Soup

Do any of you "doctor" your instant ramen? I sometime add kimchi, rice, rice cake, egg, scallions, or tofu (what ever I have left in my fridge)?

Ramen in NY is pretty good. Get better versions in SF. DC, I've given up. The ramen from packets are nothing like the stuff you get at a shop. They are simply two different beasts. I grew up on sapparo but these days I like the maruchan and the other stuff they sell at safeway, giant ect. when it comes to what I call venilla ramen. You can crank it up a notch and go with some of the korean ramens which have multiple packets and can be extremely hot. Jin ramen is a solid bet but the veriety can be dizzing.

On request from the kids, did what they referred to as the full breakfast. Hash browns, susage, ham toast and omelets. Also had bunch of left over pan cakes from yesterday's breakfast. Not exactly light and may have been the reason, I never made it out of the house today. I accidently over boiled the potatos last night (I usually par boil the potatos for quicker fry in the morning). I'm not sure if it was the cause but everyone notice the potatos were crispier. I wonder if over boiling makes this occur?

Not right now but for lunch today, made cabbage soup. Basic left over fridge cleaning exercise. Cabbage, chicken stock and dashi stock (didn't have enough chicken stock), carrots, celery, onion bunch of seasoning, left over ham bits and bunch of other veggies that were on it last days in the fridge. At the end I added some cooked orzo. It turned out really good. Served with some afgani bread, every one really like it (except my youngest). BTW, been having a lot of luck with cabbage lately. Give this over looked ingredient a try.

I used to love Light house in annandale but over the laste year of so, my visits have been very infrequent. The soup stock use to make the tofu stew used to be amazing but soemthing changed and its been getting worse. There use to be a tofu place across the stree from Wendy's in LRT and I stopped going there when viet gol opened because of the supperior soup. But, as I've stated on this board, I'm now searching for a new tofu house in annandale. If any of you have a suggestion, please post.

No the tofu house if the next to the Giant on LRT. The other resturant where HR ribster's use to be is also new but I've not been there.

Go to El Grande on Backlick in sprinfield. I always see a pigs head in the meat case. If I remember correctly, around $20 for the whole head (and its pretty big). The one at GW is already cooked while the El Grande is fresh. Would love to hear you story of making head cheese. I haven't climb that mountain yet as I am the only one in my household who loves head cheese.

Went to Yechon last night. This has really become a dependable standby korean place for me. We were there at 6:10 and line was out the door. The economic slowdown hasn't affected their business. Wife got the Dak Gui (I believe the best korean chicken dish in Annandale). It was smoky and well season, not at all greasy or tough. Just an excellent dish. I had the haejang guk. As always, it rocked, especially on a really cold night like last night. The waitress (service which I've thought was always the achilles heel of Yechon) was solid. Even in a very crowed resturant, we got her attention and brought a lot of banchan. The banchan was a little weak but it was passible. BTW, not sure it the client demographics is changing at Yechon, but last night koreans were definitely in the minority at this resturant. Huge groups of chinese and vietnamese. It was good to see others discovering korean food. After many years of being in business Yechon still cranks it out pretty good and is definitely a solid bet in Annandale. Soup BTW, anyone try the new tofu house next to the Giant or the new korean place where HR Ribsters used to be. Went by the tofu house last night but decided against it when we saw a nearly emtpy resturant at 6 on a friday night.

Went to the GW to get dinner for new years eve. I was waiting in line for the roast pork, duck and pig. BTW it is pretty good. I found out talking with the lady behind the counter that just about everyday they get a new pig and she indicated that the head is one of the desired parts of the roast pig. It has a lot more crispy skin, she explained. She sells the head for $5 but it is usually gone by noon. Well had to give it a try so I picked one up yesterday. The skin is fantastic but I may have bit off more than I can chew. It is about 7 to 8 pounds and large. Other than me, no one wants to touch it in my house. Oh well. If you are looking for a different part of the pig, go give it a try but you're going to need some folks to help you eat it.

getting some kind of seafood and cooking it. The our yearly trek to KK doughnuts on Rt.1 for our new year eve doughnut.

I used to love this place. But maybe I've gotten tired of it or they gone down a bit. Eitherway, I came away from my last visit less than completely enthuesed.

Work in Chantilly. Would be happy to do lunch with the group if I can get away from work.

Thanks for the heads up. Went and picked up a bunch yesterday. They were little over a pound each. I actully like them a little bigger but the price cannot be beat. They were very fiesty and once steamed really good.

Thing about dishes/glasses are that I want to hold it and see it. So I've tended to shy away from the internet on these. I can see the patter but I want to see how it look and feels.

A few years back we bought some dishes, bowls, serving platter etc from a place out next Dullas airport right next to carMax (if anyone knows the name please let me know). The patters and style were on target with our tastes. However after new years of usage they have started to chip and crack (note: the Mikasa we've had for over 10 years still looks new but they are boring white). On top of that my favorite pasta serving bowl (very large) took a dive tonight when I dropped it. I don't think I will find another one like it and I am really mad at myself. However, replacing it may make me feel better. So the question is where do you get good quality, interesting patter/style/pictures plates, bowls, platters and large pasta bowls and reasonable prices? I am looking to replace most of my dishes at this point so price will matter. I would appreciate a heads up. Soup

Certainly make you think about it a bit but its like saying who is the best looking man/woman. Different stroke for different folks. However I do have my favorite based on what I'm shopping for. Seafood - Great Wall and El Grande veggies - Great Wall (especially unusual greens for stir frying) Fruit - EEMart and El Grande Beef/Pork/Chicken - El Grand and H Mart Kimchi - HMart (one in fairax and go on the weekend when they make the stuff in front of you) Tofu - Lotte (By far the best and freshest tofu around) Bulk beans and lentils - EEMart (I just score 5Kg bag of red lentil for really cheap and they have a large variety of beans in bulk) Today, I hit Great Wall and Super H. $4.99/lb lobster cannot be beat.

Went to great wall today. Haven't been in a while. I think they may have the fish deparment with the biggest variety. Stuff looked pretty good and relatively fresh. Also was at eeMart right across the street. Also good seafood but not as much variety.

Great event Jang Won Ban Jum last night. Thanks to Grover for organizing and Thanks for all the folks who showed up on a wet cold night. We had the following dishes (not in the order it was served). - Dae Gi Tang Su Yuk (korean take on sweet and sour pork) - Khan Pung Sae Woo (Fried shrimp with garlic and pepper sauce) (really good with nice heat) - Boo Chu Jahp Chae (Beef, leeks green pepper with soy served with steamed buns) - Nu Reung Gi Tang (Deep fried rice with Seafood and veggie) - Three kinds of cold dishes (shrimp and cucumber with chinese mustard dressing, jelly fish salad, and I think slice tongue but not sure) - Jaeng Ban Ja Jang (Jan Jan Mein with lot of seafood and real jalepeno heat, really liked it) - Fried dumplings All the dishes were good to really good. The portions were huge. My favorite dish by far was the fried shrimp with garlic and pepper sauce. But the Nu Reung Gi Tang and the sliced tongue was really good as well. A solid korean chinese place. Soup PS looking forward to the next tuesday event.

I actually meant to type Done (the e got dropped off). Soup

Don, I've made a reservation for DR.COM @ 7pm for 12/16. I asked for the room to the side and they said ok. See you tomorrow. Soup

Most of my communal dining experience has been in chinese resturants, especially at a busy dimsum place they asked if I want to sit at a large table with people I don't know. This has happened a lot when I use to go to full key a lot in chinatown for lunch. Not sure that communal dining is a selling point for me. Largely because I believe there is a distinction to be made between family style dining and communal dining. There is a difference between sharing a space and sharing a meal. I think conversation and social interactions can happen in communial dianing but it is less likely to occur when you a order separately and are simply sitting next to folks. However, family dining (places i've gone to in PA dutch country, few places down south serving family style dinners/lunch), because we are sharing the same food I find it to me much more of a social occation. I would love to see a place like that in DC area especially if they could serves some great southern comfort food. Good luck in your research and venture. Soup

Thanks. Do you need me to call and make a reservation? Been to this place a lot. My kids really like the place.

Sorry, been out of circulations. The work is just very busy but I will be there this tuesday. Is this the one across from jukebox diner next to the tire shop? Grover, do you want me to call a reserve X number of seats? Do you know the address or phone number? Not sure that I've been to this particular resturant. As for the type of food, noodles with blk bean sauce, noodles with spicy seafood broth, korean-chinese version sweet and sour beef, pork or shrimp. they do have items like braised sea cucumbers and jelly fish salad. The fried dumplings are usually good at these places.

If you want something out of the ordinary, think BBQ. Granted it may be too casual but it is much cheaper than $80 per person. My personal favorite (and someone I will be contracting for our Xmas meal for the extended family) is a korean caterer (korean food). You get about 10 different dishes and its about $15 to $18 a person. The deal cannot be beat but there is a matter of the guest being adventurous eaters. I've had event at my house where the neighbors did not touch any of the food. I believe the more adventurous eaters got a real treat.

Use to love Minerva. Definitely one of my go to places. However, I don't think I been back in over 8 months. The quality had gone down a bit but perhaps it is time to give it another shot. Use to like the indo chinese dishes. Of the 3 locations I use to frequent (fairfax, Chantilly and Reston) I thought the reston was the best one. Went to an all veggie buffet not too long ago called Sarivanna (sp?) in fairfax (recommended from Tyler cowen). Wife loved it. I thought it was ok. Their fried stuff however, was just outstanding (which on a buffet I tought was pretty impossible).