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Our experience did not begin well. We felt ignored for a good while after being seated. Then, when ordering, it seemed like we hit a bunch of resistance. You want just whiskey with no coca cola? Yes, please. Whiskey but nothing else in it but ice?! Yes, that's right. You really don't want that cold noodle dish with marinated fish (hwae naeng myun), it's very Korean. That's why we came to a Korean restaurant, I swear - to eat Korean food! And we have been to Korean restaurants before, yes we have. But you won't like it. We would like to try it, really, I mean it. No really, you really won't like it, 9 out of 10 people don't like it. Will you please bring it to us? We will bring you a small portion, how about that? Ok.

I am not sure where the resistance comes from but I am sure it is very real. I've also not seen the "resistance" in other ethnic resturants. Most of the time it is not that persistant. I have gone to many korean meal with non-koreans and from time to time the waitstaff turns to me and say they won't like that. But I have never sat with a non-korean who said "I really don't like this" at a korean place either after ordering something.

I do think that korean food is very "safe" (see tyler cowen's article on safe (as in authentic not hygene) ethnic food). In most cases, the food has not been modified for the western tastes.

Oh geez, now Ramen is "hot" (pun intended)? Lord help us all... It may be a good thing because of the severe recession, but not because it's gourmet or worthy of showcasing on a menu.

The real stuff can be amazing. off all the noodle soup, I would guess that ramen has the most fanatic of following. Do a search on youtube for "ramen Top30"

As for the variety of noodles and stock types, it is large. I miss a good bowl. Might be worth making a trip to NY just for that and soup dumplings.

Thank goodness their are at least good pho places to take up the slack.

BTW, DC is lacking a great laksa place as well. Had laksa at a janpanese place in chinatown. I have to say it wasn't bad but $12 for a small bowl is just too pricy.

MDH is not all that great no matter how you slice it. However, I still have to go there to get my dim sum fix. Unfortunately, they are the best of the bunch in NOVA. Hollywood East where are you?

same tradition every new years (note: impossible to find sitters for the young ones). We go out to eat (not sure where this year) then we go to KK on Rt 1. I miss the old KK but the new one isn't bad. We get hot glazed with milk.

Its not time square but it is a tradition at my house.

Think about indian catering? Curry on the run @ 703-945-2900. Will do a full indian catering for $11 to $12 per person.

looking to restock on tea. I don't want to do mail order unless I have to.

Where can I find great loose leaf tea at reasonable prices. I heard there is a chinese tea shop in rockville. But am looking for wider varieties of tea then just chinese (e.g., english and indian).

Any assistance is appreciated.

Any news on Hollywood East opening? did a search on their website but found nothing.

Now open in Centreville in the same shop-o-rama as Grand Mart!

So good. Ordered kimchi-beef spicy and it didn't seem all that spicy, not sure if I got it toned down or I should order spicy spicy. So good.

$6.95 at lunch, including all the usual bits and baubles and rice crust thingy.

Between this and the excellent SoPoong (next to the new Lotte in Chantilly) and Pho 98, I'm in Asian soup heaven out here in Chantilly.

Jparrott,

is the light house in the Grandmart or some where close by?

BTW, if you are near lotte, look for a korean place called go yang jip on brookfield corporate drive. Order the a "soup" called jam ja tang. In my view this place has the best version of this soup I've had (including the stuff I've had in korea). The banchan although limited you get 7 side dishes, they are alway well made and has a fantastic verion of kak du gee (radish kimchi) and mul kimchi. Highly recommend this hole in the wall.

I will try out the light house next week.

Really like RRO. Capt Jack's sells them but you have to drive to south of fredericksburg.

A very solid place. Never had a bad meal there and in the summer is a great place to sit outside.

as for the prices, I think even outside the happy hour, the value is certainly there. Their monday night po'boy deal is great.

BTW, they serve one of the best versions around the DC area. Shrimp is really good but oyster is better. The fried pickles rock.

Would recommend this as a very casual place and we certainly take the kids but there is a lively bar scene.

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Looks fricken amazing.

Koreans have magical bellies. I wouldn't believe them at first but I've seen them myself.

How I wish that were the case. I just look at food and I seem to gain weight.

Would love to do a dimsum gorging when it opens but what does a "soft" opening mean? Does that mean not all the dishes are available or certain sections of the rest. will not be ready for use?

Regardless of the answer, Dimsum @ HE sound like a great idea.

Went to Shamshimary (sp?) in Tyson's Corner this weekend. Had been there many time and I had always thought they have really amazing food. But it has been about a year or so and I had forgotten just how good their food is, especially the rice. There rice (plain, cherry, dill, etc) were just amazing.

I come from a rice culture and cook a lot of different varieties. However, the variety and method of cooking used in this persian resturant is something else. Without hyperbole, it may be my favorite rice. Just stunning.

So the question is, what variety/brand of rice are they using, where can I get them (is there a persian grocery: it is not basmati) and how is it cooked?

Any assistance in my endevour to recreate the rice dishes at home would be appreciated.

BTW, the resturant is a real gem and should give the place a try if you have not gone there before.

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It sounds like a great dim sum meal. $20pp is pretty hard to beat from a bargain perspective.

Looking to buy veal and lamb breast. Cold wet weather got me thinking soups and braises.

Haven't been the lebenese butcher in a while. Has anyone been lately and do they have veal and lamb breast. Its a bit of trek for me.

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saw both pig and lamb heads in the frozen meat section at El Grande (the current name might be fresh something) in springfield this weekend. The price was amazingly cheap.

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I am looking for a source for Mexican Coke in NOVA. Help will be appreciated.

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yesterday I went to silver diner. Order biscuit and sausage gravy. I knew it wouldn't be great but I really miss the stuff. And true to my prediction, very mediocre. Where can I find decent biscuit and sausage gravy in this town?

because I enjoy eating and feeding others. I'm not all that certain I enjoy cooking that much although I do a lot of it.

Jehovah-Jireh Farm in Frederick County, MD.

The turkey I picked up from them last year was the best of my life.

Looks good. However, I'm looking to cook a turkey over the next couple of weeks. This is not for Tday.

I'm looking for a fresh turkey. Doesn't have to be organic but I looking for a local bird, farm or a source very close to the farm. I live in NOVA and am not looking for a long drive if I can help it.

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Sorry to hear that you hadn't had as good of an experience. Although the food has slightly changed it is still a really good chinese place. Our "go to" dishes are

- crystal shrimp

- Fried tofu (can't remember the exact name) but it a a large plate of fried tofu covered in a spicy power. It use to be painfully hot but in the recent visits, it was tone down, unfortunately.

- Fish with mustard green (hot and sour: excellent dish)

- salt and pepper egg plant (batter coated egg plant, deep fried)

- cold rabbit

- smoked duck

The fish is my favorite dish.

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I am drooling. It sound fantastic.

Question, is there a significant difference between Rockville A&J and the Annandale A&J?