) $7.50~ 

It was a large bowl of soup with thin, clear noodles in it. She said it was pretty good. I didn't try it, but I wondered if it tasted like my soup shot.

The other co-worker got the Banh Fire Bowl (stir fry of carrots, bean sprouts, red onion, scallion, cilantro, tossed in a spicy tamarind sauce and topped with peanuts, "Banh Fire" jalapeno pesto, and dollop of cooling sour cream. Served over white rice, choice of protein) $8.50~ 

He subbed rice noodles in place of the rice and chose chicken. The rice noodles were what you'd normally get in Pad Thai. I got the try a bite, the noodles were slightly overcooked and I felt there was too much sauce. But the flavors were good. i thought the addition of the pesto plus sour cream was an interesting touch. He enjoyed it.

It was a good lunch. We all liked what we got. I'm not sure if I would make a point of going back. But if I'm in the area, I wouldn't be opposed to going there. :)

Quality of Food:

Service:

Ambiance:

Value:

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Crushcraft Thai Street Eats

Earlier this month I was in Uptown for something in the afternoon. So instead of fighting the rush hour traffic back to Plano, I asked a friend if he wanted to have dinner in the area. He works downtown so it was only a short drive for him. We decided to go check out Crushcraft, neither of us had been. I've been hearing a lot about this place since before it even opened. I think I have some friends that are friends with the owners?

Crushcraft Thai street Eats
2800 Routh St #150
Dallas, TX 75201
(972) 677-7038
www.crushcraftthai.com
Price: $$

I love Thai food, but honestly, most of the places in DFW are all about the same. There are a couple bad ones, but for the most part, they are usually pretty good for my taste. Very rarely do I find one that really stands out to me. My current favorite is Koung Thai in Rockwall. Who knew Rockwall would have a hidden gem! :P And lucky us, it's like 5 minutes from my fiance's house.

Walking into Crushcraft, I already knew their decor was pretty interesting from photos I've seen. It's very casual, and I liked the ribbons/streamers that decorate their main dining area. It's very festive. They have their menu on the wall as you walk in. Then you order at the counter. They take your name, and announce it for you to pick up the order. The drinks are self serve, along with 6 different types of chilis/hot sauces you can take at your heart's content and spice the hell out of your food. Yasss!! Love it. We took a bit of every kind. I love spicy! 

They also have a pretty nice patio area if you wanted to sit outside. I attract mosquitoes so I tend to stay in. hehe.

We each ordered an appetizer just to try.

Grilled Mou Tad Pork Fritters $3.75~ 

3 meatballs on a skewer. You get 2 skewers with an order. I thought that was a good amount for the price. I'm not sure how this is a fritter... It's mostly just a pork meatball. But it's very tender. The flavor is slightly sweet. Dip it in some sriracha or chili sauce and it's pretty good. Meat on skewers, definitely makes me think of street food!

Thai Fried Boiled Eggs $3.95~ 

These were a bit lackluster. I'm not one to be picky about eggs. I'll pretty much eat them any way. And I ate these too. But it was kinda chewy. I found the "fried" part to be unnecessary. It wasn't crispy or anything so I didn't get the point. The flavoring is ok. I pretty much just mashed them up with my rice. And why give us 5 halves?? Where does the last half go?? I thought that was dumb. Not worth the 4 bucks imo.

#3 Kra-Pao (jasmine rice, ground pork, fried egg, basil, mortar smashed chili, green peppers, onions) $7.99~ 

This was my entree. I asked them to put bean sprouts in there too. I think that was an extra 50 cent charge. Oh well, I wanted more veggies. It was good! Tons of flavor, maybe a bit too salty towards the end because there was more sauce. But bold flavors are always good in Thai cuisine! The fried egg on top was just sad though. It was so puny. My friend joked that it was the other half of the egg from the boiled egg appetizer. hahaha. Of course I doused everything with different types of chili flakes/sauces. I found the best combo for this was the dry chili flakes and then the chili oil. Mmmm! Spicy! It was a good portion. I finished it all and was very full.

#5 OG Phat Thai (rice noodle, chicken, tofu, tamarind, bean sprouts, garnish, lime wedge, toasted peanuts) $8.99~ 

I love me a good Pad Thai. This was ok. Pretty standard. I thought it was a tad sweet. Which doesn't bother me, but compared to other places it's a little sweeter than I would prefer. Seemed to have lots of tofu and chicken pieces which is good. I liked sriracha with this one.

It was a good meal, but we both thought the food here was pretty standard. Didn't stand out from the rest of the other standard Thai places in Dallas. Other than the fried boiled egg, I'd eat the other ones again. But I wouldn't drive out of my way to go there. If I'm ever in the area again, sure, I'll go back.

Quality of Food:

Service:

Ambiance:

Value:

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Sissy's Southern Kitchen & Bar

Last Thursday, I went with some friends to Sissy's on Henderson & 75. I've been hearing great things about this place from friends, especially about their fried chicken. One of my friends knows the chef so she asked if we wanted to go. Heck yea! I'm totally in!

Sissy's Southern Kitchen & Bar
2929 North Henderson Avenue
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 827-9900
http://sissyssouthernkitchen.com/
Price: $$-$$$

I found out that this was opened by Lisa Garza, who competed on The Next Food Network Star (I didn't watch that season though). But I saw her compete on an episode of Chopped. Pretty cool. Later I also found out she used to own Suze. I've been there once before.. years ago. The food was fantastic from what I remembered.

From the outside, it looks like a cute little cottage, sandwiched between Hibiscus and Victor Tangos. The inside is bigger than it looks from the outside. The decor is kind of cottage/farm/rustic yet still had modern elements to it. It's hard to describe but it's got some contrasting elements that makes it unique.

We were seated in the "patio" area. It was fully covered and climate controlled though. Kinda cool. hehe. The tables were pretty close together though, can feel cramped at times.

While waiting for our table, some of my friends got drinks from the bar.
Sencha Goji (pomegranate, blueberry, lemongrass, cornflower, Goji berry, Japan green) Glass $9.50~ Really pretty with the flower.

Porch Swing? (HH special)

Tea Thyme (HH Special). I tried a sip of this. Very delicious. So fragrant with the thyme.

We started off with the Squash Puppies (with whipped Texas Honey Guild butter & jalapeno jelly) $8~

These were delicious. The outside was super crispy and inside was soft and moist. I did feel like the inside could be seasoned a bit more. But the best part were the honey butter and jalapeno jam. Both paired extremely well with the hush puppies. The jalapeno jam was sweet and spicy. The honey butter was super smooth and nice hint of sweetness. Great start to the meal. We devoured it since we were so hungry!

Curry Deviled Eggs (with creme fraiche & tobiko caviar) 1/2 dozen $9~

I've heard great things about the deviled eggs. They were so cute! I've never seen deviled eggs presented width-wise instead of length-wise. I feel like this way you can fill more in it. The filling was smooth and creamy and you can really taste the curry.

Daily Special: Tomato Mozzarella Salad $? A friend of mine ordered this. It wasn't on the main menu. It had vibrant colors, was really fresh and I liked the basil and dressing on top.

Cream Biscuits (six to an order) $8~

This just sounded good. It was steaming hot when it came out. Presented in a cute little basket, very homey. The biscuits were hot and fluffy on the inside and had a nice crunch on the outside. The honey butter was fantastic again. And they also brought us homemade jam.

YUM!!! All the different condiments here were One of the best parts of the meal in my opinion. I mixed and matched all of them. Put some jalapeno jam on the biscuits too. Awesome! Definitely eat them while they are hot though. Once it cooled, it became a little harder.

Chili Fried Oysters (with cane vinegar green sauce & Sissy's spicy mayo) 1/2 dozen $14~

This came as a surprise to us since we didn't order it. But we dug in anyways. haha. The oysters were so big! Again, the outside was nice and crispy. The batter was really well done. I'm totally loving the condiments that come with every dish. The spicy mayo paired great with the fried oysters. And I LOVED the green sauce. The chef later explained to me that it's kind of a riff on a chimichurri.... sooo tasty! 

Sissy's Fried Chicken (10 pc Mix Bucket) $25~ (House spiced, buttermilk soaked, pressure fried) Choice of cole slaw or whipped potatoes & gravy.

The main event! The bucket looked sooo good. Very impressive as it took up most of the middle of our table. haha. We also went with BOTH sides instead of choosing one.

I had heard that the coleslaw was the better choice. But we'd like to disagree. The mashed potatoes were the clear winner. Creamy, tons of flavor. The coleslaw had an interesting tang to it but was pretty standard overall. Now to the chicken. We got the mixed bucket. I prefer dark meat (of course.. being Asian). Super moist. The batter was really crispy and not like typical batter like fast food fried chicken places. It was also served with their housemade sriracha sauce. I wouldn't call it a sriracha personally but it was good chili sauce. Not too spicy, slightly sweet, but has a very nice combination of flavors. Paired really well with the chicken.

Oh yea, We also got the Oven Roasted Collard Greens $8~

It was a pretty decent portion. Served in a cute ceramic container. The collard greens were roasted well but was still slightly bitter. It was a nice contrast to all the fried stuff we were eating though.

Now here's where the real show begins. I mentioned that one of the girls at dinner knows the chef here. He came out to greet us. Super cool and nice guy. Gave all of us hugs and everything. Chris, is the AWESOME Chef de Cuisine! hehe. He made sure we were being taken care of and also asked us if there were anything we really wanted to try. The only thing we mentioned was the short ribs since we had already ordered so much. But he says he'll give us a little sampling/tasting of several items. YAY! :)

Sissy's Mac & Cheese $9~

This came in a cute cast iron skillet. The elbow macaroni gave it a very traditional feel. It was great. Just enough cheese, pasta cooked al dente, just how I like it. And it had a great crust on top. The best part!

Gulf Shrimp & Grits (tomato, piquillo pepper, tasso ham & onion with organic stone ground cheddar grits).

We each got our own individual sampling plate of this. The shrimp was cooked well and tender and I really enjoyed the grits. The sauce on top was almost like a gumbo? The shrimp was a bit fishy tasting though... 

Fried Quail (juniper brined, Steen's syrup glazed with Kentucky Hoppin' John; on rice and beans).

So cute. Individual sample of fried quail over rice and black eyed peas... I think. This is NOT on the regular menu by the way. The regular quail dish is not fried. Delicious. One of the best cooked quail I've had. It was juicy, not tough or dry like most other quails. The batter on the quail was different than the squash puppies or the chicken or oyster. It was cool to see all different types of batters for frying! And the quail had a sweetness to it. Chris later explained that it's brined with juniper and has the Steen's syrup on it which give it the sweetness. Very good!! I wonder if you can request your quail to be fried since it's not on the menu. hehe.

We were all SUPER stuffed... and then they brought this out. Braised Beef Short Ribs (slow cooked & served with whipped potatoes & brown gravy) $17~

OMG! It looked amazing. The short rib was fork tender, slightly fatty..just how I like it. haha. And underneath wasn't mashed potatoes but a savory bread pudding. It was soooo good! The meat paired really well with the bread pudding and the crispy onions on top added that crunch. I'd totally recommend this! We were all so full! But somehow we still managed to eat the entire plate. haha. Keep in mind we had 5 girls and just 1 guy. Man we can eat! :P

As we all sat there having difficulty breathing... we were served the Jim Beam Bourbon Bread Pudding (with salted caramel & pecans) $9~

So full, but still have room for dessert of course... maybe? haha. The bread pudding was super good. So soft and moist. The top was nicely browned and added a nice crunch to the soft bread pudding. You can also taste the Bourbon which is baked into the bread pudding. The only thing I would say is it needed wayyy more sauce on top. Just ladle that sauce on!!!! haha.

So much amazing food. Such great hospitality from Chris and our waitress. And aside from the complimentary dishes from the chef, we were comped for most of our orders. Wow... It was so nice of them and definitely appreciated. We felt bad that our bill was so little and all said that we would've been happy to pay for everything since it was all fantastic.

Definitely an epic experience for my first time at Sissy's. I will be back, and I've already recommended it to many of my friends. Also... they need to bottle up some of those condiments (like the jam and butters) and sell them!!! :P

Quality of Food:

Service:

Ambiance:

Value (for normal prices):

Overall Experience:


~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~