Halo-Halo and so much more from Chowking in Seattle, WA

My siblings and I are so giddy and excited to eat at Chowking again after four years. Although, I don't remember eating here in 2019 during our wedding vacation in the Philippines.

Anyway, I ordered a 1-entrée Lauriat with Chinese BBQ Pork as requested by my husband. While I got a 2-entrée Lauriat with 2 pieces of Chinese-style fried chicken and Lumpiang Shanghai. The Lauriat comes with steamed rice, Pancit Canton, and a 1-piece Buchi (a golden brown gelatinous dough ball coated with sesame seeds and filled with sweetened red bean paste). I also ordered a 4-piece siomai and halo-halo.

2-piece Chinese-style Fried Chicken + Lumpiang Shanghai Lauriat
2-piece Chinese-style Fried Chicken, 5-piece Lumpiang Shanghai, steamed rice, half-serving of Pancit Canton,  and 1-piece Buchi

Let's start with the neutral. The experience feels like being in the Philippines. The crowd - there's a long line both in Jollibee and Chowking - is available just as you would experience back in Manila. Sticky and dirty floors are also present. "Ah. Just like back home."

Chinese BBQ Pork Lauriat
Chinese BBQ Pork served with steamed rice, half-serving of Pancit Canton, and 1-piece Buchi.

The good - the Pancit Canton, Buchi, fried chicken, and Lumpiang Shanghai tastes like the one in the Philippines.

4-piece Siomai
4 pieces steamed open-faced dim sum made of savoury pork filling in a special flour-based yellow wrapper

The bad - that Chinese BBQ Pork is a weird mess. It's bad. Don't order it. While the siomai tasted different. My younger sister agreed that it's unlike what we remember from the Philippines. It's possible that we've had better dumplings; that's why our expectations are higher.

Halo-Halo
Sweet shaved ice dessert topped with a mixture of sweetened preserved fruit and beans, ube jam, tapioca pearl, caramel flan, and ube ice cream.

Lastly, the halo-halo is disappointing. It has the usual shaved ice, a spoonful of leche flan (caramel custard), a scoop of ube ice cream, and evaporated milk. However, there's barely any of the sweetened beans or jelly. There needs to be something more inside to be worth the USD 6.00. I guess this is the fast food halo-halo experience. If you're trying halo-halo for the first time, go elsewhere.

Seattle Dog from Dog in the Park | Seattle Center

It's most likely that you've heard of New York Pizza and Chicago Dog, but I doubt if you're familiar with "Seattle Dog." If you're looking for that one place to try near the Space Needle for lunch, head over to the Dog in the Park food stand before or after the Space Needle.

What is a "Seattle Dog"? It starts with your usual hotdog sandwich of, well, a hotdog in a bun but topped with grilled veggies and cream cheese. Yes, CREAM CHEESE on a hotdog sandwich. It sounds outrageous.

Seattle Dog from Dog in the Park near the Space Needle
The grilled hot dog is served in a toasted bun topped with cream cheese and grilled veggies.

How did it taste like? The hot dog is perfectly cooked, which is always a good start. I surprisingly love the slight char and bitterness from the grilled vegetables. The cream cheese did add creaminess like cheese would, but the smoothness and slight tanginess were offputting for me. I prefer my cream cheese as a dip and on top of a toasted bagel.

My First Crumpet from The Crumpet Shop | Pike Place Market

We need to talk. Why have I never heard of crumpets before researching places to try in Pike Place Market?! What's wrong with me and my limited knowledge of food? Honestly, there's still so much to eat!

Let's start with what's a crumpet. It is a British tea-time treat with round, fluffy, and slightly dense bread-like cakes with a distinctive bubble texture. It is made from a batter of flour, yeast, and milk cooked on a griddle or stovetop in special circular moulds.

Egg, English cheese, & Ham Breakfast Egg Crumpets from The Crumpet Shop
Organic eggs served on a hot & toasty crumpet

My younger sister ordered the Egg, English cheese & Ham while I chose an Egg on Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese on top of a hot & toasty crumpet.

Egg, English cheese, & Ham Breakfast Egg Crumpets from The Crumpet Shop
Organic eggs served on a hot & toasty crumpet

It's soft, and the eggs are perfectly cooked. While the smoked salmon cream cheese provided a creamy and salty topping.

Egg on Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Breakfast Egg Crumpets from The Crumpet Shop
Local smoked salmon blended in house with cream cheese.

I love it! My younger sister said she prefers English muffins since she eats them at work. The difference between the two is in texture and taste: crumpets have a spongy, porous texture with a mild flavour, while English muffins have a denser texture with a more pronounced bread-like taste.

Egg on Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Breakfast Egg Crumpets from The Crumpet Shop
Local smoked salmon blended in house with cream cheese.

Do you have any suggestions on the best place for crumpets in Vancouver? I'm also heading to London, UK, on October and want to try crumpets there. Let me know of the best places to try it in London.

Maple Bacon Mini Doughnut from Daily Doughnut Company | Pike Place Market

My mom is celebrating her birthday on the same weekend as Father's Day, so we decided to take a road trip to Seattle, WA.

We arrived at Pike Place Market shortly before 10:00 AM, and I lined up for the Daily Doughnut Company. You can totally spend a day in Pike Place Market lining up for the many good places here.

I ordered a half dozen of the Plain Doughnut and another half dozen of Maple Bacon.

Plain Mini Doughnuts from Daily Doughnut Company inside Pike Place Market

My younger sister, the baker in the family, loved the doughnut. She accurately described it as a savoury deep-fried doughnut that's not sweet. I got the plain because I always worry about doughnuts being too sweet, but not in this case. I think adding the sweet topping is the way to go.

Maple Bacon Mini Doughnut from Daily Doughnut Company inside Pike Place Market

I enjoyed the crispy exterior of the plain mini goodness while I loved the balance of sweet and salty of the Maple Bacon mini doughnut.

This is the best way to start in Seattle.

Hoisin-Ginger Turkey from HelloFresh

Cal Smart Hoisin-Ginger Turkey with Savoury Rice and Stir-Fried Veggies is the last HelloFresh meal in our box, and we're preparing it for Friday dinner.

---

Cal Smart Hoisin-Ginger Turkey with Savoury Rice and Stir-Fried Veggies

HelloFresh description:

"This classic Southeast Asian-inspired combo of tender poultry, savoury rice and spicy sauce is full of flavour but surprisingly light! Don't forget to drizzle the spicy sauce over every bite. Calorie Smart is based on a per-serving calculation of the recipe's kilocalorie amount."

Cal Smart Hoisin-Ginger Turkey with Savoury Rice and Stir-Fried Veggies

---

I love this dish! The jasmine rice is fluffy and soft, which is the perfect vehicle for the saucy turkey. The ground meat is tender, but my favourite thing is the warmth provided by the ginger combined with the heat from the chilli-garlic sauce. To balance everything is the rich and sweet hoisin sauce. The stir-fried vegetables add freshness and nice crispiness to our dinner.

We have another HelloFresh box arriving on Monday and I can't wait!

Sesame-Teriyaki Turkey Bowls with Carrots and Edamame Rice from HelloFresh Canada

Happy Friday! For lunch, we cooked the Speedy Sesame-Teriyaki Turkey Bowls with Carrots and Edamame Rice from our HelloFresh box.

---

Speedy Sesame-Teriyaki Turkey Bowls with Carrots and Edamame Rice

HelloFresh description:

"This turkey teriyaki on pillowy jasmine rice hits all the right notes: salty, sweet, filling and as spicy as you like it! But the best part? It all comes together in just 25 minutes!"

Speedy Sesame-Teriyaki Turkey Bowl with Carrots and Edamame Rice

---

I love the smell of soft and fluffy jasmine rice cooked in water mixed with butter and salt. The addition of edamame brings a surprising change in texture and a subtle sweet flavour.

Speedy Sesame-Teriyaki Turkey Bowl with Carrots and Edamame Rice

On the other hand, the ground turkey came out tender and juicy coated in umami-packed soy sauce, nutty sesame oil, and rich teriyaki sauce. Lastly, the inclusion of carrots and onions adds a crunch and another subtle sweetness to the dish while the Shanghai bok choy offers a crisp and refreshing element.

A drizzle of Sriracha adds a touch of heat and tanginess adding another layer of flavour to the dish.

Creamy Asparagus and Spinach Orzotto from HelloFresh Canada

Happy Wednesday! It's creamy pasta day when we had leftovers of Mushroom Ravioli and Creamy Pesto Sauce for lunch and the Creamy Asparagus and Spinach Orzotto with Goat Cheese and Almonds for dinner from our HelloFresh box.

Creamy Asparagus and Spinach Orzotto with Goat Cheese and Almonds

What's Orzotto?

It's a dish that takes inspiration from the traditional Italian risotto, but uses orzo pasta instead of Arborio rice. Orzo, also known as risoni, is a small, rice-shaped pasta that resembles grains of barley, hence its name, which means "barley" in Italian. When cooked, orzo becomes tender and absorbs flavors beautifully, making it a wonderful alternative to rice in risotto-style dishes.

---

Creamy Asparagus and Spinach Orzotto with Goat Cheese and Almonds

HelloFresh description:

"This orzo is silky and flavourful, like a risotto. Topped with asparagus, creamy goat cheese and bright spinach, this orzotto is just what you've been looking for on a rainy spring day!"

Creamy Asparagus and Spinach Orzotto with Goat Cheese and Almonds

---

With its small, rice-like grains, the orzo provides a tender and slightly chewy texture that perfectly absorbs the luscious cream sauce. Fragrant garlic and sweet yellow onion infuse the dish with savoury undertones.

Creamy Asparagus and Spinach Orzotto with Goat Cheese and Almonds

The asparagus offers a delicate crunch and a subtly earthy taste, while the tender baby spinach leaves add a gentle hint of bitterness. These verdant vegetables create a harmonious contrast against the creamy backdrop of the dish.

Creamy Asparagus and Spinach Orzotto with Goat Cheese and Almonds

The goat cheese is sprinkled throughout, adding a delightful tang and creaminess that complements the other ingredients. Finally, the sliced almonds provide a satisfying crunch, offering a textural contrast that completes the culinary journey.

Korean-Inspired Black Bean Noodles from HelloFresh Canada

I'm so grateful to my husband for helping me cook lunch that I told him I'll hand dinner by myself. I chose to prepare the Korean-Inspired Black Bean Noodles with Cucumber-Sesame Salad from our HelloFresh box.

---

Korean-Inspired Black Bean Noodles with Cucumber-Sesame Salad

HelloFresh description:

"This black bean sauce is super savoury, to the point of being addictive! Our black bean noodles are inspired by the cheeky late-night takeout you'd enjoy in Korea called jajangmyeon - but you can just call it delicious!"

Korean-Inspired Black Bean Noodles with Cucumber-Sesame Salad

---

The star of this dish is the irresistibly rich and savoury black bean sauce, beautifully coating the tender ramen noodles. Each strand of the sesame-coated noodles offers a satisfying chewiness, perfectly complemented by the umami depth of the black beans, zucchini, mushrooms, and aromatic garlic. The vegetarian oyster sauce adds a touch of brininess, while the red Thai chili provides a subtle kick of spice that lingers on the palate. Garnished with vibrant green onions, the dish offers a pop of freshness that balances the robust flavours.

Korean-Inspired Black Bean Noodles with Cucumber-Sesame Salad

The Cucumber-Sesame Salad adds a crisp and cooling element alongside the flavorful noodles. The mini cucumbers, thinly sliced, provide a refreshing crunch that pairs wonderfully with the tangy notes of rice vinegar and garlic. The green onions lend a subtle oniony bite, while the sesame seeds add a delightful nutty texture. This light and invigorating salad is the perfect counterpart to the rich black bean noodles, offering a palate-cleansing experience that keeps each bite exciting and balanced.