Sprinkles Cupcakes (Washington, DC)

Ah~~ It's been a long time since I last blogged. Today I'm blogging about the cupcake shop, Sprinkles Cupcakes, the "world's first cupcake bakery".


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Premise:

I was in Georgetown two weeks ago and I wanted Georgetown Cupcake cupcakes, but the line went out the store and the temperature outside was pretty bad, so I decided to get Sprinkles Cupcake cupcakes instead while walking back from Georgetown.

My Experience:

I went to the store a bit late, around 8pm, and most of their flavors were sold out. I had their "Black and White" cupcake in the store:

And it was so good! It was not dry at all like the Hello Cupcake cupcakes, and the frosting was done just right. They even had little wooden spoons for customers to use with which to eat the cupcakes! Very yummilicious~

I bought two home (which was a bad idea), and ate both while watching Korean Drama on my computer...

The Sprinkles staff put my two cupcakes in this adorable box and sealed it with a sticker. Appearances matter, especially in desserts!

The one on the left is the Chocolate Marshmallow cupcake, and the one on the right is the Red Velvet cupcake. I ended up eating three cupcakes in one evening... yikes~~!

Some more pictures for you to drool over...


OMG the marshmallow center!

And Irena was right - sprinkles don't have any flavor (the big dot).

Rating:
Price Range: $$

$3.50 a cupcake is not cheap, especially considering that Georgetown Cupcakes sell theirs for only $2.75 each. Nonetheless, no lines and yummy cupcakes makes the purchase worthwhile.

Environment: 3.5/5 - above average

Not much sitting space - only two tables in the store. However, its location is good as it is not quite so far into Georgetown as Georgetown Cupcakes is. There also wasn't a scary line like at Georgetown Cupcakes, and the interior decor definitely beats that of Hello Cupcake. Service was okay.

Food: 4.5/5 - awesome

After having gone to three cupcake stores in DC, I think the cupcakes at Sprinkles are very yummy. I think I actually liked Sprinkles Cupcake cupcakes more than Georgetown Cupcake cupcakes. The cupcake had a texture that was not dry, but not too moist either. The sweetness was not overpowering, and the icing blended in really well with the cake portion. Very prettily dressed cupcakes, I must say. Presentation and packaging were nice too.

Overall: 4/5 - good

If the price wasn't so hefty, I would give the place a better rating. The lack of sitting areas also brought the score down a little bit. All in all, I think this place is worth going to again.

Food Corner Kabob House (Washington, DC)

Kabobs!! Yes - the famous Food Corner Kabob House of Dupont Circle. I've ordered twice from there (ordered online, picked up food to go), and they always gave so much food! I love food.


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Premise:
The Kabob House is located at a very convenient location to me, so it's a quick grab-n-go dinner place because after I order the food online, it usually only takes 25 minutes (less, even) for the food to be ready for pick-up.

My Experience:

I don't have many pictures of the place because I'm always in a hurry when I go to get food from there. The Dupont Circle location is located on the second floor of a small building, with a setup much like that of a fast food restaurant. I haven't eaten in yet, but apparently the owners are super friendly.

Today I wasn't too hungry so I ordered the Shami Kabob Sandwich ($6.40) which was definitely enough for a meal. IT contained one piece of Shami kabob meat, and was wrapped in delicious Naan with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and sauce inside.

I got there within 20 minutes' time, and they were already ready with my food. I grabbed it and came back to the Center.

Rating:
Price Range: $

They give you so much food for the amount of money you pay! The sandwich was a great deal because it was enough for a meal (well, for me at least), and it was less than $10.

Environment: 3/5

I haven't eaten in yet so I can't say for sure how nice it is to eat in, but they were able to get my order ready really quickly so that is a plus.

Food: 4/5 - good

Delicious kabobs! Last time I had a combo in which I got chicken and shami kabobs. When I ordered the kabob dinner, the order came with my choice of a side (I got spinach), kabobs, rice, a huge piece of naan, lettuce, and that green sauce you pour over the kabobs. The sandwich I had was about 3/5 that size, I believe. Anyway, the meat was seasoned well and it was really good. I wish I can have the lamb ones but sadly, due to dietary restrictions, I couldn't.

Overall: 4/5 - good

Good food, fast service, and great price. Apparently they are open till late too so I think I will be living on late-night kabobs for a while. Furthermore, their website design is user-friendly, which is always a plus. I love ordering food online, because it seems like food appeared out of thin air... alright I'm not crazy (sort of).

Teaism (Washington, DC)

I went to the Washington National Cathedral today and on the way back to Dupont Circle I decided to make a detour and stop at Teaism on R street.


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Premise:

I have read of some good Yelp reviews of this Teaism location, so I've wanted check it out since coming to DC. It's apparently good for breakfast and lunch, and it's pretty close to Dupont Circle.

My experience:

As soon as I walked in, I was taken aback. It wasn't quite the atmosphere I expected - instead of sitting down and ordering, customers have to order at the cashier and bring the food to wherever they will be sitting, even if the food is an entree and not just tea. I was a bit disappointed at this because I had expected the place to be more classy than that.

So, I went up to the counter to place my order after perusing the menus. The place is known for its tea and Asian fusion cuisine. Since I wasn't too hungry at 3:30pm, I decided to go for dessert and tea.

I ordered the Keemun Tea ($2.75) and the Hungarian Tea Cake ($4.00)


I wish that they had made the order prettier. Some higher-end cafes would maybe dust their desserts in some powdered sugar with a stencil, presenting the food in a fashionable manner. Anyway, I took the food upstairs...


And there was a cozy corner that is right by a window! I was happy that the setting is serene. However, the noise level wasn't the best for working - it seemed more of a social tea parlor than a "alone time" one.

Rating:
Price range: $

It's a good place for lunch, because the prices are pretty reasonable. I don't know about the taste of the food, though. Yelp says their food is good; I can only try it myself next time I come here. The teas weren't cheap, though - some of them were as much as $12 per 2 ounce bag!

Environment: 4/5 - good

Cozy, close to Dupont Circle, and relatively peaceful. I have to check it out during lunchtime rush hour to see how the traffic goes. Cashiers weren't the most welcoming, but whatever. They can fix up the cushions a bit, though - they are pretty worn. 2nd floor is very cozy; 1st floor seemed more of a cafe setup. Be warned, though: they don't have many seats!

Food: 3.5/5 - above average

I only ordered tea and dessert here,so I wouldn't know how good the rest of their stuff is. The tea was okay - no "wow" factor for me. Tea cake was good, but nothing spetacular. I would like to try their entrees sometime.

Overall: 4/5 - good

I wouldn't come specifically for the food, but I would for some me-time and for some sit-down relaxation. The atmosphere is good, and I would come again.