Soup

2 guys, you cannot go wrong w/ BBQ. American BBQ is very close to Belvoir and is very good BBQ. However, it is not exacty sit down and hang for a long time type of place. However, dixie bones also is good, bit further down the road, maybe 5 miles from the front gate towards lorton. You can sit and have pretty good BBQ. NC style pork is their best. Brisket and ribs are good but not great. Sides are good. If you want to sit and chat, go down towards occocuan. There are couple of places on the river with great views and lots of stuff on tab. Food is mediocre but on a spring afternoon, you can't beat it.

made faccacia. One of my worst efforts. It was flat and very yeasty. Really dense, had no rise in it at all. I think I let the first rise go too long (24hrs on the dining room table. I completely for got about it). When rolled it out on a sheet pan, it would not rise again. Thank goodness, my kids have never met bread they did not like. It was gone within the afternoon. Soup

I believe a japanese verions exists and its pretty close. I don't recall what is called. In korean it is commonly referred to as GaeRanChim (GaeRan being egg and chim being steamed).

So are the prices really good (i.e., worth the drive for me)? HB

I go here a fair amount. I think they have the best korean ribs in annandale (to be fair, not had hang gang ribs yet). The last time I was there we order 8 order of the large ribs for 8 adults but it wasn't nearly enough ribs. They should really give more meat. As far as the banchan, it is sub par to most places around annandale. They really need to a better job here. However, last time I was there (2 weeks ago) they had gaejang (pickled raw crabs) as part of the panchan. Very rarely provided. There are two versions of gae jang, soy based and one covered in spicy red sauce. This was the latter and it was fricken outstanding. The ribs (however smalll in amount) and the gae jang carried the day. Egg custard also deserves a mention. It was very smooth and light (I can never get mine to come out like that). I would recommend this place for the beef but not if you are banchan fan.

Am looking to replace some againing dishes and bowls. Last time we bought dishes and bowls was from a place out in Sterling, VA call Present Tense. Hand plainted bowls with really coloful simple designs. We loved them, althought I wish they didn't chip or crack as much. We are looking for similar type. Any place to get good plates and dishes at reasonable prices? Anyone know if Present Tense is even open (phone number I have went to another business). Soup

Had charrizo sausage with egg over easy, side of beans and toast (kind of spanish british thing). Pretty good and the kids loved it. It is really difficult to eat cold breakfast items on mornings this cold.

Was it litterally at the base of the nam san tower or was it in a part of seoul just below the tower? I was there a month ago and at a a place pretty close and it was hand pulled and the name had the work Wang (king) in it. It is a chain but on the wall it talk about TV shows it had been featured on. It was pretty good. There there are a lot of JJM places in seoul and many of them were pretty good.

Great baked goods. Even the bagels are decent but the standout is clearly the french baguett. D Soup

Have tried a (perhaps not the) chinese version and the korean version. I thought they were someone close but korean version has more stuff and is more gloppy. I am biased toward korean (blame it on heritage) version but to me it is comfort. but I would not pass up on the chinese version either. Both solid. The thing that funny for me is that when ever I take non asians to JJM (ja jang mein), I get a strong reation (hate it or love it). Unfortunately, most people seem to hate it. It could be the gloppy heavy sauce, difference in texture or the taste. I'm alway suprised by the reaction because for it it is really akin to maccaroni and cheese. Just your basica comfort food. My wife especially cannot stand the stuff but then goodness, my kids love the stuff. Soup

Highly recommend the Thai Golden buffet. Next to Hong Kong Palace near 7 corners. Really good thai. the heat is not dummied down. The keep the buffet really fresh. Have been twice. Both time a solid experience. some mediocre to outstanding selections.

Haven't been to the new HE. Do they have carts? How is the variety? HB

As I've gotten older, I gotten more and more away from AYCE and the more I know about a particular style of food, I tend to stay away from AYCE in the style. Because of these two facts, I tend to stay away from most AYCE with a few exceptions. The exceptions are: 1. indian lunch buffets (for what ever reason, the steam tables don't bother me and I enjoy the better buffets around town). 2. hotel breakfast buffets (I'm a sucker for all the choices and fresh made waffles and the egg and omlett station). 3. I like italian and southern family style dining (I believe they fit with in the AYCE genre). No great ones in either category in the DC area but certainly in other parts of the country they are out there and I take advantage when ever I can (especially the southern family style dining). Soup

I've looked into the popeyes thing in the past. Not sure if anyone has bought this but I just didn't have the heart after hearing what it was. They fry the bird at a facility somewhere, then it is vacuum packed, frozen and shipped to the popeyes franchises. You basically get a box with a fried turkey that is frozen. I was hoping for a bird that was fried at the local franchise. Soup

Love fried turkey but don't want to do it at home. The risk and the mess of dealing with the oil after. Any place that will sell you a fried turkey or fry a turkey for you? BTW, any place in NOVA where I can get a freshly turkey? Soup

I've been wanting to try this place for a long time (have had lunch there many times but not the hot pots). The weather is cooler and we are fast approaching hot pot weather. I believe HotPOTS work best with a larger group? Anyone out there wanting to try this place?

My favorite mussel (other than the one I make at home) are actually at Maggianno's. Soup

Got this brand this past week. It was really good. The best version from the frozen isle. The skin was thin and had the right texture and the meat was very flavorful and had the right conistancy (soft but had some bite to it). The best was the soup. it really was good without just completely being salty. I would actually recommend this product highly. Only issue was that many of the one I steamed, the soup ended up leaking out. I must be doing something wrong. Only about 30% of my dumplings didn't break. It was still good though. I think I must be steaming them too long or somehting. Soup

sitting in this heat and humidity that is DC in august (however aircondition my office may be), it is a very pleasent diversion thinking about sitting outside on a sunny cool autumn day looking at the fall colors as well as all the food that will surely be brought to this event.

went to captain pells in fairfax last saturday. It was great. I got the AYCE option and was prepared for very small crabs. The first tray was true to my expectations but as the evening wore on and we talk up the server (there were a couple of very attractive women at the table that the waiter was talking to and I don't know that this had anything to do with it) but the crabs go bigger. The crabs I had on the last tray were really big and heavy.

I go fairly regularly. once a week or so for grocery. I've never eaten at the food court. However, I have gotten the steam mandoo at the mandoo stand right behind the sushi place near the veggies. Great steamed mandoo. The spicy one is excellent. The sweet whole wheat with pumkin and sunflower seeds were suprisingly good. I would recommend it but the steam mandoo is also not everyone's cup of tea. different from chinese steam buns. BTW, I think this store is the best place to get indian stuff in NOVA.

It has been at least 6 months since I was last at sorak. I went this weekend and my hiatus from this restuarant was well advised. Service: very slow. Surprising since the place was very empty. The food: The bibimbap was solid. The Nangmun was really good. I would actually recommend their nangmun highly. The toppings were a bit skippy for the price though. The soups, we order a bunch. And they all really sucked. The broth had no flavor. the veggies in it were tough and old. green onion was so fiberous that it could not be eaten. But the worth was the banchan. It was just out right poor. only got 6 dishes and they were really mediocre at best. Nothing inventive just standard stuff. I noticed they had new menus and the prices have increased a bit on the new menu. The food (especially the banchan) was below par for annandale korean and the prices were above average. i think I will not be going back for another 6 months. Soup

I love popeyes. It may be my favorite fast food chain and certainly the best widely available chicken. The only problem is the health issue so I only get to eat it couple of times a year.

I went to a Thai place near 7 corners yesterday. It is 2 doors down from Hong Kong Palace. Name has the word Bangkok in it. They have a regular menu and a buffet. I broke my general rule of thumb of never ordering a buffet unless its indian and order the buffet. It had a lot of the standards dishes (green and red curry, pad thai, tom yum gam, spring rolls, etc.). Selection was very nice and I was very surprise about the food. It was really good. One of the better thai meals I've had. The shrimp dishes were not over cooked (it was actually excellent) and they did not treat the buffet like a trough. They never put out vast quantities of a dish out. Instead they would bring out some a small quantity, keep and eye on how much is left and then cook and bring out additional as needed. The food never really sat in the heating trays for long. When I first got there I thought they were just running out of food (by looking at the buffet) but soon figured out they were replenishing quickly with small batches of fresh made stuff. I really like this thai place and would recommend it. I will be going back. The heat/spice level was good. I did however spice it up on a few items. Soup

Went by happy go market (in the same building as A&J in annandale) yesterday. They had apprently shut down the operation. :-( It was a great little chinese market with a wonderful food bar. I know a lot of people love the great wall and it is a good store but I will really miss this place. Anyone no what happened? SOUP