Running Errands

It was a Good Morning Saturday!

The night before, I literally had a two hours dream about vFalafel. I'm so glad I was able to fulfill my intense craving. This is the FIRST AND ONLY food-place, since I have been in Washington DC, that I have gone to TWICE. This definitely means something. It means that it is DELICIOUS.

While Andrew and I enjoyed our falafels, Cynthia and Lauren opted for some warm and expensive Pho at Saigon Bistro right next door!

Soho Tea & Coffee (4 of 5 stars)

While Cynthia and Lauren took their sweet time eating Pho, Andrew needed some caffeine and sugar in his system.

Soho had extremely friendly service and the place was packed with many people doing work. There are many tables and chairs for everyone to use. I would definitely love to come here to study, but I think it is too crowded. One thing we noticed was that they have super cool mugs if you decide to enjoy your beverage there.

Andrew ordered a "Hello Gorgeous Macchiato" and a Pumpkin Cheesecake

He said that the macchiato was not caramel and sweet enough. I noticed that they foam was gorgeous- fluffy and without bubbles. But, as a barista, I find it unnecessary to add so much foam because people who order sugar drinks would not really care and would probably want more liquid to enjoy.

I ordered a Mexican Coffee ($2.75)

First, I thought this drink would be like a spicy mocha that I tried at other coffee shops. However, the barista explained that it was real grounded Ghirardelli chocolate with coffee. I found this recipe extremely unique. Overall, the drink was delicious and I want more.

A very creamy pumpkin cheesecake

As a sweet tooth expert, Andrew said it was good, but not amazing.

Afterwards, we went to Pentagon City to go shopping and to go to Costco

The dreadful walk (that felt like forever) back to the apartments

Shake Shack did NOT Shake me up!

Unfortunately, I did not try their hamburgers because they looked pint size! But I did hear that it is comparable or BETTER than In N Out. HOWEVER, I am pretty sure nothing will ever beat In N Out.


Shake Shack (2 of 5 stars)
This is a review on their Frozen Custards
The cashier described a frozen custard as "soft serve blended with ice cream".

Shake Shack became infamous in New York City

Part of their extensive and creative menu

Frozen Custard: "Presidential Suite" (size: regular)- $6.50

This custard consists of: vanilla custard, peanut butter sauce, marshmallow, and caramel milk chocolate

First off, the price is ridiculously overpriced- especially since they don't even fill up the cup. I thought it was too sweet and too thick. 

Andrew's "Washington Monu-Mint" Frozen Custard (size: regular)- $6.50

It was definitely very rich, creamy, and chocolaty. But since Andrew has a major sweet tooth, it definitely satisfied his sugar craving for the day. 

Overall: We all expected "frozen custard" to literally be some form of custard, but we were proven wrong. Overall, we thought it was enjoyable but we will never come back for it.

Colonial Williamsburg

Let the adventures begin.

So my roommates and I decided to go on an adventure on a Saturday. We woke up at 8:30 am, invited our dear friend Andrew at 9:00 am, booked a ZipCar at 9:30 am, hopped on a metro at 10:00 am, found our rental car at 10:30 am, and arrived in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia at 1:00 pm. 

We were scared of Lauren's driving, but we had to be nice because she was driving us

Happy Andrew was Lauren's right hand man

He did an excellent job navigating

A cute little Audi for our mini road trip
$100 for one day rental, gas included

While everyone went for a quick restroom break, I opted to take pictures 


This day felt like a roommate photo shoot session with the very talented artist and photographer Andrew.

Totally represents our personalities
One word to describe us: "Geek, Dork, Crazy, Sassy"- says Andrew

Seriously, not only am I never bored with these people.. but they drive me CRAZY!

The Cheese Shop

Hungry and past lunch hours, we decided to check this place out.

Yelp gave it excellent reviews (and so will I)

This little shop was mad busy with many people running around

They had a sandwich bar, a cheese deli, a wine cellar, and a souvenir shop

Directions on how to order a sandwich

The menu

Very fair prices for fresh ingredients

Yes, they were GREAT

My snack- $4.36

Ciabatta bread and Crandale (cranberry) cheese

I'm not a big cheese fan, but this was seriously the most amazing cheese in the world. It was rich and creamy, but it wasn't too heavy because the sweet cranberries balanced it out.

I only bought a 1/4 pound of cheese which was just enough for one meal. It definitely did not satisfy my taste buds because I continued to crave it all day.

Lauren's Smoked Salmon Sandwich

Andrew's Roast Beef with Pepper jack cheese and special house sauce Sandwich

Andrew said "it was good, but the house sauce literally tasted like mayonnaise, it wasn't anything special"

We wanted a "colonial" meal but this will do

Overall: It was overwhelmingly crowded. Ordering the sandwich was quick, but it took roughly 15 minutes to receive the sandwich. I was surprise that we were able to find a table. Although it was a little squished, we came for the food.

Exploring Colonial Williamsburg
WHY DID WE COME HERE?

Vegetable gardens

Roommate

I don't think I could have asked for a better or worse

Looks like a cover for "The Little House on the Prairie", with a gangsta twist from Lauren 

Horse Drawn Carriage

Colonial Women doing Laundry

Colonial people hanging out

Colonial tents- representing war camps

Colonial man resting

Colonial shooting reenactment

Governor's House

Andrew's new friend!

I feel like this is such a great representation of their relationship

A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E. 

By, 709

Thank you for a great day Williamsburg!

Thank you for putting up with my roommates' craziness. 

Aromas Coffee

If I lived here, I would have loved to come here every morning

A very extensive menu: coffee, smoothie, "spiked" smoothie, wine, beer, pastries, sandwiches, soups, etc

A wide range of home made biscottis

Prince George's Green Mint Mocha

This was actually really good. It was different from a peppermint mocha in that it was a little creamier since they used something called "Green Mint Syrup". I asked for less chocolate and nonfat milk to keep the calorie low. Overall, the espresso drink was delicious- not too sweet, not too bitter. 

Lauren ordered a Pumpkin Biscotti and a Tribal Mocha

I love this quote! It definitely defines me

Pho 14

In Colombia Heights

While driving back, I was yelping away on my smartphone trying to find a Pho restaurant to fulfill my Asian food craving. Virginia is supposedly known for their Asian food, however they all closed early. Luckily Pho 14 closes at 9:30 pm daily.

A clean and simple menu with lots of choices

A very clean restaurant with interesting tiki decor

Super fresh bean sprouts, mints, limes, and jalapenos

Lisa's Vegetarian Pho

Lauren's Vegetarian Banh Mi

My Pho with the rare steak on the side

I really enjoyed this delicious hot soup. I have to admit that I really miss Asian cuisine. Vietnamese food is definitely my go-to/ favorite food. And I've decided that Pho 14 is comparable to pho in California. The broth is very very tasty; not that much msg either. The cons would include: very small portions and pretty pricey. My total came out to be $10.00 with tips. 

But overall, the environment was very bright and warm, the tables/ bowls/ utensils were very clean; the vegetables were fresh, the beef was a good red color, and the broth was excellent. I really enjoyed this place and will definitely come back once the winter coldness hits. 

After we had a really satisfying Asian feast, we decided to check out the White House at night. One of my friends informed me that the While House was lit bright pink for the month of October for breast cancer awareness month. This is proof that the White House is definitely not pink.

Overall: I had a really adventurous and enjoyable day with my roommates and plus 1 (Andrew). We did a lot of exploring, sight seeing, and eating. We definitely need to make another road trip!