A Cheesylicious Farewell - The Cheesecake Factory

March 11, 2012
The Cheesecake Factory, Seattle WA
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[Whole Wheat Bread]
Bang - Bang Chicken and Shrimp
Luau Salad
Pineapple Upside-Down Cheesecake
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After a week back home, it was time to leave for college again and again, I flew through Seattle. Mom and I were so excited for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory in downtown Seattle. Last time at Bellevue was a slight disappointment but I managed to convince her the restaurants in bigger cities and downtowns would be better. I was right.

I remembered to ask for only Whole Wheat Bread for their complimentary dinner bread. It is just so soft and chewy on the inside, with a distinctive but not overwhelming sweet aroma. The harder outside was chewy and good. It literally is one of my favourite breads ever. Mom's too, hands down.

Mom did not get enough of the Luau Salad from last time in Vegas. This time, the first plate they brought up had stale won ton wrappers. The oil was definitely bad. Clearly, the ones they gave us were not newly fried. That was annoying. They took it back and gave us another one. The second one had no stale oil taste. We were somewhat annoyed that a big chain like The Cheesecake Factory would serve leftover food to minimize costs. At least they gave us another one though. Mom still thinks they overdress the salad but I think the flavour is good. The mango salsa and the crispy won tons really make the dish brilliant - when made right that is.

I ordered the Fresh Vegetable Salad but did not bother with photos. It is just the same as always. Nothing really changes when it comes to greens and white cheddar. It was refreshing though so I got what I wanted. 

I suggested for Dad to order the Thai-style Bang - Bang Chicken and Shrimp. All of us loved this dish. The curry had a hint of sweetness and spice. It was very flavourful. The (baked?) coconut bits on top were sweet and really good. My favourite coconut yet - and that is saying something because as a general rule, I do not eat shredded coconut. The shrimp was a little over done, I thought. The brown rice was okay but my favourite part is still the sauce mixed with some of the sauteed vegetables. I was surprised to find cucumber in there but it was still good. I like the dish with only a little rice though. The sauce was not salty enough to call for all the rice on that dish. The sauce was just splendid though.

Finally, as decided last time in Vegas, we tried the Pineapple Upside-Down Cheesecake. It was scrumptious. Mom said it was better than the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle one we had in Vegas and I was all "I told you we should have picked the pineapple in Vegas!" It's nice knowing for once, I made a better decision about food than she did. It usually is the other way around but this whole night, I was right about the food. Like dead on. That pleased me a lot.

The cake was so good. The two layers of pineapple upside-down cake was nice and sweet with that hint of brown sugar and lots of pineapple bits which were so refreshing. The pineapple cheesecake in the middle was perfectly creamy and not overly sweet - just about... perfect! Mom ate the cherry on top, even though she did not know why this time they gave us a cherry until I reminded her pineapple upside-down cakes usually had pineapples AND cherries. We devoured the cheesecake like never before. Mostly, I think it was because it was not overwhelmingly cheesy and so lighter than other cheesecakes, allowing us to eat more without getting that 'heavy' feel you sometimes experience with a large slice of chocolate cheesecake.

Overall, the food was great, besides that little mishap. We will definitely be going to Cheesecake Factories every chance we get. There are still so many flavours left to try! Peanut butter next!

A Twilight Classic - Mushroom Ravioli

September 3, 2009

La Bella Italia, Port Angeles WA

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Mushroom Ravioli

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From the date of the post, clearly this was from a LONG time ago. In fact, this trip was still near the beginning of that Twilight craze. Just goes to show you how long Twilight has already been a part of my life. Time really does fly (cliche, I know).

Anyways, going to Port Angeles and being a Twi-hard, I had to get the Mushroom Ravioli at La Bella Italia - the scene of Edward and Bella's first date. They had a corn and cream version that day. It was literally the tastiest mushroom ravioli I had ever tasted, not that I had tried much before then. But still, it remains one of my favourite pasta dishes I have had to date, and that is saying something as I often eat raviolis instead of plain pasta. There is just something that much more special with stuffed pastas. The sweetness of the corn and the cream together was so good! It was a twist away from the regular marinara or alfredo sauces, just perfectly lovely.

Spicy and Skinny - SkinnyLicious Spicy Chicken Salad

July 24, 2011
The Cheesecake Factory, Bellevue WA

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SkinnyLicious Spicy Chicken Salad

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It's great that The Cheesecake Factory is progressing towards healthier options. This one salad was nicely spiced up. The chicken was indeed a bit bland, but again, all chicken breasts usually are. The beans were the best, I found. The corn and the rice were also nice complements. The veggies added a refreshing taste and a light feel to the dish which was good for the late lunch hour we were there.

I regret not taking pictures of the two cheesecakes we ordered 'to go'. One was 30th Anniversary chocolate and the other, I think, was Kahlua Coffee Creme. Both were delicious, and Mom and I enjoyed that back home. I have to say, though, this location was not as good as the one in Vegas. By chance perhaps, or just the fact that Bellevue is not as fancy as Vegas and the restaurants follow suite. Either way, it was at least less expensive to get there.

An Old Southern Favorite - Cajun Jambalaya Pasta

July 24, 2011

The Cheesecake Factory, Bellevue WA

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Cajun Jambalaya Pasta

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We previously tried this in Las Vegas. Mom liked it so much - so did I actually - that we had to order it again. It seemed like the best pasta option available as well. The one in Vegas was surprisingly delicious. The spice level just right, the shrimp extremely tender, and the pasta as well. The vegetables were tasty, and the whole dish had the full, thorough taste.

This same dish but a few states north, however, was not as good. It was a great pasta, true, but the taste was not as full and evenly spread out. There was not enough sauce and seasoning, nor enough vegetables and shrimp to match the amount of pasta. Still visually appealing though, is it not?

Simple Yet Savoury Shrimp and Spaghetti - Shrimp Franchese

July 24, 2011

The Cheesecake Factory, Bellevue WA

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Shrimp Franchese

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Yes, I've got a lot of posts (well, a fair few) to catch up to. But this one was selected by Dad. White wine sauce (I think!) is always a good choice. Creamy, yet not too rich. The shrimp was tender which is what the best shrimp are like. The spaghetti was a little plain for my taste but nonetheless, the sauce made up for it. The parmesan on top helped too.