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CSRoute1

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  1. CSRoute1
    We were just at BG last night. We ordered 6 dishes for 3 people and our bill came to $66 before tip and drinks. I know both restaurants are doing extremely well. It was full by 7:30PM on a Monday night at BG. I wouldn't say they are competitors as competitors suggest they are competing for the same customers. All of my Thai and Lao friends love BG and go there quite frequently. Most have been to LS once. It's not that the food is not authentic. It's everything else. The 6-7 course fixed menu, price tag, long line, and parking in DC. I love BG because it's a restaurant that I can eat more frequently. The food is excellent. Opinions will differ, but I do like the food at BG a little more than LS. The price is great, and they are taking reservations again. With LS, I feel a little more stressed with the long lines and the price tag. I know $45 for food before tax and tip and drinks is a bargain for a night out in DC, but it's not something I can do casually and frequently. Last I was at LS, my part came to about $75 with two drinks and tax before tip with a 90 minute wait for a table. Last night, I spent $35 for six courses to share and two beers with a reservation at 7PM. We even had food to take home.
  2. CSRoute1
    This place is really good. Unfortunately, with the place being in an industrial park just outside the beltway and closing early my only opportunity of getting lunch from here is whenever I have a business meeting down that way. I had the Thai Red Curry Jerk Chicken a couple of weeks back and I thought it was amazing! It's jerk spice breaded chicken breast on a bed of rice with Thai red curry poured over the chicken and rice. The hot crispy breading on the chicken absorbed the curry really well. The creaminess of the Thai Red curry really does go well with the jerk seasoning on the chicken. It's a really spicy dish. I was sweating and loving it. I can't wait for a reason to be out there for lunch during the week.
  3. CSRoute1
    I lived in Nepal for a couple of years. As much as I loved Nepali food, the flattened rice is not a favorite of mine. Out in the villages, there is very little or no electricity so reheating food is a big pain. You pretty much have to start a fire all over again. So, when I went to a tea shop outside of the peak meal times, instead of getting regular hot rice with my meal, I would get the flattened rice. I think the purpose of it is that it keeps and travels well. Over time, some people just developed a taste for it.
  4. CSRoute1
    I'm looking forward to trying out Deth's cooking. Deth is Lao. He is off on Wednesday nights.
  5. CSRoute1
    I stopped in at Eden Kitchen (from the owners of Pho Factory) in Eden Center for lunch on a Saturday. The place was fairly busy with large families. I had pho with beef, and asked them to serve the beef on the side. I then dumped the beef into the pho at the table. The beef is so thin that it cooks in the broth making it more tender than when it's cooked in the kitchen. I thought the broth was flavorful without an overpowering dose of anise. In looking at what other tables were ordering, I'm more incline to come back and try the other soups like Bun Bo Hue (spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup with pork knuckle and pig's blood cubes), the fermented fish broth noodle soup, and bun cha (Hanoi style grilled pork with vermicelli noodles which I am still searching for to remind me of how good it can be).
  6. CSRoute1
    I love 1789 and 2941. Glad to see this thread. I'm going to have to put Montmarte, Ripple, and La Chaumiere on my radar.
  7. CSRoute1
    I think there is something about this place. I should have really stopped going after the first time, but I do find myself there on a late Friday night about once every other month. The food is ok if you pick the safe stuff like the iceburg wedge, the burger, or the fried chicken. I tend to stick to a dry vodka martini. I think what draws me back is the friendly staff and the extremely casual atmostphere. It's definitely not a place I would ever plan on going to well in advance. It's just a place I somehow end up at.
  8. CSRoute1
    Has anyone seen the article on Washington Post? I'm definitely in the camp of some reservations. I may be missing out on some great food, but at the end of day I am really looking forward to good food and great company. The sooner I can sit down with my date, friends, or family the better. I don't want to wait 60+ minutes or cut out of work early to avoid the wait. I am just glad there are still restaurants out there taking reservations. I don't really see them failing because of no shows like the super tiny Makoto or Kaz. I don't doubt these new restaurants will succeed without my support. It's just not for me.
  9. CSRoute1
    I can't believe Hot Doug's is closing! I used to make a stop there whenever I was in Chicago. Loved their creative sausages. I will have to check out Bold Bites next time I'm in Union Station.
  10. CSRoute1
    Definitely go back! I had no idea about it going down hill. The new chef is definitely good. I was there about a month ago with some foodie friends from out of town. It was our first time. We ordered about 6 appetizers, a dozen oysters, and a market fish prepared chef's choice for the three of us. Our preference for the chef's choice was that he not use a lot of butter. We didn't have a single bad dish! We thought the seafood was just prepared perfectly. We also had their specialty cocktails and thought they were really well made. It wasn't cheap, but it was totally worth it. It will definitely on my list for good seafood.
  11. CSRoute1
    Hi, I'm Charlie. I grew up in this area on Route 1 in Alexandria. I now live in Falls Church. I'm of Lao decent. Growing up here in the 80s was tough in terms of ethnic food. I'm so excited and proud to see so many options in this area in the last 20 years. I've gone in spurts in dining habits. When I was young, I mostly sought out hole in the walls. Most of these places had one or two dishes they were good at, and that would be all I would order at that restaurant. Most of the restaurants I frequent then was SE Asian, Chinese, and Korean. Then, I went into my fine dining phase when my career finally came together. Now, I think I'm kind of in search for both. I go back and forth. I mostly dine in DC and VA. At the end of the day, I'm always looking for a good deal which is so subjective. If I'm on the low end, I will rate the flavor of my food to the price. If I am paying on the high end, I will factor in atmoshpere, quality of ingredients, service, and so forth. I have my go to places just purely from living here for so long. I do feel like I need ideas to step out of my comfort zone. I am really looking forward to the posts on this site for possible new places from dives to fine dining.
  12. CSRoute1
    Oh man, that looks so good. I can't wait for nice weather and head over there.
  13. CSRoute1
    I go to Laos and Thailand often to see my relatives. Every time we dine out at the higher end Thai restaurants, we always order 5-10 dishes of soups, salads, and entrees. We get everything at once. The whole point is to linger and enjoy the meal and company. I typically sample everything and return to the dishes I like most. We do this with our Western guests in Thailand and here in the States. It's the best way to introduce someone to a new cuisine. I was annoyed with the way LS does the courses in succession. I didn't like my second course so I had to wait for my friend to enjoy his. If the dinner had been served the Thai/Lao way, I would just have moved on to a different dish. All in all, I didn't think it was that cheap of a dinner. Everybody is raving about the $45 price tag. Our tab came to $90 per person with two drinks each, tax, and tip. It wasn't worth being split up in two tables as there were 5 of us and waiting for an hour. I'd rather go to a strip mall and get just as good food for less and have my authentic experience.
  14. CSRoute1
    I grew up in Southern Alexandria along Rt 1. I have to agree with the majority of the sentiment. Dining in Old Town is just not that appealing. It's either way too pricy or the food is just very plain. I remember in the 80s and 90s, the entire region was not very adventurous in dining with the exemption of a few bright spots. Our ethnic foods be it from Europe, Middle East, Africa, or Asia was watered down. Then, in the 2000s, things changed. I started seeing unapologetic authentic ethnic food in Falls Church, Annandale, Arlington, Fairfax, DC, and Arlandria (Sorry I'm not familiar with Maryland). Yet, I haven't seen much change in Old Town. It's kind of a shame that there are no great casual dining spots that appeal to me. Majestic, Vermillion, and Restaurant Eve are great, but it's just a place I can't afford to go on a regular basis. I understand rent is higher than Annandale or Fairfax, it can't be that much higher than Arlington or DC. I just hope Old Town will eventually catch up to its neighbors.
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