Breakfast at 6pm

Saturday afternoon at the Smithsonian National Zoo

This beautiful beast

People know that I'm deadly scared of animals. Even those little house pets. However, I can never take my eyes off of large cats. I love tigers. I admire their majestic and dominant character.

The orangutan

Tug of War with the orangutan, they are STRONG!

He's so scary and intense!

I do like reptiles

GIGANTIC Turtles

So cute, the panda!

I seem to always take pictures with stuffed animal cats

Roommates <3 We are wearing Ninja Turtle colors!

I love how we have formed such a great bond. We hangout together every single day! 

Open City

Recommended by Lisa's friend

Dinner at 6:00 pm

I look scary

But after a super cold and rainy day at the zoo, this coffee definitely hit the spot!

A non fat latte

I appreciate how the barista made the effort to make a design and topped it off with some cute animal crackers

The espresso was smooth and it had extra foam, just the way I like it

Lisa's entrees

"Blanco Scramble" (scrambled eggs with tomato and spinach) with a side of mixed greens

For over $10, I think this entree was a good deal. It has the protein, the carbs, the veggies, etc. Lisa tried the grits too which she said was just alright. 

Cynthia's entree

"Chorizo Scramble"

This was hearty meal! It smelled good and they gave her a large portion!

Lauren's "Brioche French Toast"

I'm pretty Lauren enjoyed this! I had a taste of it too. We both agreed that the toast were a bit "egg-ey" and overly moist. However, it was tasty!

My "Chai Tea Waffles"

I was definitely excited to try chai-flavored waffles. My second option was the "red-velvet" waffles which I'll try if I ever go back. The waffle texture was amazing- crunchy and crispy. However, I was a little disappointed in the "chai" part because the chai flavor was so difficult to find. I had to try really hard in order to taste the chai. 

L & L

All smiles because we always have so much fun

Cynthia and I

We are all bundled up! A delicious meal to warm our stomachs

This girl is impressive, she can eat!

The Tab if you are curious

Overall: I think the price is a little high for simple food with pretty large/ mediocre portions. The food is unique and tasty though. I wish they had more combination plates like eggs, ham, pancakes, etc- like Dennys or IHop. Overall, I like how they serve breakfast all day. The environment was hip and comfortable with a large crowd. 

Late Night Snack

Dupont Circle is always so lively with people rushing to catch the bus, to meet up with friends at nearby restaurants, or entertainers performing in the streets

They were simply an amazing jazz group

Later that night, we found this little burger joint that is opened till 5am- ridiculous! But I have to say that I miss In N out!

Rogue States (2 of 5 stars)
For a mediocre late night burger lounge, the service was incredibly slow for a slow night

The menu

The walls were filled with MONEY!

Lauren said "What a waste"

Lauren's "Old MacDonald" - $7.50

The sandwich consists of portabella mushroom, grilled vegetables, olives, chopped lettuce, hazelnut dressing alfalfa sprouts, hot cherry peppers, and goat cheese on ciabatta bread

It looked mouthwatering right when I saw it. The combination sounds so unique and the vegetables looked so fresh! This was totally a great deal compared to mine.

She is thrilled

Andrew's 1/4 pound "Rogue State" burger- $5.50

It was a regular burger with house blend spice, cilantro, and chipotle

As a male who eats a lot, this was definitely not satisfying

French Fries- $2.50

Still hungry after his miniature burger, Andrew had to order a side of fries

Andrew seemed excited to eat!

Ivan with his miniature burger and french fries!

My 1/4 pound "Ciao Down"- $5.50

This MINIATURE burger had the usual burger ingredients plus garlic and basil. I even asked for the meat to be medium rare.

First of all, the meat was definitely not medium rare but overdone- it was dry and not tasty. The burger is not unique at all; in actuality all the "special" burgers look the same

I think what disappointed me the most is how bite-sized the burger was. This is definitely DEFINITELY not worth the price or going back for

Overall: I think we were all incredibly disappointed. I rather go hungry.

My dear roommate Lauren

I love our love/hate relationship where we laugh at random things, talk in our English accents, and talk late at night untill we both fall a sleep

Wings & Pizza

On a Thursday night, a few friends and I wanted to hunt down the cheap eats / happy hours in Washington DC. However, we went out at 7pm and most specials were over already.

Public Bar

The only happy hour on this Thursday was $5 wraps (Caesar or Buffalo). Very limited.

My friend Cameron describes it as a sports bar/cabin environment. It was a very spacious restaurant, but quite empty.

20 wings and drumsticks- BBQ sauce and Spicy

I was surprised at how delicious they were. The spicy wasn't overwhelming and the taste was all there. The skin was full of meat and I loved the crispy skin.

Mozzarella sticks

It was good, but I didn't think it was worth it

Cameron and Ivan

It's blurry, but still cute

Later on that night, we had a late night snack in Adam's Morgan

Pizza Boli's
The only choice was cheese or pepperoni, but they were well worth it

After a quick bite here, we realized that the street was full of "jumbo pizzas"

When they say jumbo, they really do mean "JUMBO SIZE"

Cheese slice- $5.00

The biggest pepperoni pizza slice in the world! But it is lacking a pepperoni meat- $5.50

Happy Andrew and Cameron

Extra extra happy me

Since one slice was so large, Ann and I shared 1 slice. I was surprised at how delicious it was. The crust was thin and not doughy, and the pizza was not oily at all. Ever since that night, I've been craving for this late night snack

Sharing is caring

Ann is the cutest and sweetest ever

African&Portuguese Chicken?

After work one day, we all decided that we needed to treat ourselves to dinner. Cynthia suggested (begged) that we should try Nando's with her. She found this little chain restaurant when she was studying abroad in England, and she claims that the only Nando's in the United States was in Washington DC. So of course, I was super ready to go because I love trying places that are found no where else!

Nando's Peri~Peri (3.5 of 5 stars)

African and Portuguese chicken!

Check out the menu: http://www.nandosperiperi.com/pdf/nandosusa_main_menu.pdf

The dining room is surrounded by original African art work. The decor has a romantic and warm feel with the dimmed lights, the wooden tables, and the bricks everywhere. 

This place is semi-fast food: you receive a table with a number, you order/pay for your food at the register, you sit at your table and wait for the food to come.

I would describe the environment as a cozy and a great after-work place to grab a bite! 

 Nando's is famous for their special sauces!

Out table decided to try the Medium Spice and the Garlic Spice

They have huge utensils

Lauren's Roasted Portobello Mushroom- $7.25

She describes that the overall sandwich was "on the bready side, but it introduces a variety of vegetables (normally not found in vegetarian sandwiches) such as

sauteed bell peppers and glazed aged cheese which made it delicious"

Lauren looks like a happy eater

Cynthia's 1/2 chicken at medium spice with a side of mash potatoes - $10.95

She thought it was juicy and amazing! She especially loved and devoured the mash potatoes because it was buttery and made with garlic. I'll definitely try that next time

A happy girl because she finally convinced us to come!

Jesse's 1/2 chicken with medium spice with a side of Portuguese rice and mixed leaf salad

She is a such a healthy person, she says she always needs her rice and vegetables! I wish I was more like her.

She is ready for me to finish my pictures so that she can devour her food in peace!

I ordered a 1/4 chicken with a side of Macho Peas- $6.95

My first reaction was a disappointment on the small piece of chicken that I received. But I'm happy that it was the drumstick part. The chicken was juicy by itself, but it definitely tastes better drenched with their sauces. I absolutely loved the peas. The peas was made with mashed up peas mixed with whole peas, parsley mint, and chili. I loved that combination. 

I'm happy we came and I would definitely hope to come back before I head back to California

Lauren was craving a cupcake. Luckily, Nando's offers home-made cupcakes as well. Lauren ordered this red velvet cupcake, however she was greatly disappointed. She said it tasted like a "red sugar cookie".

Overall, we had a great little dinner that night. It is really nice to be able to go out after work and eat dinner with good friends.