MichelleMunches

2021 was a year of healing and 2022 was a year of growing. I tried my best to start living again, to find the things that made me happy, and find passion again. I had really lost myself for a while and in that, I really lost my passion for blogging and sharing content. I really took time to think about what kind of content I wanted to put out, where I wanted michellemunches to go, and honestly, why I was even doing it. As many of you know, I started this as a hobby 4 years ago as way to cope with papa munches cancer diagnosis. It started with sharing my favorite eats around my college town, then my favorite home cooked meals during the pandemic, and then back to local small businesses. In 2023, I hope to continue highlighting my fave local small businesses and do more cooking/baking!

Until then, enjoy reading about my top 12 fave eats and home cooked meals in 2022.

January

Mezeh Mediterranean Grill 

Check out my Instagram post here!

2022 really cultivated my love for mediterranean food. It started with Mezeh’s grand opening in Severna Park, MD and grew from there! I feel like the world is continuously shifting to faster, quicker, and customizable. There’s Chipotle, Cafe Rio, Pokebowls, Cava, and now Mezeh’s! The options are really endless. I definitely love a quick bowl during the weeknight and I love being able to choose my own toppings.

My go to bowl: 1/2 arugula, white basmati rice, chicken shawarma, roasted corn, Greek beet dip, Turkish salad, pickled onions, pita chip croutons, & tzatziki

Ayesha Curry’s lemony garlic shrimp from her cookbook ”The Full Plate”

Check out my reel here!

Oof, y’all this recipe really hit the spot. It was so garlicky, lemony, and fresh! It was incredible simple and quick. I cooked it up in just a few minutes! I think this would be a really delicious side or even paired with some pasta. Would make a great weeknight meal and would especially be perfect in the summer with all it’s fresh flavor!

February

Cajou – A Plant-Based Creamery & Cafe

Check out my Instagram post here!

I visited Cajou courtesy of Yelp Baltimore and wow! Cajou is like heaven on earth. As someone who is extremely lactose intolerant, I’m so grateful anytime I find dairy free ice cream. Not only is it vegan and dairy-free, it’s truly delicious! I am talking the best dairy free ice cream I’ve ever had. It’s creamy just like real dairy ice cream and they have some of the coolest flavors like this horchata flavored ice cream.

@simplesweetvegan ube pandesal 

Check out my reel here!

You would never believe these pandesal’s were vegan! They’re the fluffiest buns I’ve ever had with the tastiest tube flavor. I literally could eat a whole tray of these! They don’t take too long to make either and after the first time, you become a whizz at them. SimpleSweetVegan makes some of the best vegan recipes and Filipino recipes as well! I definitely hope to try more of her recipes in 2023.

March 

China Garden Han Gong

Check out my reel here!

China Garden Han Gong had been on my to check out list for so long and I finally had the chance to go with my girlies! Y’all, this might be my fave dim sum spot in the DMV. Everything we had was so tasty and did not disappoint. I also loved the vibes inside, it definitely reminded me of Oriental East which my family grew up going to until they closed a few years ago. They also served my favorite dim sum item here: taro fritters – highly recommend y’all get these.

Ixtapalapa Taqueria

Check out my reel here!

One of my good friends just moved to the Rockville area and took me to Ixtapalapa because it’s one of her favorite spots and y’all. You HAVE to go. It’s definitely a smaller spot with limited parking, but it’s always bustling whenever I go and that’s how you know it’s good. I tried the carne asada, tripa, Al pastor, chorizo, mole, and pescado tacos; chips and guac, & esquites. My favorites are definitely the carne asada, al pastor, and pescado. The pescado though? Truly the best fish taco I’ve had in my entire life. I could eat an entire platter of just those!

April

Thai Restaurant Week

Check out my M Thai Restaurant reel here!
Check out my Mali Thai post here!
Check out my Bangkok Garden post here!

Kicked off April with Thai restaurant week! Admittedly, I’m a bad Thai person because I wasn’t hip to this prior to this year. But I definitely will be making a conscious effort to celebrate from now on. I couldn’t decide which one to highlight, so I decided to share all three of the restaurants I checked out this week.
​
My fave eats from each were the drunken noodles at M Thai, kuay tiew rua (boat noodles) at Mali Thai, and the khao mun gai (chicken and rice). Surprisingly, I sobbed during my meal at Mali Thai because the boat noodles reminded me so much of my dad’s home cooking and the meals we shared together. It also brought me a lot of comfort though that I was searching for at that time. I highly recommend y’all try boat noodles because they’re so comforting, warm, and have a great spice anise flavor. The Khao mun Gai is also a huge childhood favorite of mine that isn’t served at many Thai spots, so definitely get it if you can!

Taqueria Los Perez

Check out my reel here!

I am still dreaming about these birria tacos from Taqueria Los Perez. They had the best cheese pull of the year and were so flavorful. Birria tacos in my opinion are something I will *probably* never make at home because they seem very time-consuming and difficult. Which is why I will always get it if I see it on the menu. These are phenomenal here and I heard they even have a birria pizza (will def be back for that someday).

May

L’ardente

Check out my reel here!

On Friday’s we drink pink drinks 😉
This is singlehandedly the best meal I’ve had all year. L’ardente is truly such an experience. I mean the Obama’s eat here! I still dream about the linguine alle vongole to this day (it’s December as I write this), so I’ve literally dreamt about it for 7 months. I’ve tried to find this dish at every Italian place I’ve tried this year and nothing compares. Also, they have the prettiest dishes including the soft serve swirl!

Nan Xiang Express

Check out my reel here!

A new dumpling spot has arrived in the DMV and it’s SO good! Nan Xiang has some of the best dumplings in the DMV I’ve had yet. I mean it’s not quite Ding Tai Fung (IYKYK), but it’s pretty dang good. My favorites: pan fried crabmeat + pork buns, shrimp, pork & vegetable wontons in spicy peanuts sauce, pan-fried pork dumplings, NanXiang signature pork soup dumplings. The pan fried pork buns are unmatched. 

June

Yelp’s 410 Deal

Check out my reel here!

I became a tourist for the day and enjoyed some local goods! Did you know Baltimore Water Taxi does themed rides and you can also build your own cruise? So fun! Take a ride to Sagamore Spirits for even more fun! 
Some other spots that took part of the 410 deal that I love: Ruben’s (get the cali burrito), charcuterie boxes by @boardsinabox, plants from @bwillowbmo, and soaps from @mtroyalsoaps.

Semicolon Cafe

Check out my reel here!

This right here is another item I’ve dreamed of for months. If every morning could start with a sandwich from Semicolon? It would make the rest of the day a lot better. 

I had the BELT which consists of lettuce, tomato, bacon, scrambled eggs with grilled corn, and the mustard mayo – ooof that mustard mayo slaps. Trust me on it.

July

Egg in a hole toast

Check out my reel here!

I became very into egg is a hole toasts last year, but I’ve really perfected the recipe and I can’t seem to get enough. Crazy enough? Many people asked me for the recipe, so I filmed out! Check it out and if you try it, make sure to snap a pic and tag me!

August

Han Palace (Woodley Park)

Check out my reel here!

Shockingly, I’ve actually never had peking duck where you wrap it in the wrapper and put hoisin. Uhm, not sure where I’ve been, but I’ve been missing out. Han Palace in Woodley Park serving up all the good eats and beautiful interior as well (I mean there’s a literal tree inside the restaurant). Highly recommend the salt and pepper shrimp as well! Really tasty and perfectly crisp.

For Five Coffee Roasters

Check out my reel here!

Continuing in 2022 is my love for For Five. Each season they change up their menu and sheesh. I feel like similar to fine wine, it gets better each time! The creme brûlée French toast? You’re not gonna find that anywhere else. With the frozen blueberries, it’s a great touch with the warm creme. Also, it’s never too early for vodka pasta. Definitely get it!

September

Cafe June

Check out my reel here!

Another spot continuing to hold a special place in my heart in 2022 is Cafe June! I
 absolutely love this small family owned business. It’s not only comfy, cozy, but it has some of the tastiest and prettiest eats around. I mean look at that soft cheese cake and croffle!

Kura Revolving Sushi

Check out my reel here! 

I am a huge fan of Kura. Not only do you get fun prizes after eating a certain number of plates, but they have various flavors each month that rotate! This time around was my fave was the king salmon! Definitely need to get there early because the waitlist gets lengthy even at 11:30AM!

October

Din Tai Fung (San Diego, CA)

Check out my post here!

I haven’t had DTF since my last trip to Taiwan and ugh, I had been missing it so much. I’ve never had more meals than I have this year where nothing disappointed. This 10000% did not disappoint and I’m still dreaming of it. Highly recommend the shrimp fried rice with chili oil from the chili wontons and the potstickers. Make sure to make a reservation because they get busy!

The Friendly Toast (Boston, MA)

Check out my reel here!

Super funky and groovy spot in Boston that serves up brunch, lunch, and all the drinks. I had a fun mimosa and coffee flight during this meal (definitely get the Irish coffee). Food though? Oh my gosh, out of this world. The hash quiche is literally the best brunch/breakfast food I’ve ever had. The crispy hash brown cups topped with eggs and bacon. Ugh. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s amazing.

On top of that – don’t skimp on the buff Mac – that ish slaps.

November

E Mei Restaurant (Philadelphia, PA)

Check out my reel here! 

Came to Philly for a work trip, stayed for the food. E Mei serves up authentic Sichuan food. I mean literally look at those Sichuan peppers. If you’re adventurous, you definitely need to check out the pork intestine with peppercorn. It’s one of my favorite dishes and pretty rare to find. They definitely do it right here!

The Asiantique Night Market

Check out my post here!

I checked out the Asiantique Thai night market this month and it was a load of fun. I got to eat so many of my favorite foods like pork skewers with sticky rice, pad Thai, chicken satay, and more! I even got to try something new to me: ​kanom krok which is a coconut dessert filled with corn or scallions. They were so good!

December

Po Boy Jim 

Check out my reel here!

I always thought I didn’t like shrimp and grits, but apparently I just didn’t have good shrimp and grits. Po Boy Jims has completely changed my mind. I literally could drown in that plate because it’s so dang good. Also, don’t sleep on their po boys because they’re STACKED. Can’t make it to NOLA? Don’t worry, you don’t even need to leave the DMV to get some good Louisiana food and definitely stay for a hurricane while you’re at it.

North Italia

Check out my reel here!

Ending 2022 with a new fave spot and some dang good Italian food. The calamari isn’t like what you get at other spots, the batter is smooth which I was hesitant about, but gosh it worked. So good. The pasta? Perfectly cooked and they were both so freaking tasty. Everything was amazing and I can’t wait to be back because I plan to eat my way through this menu in 2023.

Here’s to 2023!

Thank you so much for reading to the end! I hope you enjoyed reading about my 2022 year in review. I had so many amazing meals that I can’t even believe it. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many amazing businesses, to eat such delicious food, and to do it with great company. I can’t wait to see what’s to come in 2023! See you then!