i love eating

Cafe Kopi
109 N. Walnut
Champaign, IL 61820 

I’ve passed this place frequently on my adventures through downtown Champaign, and finally made time to actually check it out.  No doubt it’s very popular and well-liked in the area, seeing as almost every single table was occupied by students and locals.  On the day I went, there just happened to be a special chai deal going on—just my luck!  I heard Cafe Kopi is supposed to have the best chai in town, and I LOVE a good chai.

Iced Chai
90+ degree temperature outside and only outdoor seating available definitely call for an iced drink!  I must say I wasn’t disappointed at all by this delicious chai.  It looked like the worker only filled my glass about a third of the way with chai tea, but it must have been highly concentrated in order to be balanced out with the perfect amount of creamy milk and still have its full sweet, spicy flavor.  I like my chai fairly creamy, not thin like how it’s prepared at Espresso Royale, so this hit the spot.

Turkey and Gruyere Sandwich
Pretty simple sounding sandwich described to have smoked turkey breast, gruyere cheese, cucumber, sprouts, and Kopi’s special sauce on toasted sour dough bread. I’m all about finding tasty sandwiches; there’s something incredibly satisfying about a well-rounded meal in one nice and neat handheld package.  Unfortunately, I’m not completely convinced that my sandwich had everything the menu said it would—I swear my cheese was nowhere to be found, and I’m almost positive that they gave me arugula instead of sprouts.  Highly suspect.

But don’t get me wrong.  It was a delicious sandwich!  A hefty amount of turkey is always welcome when the meal is pricey.  Thinly sliced cucumbers also made a surprisingly big difference, “softer” and more flexible to mold nicely with the rest of the sandwich layers (instead of sliding all over the place) while still delivering it’s cool crunch.  The Kopi sauce was nice and tangy, and there was just enough of it to moisten the bread.  I’m pretty sure there was some dijon mustard in there, and I have come to like dijon very much over the past few years so another plus there.  I would have enjoyed this sandwich a lot more if the price were more reasonable, but my tummy was still satisfied by the end.

Spoon House Korean Kitchen
616 E. Green St.
Champaign, IL 61820

I’m sure I’ll get a lot of mixed feelings from the peanut gallery about this place.  I was pretty skeptical about going to eat here, too, but I was also a bit curious about Spoon House since it opened.  So when my friend Vivian offered to bring me here I decided to just try it.

When I go out for Korean food, I tend to order the same dishes: tonkatsu, kun mandu, dolsot bibimbap, or jjajangmyun.  Not this time!  I remember listening to my Korean teachers talk about neng myun being a good dish for when it’s hot outside, and I remember watching people cut the noodles before eating.  Now I understand why the noodles need to be cut…

Bibim Neng Myun
Thecool temperature of the noodles was definitely a good idea to run with because of the summer-like weather.  Refreshingly cool, but out of habit I still tried to cool the noodles down by blowing on them…  The noodles were hot in a different way though, of course.  There was an UNBELIEVABLE amount of gochujang that I’m not really used to eating (as Vivian witnessed, watching me down what I’m sure had to be close to 20 cups of water).  I do enjoy spicy food, but only spicy enough so that I can still taste the flavors of everything else on my plate.

Getting back to the “cutting of the noodles.”  I’ve never eaten neng myun before, and anyone who has can probably remember their first encounter with these noodles very clearly.  They’re much tougher and chewier than any noodle or pasta I’ve ever tried—trying to take small bites (like I did) of neng myun that hasn’t been cut yet only results in a very embarrassing chipmunk expression of a face.  And gochujang all over my chin—some splatters on my shirt.  Well, I’m lady-like.  Real talk though, I was about to choke!

Lesson for the day, kids: Cut your neng myun before you eat it.
I definitely want to try regular neng myun in soup!

Caffe Paradiso
801 S. Lincoln Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801 

On a rainy day like this, going to a coffee house is pretty satisfying.  A warm drink and a snack in a welcoming atmosphere—what more can you ask for on a cold wet day?  I particularly like Caffe Paradiso in comparison to other campus coffee houses because it reminds me of my favorite coffee house back home, Outdoor Cafe!  It’s got different kinds of tables and chairs, so you can pick and choose where you think you would be most comfortable.  More importantly, their drinks are better.

I usually get steamed milk or a chai from Caffe Paradiso, but my friend Nong suggested that I try their French Almond Soda since she and her boyfriend really like it (and I’m a sucker for anything almond flavored).  Why not?  This roll cake also caught my eye, and even though the price wasn’t as appetizing I gave in anyway.  It’s so colorful!  I couldn’t resist…

Almond French Soda
It’s basically an almond flavored milk, but mixed with something like sparkling water or club soda.  Slightly fizzy, but still smooth on my taste buds.  I think it must have been whole milk or maybe half-and-half in the drink because of its creaminess even after being watered down (literally).  Unfortunately, I can’t say I was feelin’ the fizzy, bitter, salty after taste… I’m going to stick to just almond flavored milk.

Fruit Cake
$4…are you kidding me?! = My initial thought.  I think the cake was worth trying this one time, though.  I definitely enjoyed it, and was pleasantly surprised by its unexpected crisp sugar crust/surface.  The strawberries, mandarin oranges, and kiwis were both fresh and sweet—always a plus, and the whipped cream was light without being overly sweet.  The sponge cake was tender and buttery, almost like the flavor of a shortbread cookie.

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Ooooh I’m so excited to talk to you about food :)

Coming soon!