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Showing results for tags 'Pan-Asian'.
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Lady KN and I were attending the Virginia State High School Rugby Championship game in Nokesville (in which KN junior was on the winning team), after which hunger overcame us and we we found Asian Garden in a little strip mall in nearby Bristow. It apparently has a sister restaurant in Haymarket, so consigning it to the Multiple Locations category will cause no grief, because it is not really noteworthy. Pan-Asian concepts frighten me from the outset, because no one cuisine on the menu will be nailed to perfection. Such is the case here, where highly Americanized Chinese menu items like Egg Foo Young clash with pick-your-protein Thai dishes that run up against a reasonably extensive Japanese menu. Lady KN and I went mostly Japanese this evening....she had a salad and I had miso soup, both accompanied by a bowl of Edamame for nibbles, and then followed by Sashimi Deluxe. My miso soup was warm, not hot, and the miso-based glop on her salad was unappealing, but we both enjoyed the freshness and ample quantity of the Sashimi Deluxe. I counted about 16 pieces of tuna, salmon, yellowtail -- mostly choice fish, without tossing in any "filler" like octopus or mackerel. About a third full on a Saturday with a brisk carry-out business going on in the front lobby, this place may be the only option for Asian food in the general Nokesville-Bristow area. Not worth a detour by any means, but if you're in the area and you have a hankering for Chow Mein, this is your place. -
Sticky Rice will be the 2nd new sit down place on H St., after Granville Moore's, and tonight there's a free sushi tasting at Rock & Roll Hotel. -
Rice Pot Asian Cuisine is now open just below Little River Turnpike on Backlick Road: Website We were once having a discussion about Hong Anh vs. Pho Hong Anh and Springfield vs. Annandale I haven't yet visited Rice Pot but I am hearing positive things from friends and colleagues who are self-proclaimed foodies, FWIW.
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Has anyone ever been to this place? I've seen their ad in the metro at Bethesda - it says opening Fall 06, but I'm not sure if it has opened yet. Here is their website: http://www.dysfunctionalcuisine.com/ [No longer works] Apparently there is already one in Annapolis: http://www.yinyankee.com/ [No longer works] What's the word? -
Don, We'd love to know more. Chow did a lot of work and applied for their liquor license a year or two ago - and then nothing. Paper on the windows. No signs of life. Lots of questions. No answers. This is a very handsome space and H Street would be delighted to welcome a new dumpling place. We really like Karaoke on H Street. The more the merrier. I hope this is "coming soon" to a neighborhood near me. Thanks for the tip. Margaret @HStreetDC -
How many people in the US work in restaurants? Millions maybe? More than 5 but less than 10? No idea. How many restaurants, in total, are in DC (including the suburbs or whatever)? A thousand? No idea. Of whatever number is right for the DC restaurant question, how many of those have no presence on this, gold-standard, DC food (and more) website? Here, I am sure I have the answer! A lot! This topic probably won't stay near the top of the DC restaurant forum for very long. But, in a small way, maybe it honors all those places where people toil and are largely ignored. This is about One Fish, Two Fish. What? You don't know the place? Precisely my point. First, I did check to see if it was here on dr.com. Found this from 2008: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Bluefish ...but that has nothing to do with the restaurant now highlighted with this topic. So what? Why should anyone care about one of the kazillion Chinese American corn starch, MSG temples that crowd cities and small towns across the land? Here's why. 1. The longevity. It's been operating in the same Foggy Bottom location, with the same name, for about 18 years! 2. The Name. It has been sold a few times with the current owners only in place about four years. But never have any overseers messed with the name. And who doesn't love Theodor Geisel?! 3. The location. Right next door to Marcel's, one of our most revered, loved and refined restaurants. One that gets a ton of (deserved) love from Rockwellians. I bet 95% of Marcel's regulars have never stepped into this place, where a big bowl of soup can be had for just a couple bucks. 4. They actually say they don't use MSG so that's something. There are even vegetarian items on the busy menu which suspiciously merges Japanese and Chinese food (usually a bad sign imho). 5. The people are nice though some don't speak English. Lots of smiles. 6. They made an odd* childhood favorite for me without blinking. * As a child, long before I'd even heard of XLB, shumai, manti, pierogi, Kartoffelknoedel, dim sum, Banh bot lol, mandu, momo, gnocchi, samosa, gyoza, and even ravioli, I learned about magical dumplings. I learned to love them and went on to love that there are so many variations from all the continents. When dumplings started merging with newly discovered world history, culture and language, I was permanently hooked. Along this line, as a child, one of my first dumpling loves was the humble wonton. But I also loved egg drop soup. And, for awhile, I had trouble deciding between them during my later, single-digit years. Through childhood, college and well beyond, I've clung to my odd solution to childhood indecision: egg drop soup with wontons! Nothing refined or even healthy about that and not difficult for any Chinese American joint to do. Still, in my experience, most refuse when I ask. Not One Fish, Two Fish! :-) Great or even pretty good food? Not really. But cheap and I'm glad they're there. You should be too. In a world of high-falutin, farm-to-table and $30 entrees, places like this keep people employed, the rest of us grounded, and college students sustained. One Fish, Two Fish even has a website. What's not to like?- 11 replies
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Can't find a topic for Great Wall in Merrifield, VA so starting one now, please merge if there is already one. I have long been a fan of their steam table food. I am a big fan of steam table food, in general, working class food at working class prices. The Chinese steam table is at the furthest corner from the entry to the grocery store. There you will find some of the finest authentic Chinese food in the area at an unbelievably low price, $5.99 for rice, three generous toppings, and soup. One of the best bargains for food in this area. On the weekends the selection is even better than during the week. I would estimate more than 20 kinds of toppings for the rice. As I understand it, in China, according to author Fuschia Dunlop, food is "fan" which is rice, and toppings, and meat = pork. When you eat at Great Wall, this appears to be right on the money. I am a big fan of the vegetables, e.g., bok choy, gai lan, Shanghai cabbage, spicy eggplant, Buddha delight. They are also generous with servings of ma po tofu, lion head meatballs, and many other things I cannot identify by sight, many containing combinations of chicken, black beans, and pork belly. My current favorite is tofu skins with pork belly. Savory and satisfying. The steam table food is served by lovely Chinese maidens who understand finger-pointing quite well, and appreciate and remember a generous (a dollar or two) tip sufficiently to be more generous the next go round. I am usually the only gwailo ordering when I do, and they do seem to remember me. Whether or not they do remember me, they are very nice Chinese maidens, and deserve to be treated well. They work hard. They also have in that corner various barbecued meats, including whole duck, chicken with head on, and whole pig, all chopped to order. The duck comes with the real duck sauce, with is a broth redolent with spices and heavy on the five spice seasoning. The men who cut up the meat are all Hispanic gentlemen, who also understand finger-pointing quite well. Very interesting to watch the interactions between the different nationalities seeking meat and the Hispanic men chopping it on the humongous chopping boards. This is separate from the steam table food, but the payments are at the same cash register. Also many kinds of dim sum, although I am not a fan of dim sum, personally, and thus, never order it. Also separate from the steam table food, not sure whether you pay at the same cash register or not. If you go for lunch during the week, it appears that many of the customers are local Hispanics who appear to be laborers. On the weekend mostly Asians. Point, receive, pay, and eat. Such is life in the great Melting Pot. Except, of course, that we don't melt. -
While I am unsure about the Herndon location of Matsutake, I have noticed the Wilson Blvd location going by a new name: Boru Fusion. I am unsure what stayed the same as I have not been there before, but bewarned that the website has music--it confirms that it owns the Crystal City location too. Please update! :-) -
Who doesn't want to eat at a restaurant where "food is sacred" (the chef's words, not mine)? Y'all are gonna LOVE the web site. Its music doesn't appear to have an off switch. -
East Street Cafe, my go-to spot at Union Station, serves up a smattering of Filipino dishes. The pan-Asian restaurant is Filipino owned and operated. While I have had only the adobo from among their Filipino offerings, I will say that several other dishes--most notably the house spicy ginger beef--are consistently good. Some of their Filipino dishes: Lumpia Summer Rolls Fried Tofu Chicken Mami Pork Adobo Manila Pork Barbeque Pancit Bihon -
We tried MoCA this past weekend. Overall, a good addition to the neighborhood. The restaurant is small and not nearly as ornate as the other locations (as depicted on the MoCA website). The smallness is a good thing. The place filled up with families and there was a good vibe. If I had to encapsulate this place in a few words, it would be "family-friendly suburban sushi." It's family-friendly in that the menu is full of stuff kids should like. Ours loved the shu mai, and liked the tempura. The tempura is in a panko breading instead of the usual tempura batter. That stuff was pretty bland, which some kids will be quite pleased with. Others (and most adults) will want to try the dipping sauce, which was pretty good. The tempura appetizers ($6) are a good size to serve as kids' meals. As for the sushi, I was pleasantly surprised. The menu has a long list of "special rolls," some pretty complex. Twinsmommy tried the "spider roll," which features fried softshell crab, and the "Queen Roll," which has avocado and a lot of other stuff. The Queen roll, which was huge, was her favorite. I got a spicy scallop roll, a salmon skin roll, and several pieces of nigiri sushi. One nice thing about MoCA is that the nigiri sushi and sashimi is priced per one piece, not two. As my ability to devour huge amounts of sushi has declined over the years, this is a nice feature since I like to try several different kinds of fish whenever I eat sushi. The salmon skin roll was meh, the spicy scallop roll was really good (with a great kick), and the nigiri were very good. The tobiko was a particular highlight -- three different colors of eggs on one piece. It looked a flag. That is a very nice touch. My plate was very attractive in general. In short, I can't see how this place can fail. I encourage sushi lovers in Western Fairfax and Southern Loudoun to check it out. PS: The service is still a work in progress -- my plate of sushi came out well after the rest of our food, and our miso soup didn't come until we asked about it when Twinsmommy's sushi rolls were delivered. But I will cut them some slack for a while on service. There were two guys working behind the sushi bar and they were working hard. -
Hot Spot 3232 Old Pickett Rd Fairfax, VA22030 saw it on yelp. Looks like hot pot place. has anyone been? Soup -
Kapao is located off Waxpool Road, in the same complex as Five Guys, V Restaurant & Bar, and a few other places. I've been meaning to write about them for a while, and I'm kind of glad I waited, as they just changed their menu. They do both take-out and sit-down and it's kind of set up like many take-out joints - you order right at the front, and then there's an aisle to walk down by the side of the open kitchen, and you pick up your own silverware and fill your own drink if you eat in. I tend to go in a bit late, so there's never really been a line. They're very big on being "fresh" and "natural". Whatever their marketing pitch is, I've become a huge fan of their food. It tastes much lighter than almost any other Asian food I've had in the area, even when it's something like their version of General Tso's chicken (General Kapao). You can pick a 1-5 rating of spiciness when you order. The last time I picked 3 it about killed me, but I think I'm ready to try it again. It's a bit pricier than my other usual Asian sit-down place (I average under $10 before tip at Chin Chin Cafe down the street, and here it's usually just under $14) but to be honest, I feel better after eating here. It's good stuff. -
I would like to be able to say that I ate at Talde this trip. It is just blocks from where I was staying. But they don't take reservations for parties of 2. On Friday night at 8:15 there was a 90 minute wait. On Saturday at 8:30 there was a 90 minute wait. Perhaps we needed to hire someone to go put our names on the waiting list an hour before we would have arrived. It was empty when we walked past at brunch on Saturday but we were heading to Princeton to see John Guare's new play. (Which was wonderful and thought provoking and totally worth the trek on NJ Transit to Princeton...) I can't believe that after six months of being open that this is all about seeing the Top Chef contestant. It has a solid rep amongst people who can actually get in. Perhaps if I go back to New York next year, I'll try again. Sigh... -
A great deal of buzz on our neighborhood listserv led us to check this new place out last Friday night. We got there early, as we like to do since we're dining with a toddler. The restaurant is in the Bailey's Crossroads shopping center on the side of Jefferson with Edy's (near CVS and Verizon Wireless). The décor really took me by surprise. They must have sunk a whole lot of cash into making this place shine. This is the kind of interior you'd expect to see in downtown DC. Very modern, clean, and sparkling. I really like the contemporary style and it was still comfortable and not too stark. The long menu offers a wide-variety of dishes, as you might expect from an Asian fusion concept. I was actually overwhelmed by the many choices, which never happens to me. (It might have been because I was trying to entertain the wee one, though.) We started with the Avocado Salad. It was unremarkable. We ordered a Stacy roll, spicy tuna topped with avocado. This was a huge hit with all three of us (the servers couldn't believe that our 14 month old loved spicy tuna), but was pretty pricey at $13. I am definitely interested in trying more of their sushi but the prices are pretty high for the neighborhood. We shared the Seafood Stir Fry and the Szechuan Chicken. Both were surprisingly mild (they never asked for our spice preferences). Not fabulous, but not bad. Everything was very fresh and the portions were good. They gave us free dessert (fried ice cream) which I found pretty poor but my husband liked). The service was average to above average. The waitresses were very accommodating to our son and didn't seem bothered by his presence. I want to love this place but I was underwhelmed. Still, I am tempted to try it again. However with Yamazoto equidistant from home I am indifferent. I think it would be great for a group or a night out with friends. They have a nice bar area. Website- 4 replies
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Anyone been yet? It looks fast-foody, but if it's quality sushi, I'll look beyond the decor and signage! -
I just noticed yesterday that Best Hunan, on Florida Ave. just east of Connecticut (near the Royal Palace) is gone. In spite of its name, it specialized in Hong Kong cuisine, and was pretty good back in its early days. I used to get delivery from them every month or two back in the 90s. I particularly liked their Salt Chicken Cantonese Style. There's now a "pan-Asian" place called Banana Leaves in the space, which I see has its own WEBSITE. You can even order delivery or pickup online. Their website makes the claim that they are "rated among the best restaurant in Metro Washington DC", although they don't say by whom. One item on their menu: "Miracle Shrimp", described as "jumbo shrimp with spicy miracle sauce"....wow! Has anyone been? -
This opened as the Buddha Bar. -
We went to Duk Wo which is on Burke Lake Rd. in Burke, VA. This restaurant has recently reinvented itself, and to make sure everyone knows about it, they sent out a Groupon that gave you 20 dollars off for 10 dollars. I guess the idea was to get people to come back to see how the old Duk Wo has changed. The old Duk Wo was one of those neighborhood Chinese restaurants that was kind of down at the heels, but reliably OK. It would never win any awards, but the place was good for a quick Chinese dinner and didn't feel like driving too far. But the place was getting run down, the food was losing what quality it had, and many people, including me, stopped going. Now Duk Wo has been redone. It's bright and renovated inside. The booths are comfortable, the lighting is good, and there are Asian art-like things on the walls. There's even a sushi bar. The food, however, is nothing like the old Duk Wo. The menu is short, the selection somewhat confused with a Thai thing here and a Chinese thing there. You can get a design-it-yourself generic stir-fry in which you pick one of each thing to go into it. There are three soups, one of which is a hot and sour soup that's actually not bad. The won-ton soup is generic. The spring roll is generic and without flavor. My wife had the lo-mein, which she said was also without flavor. I had the crispy beef, which had a pepper on the menu promising heat that it failed to deliver. In fact the only flavor note on the beef was near cloying sweetness. It was, in other words, an Asian restaurant nearly totally devoid of Asian flavors. Sadly the service matched the inept nature of the cooking. Our spring rolls appeared, at room temperature, after our main courses. They forgot napkins. We had to request chopsticks more than once. At least they were friendly. Basically Duk Wo has become an Asian-like place without Asian flavor. I'm glad that I got ten bucks off through Groupon so I wouldn't feel as ripped off. But it wasn't really worth what I paid for the dinner even at the reduced price. My one piece of advice: Don't go there. It's just not worth the time and effort. There are other Chinese places in and around Burke, and even the mediocre ones are better than this. Wayne Rash -
My wife had planned to go have dinner at East Moon Asian Bistro in Kingstowne with her friends, and suggested that I take my brother here for sushi while he's in town. A friend had recommended it to her. It wasn't bad, but I won't be in a hurry to return. As soon as we sat down, the servers were upon us asking if we were ready to order. I assume that's because they're right next to the theater, and have people coming in before movies. We had an assortment of sushi, and my brother also had the drunken noodles. The sushi was cut in large pieces, larger than I prefer, but fresh. Tuna, yellowtail, and scallops were slabs of tasty meat, but were two or three-bite pieces. The rolls were more normal sized. The sweet shrimp were served with their heads tempura fried, crunchy and fresh-shrimp-tasting. Spicy tuna roll was OK, but could have been spicier. The eel in the eel roll tasted a bit old. My brother said the drunken noodles were good, but very oily. Overall, it was all acceptable. I just can't think of a reason to fight the crowds near the movie theater there. If you're already there, you could do worse. -
After lingering over "One Noodle at a Time" in the NY Times, which is focussed on Tokyo restaurants, I had a hankering for ramen, and stopped off yesterday with a companion at Simply Ayzen (a name heartbreakingly reminiscent of TemptAsian) in Chevy Chase. The Miso Ramen japanese egg noodle with roasted pork in soy bean flavor ($10) filled the bill. You could hear me slurp across the room. It was tasty and satisfying but perhaps not as sharp as I would have liked. And here's a gimmick: When I called to make a reservation and asked about parking, the woman on the phone said, "We will give you change for the meter." That turned out not to be necessary. There is also a sushi bar and a $10 lunch special, neither of which we tried. -
It is supposed to be later this year in the huge new addition where JC Penney used to be at Tyson's Corner Center (because I guess Tyson's I isn't big enough already). It isn't going to be a Morimoto like in Philadelphia - in fact this article makes it sound like he won't be too involved and might be a bit of a mess.
