sunshine

From Wednesdays through Saturdays until May 2, from 6-10, Mike Isabell's G sandwich place is Yona, a Japanese-Korean noodle and small plates pop-up that is the precursor to Yona's brick and mortar opening in Arlington later this year. We recently went and enjoyed it. The menu is comprised of three kinds or ramen, a miso ("Miso Porky") that lives up to its name, a tonkotsu-style heavily shoyu ramen, and a vegetarian ramen, and then a larger selection of 8-10 small plate/appetizers. There is a decent drink menu featuring house-made cocktails, Japanese beers, and whiskey. I had the Hak cocktail to start - a shochu, Asian pear vermouth, lime and shiso leaf concoction that was very refreshing. The herby taste of the shiso actually worked well with the sweet and sour elements of this drink. For apps, we had the Brussels sprouts - deep-fried Brussels sprout flowerettes that were slightly charred and crispy on the outer parts and tender within, dressed with a chili-mayonnaise and these little crunchy pearls of I don't know what, but the overall flavors reminded me of Japanese okonomiyaki. Really delicious. We also had the dry-fried wings (4 per order). They were crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, medium spicy with flecks of chili, and finished with a vinegar sauce. Simple, yet flavorful and finger-licking good. We ordered one of each of the ramens, and the best is the miso. Decent-sized portion served with two giant pieces of chashu pork, bamboo sprouts, a soft-cooked egg (still runny, such that it dissolved into the broth), kimchi and topped with shredded seaweed. Really good, with the strong, earthy flavor of the miso dominating. The noodles were good, cooked just right, and the toppings did not overwhelm the main ingredients. The tonkotsu ramen had a really dark broth that also rendered the noodles darker. The broth was very different from other tonkotsu broths I have tried, less porky and fatty, and predominantly tasting more of soy sauce and some fish. The tonkotsu also comes with chashu and soft egg, but also had red pickled ginger slivers which may be an unwelcome surprise for those who aren't fans of ginger in ramen. The vegetarian was the least interesting, and the broth tasted predominantly of edamame and snow peas, which is great if you like these flavors, but I don't usually associate them with ramen. At least there was a vegetarian version. Overall, an enjoyable experience, and wish we had had the appetites to try more of the small plates, especially the Korean style tartare and some of the fish. The chef, Jonah Kim, could be seen working away in the open kitchen, and he definitely has some skills mixing things up and giving the Korean/Japanese spin to the dishes we tried. Interestingly, two of the featured special sandwiches on G's sandwich menu this month are also Chef Kim creations, the Kim-Fil-A, which sounds like a Korean spin on the breaded chicken sandwich, and the Bangkok, a pork curry sandwich. Kudos to Mike Isabella for sharing the G space for an up and coming new chef. This is what I love about DC and America-- that a Korean American chef can open a Japanese Pan Asian noodle place in a Greek-Italian American sandwich shop serving a multicultural crowd on a previously devastated strip of 14th Street, with a hip hop soundtrack as inspiration.

So glad to have Beau Thai in the neighborhood. I agree it's not a destination place, but if you're nearby, it's a pleasant and reliable standby for good Thai food with a few little twists. The happy hour from 5-7 is worthwhile for the drink prices, and the service is relatively fast and friendly. The menu is distinctive for the number of noodle soups offered - more than I've seen at other Thai places - with offerings like duck, chicken, roast pork, spicy pork, yellow curry and your choice of thin, medium or large noodles. The chicken satay and shrimp cake appetizers are standard but tasty. The appetizer menu also offers non-standard options like pork belly (skip this, as this is nothing exciting, just a few pieces of marinated roast pork belly with a tiny portion of rice noodles and a piquant sauce) and duck rolls (very tasty duck meat and vegetables rolled in a pancake-like wrapper with dipping sauce). The noodle dishes are all good - pad thai, pad see euw and pad kee mao (drunken noodles). Spicing is definitely on the milder side. The papaya salad is very light and less garlicky than other versions I've had, served with just a couple pieces of shrimp. My favorite salad is the eggplant salad - smoky eggplant with fried tofu bits, red onion, lettuce, hard-boiled egg and a lime dressing. The yellow curry noodle soup reminds me of the curry lahksa soups I've had elsewhere, only the portions here are smaller. I still enjoyed Beau Thai's version, especially for the little bits of mustard green pickles in the soup, although be forewarned that the chicken in the dish is not deboned (if you're squeamish about picking meat off of bones). I like the "family" atmosphere evident from the photos of the owners' family on the wall and the presence of many families dining there. It's a welcome addition to the neighborhood dining scene.

We are big fans of Ren's, because it was really the only place to get good ramen for the longest time. We checked out Sakuramen because we were excited about the Korean spin and its location. We really like it. The broth is lighter but also more refreshing. The noodles have good texture and are plentiful. The toppings are generous. I had the Shoki which was loaded with meat (bulgogi and grilled pork belly) and bean sprouts with a piece of nori and shoyu egg. Husband had the ramen with roasted kimchi and bulgogi. We've had the pork buns at Momofuku, and the pork buns at Sakuramen are different - grilled pork belly (instead of roast pork) with a spicy greens/scallion sauce (instead of plum/hoisin sauce). I thought Sakuramen's buns were delicious in their own way. The gyoza/mandoo are porky (actually tasted of bacon) and come with soy/vinegar dipping sauce. The set-up is in a basement with a large communal bar and some 4 and 2-top tables against the wall. Casual, pleasant decor (definitely date-friendly because of the dimmer lighting and basement setting). The waitstaff are welcoming and congenial, and the owners are committed to making the place a neighborhood spot. I am glad they chose a neighborhood near ours. As a bonus, they were very nice to our kid who slurped up his noodles like a champ. Another kid-friendly bonus is that the food comes out fast. I'm glad that we now have some choices for good ramen joints in D.C. The more the merrier.

Being big fans of the original Komi which was more of a homey, casual neighborhood joint with great vision, delicious food and quirky character, and watching its transformation into one of the best fine dining spots in D.C., we are thrilled to see some of that original vision and unique character shining through at Little Serow. Little Serow's Thai dishes knocked our socks off. Perfect family-style portions for 4 hungry adults. Frequently filled water cups, sticky rice served and refilled in cute little woven baskets, and a selection of raw vegetables (cabbage,lettuce, endive, daikon, lime radish, thai eggplant) and herbs (thai basil, purple basil) to both scoop and wrap courses, but also to soothe the taste buds from the at times incendiary heat from the dishes. The meal seemed deliberately designed to take our taste buds on a wild ride of crescendoing spice and flavors, then bringing us down gradually to a rich and mellow finish. Started with pork rinds and plantains with a duck liver dipping sauce, then the Northern style green curry with a strong dill component and shrimp (the curry was so good by itself that we slurped it like soup without rice), two kinds of spicy salads (a green papaya salad with tomatoes, green grapes, baby dried shrimp and the crispy catfish salad-both with several kinds of chiles that set our tongues afire and caused perspiration), followed by a rice noodle dish with ground duck ragu and fried duck egg, and then last but not least, tender, falling-off-the-bones pork ribs with Mekong whiskey, palm sugar and herbs. For dessert, we were served little bites of not too sweet sticky rice with coconut cream and sesame seeds. The waitstaff were very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, giving suggestions for how to eat/enjoy the dishes and even recommending an awesome hard apple and cherry cider to go with the salad course (the spiciest items) to offset the heat and complement the flavors. It was a fun, fantastic meal, and a good deal for the number and variety of dishes served. We enjoyed the overall vibe and experience as well -- the rock-country-folk soundtrack, lime green walls with intimate lighting and seating, and a view of the open kitchen in a simple spartan basement space. There was a line down the block before the restaurant opened at 5:30, but by the time we left between 7-7:30, there was no line and a few open seats.

Perhaps the whole pop-up restaurant thing is precious and trendy, but having read the Mission Street Food Cookbook and story, I see the pop-up restaurant phenomenon as something very cool, opening possibilities for good cooks who live to feed people but don't have the means to open a restaurant. We went to People's Noodle Bar on the recommendation of a friend, and we liked it, although I guess it's been around for a few months with not very good reviews. It's located on the Park Road side of the DCUSA shopping center in Columbia Heights, in the Senor Chicken. Three kinds of broth (tonkotsu (pork), miso chicken and vegetarian mushroom), 7 ramen combinations mostly including pork, one duck and one vegetarian), 8 different levels of spicy, two kinds of noodles (the chewy yellow noodles or buckwheat, advertised as being imported from Japan). You go up to the counter to see a menu (the regular Senor Chicken menu is still up), you order and pay, then sit and wait for your ramen, and you pick up at the counter. I had the duck ramen in tonkotsu broth, advertised as having duck confit, crispy duck skin, egg, sesame and sprouts. The broth was fatty, cloudy and rich. About half the bowl was succulent shredded duck meat, with a soft-cooked egg (the inside was runny which was fine with me but may be off-putting to others), a piece of nori, a few leaves of spinach, shiitake mushroom, bean sprouts and green onion. The crispy duck skin was missing from my bowl, but it wasn't missed. Presentation was nice. It wasn't a huge portion, but I was satisfied. Husband had the pork People's ramen, spicy. The richness of his broth did not compare to my duck ramen broth, but his pork was delicious and the broth was red from the chili oil used to spice it up. Tasty in a different way. We love Ren's in Wheaton, and can't say this ramen is better, but it sure was different and good in its own way and closer to home in DC, although not for long. I think its last day is tomorrow from 5-9:30. It was a little sad and amusing to see people come in expecting a Latin chicken joint and finding out that Senor Chicken was just serving Japanese noodle soup, but perhaps the pop-up can also persuade people to try something different or new for the first time. I dig that something like this could lead to unexpected discovery. Not every experiment will be successful, but I am grateful to those who try.

Ripple is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood, a casual, clean, cheerful spot for snacks and libations, bonus for being kid-friendly. I don't think this is going to be a culinary wine bar destination, but it has a vibe that is appealing and earnestly tries to serve good products. The wines by the glass (6 for $6, a sparkling, some white, some red) are always interesting and great. The charcuterie (a selection of housemade and other sources like Benton's and LaQuercia), cheese and snacks (like bacon peanuts and/or bacon pecans, olives, housemade pickles) are highlights here. One can select any 3 charcuterie for $15 which is a decent value for the portions. I've tried the housemade chicken liver mousse, bresaola and Benton's 17 month-aged prosciutto - salty goodness served on a board with a few housemade pickles, accompanied by a cone of crispy flatbread crackers. I've had the saba glazed pork with tuna and thought it was just ok - the pork was delicious, the tuna bland with very little seasoning or sear. The duck with sunchokes is great, loved the slight crackle of the skin and rich sauce. Current menu has risotto with honeycrisp apples and truffle, a lobster ravioli with bisque, in addition to a brick chicken, steak, a pasta with shrimp. A la carte sides include Anson Mill grits (good), fries, red peas, a broccoli fonduta. Skip the panzanella tomato salad - it was chopped heirloom tomatoes (good) with crunchy croutons (bad) and some basil and parsley thrown on top and basically tasted like its separate parts but lacked any cohesive or distinctive flavor. As for beverages, in addition to several pages of interesting wines, there's a changing page of beer selections (6 taps, the rest bottles). Of the desserts, I've tried the chocolate cremeaux which was yummy and like a richer, darker chocolate pudding. Love the meat carving/cheese station placed near the bar and visible from the entrance. Nice alternative spot for a pre- or post- Uptown Theatre meal/drink. I hope they're doing well.

Woodberry Kitchen and Salt had no availability for a party of 6, so we ended up at Meli Bistro, and we were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it. Everything I had here was perfectly cooked, some things exceeded expectations, and the service was good. Started with the seared scallops with honey powder and pancetta atop green apple polenta. Sounds weird right? It was amazingly yummy - 3 good-sized Diver scallops seared with a sweet/salty powder made from honey/pancetta ground together, resulting in a unique caramel flavor. The green apple polenta was a smooth, not too sweet, puree that complemented the scallops perfectly. The combination of flavors just worked. One of our party had the veal hanger steak (succulent and tender, served with mushroom ragout and a rich oxtail sauce) with mashed potatoes. I tried the pork tenderloin with spinach, apricot and dates (pork cooked just right, nothing special about the spinach, a few dried apricots and dates thrown in, but what a kick-ass sauce!). Sampled some of the lobster mac and cheese with applewood bacon, panko bread crumbs and crispy onions, another winner, so good that you forgive the fact that there's not much lobster actually in there. Since the restaurant is named for Meli, the Greek word for honey, quite of few of the dishes have some honey component. The cuisine is not Greek, more contemporary American with some molecular gastronomy touches here and there. However, being a Greek-owned place (same owners as Kali's Court and Adela), traditional Greek desserts are offered in addition to more American pastries and an excellent chocolate creme brulee. As a popular holdover from Restaurant Week, Meli was offering a $35 three-course dinner for any of their appetizers and entrees with a choice of one of their Greek desserts. For what you get, it's a great deal. Casual, almost lounge-y atmosphere with a patisserie next door. I wouldn't make a trip from D.C. just to eat here, i.e., it's not a destination type place, but if I were in the neighborhood again, I'd go back, especially for those scallops.

Had often passed by this place on Columbia Pike without stopping but dropped in for lunch today and was surprised to find not only a full German deli with all kinds of sausages, hams and coldcuts, but also a store with German wines, beer, coffee, cheese, cookies, candies (Haribo gummis), jams, etc. They serve 8 different kinds of bratwurst sandwiches, including a currywurst and thueringer, several types of hot and cold sandwiches (including liverwurst), and a variety of sides/salads. I had the Deutscher sub - assorted German coldcuts served on a baguette with remoulade (with added onions and lettuce) for $6.25, a beet salad with onion, parsley and whole mustard seeds (as a side for 50 cents), and a pickle spear (included with sandwich). All fresh and delicious. I also tried some of the cucumber salad (sliced cucumbers in a sour cream and dill sauce), sold by the pound. Other salads: potato, red cabbage,spaetzle& cheese, herring, green bean, Tyrolean cabbage. While waiting for my sandwich, I picked up some coffee, cookies and Dutch-made stroopwaffels (caramel syrup filled waffle cookies). I can't wait to go back and stock up on some of the meat, cheese and beer/wine, as well as eat my way through their menu. I've never had currywurst so will try that next time, and there's a pork loin sandwich with 2 kinds of bacon that I'll try after that...The entrance is on the west side of the building, as is the parking lot. Just past the Bailey's Crossroads shopping plaza with the Best Buy, Full Kee, etc., and before the Pollo Campero. This is a gem of a place that has been around for 3 years. Glad I finally checked it out.

Trekked to Falls Church from DC to try Orso and we were not disappointed. We had a great meal although being less than 2 weeks old, Orso was definitely experiencing some issues with their service and consistency. We felt bad because our food came fast and was done right, but tables around us were having meltdowns (sending back burnt pizza, not getting food although they had arrived earlier than other tables, etc.). Of note, the General Manager (who is a familiar face from 2 Amy's) was handling it well and making things right. The pizza is as good as, if not better, than 2 Amy's. We had the Crudo (mozzarella, arugula, proscuitto) and Giamette (salami, pepperoni, some type of ham, another meat), the potato crocce and arancini (both nicely fried, potato crocce better than arancini which was mostly risotto and less mushroom ragu/peas). The crust is a little thicker, breadier, more toothsome and slightly sour in a great way, and the toppings were generous. The pizze looked smaller but were more substantial. Glass of Gragnano was served chilled (much tastier chilled than lukewarm), perfect on a hot day. Good beer/wine selections. The space is expansive and open with booths and tables and a decently large bar area with TV screens. Located on the first floor of an office building across from an auto parts place, down the street from Bowl America. No problems finding parking. I work in Falls Church so look forward to having more meals here.

Some of my best memories of childhood involve the "special" occasions when our family would go out to try different restaurants, and wherever it was, we were expected to be quiet, stay seated and eat all our food (for the sake of starving children in Africa). If we had started screaming, we would have been yanked out of our seats and taken outside or to the bathroom immediately. The same is true for our kid (except for the guilt trip about eating everything on the plate). Because pizza places are usually the most kid-friendly, we have frequented them more than others, and pizza is one of his favorite foods. He knows 2 Amy's, Pete's and Radius by name, and he is well-behaved because we're so paranoid about pissing off other diners. Teaching children to behave in social settings is a duty, as is adults learning to tolerate sharing public space with children. And by the way, on our recent trip to "we're not kid-friendly" Marvin, the noise was from all the adults, not our kid.

The Sofitel is not too far from Hay-Adams. Their bar, Le Bar, is quiet and cozy with lounge-y seating areas that would accomodate 6 people. Drinks aren't cheap but they are large, and the bar menu is quite good.

Had reservations for an early dinner. We get there with 2 yr old in tow, and we're informed that they don't have high chairs and they're not "kid-friendly" (not in a mean way, sort of apologetic). Husband asks, "Do you want us to leave?" Thankfully, we are given a booth where child could be parked between us. Server neglected to tell us about specials and seemed in a hurry to turn our table. Noise level steadily grew as evening progressed. Food was very good. The frisee lardon salad was one of the best I've had - generous portion, just the right amount of dressing, perfectly poached egg, lots of bacon. The Normandy Moules Frites (bleu cheese, bacon, ale, garlic, cream) were plentiful and tasty, a solid rendition with too many frites to be able to finish them all. The frites were served with ketchup, a curried mayo and mild horseradish mayo. (The frites and sauces at Granville Moore's are still my favorite.) Shrimp and grits appetizer was fine and a perfect kid-sized meal. Pea and ricotta ravioli was bland and unexciting. The burger was great, perfectly cooked, huge, also served with frites. The most popular items still appear to be the chicken and waffles and the mussels, as many of the neighboring tables ordered these. Desserts are not that great. Tried a special chocolate caramel tart and strawberry vanilla panna cotta. The tart was basically a tart shell, a layer of hardened caramel and a chocolate layer, very basic. Panna cotta was mostly vanilla panna cotta with a thin layer of gelled strawberry sauce on it with a strawberry on top. Competent but not thrilling. I dig the whole American South/Belgium idea as a tribute to Marvin Gaye, and our kid learned who Marvin Gaye was as a result of this dinner out. I'd love to go back and try some other beers and more of the food. Perhaps they may have a few kids' booster seats or high chairs by then.

Pedro Almodovar movies make me hungry. There's one, I forget the name, where Carmen Maura makes gazpacho and you wish you could be tasting some of it through the screen.

Been there, and it's totally worth finding it in the weirdly empty Block 37 shopping mall, underground in the "Pedway" (pedestrian walkway). Cream puffs 3 ways (plain, chocolate covered, or burnt sugar covered) with your choice of custards: vanilla, strawberry (with fresh strawberries), chocolate (and a special at the time - caramel). My favorite was the burnt sugar with strawberry custard. The puffs can be ordered in sixpacks with a take-home box. The Chicago location also serves illy coffee and Haagen-Dazs frozen coffee drinks to go with the puffs. This location also had a yummy custard filled, sugar donut type thing called a "brest" (French term, I think). If someone were to open a franchise here in D.C., it just may overtake the current cupcake trend.

Have hesitated to be ecstatic about several meals here because they were hit or miss with misses balanced by the hits. Past misses: sometimes pizzas soggy in middle, pasta served lukewarm and turned gummy, slow and less than attentive service. Tonite was definitely a hit overall. The asparagus salad with fingerling potatoes and crispy egg is as good as others have described. Also had the goat cheese bruschetta special - 3 huge pieces of grilled bread with a tangy herb goat cheese spread topped with a lemony arugula salad. Lemon zest slices were a nice touch. The rabbit cavatelli with olives was hearty and rich with generous shreds of meat throughout. Husband thought the pasta was a bit too firm though he scarfed it up. I thought it was cooked perfect al dente. The mussels are a standard item, generous portions in a garlic tomato sauce broth (two sizes $8 or $15). The smoked paprika aioli has some serious garlic and is wonderful slathered on the accompanying grilled bread which is also good for sopping up the sauce. If you like asparagus, the salad is definitely a must-try. One of the specials was a cold asparagus soup with mascarpone. There's also an asparagus pizza. I love how this is a neighborhood pizza/pasta place with a casual vibe but the food strives to be creative, seasonal and affordable.