Noodle Anniversary Dinner at The Source

Before beginning I must stand tall and say I was a trooper for going to the dinner. And I’m SO glad I did, I’d be bleeding and have no arms and I’d go. I love noodles. THE dinner was SO FUCKING amazing.  I adore noodles, but never have I ever had so much delicious tender QQ noodles.

But let me start from the beginning….

After a night out at Mandu and such.. I woke up early, per usual, to work.

After having a bowl of Safeway clam chowder, with lotsa hot sauce, for lunch, I was stuck with food poisoning and projectile vomiting for the whole day…

From Safeway
=
Pukey Miss Tiffie

W and I headed to Crystal City to go shopping for The Source‘s anniversary dinner tonight.. and we almost didn’t even go when I BOMBED the bathroom with more vomiting.

NO BUENO.

W even said we should probably not go. He wasn’t feeling too swell either.

BUT that did NOT stop me and W getting FABBBBULOUS outfits and going to the dinner.

We got there a bit early for some H’orderves and Champagne.  Dumplings, sushi and other delicacies were passed around.. including flutes and ever-flowing bubbly. DIVINE.  A few glasses in  and a bite or two, I sat down in anticipation. Reading and re-reading the menu over and over again.

The Source’s 5 Year Anniversary Noodle Dinner
Thursday, September 27, 2012

It was sold out but W and I were lucky enough to be offered seats as Mandu’s Danny Lee’s guests YAY

We are supppper excited!!! Look how hipster W looks. <3

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1st Course
Chef Kaz Okochi, Kaz Sushi Bistro

Jiyashi Ramen (Japanese Summer Noodles)
Maine Lobster, Prosciutto, Sesame-Soy-Mustard Sauce

Paired with: Junmai, Kinshihai Yukikage “Snow Shadow”, Nilgata, Japan

A great refreshing start.  Mix it all up and down it went  Lobster actually wasn’t necessary.  Just an expensive accessory.  W can’t eat shellfish so he got it without it, just the prosciutto. WHICH, strangely, the prosciutto wasn’t overpowering like I was scared it would be. A great great start.  The shot went down smooooooth and paired sooo well with the dish.  Both light and refreshing, Perfect balance.

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2nd Course
Chef Yesoon and Danny Lee, Mandu

Bibam Guksoo
Somyun Noodles, Kimchi, Gochujang, Radish

Paired with: Makgeolli, Korean Rice Wine

This was sooo good, vegetarian and REFRESHING. Spice. Cold. Quail Egg. I would LOVE to eat a huge bowl of this for lunch anytime anywhere!Booze in a bowl?

YAY. I also LOOOOVE milky rice booze.  This was sightly tart and soooo delicious.

Mama  Lee and Danny!!!

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3rd Course
Chef Erik Bruner-Yang, Toki Underground

Noum Pachouk
Somen Noodles, Gatangal-Tumeric Stock, Cucumber, Bean Sprouts, Pounded Fish, Chilis

Paired with: “There is more to Cambodia than Angkor Wat” Okunomatsu Sparkling Junmai Daiginjo Sake, Cointreau, Lemongrass Syrup, Gin Barrel Aged Orange Bitters

I’ve heard amazing things about Toki but this just didn’t get my mojo running.  It was too fishy for my taste  The flavors were off.. and the “pounded fish” aka definitely raw mackerel was soooooo fishy. :[ Sorry Toki, not my steeze.

My pairing for it didn’t come until AFTER i attempted to eat it.  Kinda annoying. IT HUGE WAS, but def better than the dish itself.

Extra boozey mimosa. Pretty much.

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4th Course
Chef Chao Sheng Liu, Mala Tang

Dan Dan Noodles
Minced Pork, Szechuan Pepper, Red Chili Oil

Paired with: Echigo Koshihikari Lager, Japan

My favorite dish of the night. I LOOOOVE Szechuan food and I LOOOOOVE dan dan noodles. Spicy.  Porky. Not too oily. HOLY FUCK amazing!!!  I usually get it from Lao Sichuan but this was sooo freaking bomb. NOT OVERLY spicy but just beautiful. You could taste the szechuan peppercorn and everything.

Beer pairing, tho it was Japanese beer went beautifully with it and cut thru the oil, spice and the szechuan peppercorn taste. FUCK YEAH.

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5th Course
Chef Haidar Karoum, Proof and Estadio

Khao Soi Noodles
Short Rib, Braised Tongue, Chiang Mai Sausage

Paired with: Reisling, Dr. Thanisch Berkasteler Badstube, Mosel, Germany 2011

The making of my lovey Brent who works at Proof.  AMAZING noodles and the most tender tongue, fatty short rib and the sausage. OMG. DELICIOUS.  Wine was a bit on the sweet side for the pairing but I devoured the dish completely. LICK LICK.

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6th Course
Chef Scott Drewno, Wolfgang Pukc’s ‘the source’

Drunken Duck
Chow Fun Noodles, Crushed Peanuts

Paired with: Berthet-Rayne, Châteauneuf–du-Pape, France 2009

This was paired with a beautiful red wine.  This duck though…… I’ve had MANY MANY ducks – I’m asian for god’s sake.  Chinatown. Taiwan. Asia.  The amazing place in Chicago for duck. THIS. WAS. FUCKING. AMAZING. Fatty. Crisp. UGH. I DIE.

Dear Scott Drewno, please always make Duck for me from now on.  Succulent. Juicy. Tender. MELT IN YOUR MOUTH. Skin sooooo crisp and juicy….

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Pre-Dessert: Citrus Sorbet

Great palette cleanser

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7th Course
Chef Pastry Chef Duane Copeland, Wolfgang Puck’s ‘the source’

Apple Custard Tart
Fried Pandan Noodles

Paired with: Beerenauslese, Steindorfer, Burgenland, Austria 2007

I LOOOOOOVED the gelato and the dehydrated apple.  The tart was good, as was the crispy green noodles.. but I was done and done by this point. SOOO GOOD, I ate most of it anyways TEEHEE – the pairing was wayyyy overly sweet.  Good but sweet – WHICH worked since the dessert wasn’t overly sweet. While I did enjoy the pandan noodles fried, I stil like them gooey and regular in coconut milk heehee…

Other Fun Notes of dinner:

– “Is this all Asian noodles?”
– I don’t like the taste of shellfish
– I don’t eat carbs

After, even though it was pouring out, we headed to Mandu on K Street for the afterparty. BEST. BONCHON. EVA.CH

One sojutini later, I was ready to go home and still continue vomiting from clam chower. UGH. Best Dinner though.  I LOVE NOODLES

Spicy Night a la Mommy, Back in the Bean

After a long day of fooding… bloat bloat, we woke up early to go to the airport to fly in opposite directions. W back to Detroit and me back to Boston.

Hungry and upset stomach

I’m ready… iPad, Mags, Chicken Caesar, Coffee.. and I had a bag of snacks, hot fries and candy  and fruits.

I got home and had to do some work.. so I had some freshly picked HUGE blueberries while blogging, uploading videos, pics and doing work. I’m good at multi-tasking :]

For dinner, Mommy made 4 delicious spicy dishes that I love.

Spicy Marinated Cold Cucumbers
Crispy, fresh, crumchy with a nice spice to it. YUM – Simple and refreshing!!!!

Spicy Mung Bean Sprouts with Thai Chili

Bitter Greens, Pork Belly and Thai Chilis
One of my favorite dishes ever YUM.

Szechuan Ma La Beef in Chili OilSOOOOOOO GOOOOD and spicy, burned my throat and stomach, amazing.  My mom used rib eye so it was fatty and tender. MMMMM….

Spicy Food = Happy Tiffie

Dim Sum Buffet at Lotus Flower

It’s a buffet, I’m not a huge fan of chinese buffets in general because I’d rather have quality than quantity. But for only 15$ it was a pretty decent spread of Taiwanese style dimsum and some eats….  Off to Lotus Flower in Framingham it is… sister restaurant to others around such as Lotus Blossom in Sudbury, Water Lily in Wayland and Chang So in Cambridge.

As my mom and I were walking in for our much-needed mother/daughter date, STARVED to death, a father and son came walking out of Five Guys asking if this place was good. hahaha.. I duno, this is my first time.

And YES it’s ACTUALLY next to a Five Guys [and a Boston Market], as soon as we parked and got out of the car, I could smell burgers in the air.. YUMMM.. #craving – almost went in there instead. Buttttt… it was dim sum I wanted..

This ain’t no chinatown or Asia dim sum… we came for the last hour of the “Sunday Brunch” so while they had everything, they weren’t really putting anything new out anymore. So we grabbed EVERYTHING!!… well, that we wanted.

Round 1.

Xiao Long Baos, Shumai 乾蒸燒賣, Taiwanese Panfried Dumplings, Pork Belly Baos, Shrimp Dumplings, Chive Pies, etc…

The Chive pie had good filling but they were not bulging with filling and I think since they were the last batch of the day, the crust was getting a bit soggy in the steamer…  the Shrimp Dumplings were good but the skin was a bit too thick for me and they were pan-fried not just thin-skinned and steamed like I’m used to.  Taiwan dumplings were good, but they were small and more like gyoza than Taiwanese dumplings…

Peanuts, Eggplant, Scallion Pancakes, Sesame Balls, etc..

I liked the Xiao Long Baos [Soup Dumplings] and Shumai the most so I ended up getting a plate PILED with them.. like 10 each HAHAHA… #fattie. INHALED.

Sao Bin 燒餅 and Fried Dough 油條

Obviously dipped in and eaten with soy milk 豆漿… something about Chinese soy milk that is SOOO different from american soy milk. SO SO GOOD.

The soy milk wasn’t too sweetened and tasted fresh…. definitely helped cut through the greasy fried dough – it’s not the best 油條 I’ve had but it’s pretty good.. just wish they were big rods of them, instead of cut up smaller pieces….

大䁑麵綫 Large Pig Intestine with Noodle Threads… SOOO GOOD… great spices and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro. YUM.

You have to ask for this on the side, and it comes with the buffet… as many bowls as you want.  But you have to ASK for it, along with congee, and sometimes tofu pudding and oyster pancakes – which aren’t always available.  While the flavors were great and the noodles were yummy, there wasn’t enough intestines, I had like 6 pieces of so but my mom had NONE. That’s so disappointing :[ Should be more consistant, need bigger pieces and each bowl needs a good amount.

Sweet Rice Soup/Milk 米浆

This was thick and delicious but a bit too sweet for me.  I prefer my mom’s more but she never makes it anymore :[  Here’s a fun recipe I found tho…

Turnip/Daikon Cakes, Pig Ears, Sliced Beef, Szechuan Pickled Cabbage

After this I got another plate of just xiao long baos and shumais :] NOM

Fruits, more Sesame Balls, Cake and some Ribs & Tofu

The ribs were a bit too sweet…. but I love me some balls :D A bit sweet but nice mochi outside, fried and red bean paste in the middle, NOM!

Cake, Melon, Mangoes

Hope is the best stimulant of life.

Agreed.

Hope drives me, inspires me and pushes me in the right direction.

So does my new bag of Easter candy….