Food Truck Friday - Papa Bois

This week, I had hoped to put together a post after visiting a new truck twice, but it just didn't happen, so I opted to post about one I visited once, but had two menu items, and am not in a big hurry to return to: Papa Bois Carribean Food Truck.



I tend to order specials, and today the Jerk Chicken Tacos ($8) were hand-written on the menu, so I gave it a go. I got two tacos with a cabbage slaw, mild jerk chicken, a creamy sauce and something crunchy that looked a little like pulverized pistachios or corn nuts. Each taco was on a single corn tortilla, which were soaked through by the time I got back to my desk to eat them, so they fell apart immediately. There was a little heat to the jerk seasoning, but certainly not the type of spice I suspect you get in Jamaica.

When I ordered the tacos, I got up-sold on the Black Bean Corn Salsa ($4), which reportedly went really well with the tacos. I can be a little overly susceptible to up-selling, and am also very put off by it. I don't like to haggle or argue, and after a lifetime of struggling with over-eating, I don't like someone pressuring me into eating more than I planned. But alas, I did.

The Salsa was just that - a simple mix of black beans, corn kernels, onion and a little bit of green pepper (not clear if it was bell pepper or something else). It had more flavor than I anticipated, but seemed superfluous. And pricey. $4 for a small tub of beans and corn.



Given the tacos fell apart, I was pressured during my customer experience, the prices were higher than comparable products elsewhere, and the food wasn't very memorable... and the fact that I have dozens more food trucks to try out... I likely won't be back to Papa Bois soon. If you had a different experience, or have a menu item you absolutely recommend, let me know!

Bahama Breeze Now Has a Happy Hour!

My 5 day migraine finally broke today, so we headed out for lunch to celebrate. I'm still working on meeting my 25 lb weight loss goal, so a place with light options was necessary. Bahama Breeze fit the bill.



We started with a couple cocktails (what better way to celebrate not being in pain for the first day in almost a week?). Dan got the Passionfruitini, and I tried their Passionfruit White Sangria - which had chunks of mango in it and was very refreshing.



As always, there were some tempting new menu items (like Chorizo sliders), but I took a peek at the nutritional info at the back of the drink menu, and Dan reminded me of how good the Chicken Tortilla Soup was. At around 350 calories, it was perfect, and still surprisingly filling. Dan got soup and a lobster quesadilla, and I snuck a couple bites.



Our waitress was really friendly, and let us know that they've added a happy hour on weekdays from 4-6pm, so we'll have to figure out how to leave work early enough to make it down sometime.

Lighter Options at Bahama Breeze

After a great weigh in this morning, Dan & I treated ourselves to lunch out at Bahama Breeze down in Tukwila. Although there are plenty of decadent cocktails and dishes on the menu (many of which we've indulged in before), Dan reminded me that they also have lighter portion options on many menu items, as well as soup and salads.



I ended up going for the 2 fish tacos lunch (vs. the 3 taco option), and got the fruit salad as my side (which turned out to be pineapple chunks, grapes, and a papaya sorbet, of which I swear I only took one little taste). The tacos featured tilapia and avocado on a bed of shredded lettuce, and had a spicy sour cream on the side. It was the perfect amount of food, and I washed it down with a Lemon-Ginger Mojito.



Dan also tried something new - the Bahamanian Grilled Chicken Kababs, which were served on the skewer at the table, then the server carefully removed the meat and veggies for him. He said it was cooked great, and the peppers in particular had really wonderful flavor.

Island Soul - In a Bowl!

We headed into Columbia City today for an early dinner, and landed on Island Soul. I'm glad we did, because we were about the only folks there, and the staff and owner were really fun to chat with - and they even took our picture!



I went for the 'Island Soul In a Bowl' entree - which includes samplings of 4 of their favorite dishes: Oxtail Stew,



Curry Goat,



Jerk Chicken,



And Red Beans & Rice.



The Oxtail was my favorite, though the goat and chicken were close runners-up. I was happy that the Jerk Chicken lived up to it's name, offering lots of spice & heat - unlike "jerk" chicken at many other Seattle places, which are bland, bland, bland.



Dan went for the Street-Side Prawns.



And I couldn't resist trying the coconut corn muffins, which were as heavenly as Calvin (Seattle's top Foodspotter) has said they were.



They also convinced us to get some collard greens, which were good - but lacked the ham hock/bacon type flavor I've come to expect.

Island Soul

Tonight's date night took us to Island Soul in Columbia City - a spot that's been at the top of our list to try for some time.

As we walked by with our grocery bags loaded up from the market, we ran into my old friend and housemate, Julie, who was sitting outside Island Soul waiting for a group of Yelpers who were having a meet up.



We stashed our groceries in the cooler in the trunk and returned to the restaurant. By then, Julie and her fellow Yelpers were gathering at a big table. So while I snapped photos of our meal, there was a huge table of food reviews in the making, and at least one huge professional camera capturing photos.



We arrived during happy hour, so I opted to try three of their $5 small plates as my meal. I started with a great plate of crispy, sweet potato fries, that came with a subtley spicy aioli.



Next up I enjoyed my favorite item - the Seafood Fritters.



Somehow, Island Soul has created a delicious little fritter that tastes like a hybrid of a crab cake and beer-battered fish - and is better than both. Green onions and chunks of fish encased in a light corn batter, with both a sweet/sour sauce and more of the tangy aioli, and a little slaw on the side.



My last dish were the Sweet Plantains.



These were bias sliced soft plantains, cooked with a sugary, caramelized sauce - much more dessert than an appetizer, and very sweet.



While I was gorging on three small plates of fried goodness, Dan was gobbling up the best chicken curry either of us have ever tasted.



We were curious what the difference between other curries and Island Soul's 'West Indian Chicken Curry' might be. The answer appears to be perfection. This was hands down the best curry either of us have tasted. They aren't shy about using spice - giving the tender pieces of chicken plenty of flavor and a little kick. I'm sorry we hadn't stopped into Island Soul before now, but am eager to try more of the menu.

It's also worth noting that despite the huge group of foodies being catered to by the owner and staff, we never felt neglected by our friendly waiter, and the owner even took the time to check in with us.

Kallaloo

After shopping at the farmers market tonight, Dan & I decided to try Kallaloo - a place we've been meaning to go for some time, and were reminded of thanks to some photos posted on Foodspotting by Calvin.



With the weather in the mid-80's, Kallaloo's open front and streetside seating were very welcome, and the Caribbean food and decor, and friendly staff made it feel like a mini-vacation.



We started with the fried plantains, which were simultaneously sweet and savory, and not that heavy.



Dan ordered the Oven Fried Chicken (just like his Mom makes) which came with both macaroni pie and callaloo.



Callaloo is a dish of cooked leafy green vegetables. It's traditionally made with either Amaranth or Taro leaves, and can include coconut milk, meats or seafood, spices, garlic and onion. It's surprisingly similar to the Hawaiian dish known as lu'au - which is Taro leaves simmered in coconut milk.



I decided to try the Curried Goat, which was a green curry featuring slow cooked goat meat that was so incredibly tender and flavorful.

Jerk Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

After a week of indulgences while in Hawaii, Dan planned a great week of healthy, well-balanced meals for us to make.

Tonight I pounded out a couple chicken breasts, mixed up a version of the jerk seasoning mix we've made before, cooked them up and paired them with some steamed broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes.

Jerk Chicken w/ Roasted Plantains & Sweet Potatoes

Since we didn't make use of the plantains we bought for Tostones on New Year's Eve, tonight we roasted them (along with some leftover sweet potatoes) in the oven at 425 degrees F for about 20 minutes, tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, and allspice beforehand.



We had them with chicken breast paillards (chicken breast pounded out so they have an even thickness), which I dry rubbed with a spicy jerk seasoning we found online and made once before, though this time we had to improvise on a few ingredients (like omitting thyme and using fresh garlic). I pan seared the chicken at medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, just until cooked through. The chicken ended up moist and spicy, and the plantains and sweet potatoes offered a good counterpoint to the heat... though we relied on a home-brewed beer given to us by our old neighbor, Jonathan, to cool our mouths.

Bahama Breeze