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manolands

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  1. manolands
    Soooooo yesterday I tried this very new, as I understand it, West African resto. The Bronx yet again proves it's a mecca of West African cuisine. I was thinking about where to go yesterday, unlike DC I find myself OVERWHELMED IN NYC. SOOOOO many great places I almost could full time food grind and still not touch all the beauty. Anyway I digress. This restaurant was on my list as one of my sources had been there then I had read in the Times about it so I was sold that I needed to go try it. Usually when two or three good sources say go I make it happen. I would describe this as pan West African food particularly francophone West African. They sorta have a menu but these are more ideas then what they have. Go in and just say "what do you have today" was the sense my sources seemed to push and the sense I got as well. I got the dibi (roasted meat) and the attieke (Ivoire cassava thing sorta of the couscous variety). The dibi was quite nice but made no exceptions for the non West African palate. It was bony and you really had to get in there with your hands to make the magic happen. Even more of an ode to authenticity was the Maggi powder for the attieke. Maggi is an Indian brand that makes the famous Maggi noodles which are a big deal in India and elsewhere (well maybe less so then they were since the lead scandal which you can look up on zee googsss). The Dibi had a nice flavor and really tasted how I imagine it tastes at one of the countless dibieries (def butchered that spelling) in Dakar. Food overall was quite nice but this is not the place you bring a first timer in my opinion. Bring only seasoned eaters of West African cuisine. I do feel the stew looked even better then the Dibi actually so next time I have to get that and also the fish looked quite nice as well. OHHHHH BUT LETS NOT FORGET THE THIAKRY. This thiakry was really good. If you haven't had thiakry it is a sweet yogurt from the region made with couscous. It had the perfect hint of sweetness and an almost flowery accompanying taste. DO NOT GO AND NOT GET THE THIAKRY.
  2. manolands
    Soooooo I finally made it out to Ganesh Temple's Cafeteria after wanting to go sometime. I was repurposing after finding Gui Lin Mi Fen to be under renovation or closed (the guy couldn't really explain what was going on). It was for the best though as this place was truly one of the most memorable adventures I've had in a long timmeeee. It's this nice canteen serving nice Dosas and other Indian veggie dishes out of it's cavernous complex. The place is pretty big especially compared to the slumped wooden houses that surround it. They have it all inside: the wedding hall, prayer space, the canteen and MORE!! It was almost otherworldly seeing this massive Hindu temple in the middle of a random part of Flushing. Any who the food is quite nice and while I am a bit weaker in my Indian palate (didn't grow up eating it in the way I did other cuisines like Chinese) I would rate this place very high. Not only do they have a wide variety of dishes, particularly in dosas, that often one doesn't see BUT they have a whole slew of other dishes as well to quench your indian veggie appetite. I went with the Mysore Masala Dosa which was quite delectable and had the perfect amount of spice (I do love spice and could've handled more but this spice complemented the flavors well rather then overpowering them). I also should laud the price to quality ratio. I don't think a single item (admittedly I forget some of the spelling/names so forgive me dear rockers!!) was over 7 buckaroonies which in my book is a steal for the quality of these dosas. Sooooo between the very cool visiting the temple experience and the food I would say make the trek out here!!
  3. manolands
    I still think there a few worthy ones. Spicy Village is quite nice for instances. Lam Zhou noodles is another good one. Have to think more about others as I just moved back here!!!! Generally Chinatown is going downhill ESPECIALLY THE DIM SUM. Oh my god what a steep decline in that category. NYC was never quite as good as the West Coast (including Vancouver!!) in this regard but Chinatown in Manhattan has really fallen by the wayside in this area. Maybe you guys disagree but recently my dim sum meals in Chinatown have been blah generally. I also haven't had Dim Sum further afield as much but those adventures where I do have it in the other areas of NYC also haven't been outstanding.
  4. manolands
    Agreed one hundred percent. You have touched on all the neighborhoods where you can find very good Chinese food. I am consistently amazed by the quality of the food in those areas. It seems Chinatown is becoming little italy'ified slowly but surely and in order to find the good spots that still exist takes some detective work. I haven't had as much luck in Sunset Park by the way…any places I should look into?? I always wanted to go to that Yunnan Noodle Resto but it closed sadly!!!
  5. manolands
    Went to this nice place after reading about it in the times. A very welcome addition to the Chinatown landscape that increasingly fails in my book. It is very small but sort of sleek especially considering a lot of the restos down there. They specialize in the night market/ snack foods of Taiwan as well as the food served in trains as I recall (train food is a much bigger deal in parts of Asia as I understand it particularly in Japan). I had the night market crunchy chicken which I found to be delectable. It didn't taste disgustingly over breaded and it had a nice savoriness to it. The chicken itself was nice soft and meaty rather then bony and chewy which added to the general deliciousness of the product. The sausages were a special of the day and had that instinctive savory sweetness that characterizes a lot of taiwanese food. I also had a nice bubble tea there with the jasmine tea as I think it is sacrilege to not get bubble tea with Taiwanese food (bubble tea started in Taiwan as did other innovations of Chinese cooking such as Mongolian Hot Pot). I didn't get the bento box which is their bread and butter as I was eating dinner later (at the ever reliable en brasserie) and didn't want to get stuffed up. Nevertheless, this a nice place to come and eat something quickly that is also quite delish as well.
  6. manolands
    Hmmmmmm maybe I'll revaluate...... I tried to get through in my writing I thought it was decent just not excellent. Agree on Thai Ghang Waan by the way I didn't mean to downplay how it was still a heavy hitter!!
  7. manolands
    Tried Dera Restaurant today after a previous visit earlier in the week to Thai Ghang Waan which I liked albiet I don't know if it was a clear first in the DMV. Nevertheless, I digress, the mall Thai is in is mostly South Asian and boy is it huge. Out of all the strip malls I've visited this is one of the biggest conflagrations. I knew I had to come back and do more work on some of these restos which I finally got to tonight! I went to Dera Restaurant as I had previously read about it and it seems to be the most "renowned" of the Pakistani fare at this mall. It's a funny place as the dining room is cavernous but doesn't have quite enough tables. Next door they have a wedding hall party place kinda thing. Anyway, I had a nice meal here, not quite as good as Khan Kabob but still worth a visit as I expand my restaurant holdings (I'm at 120 as of now). I got the Chicken Karahi and the Beef Boti Kabob. Both were respectable indeed the kabobs were better then I thought they would be being nicely spiced with a good flavor. Usually I find ordering kabobs at a non dedicated kabob Pakistani restaurant isn't the best move as an aside. The Karahi was not the absolute best I've had but also a respectable attempt. I would recommend coming here especially if your in the area but if your not I would trek to Khan Kabob over Dera.
  8. manolands
    Thanks for this!! I'll have to go when I'm back in DC and it opens.
  9. manolands
    this resto is closed after trying to go today but a brand new, only two day old, Mongolian restaurant has opened down the street. I will post tomorrow about it.
  10. manolands
    Thats the one!!!
  11. manolands
    *Really excited to share this!* According to the internet we have a new Mongolian restaurant!!!! Not Mongolian BBQ (Which was invented by a Taiwanese business person) but the real deal. In my talking with members of the Mongolian community I was told they had tried their hand at the restaurant game before but no one went soooooo lets make sure that doesn't happen again!!! I have yet to go but will do so today or tomorrow and really curious to hear what people think. Just as a warning Mongolian food is very very tough for Americans to take back in my experience. The tastes and flavors are incredibly unusual often soooo just be warned.
  12. manolands
    I don't mean to post so much but as I've said in previous posts WE GOTZZZZ A BACKLOG to clear. This is a very very unknown store and one of the only Mongolian stores in the United States. Yes Northern Virginia is home to one of the largest Mongolian communities in the United States and actually many of them work on M street in Georgetown. That Ms. Saigon place on m has a bunch of Mongolian people working there for example. Anywhoooo this community has a few legit well hidden outposts. When I say well hidden I mean you won't see them on the street nor are they on google for the most part. SOOOOO Amex.... AMEx or American Mongolian Express doubles as a grocery store and a shipping center. Both of the Mongolian outposts I know of are shipping centers/something else so THIS IS A TREND YO!!!! Anyway AMEX is an extremely small store that is underneath a computer store (the basement practically) that happens to be facing out to the parking lot of this store. It is hidden so you can't see it but at the end of this I'll give the directions. They have Mongolian products one literally can't find elsewhere. In fact I was told that this is the ONLY Mongolian store in America sooooo I literally mean this lol. They have the Mongolian tea and they also have some other goods and knick knacks from Mongolia/also Russia cuz of the historical ties of the two from the communist era and the fact they are neighbors (I've been to Mongolia as well so I've first hand felt the Eastern Europeaness of Mongolia). Here is the REALLY SPECIAL PART THOUGH: Sometimes they have ultra hard to find Mongolian food such as horse milk or aarul which is dried cheese curds. This stuff is very potent and most Americans have a really hard time trying it. Sour and Milky are two words to describe this stuff. My friends did not believe I enjoyed the horse milk or the aarul etc BUT I DO!!!! They only have this sometimes as they get it from the Mongolian "network." Essentially someone in the community decides to make it and give it to them through a process I don't know BUT this only happens sometimes. The shortage can last MONTHS!!! FUCKING MONTHS!!! What I have also been told is that there is like a Mongolian community website (name I have lost BUT will ask around again) where they exchange food amongst each other which also contributes to why they don't necessarily go to the store to get it me thinks. Anyway go to this place if your craving something different to try and something most Americans can't find!!! DIRECTIONS: So here is the hard part.....finding this place This is what you do Type in Bob and Ediths Diner in Arlington on Columbia Pike Park your car as close to that as you can Walk down the street past the CITGO station and keep walking till you see an inclined down sloped street towards a parking lot. There should be a place called like LA NAILS there but there is also a laptop repair type of place THOSE ARE YOUR MARKERS. You should go down the parking lot and turn right stop and look for a sign that says AMEX in blue and red colors go inside and EUREKA YOU'VE FOUND IT The above is a google map view that should show what I am talking about Here is an article about the Mongolian community in Arlington by the way May 1, 2012 - "Mongolian Students Thrive in Arlington Ex-Pat Community" by Rachael Marcus on washingtonpost.com and actually just looking after writing this there seems to be a new MONGOLIAN RESTAURANT!!!! Which I'll post separately!!!
  13. manolands
    Heyyyyyy my peeps!!! Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that the Eritrean Cultural and Community Center has now closed in it's old location BUT when I went last a few months ago they said they were moving more to the U street area. I have to look up where exactly my waitress said and start conducting some recon among the Eritrean contacts I have in case I can't find it. Just as a note they do some of the best Eritrean food (yes it is ever so slightly different the Ethiopian food!!) in the city so once we pinpoint the location def worth a visit. They are keeping the chef they've told me which was my first question as WE CAN"T LOSE THIS GEM PEOPLE!!! If anyone knows the new location already pweasssseeee let me and da Rock(ers/willians/dunno) know where day @!!!
  14. manolands
    Sooooooo I travel a lot as an extension of my interests in food, art, and politics. I had wanted to go to Belarus for a long long time and made the jump finally last year. First off go!!! It's a very special place that doesn't get enough attention especially from nature lovers. Not that I am a nature lover BUT it is a very beautiful country that is sorta covered by some of the last forests of its type in Europe. They even have a national park (has a very long hard to write name) that have buffalo that are among the last buffalo in Europe!! So anyway GREAT for nature and even history etc but also interesting for food...... Forget the restaurants YOU NEED TO EAT AT THE MARKETS. The cold cuts and dairy as well as some of the candies are really really good. CANNOT EMPHASIZE THE DAIRY ENOUGH. The dairy products, in my opinion, were among the best I have ever had. The yogurt, sirok candies (hard to describe but online they call it a cheese cake thing which sorta describes it), all really top notch. Also very nice cold cuts particularly the salo!!! NOW I don't usually eat lard on the reg BUT they really know what there doing with it here and its a must try. Also the bread, CANNOT FORGET THE BREAD!!! The dark (rye?) bread with the salo is a winning combo!!! Restaurants were kinda forgettable BUT that dairy I won't ever forget.... Also if you can do a home-stay, at least at my one, they had amazing food. Really top notch meal particularly the stuffed cabbage. I wished I could've eaten more but that meal still remains among my best in the former soviet union and among the most memorable of my travels! If I had been a poster on this website then I would've kept more info on specifics so sorry about that BUT AGAIN GO TO THE MARKETS!!!
  15. manolands
    I haven't even been to Dubai and feel like I can chime in here. You need to read a blog called "I live in a Frying Pan." She helped me discover that Dubai isn't just hotel restaurants but has an incredible on the low food scene.
  16. manolands
    Kashkar is also very good as well!! They actually have horse or at least claim it is horse (I believe them cuz I give restos benefit of the doubt). i love horse meat so for me this is an automatic win. I have yet to go to Glechik but have certainly heard of it and need to add it in my repertoire. My friend who reccomended Nargis also gets food from Glechik frequently as I recall. If your interested in some of the other cuisines in the area I can show you some articles. Georgian, Koryo-Saram (Koreans from Russia and Central Asia), even Moldovan food (which is actually better then the food in Moldova having been there in my opinion) just lemme know!!! Really also wanna recommend just going there. It's one of NYC"s best "little's" and truly a revelatory and fascinating experience. I try to go once a week when I'm in NYC. My only caveat with Nargis is its a bit further away from the boardwalk then the others so it's not as centrally located if distance is a concern.
  17. manolands
    I went a few days ago to Tail Up. I wanted to give it another whirl cuz but I wasn't like blownnnn away. I felt it was good with some courses being better then others. The Lasangna was the best thing to me but I think in general I was off in my ordering. I saw someone get that ravioli above and wished I had tried that as well as the potato salad with trout roe. My main course was not my fave. I got the pork but the spicy "jam" was not a great addition and I just wasn't like "OMG BEST PORK QUALITY EVAAA." Neverdaless, I would go back again and I urge ya'll peeps to go as well it certainly is one of the better places in the city and better then like Mintwood and Cashions and other admo places in my opinion.
  18. manolands
    Marty. Def remember the lamb brain karahi being there first among equals. I may have gotten that as well actually and forgotten...... Simul. Thankz for da love my man will keep postin when I can!!
  19. manolands
    HeyyyYYYYyyyy peeps, SOOOOOO I don't live in NYC on the reg BUT soon to be doing so again!! TO start the summer off right I wanna rep one of my fave Uzbek spots that gets not nearly enough love Nargis Cafe. It's a bit outside the bend from the boardwalk and the subway so it doesn't get the traffic of like Cafe Kashkar and unlike those restos hasn't been written about so I consider this my secret lil gem. My Belarusian friend told me about this place and I went one summer a bit ago now. Full Disclosure this was like a year ago so it may have changed but at least when I went the Plov was really really good. In a sea of plov that is NYC this one ranks high. Dunno if you guys agree. Wanted to get the Manti as well but getting like 7 dumps for ones lone self always seems excessive. They even give you sour cream!! The small things count lemme tell ya!!!
  20. manolands
    I just feel I should chime in..... Sushi Seki is quite good, at least from when I have gone, but it is definitely not the best sushi in New York. Sushi Yasuda and Sushi Nakazawa probably deserve that title. Others as well may I add. 15 East also would be higher then Sushi Seki as well. Though I must say I do quite like Sushi Seki and Sushi of Gari which in my opinion are similarish yet def not da bestttttt. I mebbe missing others as I haven't lived fully in NYC for a few years nowwwww....
  21. manolands
    HEYYYYY EVERYBODY!!! Dunno if Khan Kabob has been posted about but seeing as I am new to this website, even though I was there a bit ago, I still wanna let zee community know about this gem. Taking a rec from yee ole Tyler Cowen I trudged out from my perch to almost past Dulles. I had felt that my kabob grind had weaknened and needed some spicing up welllll lemme tell ya this was the ticket. These kabobs are really really good but you know what the best thing was....the NAAANNNN. Get yourself some naan and pray to the food gods that they bless you again. It is miles ahead of ravi, kabob palace, etc etc. It is fluffy with some seasame on the top and a dab of oil as I recall. Absolutely gloorius. Also the kabobs and the other things I got (I recall Chicken Karahi) were very very good. Bursting with flavor. I was like "but dat flavor doe." So go^1000. I promise in future posts I'll do ones I have had recently or day of BUT I GOTS A BACKLOG I wanna work through!!!! PEACE Manolandzzzz
  22. manolands
    Heyyyyy Weezy and Don So Thiebou is a really awesome mix of a Senegalese coucous with vegetables like cabbage, yam as I recall, and a few other things. It is topped with Fish and it is cooked in a tomatoey sauce the flavor of which the vegetables really soak up!! Ndolé is spicy spinach that comes mixed with meat or fish and Yassa Chicken I don't totally remember the specifics of soooo sorry about that. It isn't very complex being mostly just chicken and a rice as I recall but I don't remember the sauce!!! To Don's question: most of the restos I've noticed in Hyattsville or near it are Latin American, particularly Mexican, so this good Senegalese restaurant is all the more unique especially considering the strong Anglophone West African element in the restaurants in the DMV. There maybe other cuisines in Hyattsville I have not yet seen or experienced so I wouldn't be surprised if there is more like Caribbean for example, which is strong in Maryland at large. In terms of quality as a comparison, something I forgot to write earlier, it is stands very strongly if not ahead of many restos in the area. You may disagree though I'll be curious to hear what you think. I eat a lot (117 restaurants in the area and counting) and am continually learning to refine my tastezzzzz. The Francophone Africans have their own "restaurants" which I will post about later and also give indication to why I put in quotes..... Also excuse my writing I usually write very very colloquially on the internet and on text!!
  23. manolands
    Hey guys, This is my first post and indeed my first food writing ever so hopefully I am doing this right! If you haven't been to Chez Dior yet it's quite good especially in this area where Ethiopian restaurants outnumber West African restaurants by a wide margin and finding good west african restaurants can be difficult. I've been a few times and can't recommend it enough if your in the area. They also have a few extended West Africa dishes in case your needing to get your Cameroonian fix or something. My fave dishes in the past have been the Ndolé, which is Cameroonian but still a popular dish in the region and put on many West African menus so don't be skeptical, also the Thieboudienne which could be called Senegal's national dish. A must have, especially for those who haven't had the cuisine before or are unfamiliar with West African food. Finally, the Yassa Chicken is a nice dish on the meat end. WHile I am not a Vegetarian I thought I would note note for Vegetarians: they do not have a Vegetarians menu yet but the owner tells me they are working on it.
  24. manolands
    Sadly there really isn't much Eastern European/Former Soviet food in the DMV. If this was in NY I could recommend dozens and show you a bunch of articles just about Khachapuri. As of now, however, there are no Georgian restaurants in the area that I know of but would love to know if there is one that somehow has escaped the internet. Also the Compass Rose one really doesn't look great from the photos. I personally have not tried it but just looking at it you can see the dough is way way to thin for Adjaruli Khachapuri (Khachapuri differs in every region of Georgia by the way which is great because then you get different varieties of the amazigness that is Khachapuri). I hope we can get a Georgian Restaurant in this area as good as the ones in Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay in NY. One day perhaps....
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