WW #22: Steak ‘n Shake
Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich
Side-by-Side Milkshake: Vanilla and Coffee Mocha…because I can’t make up my mind.
Jr. Chicken Fingers ‘n Fries
Everything tastes even better than it looks. You can quote me on that. ;)
Busy bees here, my other WW entry. More WW here.
Enjoy the rest of the week! Cheers!
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Viva Chocolato
Last Friday, after browsing through book after book after book at Borders (at least, I did!), Hubby, Abby and I had dessert at what I’d describe as a “posh” dessert cafe cum wine bar cum chocolate shoppe. It’s called Viva Chocolato.
This pic was lifted from Viva Chocolato’s website. The rest are mine. :)
The photo above was obviously taken during the day and I have to say that the place comes alive at night, when the air is filled with the laughter of wine and chocolate lovers and live music is played by a guitarist/singer. Notice that brightly lit little room at the far end? It’s where private parties are held! A chocolat party! That’s my kind of party! ;) Viva Chocolato hosts parties for kids and adults alike.
We sat at a quiet corner on a high table with matching bar stools. I love the red and white thing going on with the lamps. 
Abby, as usual, had strawberry ice cream!
Hubby and I shared a slice of Ebony and Ivory cake ($6.95 a slice!!!). The “ivory” frosting tasted like cheesecake and the “ebony” was rich and moist. I loved it! At that price, I was determined to make myself love it! Hahaha!
I would love to come back to this place for a sampling of their truffles. I just found out that they have happy hour everyday from 4-7pm and one can pair a glass of wine with a truffle for 4.95. ;) How chic is that?!
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WS #19: Thai Passion
Hello there! :) I have not been able to participate in Weekend Snapshot for (the last) two consecutive weeks. I consider this as my WS comeback entry. Hee hee.
We’ve been living in Austin for a little over a year now and in all that time, we’ve only eaten at a Thai restaurant once. It was an experience I’ve chosen to forget and do not wish to relive. It was that bad. After what seemed like ages of hunting for a good Thai restaurant, hubby and I found two, which we wanted to try. So far, we’ve tried one…Thai Passion. I was giddy with excitement when we went to the restaurant about a month ago, but I made a conscious effort not to expect too much.
We ordered Thai Fried Rice with Shrimps, which was an instant hit with hubby, Abby and me. It had loads of shrimps plus green peas, carrots, tomatoes, egg and onions.
Thai Fried Rice with Shrimps
Abby wanted noodles (and so did hubby and me!) so we gave the Pad/Pud Thai a try. It is fresh rice noodles stir fried with green onions, bean sprouts and egg topped with ground peanuts. It has a bit of sweetness to it that just had us going for that plate for a second (and third…and fourth?) helping. It was definitely another hit!
Pad/Pud Thai
And because hubby and I just love spicy food, we also made sure we had a curry dish. We ordered one that is called Thai Passion Curry (Garee), which is Thai yellow curry with potatoes, carrots, bell peppers and onions. Our choice of meat was chicken. The dish is served with cucumber salad and big cup of rice. This was my personal favorite. I just love the curry sauce! I could have done without the chicken, potatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Uhmmm. I lost count how many times I said that during the meal. Perhaps, after every mouthful!
Thai Passion Curry with Chicken
For dessert, we had Tapioca with Coconut Milk. Unfortunately, it was a let down. It was sour…you now, the spoiled kind of sour. It looked so good and at the risk of getting in trouble with my Mom, Abby had a few spoonfuls already before I managed to give it a taste as hubby and I were busy finishing the curry. :D We called the waiter’s attention and asked him to take it back to the kitchen and ask the chef if the sourness we detected is “normal” to this dessert. After a few minutes, the waiter returned with the same bowl we sent away and said that according to the chef, it’s really how it should taste because it has cornstarch, etcetera, etcetera. Yeah, right. Well, we did not torment the waiter anymore. We simply did not eat the dessert anymore for fear that it might result to a colon cleanse of sorts.
Tapioca with Coconut Milk
We are now planning to revisit Thai Passion for lunch on a weekday, when they have a buffet which is so attractively priced. ;) I have to admit, I’m tempted to order the Tapioca again, if only to see if it will still be sour the next time around. Or is that just a bit mascohistic? Oh well.
I have another WS entry HERE. Do visit other WS participants here.
Have a great week ahead!
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WW #19: Ikea Restaurant
We checked out the last of Ikea’s summer sale last Sunday and decided to have a quick lunch at the Ikea restaurant.
Hubby had the 15-pc Swedish Meatballs served with a side of mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce.
Hubby must really like this because he almost always orders this whenever we “have to” eat at Ikea. 
I had the Chicken & Salmon Pilaf, which I liked. It’s the first time I ever had it at this restaurant and this may just turn out to be my favorite. It’s a healthier alternative to Pasta with Alfredo sauce or the Chicken Marsala. ;)
Abby had the $1.00 Mac & Cheese. Sorry, no photo. She was too hungry to agree to a photo op for her food. Hee hee.
She also ate half of the chocolate cake…
I loved the chocolate cake, which was moist and just melts in the mouth. Hubby and I shared the half that Abby left for us. :D Then again, I’m partial to chocolate cakes, specially mousse, which was my first love until I discovered the wonder that was cheesecake. Hee hee.
The food at Ikea Restaurant may be Swedish, and therefore European, but I doubt if they are of the quality and presentation that is served in European cruises. With prices so affordable, and taste, relatively decent, one can’t really complain.
Let’s all “hide behind a cloud”, my other WW entry. More Wordless Wednesday here.
Enjoy the rest of the week!
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WW #17: China Buffet Palace
Last Sunday, we had lunch at the China Buffet Palace. I really wish they would just drop the “China” from the name or replace it with “Asian” since the food selection is indeed Asian, mostly Japanese and Chinese and a little bit of Vietnamese, Thai and Korean.
We are Japanese food/sushi fans, including my 3-year old daughter. For starters, I had a sushi feast…
I’ll be first to admit that these are not Japanese restaurant authentic, but they are not bad at all. And as you can see, they have quite a selection. In a Japanese restaurant, a plateful of sushi would cost more than the buffet price we paid per head. Hee hee. I was very pleased indeed. Forget “authentic”!
I liked the small crabs, cocktail shrimps and the crab salad…
Hubby and I agree that the chicken terriyaki and fried chicken wings are good, too. Not the quality you would expect from a buffet place. Hee hee. And the cheesy baked mussels do not disappoint!
Hubby had pretty much the same food I had, except he had the Korean barbecue beef ribs…
I used to eat that, too during my red meat eating hey days. Nowadays, I’m happy to just take a photo. :D For dessert, I had fruits…not! This is just for show. Hahaha. I did eat a few pieces of honeydew and the watermelon. They were ripe and fresh and very refreshing.
I would pick the sinful desserts over fruits any day. However, it’s with the cakes where this restaurant really fell short. They were dry and crumbly. I like my cakes soft and moist.
China buffet palace has a very good selection of food, from the soups, to the appetizers, to the “main course” hot dishes and desserts. At $10.95 per person on weeknights and weekends ($7.95 for weekday lunches), I say we got more than what we paid for. Kids price is $3.95. We’ve been here so many times before. And we’ll keep coming back. 
I have another entry HERE, playground fun. Visit other Wordless Wednesday participants here.
Enjoy the rest of the week!
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WS #15: Outback Steakhouse
Yesterday, Father’s Day, Abby and I treated the King of the Household to lunch at Outback Steakhouse. It was Hubby’s personal choice, every bit the manly man that he is, read, CARNIVORE. :D I have a little secret…I haven’t ever eaten at Outback considering there are several outlets in the Philippines. A friend made a comment that the food was overrated and over priced so hubby and I didn’t dare set foot in any of the outlets. Shame on us! Fortunately, during a business trip to California a few months back, Hubby was treated by our relatives to dinner at Outback. Since then, he couldn’t stop raving about the place. It didn’t come as a surprise that it was his top pick for Father’s Day lunch.
To start of, we had the customary bread and butter. It seems to me that restaurants are having a contest of sorts on who makes the best homemade bread. Outback’s was good, but that of Countyline’s remains to be my favorite.
Bread and Butter
Hubby had an 8oz. Prime Rib, which, according to the menu, was “meticulously aged, then slow roasted to seal-in the savory beef flavor and to ensure tenderness, hand-carved to order and served with mouth-watering au jus and a choice of two sides”. For sides, hubby had roasted garlic mashed potatoes and caesar salad. Hubby couldn’t complain about his food, except for the caesar salad, which came out a tad too garlicky.
Prime Rib with a side of mashed potato and caesar salad (not in photo)
I had one of the three new specials, which are available for a limited time, Cracked Peppercorn Salmon: “Fresh grilled Atlantic Salmon encrusted with flavorful cracked peppercorns and topped with a delightful Cabernet sauce. Served over flame grilled asparagus with a side of whole grain wild rice.” Instead of the wild rice, I had roasted garlic mashed potatoes instead and steamed vegetables. I loved everything on my plate. The salmon, for one, was moist. The steamed vegetables were flavorful. And the mashed potatoes, fluffy and creamy.
Cracked Peppercorn Salmon
From the Joey (Kid’s) Menu, we ordered the Kookaburra Chicken Fingers with a side of roasted garlic mashed potatoes for Abby. Sorry, no photos because Abby helped herself the moment her plate was laid on the table. It’s obvious by now, too, that the three of us are such big fans of mashed potatoes. :D Hee hee. For dessert, we ordered Abby a Spotted Dog Sundae with Oreo Cookie Crumbles.
Spotted Dog Sundae with Oreo Cookie Crumbles
I’ve been very good in watching what I eat for the last three weeks. Since it’s Father’s Day anyway, I thought I’d make an exception and have REAL dessert. Hubby and I decided on a Chocolate Chocolate Tower: “a towering chocolate layer cake served with a raspberry sauce.”
Chocolate Chocolate Tower
This dessert could have been called Death By Chocolate. I like how the server just stuck a knife on the cake after it was laid down on our table. I thought it was a cool touch. With the raspberry sauce, it did look like the cake slice was bleeding. Hee hee. I have such a strong bias for chocolate desserts and I loved every bit of this chocolate cake.
How about you? How did your family spend Father’s Day? Hubby got a lot of loots, too. Come take a look HERE, my other WS entry.
Visit more Weekend Snapshot participants here.
Have a great week!
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Rudy’s
Our first dose of authentic Texan bar-b-q came by way of Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q. It’s a no-nonsense fastfood joint and diners eat al-fresco. With it’s brick walls and hardwood tables and benches, the ambiance is truly Texan.
The wooden tables are huge and could easily sit 10.
Momma ain’t here, so clean up your own mess.
When we first came here last year, we had half-a-link of sausage, half-rack baby back ribs and extra moist beef brisket. Everything was just bar-b-qd to perfection. For carbo, there’s all-you-can-eat white bread…the softest I’ve ever tasted and very good too! Yum! We had sides of potato salad and creamy corn and for dessert, chocolate pudding. The trays look like beer crates and they have sodas and beers in old-fashioned bottles.
Plastic crates take the place of the usual trays.
Half-a-link of sausage, half-rack baby back ribs, extra moist beef brisket and the softest bread this side of the world
Abby loved the chocolate pudding with the generous dallop of whipped cream.
This was a truly unique dining experience for us…one that just screamed “Welcome to Texas!”
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