Monsoon Brunch & Blank Ideas

Brunch is always a good time. There's no better way to start your day than a good meal that you didn't have to slave over; and to top it off, no dishes to do after!

Yesterday morning, Michael and I slept in pretty late. When it's just so dark outside, who wants to get up, right? But alas, we did wake up--but to a very empty fridge. So we decided to go out for brunch. Instead of the traditional American fare, I had a craving for an asian savory breakfast so we decided to go to Monsoon, a modern Vietnamese restuarant that combines Pacific Northwest innovation. If you can believe it, we've lived across from the restaurant for about a year now, and not once had we ever tried it! Til now, that is.

And let me tell ya, it was good. Very good, that I am quite ashamed it took us so long to go in! I am Vietnamese, after all.

We ended up sharing an entree and some small plates. All of which, were amazing.


shrimp steamed dumplings


nem nướng - housemade pork shrimp patty sausage


bánh bao thịt - steamed barbecue pork buns
 I should mention, that I absolutely love steamed bbq pork buns? These were made oh so perfectly!


frittata with prawns, bacon, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, side green salad
 The fritatta was a hit with Michael! It definitely beats the standard fried or scrambled egg.

 
The other thing I enjoy about brunch is that it allows plenty of time to talk over the meal and even after as you sip on your coffee and tea. This past month, Michael's been up to some pretty cool things with his job. Though that means longer work hours, it allows us to be more present with one another during our scheduled time together.
 
Michael's really good about encouraging me with my writing, even though I've felt far from confident in it. It's strange, but I have a fear of completing my 6th revision of M2, because once I'm done with it, I have no idea what to write about next. I have a few incomplete manuscripts, but because I've lost interest in them, it makes it difficult to dedicate myself to those stories. I've thought about writing something deeply personal, but after typing up a page and rereading it, all I could do was cringe. I'm not a fan of talking about myself.
 
I know an idea will come eventually, but I'm just very impatient about it. For now, I'm just a canvas of blank ideas.