Tag: washington dc

food · luxury

A Chocolate Treat

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Sometimes, you just have to treat yourself …

A few weeks ago, I got an online coupon code from Chocolate Chocolate, one of DC’s finest chocolate shops. This boutique offers exquisite international and hard-to-find chocolates. I used the code to order a box of Laderach chocolates, my favorite chocolate brand.

IMG_1810Laderach chocolates in Chocolate Chocolate’s trademark velvet box

I first tried Laderach two years ago, when I was gifted a box from an attorney at my previous job. I fell in love with the velvety textures, intense flavors, and perfect presentation of the little bit sized pieces of heaven. The day after I finished eating every treat in my little box, I looked for a local retailer that offered the Laderach brand. After much searching over many months, I found out that Chocolate Chocolate was the closest shop that offered the brand.

IMG_1811The liner indicating that this box contained luxurious Swiss chocolates

So when I saw the coupon code, I couldn’t resist. I purchased my chocolates and quickly got a call from the shop, confirming that the chocolates were in stock and were immediately available. I picked them up the following week.

IMG_1812The chocolates! So perfect and delicious!

They are just as delicious as I remember! I’m pleased with the product (of course) but I also loved the service: the shop attendants were friendly and warm. I can’t wait to return!

Do you all have any favorite chocolate brands? Let me know in the comments below!

luxury · travel

Review of the Omni Shoreham Hotel

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Several weeks ago, I stayed in Washington, DC while I handled some assignments at the office. For this stay, I stayed in Omni Shoreham Hotel near the National Zoo. On my previous DC trip, I stayed at The Fairfax at Embassy Row.

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For starters, the hotel is beautiful and conveniently located near the Metrorail (Woodley Park – Zoo Metro Station). I found that the concierge and check-in staff were gracious and warm. The hotel is very large, and I was guided to the wing where my suite was located.

The room was simple but elegantly appointed. I found out that my room also had a balcony that had a beautiful view of the District (unfortunately, I didn’t get any high quality photos while standing on the balcony). The bathroom was a bit smaller than I experienced in other hotels, but what it lacked in size, it made up for in pristine cleanliness and luxurious touches.

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This hotel is described as a four-star property by the Five Star Alliance, and I fully agree. The room, amenities, and excellent service and hospitality made me a fan of the Omni Shoreham Hotel. I can’t wait to return!

 

food · international

Review: People’s Bao Food Truck

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People’s Bao food truck has been on my “to try” list for a few months now. I’ve craved delicious Chinese style buns since my trip to China last year. I was blown away by the flavor of Momofuku’s mushroom buns (which I reviewed here). But I saw the rave reviews of People’s Bao on Yelp and I was eager to give it a whirl.

The truck finally arrived close to my building, and I seized the opportunity. I ordered the Portabella buns and Portabella rice bowl. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I figured that if the food was half as good as Momofuku, I would fare well.

Here’s the good, bad and otherwise:

The Portabella mushrooms were ample but not particularly flavorful. They would have benefited from marinating in a sauce that would infuse the mushrooms with flavor. Also, since these mushrooms are thicker than the shiitake ones used by Momofuku, they didn’t cook to the bacon-like crispiness of the last buns I tried.

The sauce added to the bun was spicy enough but fairly indescribable. I can’t name anything that it tasted like, other than “spice”. Also, this was another bun creation where the filling  was folded in the bun like a sandwich, instead of being fully encased in the bun bread (like the buns served during dim sum).

As far as the rice bowl? Meh. Lots of delicious, fresh veggies but, again, not a lot of flavor. I tried to like it, but I couldn’t. I eat primarily vegetarian meals but I still love flavor, and this dish came up lacking.

The best part of the meal was the watermelon garnish that I found in the bottom of my bag! I initially thought the ramekins contained a sauce to add to my entrees, and I was excited at the thought of something savory being in the bag. But, as it turns out, the ramekins contained small chunks of sweet, ripe watermelon instead. That was an unexpected treat, and a nice accent to an otherwise forgettable meal.

I’m adding some stock photos for context, but I didn’t photograph this meal, because it simply wasn’t worth it.

dcistbun

 

This photo from DCist looks exactly like the bun that I received.

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In a nutshell? I wouldn’t order again. It’s possible that this was just an “off” day, but I’d rather pay a few more dollars and have guaranteed tastiness at Momofuku. Maybe one day I’ll be adventurous enough to give it another go, but for now, I have to decline returning to People’s Bao.

culture

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

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I don’t have many words for this post, because this is a solemn landmark not too far from my job.

I toured the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial during one of my lunch breaks. As a habit, I try to go somewhere new and do something different several times a week during the warmer months. Truthfully, I keep up this routine as long as I can, for as many days as I can, each week. But taking walks during the chilly winter months isn’t always my highest joy, so sometimes I’ll skip it.

Anyway, I digress. Here are the photos I took at the memorial. May the officers that have served honorably and lost their lives in the line of duty continue to rest peacefully.

 

 

 

 

 

 

luxury · travel

Review of The Fairfax at Embassy Row

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I’m feeling so much better! A weekend of rest and care really did the trick. Now that I’m back to my normal self, I can finally post this review of my stay at The Fairfax at Embassy Row Hotel, in Washington, DC.

A few weeks ago, I stayed in DC to attend an event hosted by the Embassy of Kenya. Since I don’t live in DC or in any of the surrounding cities, I booked a room at The Fairfax for convenience. Also, I was overdue for a luxe experience, and since The Fairfax is a five-star hotel, I thought I’d be in for a treat.

I arrived the afternoon before my event and I was struck by the beauty of the lobby. I was greeted by the reception desk staff but it was not quite the warm, welcoming experience that I had at other hotels (the staff I encountered when I checked out, however, was far more affable). I received my room key and instructed on the location of the elevator, but that was it. Normally, especially with four- or five-star hotels, the desk staff that checks in guests tends to offer a bit of a concierge flavor: you can expect them to make you aware of any amenities as well as give you one or two local attractions or points of interest. I didn’t receive any of that. I also factored in whether there were other guests waiting to be checked in after me, but no, that wasn’t the case, either. The staff when I checked in was just mediocre: not spectacular but not awful, either.

I arrived at my room and I found it charming. The bathroom was beautifully designed and the rest of the room was classically appointed. It didn’t strike me as particularly luxurious, but it was lovely and tasteful.

I wanted to try the toiletries provided by the hotel, but the smell was overpowering. The scent of the soap, shampoo and conditioner was “Warm Oak” and it smelled like a high quality men’s cologne. I wish the hotel had opted for unscented or more neutral-scented toiletries for the rooms (to be fair, the hotel may offer unscented/neutral-scented toiletries, but I didn’t inquire about the availability).

The shower was heavenly, and the bed was comfortable. The Fairfax at Embassy Row also provided some very handy USB charging ports (I wish more hotels would make this standard in all rooms). However, you will need to bring your hot spot with you, unless you want to pay $12.95 for daily wireless internet usage. I’m still amazed that two- and three-star hotels offer free WiFi fairly consistently, but more luxurious hotels almost always charge for such a basic service within the rooms. However, public WiFi is available in the lobby, restaurant and lounge.

I took the Metro to The Fairfax, so I have no experience with the valet service. I also didn’t dine in The Capital Room restaurant or The Fairfax Grille and Lounge. My experience was pretty much all about the lobby, the elevator, and the room!

I checked out the morning after I attended the embassy event and, as I briefly mentioned, the reception staff that checked me out of my room was delightful. Checking out was easy and uncomplicated.

Would I stay at The Fairfax at Embassy Row again? Sure, especially since it is so close to the embassies. I don’t know that I would recommend it highly to anyone seeking a truly luxe experience; perhaps I missed the details that made this hotel qualify as a Five-Star location (per the Five Star Alliance).

Have any of you stayed at The Fairfax at Embassy Row? Did you all feel the “five-star”-ness of the hotel? If there was something I missed, let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you all!