Simul Parikh

For all the charm of my neighborhood, Del Ray is so underrepresented in terms of high quality restaurants. The owners just know people love walking around the Avenue and going to mediocre places, as long as the kids can go to Dairy Godmother afterwards or to the back of the Evening Star for a drink. It's funny what we will consider "good" in this neighborhood... On a given night the Star will be packed, as will Pork Barrel, and the patio of the Thai place will be filled on a nice day. The waitress was trying to explain to me that it wasn't going to be sushi completely, and I didn't get if they meant izakaya style (which might be good!) or just means it is going to be standard sushi/pad thai/General's Tso's sort of place. Shouldn't be too long, I think they had a plan of action to start up pretty soon. S

I liked the Spaghetti Carbonara. They had a whole fish once that was good. Cheese plates were solid. The barmaid and former manager said it was turning into a Sushi-Asian Fusion place. They weren't excited about it. A few of the staff are staying on. Stay tuned... S

I would go if it was Amoo's House or Crap. It is the place in the DMV. There will be a time when it gets difficult for locals to go there once the area discovers it. Bangkok Golden is experiencing it - try going on Friday night. Sebastian and Co. have good problems. Success problems... The best kind.

Not sure if he's crowd sourcing the task, but if so Amoo's Persian Cafe Amoo's Persian Kitchen Taste of Tehran

Interesting Even though I only met Seb like 3 times at his restaurant, he feels like a friend to me. And, I honestly had a little trouble sleeping after reading his post and directly messaged him about "fusion" and the connotation of it. Glad to know I wasn't alone. S

Ghibellina - great pizza/ambience, each pie about $15, appetizer to share 10, couple glasses of wine, $10 x 2, maybe dessert gets you right around there. Centro DF - mexican, nice interior, basement tequileria would let them talk in low lighting, tacos, apps, couple of margs keeps you at that price point Matchbox - trendy and the space at the 14th St one is so cool. similar pricing to Ghib for pizzas/apps/wine Estadio - Spanish style tapas with an open kitchen so can watch them cook; probably hit closer to a 100 with 2-3 tapas per person To be 23 and on a first date and mom (or dad?) helping out ... How adorable! S

I completely agree with belowparallel! I've felt that way exactly, and was always surprised at the number of bad reviews here and elsewhere. It really does hit the spot for a place that is very accessible. It's a pain getting to Silver Spring for DS... S

Came tonight, as I was headed to Dulles. Lots of changes. New management/ownership coming in. Chef is staying. Not going to get into details of meal, but the quality has changed considerably. The chef has been under pressure to tone down the food and spice level. I ordered the Chicken Chettinad, which I absolutely adored last time. Asked for it spicy (didn't last time and it came out fiery). It was much milder. I flagged down the server and asked him. He told me that the chef was told by the owners/managers that he was making it too spicy (people were complaining), so now, even if you ask for it spicy it won't come out spicy. He related a story about a (white; not sure why that was important) woman who said she could take it spicy and wanted it cooked that way. They brought it out she had two bites and ran to the bathroom. She caused a scene and it was pretty awful for them. So, now, no more spicy food. The biryani was still good, but they were out of goat, so stuck with chicken. They were out of many things, it was a limited menu (because of the changes, that's what he said). I'm very disappointed. I loved this place.

Their Papaya Salad made Lao Spicy, is the spiciest dish I have ever had, and I ate extensively in Thailand and India and Mexico. And, they can go hotter, I was told. Their grilled whole fish on special is fantastic, it has this mango sauce that is delicious. I think this is my favorite restaurant in all of DC/MD/VA. S

Mom and dad coming in tonight, I'm picking them up at BWI and live in Del Ray. Was trying to think of good Mexican or Tex-Mex, not hole in the wall, but good food. What I came up with so far was Guajillo in Rosslyn or Fuego in Courthouse/Clarendon. I'm tired of Taqueria Poblano and Tio in my neighborhood. So, anything on the way sort of (Glenburnie, Laurel, Greenbelt, DC, Arlington, Alexandria) Thanks! Simul

I tried to go to this place a few weeks ago, but couldn't find it, so I re-doubled my efforts yesterday. I had spent a lovely morning with a friend and became quite hungry. I remembered I wanted to try here and was in the mood for something spicy and warm, due to the recent cold weather. On a side note, it's going to go down to 7 degrees tomorrow. I thought there was a reason I left Michigan. Oh, yeah, in my hometown it is going to be a high of -5. Anyway, this place is not hard to find if you know how to use a map. But, the problem is that they don't have a sign up yet (other than the poster in the window), so I missed it. It's in the Bangladeshi strip, where there are grocers and Gharer Khabar is. I parked in the back (the strip is mall is packed with cars, and it's kind of a pain exiting/entering, so maybe try the back. It's a simple place, looks sort of like a cafeteria. It smells good in there. There were two couples in there eating delicious looking curries and biryanis. I was eating alone, so I was a bit limited in what I could order. What immediately caught my eye was the 'kaachi biryani'. It is a biryani dish where the rice and meat are cooked raw together and layered with other ingredients (the spices, vegetables, yogurt). However, it is a special order dish and only available on Saturdays, if you call four hours in advance. I asked him details and if there was any left over that I could have, but he said that due to the weather, they couldn't get some of the suppliers to bring what they needed so it just wasn't available today. They have many curries (chicken, shrimp, lamb, goat). They have many biryanis. They have typical north Indian dishes (CTM, a few vegetarian dishes). The prices are lowish. I ordered the 'halim', which is stewed lentils with some pieces of goat and spicy. It is supposedly a weekend breakfast/brunch treat. He gave a lime and some chilis on the side with no instructions. It was spiced well, but I threw in some lime juice and a few cuts of the chili. It got fiery. I liked the taste. It's like dal makhni on steroids, much richer and less cream based, with a few small fatty cuts of goat. I could eat a large bowl of that a winter afternoon any time. The portion was smallish, but it also only costed $5. Then, I got the goat curry made extra spicy. It was served with basmati rice. This was bar none the best goat curry I have ever had. I have some reference, as I have had it at maybe 8 or 9 other places. It was rich, the coloring was perfect - dark deep brown. There were a lot of pieces of goat, some on bone and some off bone. It brought the heat. I absolutely loved the dish. The total with a Diet Coke was $17.67 and I saved exactly half for my lovely friend for her dinner tonight. I have to go again and try the seafood dishes, and call ahead for the Saturday dish. The young an that was serving and also the cashier was delightful to chat with, he just moved from Bangladesh 3 months ago, and it is his family friends that have hired him. They used to be located in Rockville, but said with the growth of the Bangla population on this strip of Lee Highway, it made sense to go. He very much suggested coming on Sunday, where there is "brunch buffet" with many dishes for just $8. $8, I had to have him repeat it to me. 10am - 5.30pm. The food is very delicious and authentic. I hope the owner works on the decor. With a little work, it could become Virginia destination dining like Bangkok Golden (my lunch treat for today). Probably a great spot for a group gathering. I'm curious to hear what the Don has to say about this. Tyler Cowen has spoken already. There is just one review on Yelp and it is about butter chicken. (Picture me as the guy in Sideways, "I'm not ordering the f-ckin' butter chicken!") Pic 1 is the halim, pic 2 is the goat curry, pic 3 is leftovers in a cute box. Simul

My work partner invited us over to their house for dinner this Saturday, but instead of having her cook for us, we decided to have carry out. They had tried Namaste and loved it, but wanted confirmation from an Indian that it was good. I was asked to order for the 4 of us. We ordered the chicken tikka masala, chana masala, goat curry, chicken 65, and vegetable momos. We ordered everything medium spice level. All the entrees were fantastic, in my opinion. The color of the chana masala was perfect - rich and brown. Very tasty, rivals my favorite in town (Ravi Kabob). The chicken tikka masala was an excellent version, not the typical dull version you get that is heavy on tomato and cream. This was bolder. And, when you looked at the chicken pieces, they had the pink color on the outside, so it seems like they cooked the chicken in the tandoor, which is how you're supposed to do it (many places just saute them up). The goat curry was the star of the show. Even medium, it was pretty fiery. The goat meat was tender and on the bone. My lovely date really enjoyed it - she loves meat from the bone. The appetizers were not as good. I generally love dumplings/momo's/pot stickers, but something wasn't great about these. I agree with the comment that momo's are generally "doughier" but to me it was too thick and because it was delivered, it just didn't appeal to me very much, though the fililng was tasty. The Chicken 65 was just like General Tso's chicken, not a real Chicken 65, like at Karaikudi. The quality of the entrees was very high. I think they used better ingredients than most places. I can't wait to try more of the menu.

Such a refreshingly un-bitter discussion. I gotta get there soon ...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Yesterday, I joined a tradition that many Americans celebrate - a feast at a Chinese restaurant on Christmas day. I went with my co-worker and his family to this unassuming restaurant in a strip mall deep in Montgomery County. It is quite difficult to get to - if you put in the address into the GPS, it doesn't quite get you there. When you enter the plaza you think you should be entering, you will approach a roundabout. Don't take it all the way into the plaza - head towards the Hilton and then you'll make a left to get to the back part of the plaza where the restaurant is. I sat down with my friend's family and we caught up. Hot tea was delivered to the table. Now, here is the frustrating part. I know this is part and parcel of "authentic" Chinese restaurants, but it really bugs me. They have a Chinese-American menu and an authentic Chinese menu. The part that is really annoying is the Chinese menu is completely written in a Chinese language script. The only thing in English is the headings ("Pork", "Beef", etc.). There is absolutely no way to try to order from this unless you either read Chinese or have the staff translate every single thing on the menu. I was lucky in that my co-worker's mother is Chinese and speaks/reads the language that was on the menu, plus they have been there several times. They ordered a mix from both menus (I think). You look at the menu at table, and then go up and order/pay (like Joe's Noodle House). We started with the pot-stickers (I think, b/c I have no freaking idea what the dish is actually called). Pan fried and deliciously pork filled. We also got what I assume were XLB/soup dumplings. I like these a lot, don't have a great frame of reference for what is good or not, but these were tasty to me. For the mains, we got (and this is based on me asking Barbara and the server what these dishes were called) "shredded pork and beans", "chicken with spicy garlic sauce", "tea smoked duck", "sour fish soup with vegetables". Very, very tasty. I loved all the dishes. The pork dish was slivers of tasty pork with vegetables and beans and a tasty sauce. I haven't had it anywhere before. The chicken was spicier, and the sauce was a little sweet. The duck was fantastic. Crispy fried on outside, tender and fatty duck meat on the in side. It was served with those small white buns and hoisin sauce. The fish soup was good and interesting tasting, but could have been spicier with more hot peppers. I like this place a lot. The food quality is very good (IMO). I liked each dish and it seemed very consistent. My friends mom said she forgot to ask for spicy, so that could have enhanced it, as well. I think asking for it a little spicier and being selective with dishes could make this as good as Joe's Noodle House, but far less crowded and rushed of an experience (I think Joe's is sort of best for take out, but it's 27 miles from my house, so it's not an impromptu option). I'm looking at the Chinese menu now, and hit the "Google translate" button, so now I can see the menu options. I'm just going to print this out next time and take it with me.

Not much to add, but I was trying to find Aladdin's, the Bangladeshi place and gave up, so I saw this in the strip mall. Quiet place, not too many people in there, friendly service. I had the spicy pork dumplings and the lamb with fresh hot pepper. I really liked it! I usually hate Chinese-American, but this was really good. I'd go back and try more stuff there. Sorry for the not particularly detailed reviews! It was just comforting and good food. Simul

Love the shout out to Dearborn. Grew up not far from there.

Hey - is there a way to add 2 more, or are we at capacity? S

I could not find a post for this place that I've been to a few times, but I went back last night and it needed to be written up. With the weather unseasonably warm and nearing the upper 60s, the GOP operative, my staff physicist and I went for a run in Alexandria. We started off in North Ridge neighborhood, up the hill, around the Masonic temple and back down through Del Ray. We worked up quite an appetite, and I told them we were going to feast like kings tonight. I love the mid-Atlantic, because there are days in December that you can wear shorts and flip flops. Yesterday night was one of those days. We drove to Bang Ga Nae, which is at the proximal end of Annandale. It is at the former location of the only North Korean restaurant in the area, in a cute little house. There is ample parking available. When we walked in, there was just one table filled with 3 older Korean men. The waitress/chef sat us at the table behind them and got us waters. I was in the mood for some Soju, so we ordered a bottle of Chamisul and a round of domestic beers. We ordered pan fried dumplings as our appetizer. It is served with a soy based sauce with pickled jalapenos, and I really liked the sauce. Simple, but with a kick. The banchan came with intensity and volume. I don't have a great reference point for it, but I liked how it tasted. I liked that as the kimchi was finished, the waitress would come and re-stock us. That was a nice touch. I'm not sure if it costed anything. For our meal, we ordered the Jun Gol for 3 - "spicy black goat with vegetables". They bring a table side burner and then a large skillet filled with goat meat, vegetables, the broth on the bottom, chili paste, garlic, and other things that I didn't recognize. The cook comes periodically and stirs up the stew. It smelled amazing. I mean, seriously, heavenly. And it's right there at your table. She gave us a mixture of garlic, chili paste, and other condiments - we were to add vinegar and hot mustard to taste. This sauce was to dip the goat meat from the stew into. When the stew was done, she filled our bowls with it and we went to work. The goat meat was not strongly gamey, but it had a deep taste. There were meatier pieces and fatty pieces. They don't skimp on the meat. The broth is intense, somewhat "bitter" (not the word I want to use, but I can't think of an alternative right now). It is spicy, but I get the sense that Korean spicy is not like Lao/Thai spicy or even Indian spicy. It's a slow burn that keeps me sweating throughout the meal, but never gets too intense where I have to stop. I really like that. She kept coming by to fill our bowls and I felt like I was at a family member's house, when they aren't satisfied until you are completely and utterly full. The sauce that we prepared before the stew was done adds a nice complexity to the meat. I suggest using that sauce with the dumplings and even just putting it into the broth. Finally, the last part of the meal is the fried rice that she prepares on another table side burner. I didn't watch the preparation of it, but I love it. It's not sweet or salty. It's, again, a little bit bitter, but with each bite I liked it better and better. I throw on some of that sauce on there, too, and it livened it up more. This place is phenomenal. I've never had a meal like this and I will go back over and over. It's definitely one of my favorite restaurants. Great service, better food, though not the best ambience/lighting. Never a big issue with me. The pictures attached are - 1) before cooking 2) while cooking.

I love Galaxy Hut, as a new part time vegan. But, just to clarify, do you mean your wife Erica, or is she actually wide?

I'm glad eatruneat re-reviewed this place! I used to love it, but in early 2012 I went a few times and felt it had fallen off. Not the case? I think I will go back very soon!

I go there at least once a week, and though I don't know by name, I do see those friendly faces every time I go. What a horrible tragedy. It will be me + 2. S

Don, I'd love to go.. How to RSVP?

I would like to go. Simul

Went here for dinner with the GOP operative after a run in the miserable cold last night. Had been wanting to go for a while, but just never got around to it. It's in a very unassuming typical NOVA strip mall with a Salvadorean restaurant, and Ethiopian market/cafe, and a few other storefronts. When we got in at about 8.30pm, we were the only guests there. The hostess and waitress were very sweet and sat us at a table. We were give both menus, and she was happy when we said we did like spicy and did went the Chinese menu. We went with basically their recommendations, and I also knew I was definitely getting the fish in hot sauce. Started off with the Nanjing Salty Duck. This was fine. I don't know what it's supposed to taste like. Threw some of the chili oil on there. It's not quite hot, or cold, sort of cool temperature to it. Tender meat, comes off of the bone. Then, the fish came. I love this dish at Joe's Noodle House and Hong Kong Palace and Sichuan Pavillion (in that order). This was good, but more liquidy, thinner then the other places. It was flavored well, pretty spicy, but not terribly so. There were definitely bright red chilis in there, and in a twist from the others, there are noodles at the bottom. Chinese broccoli. Which tastes like Chinese broccoli. Then, we got the double cooked pork. Tender meat, lots of green onions/onions. Pretty good dish. I don't know. It's just as close as Hong Kong Palace, so if there is a choice, I'd definitely go to HKP, as of now. However, there is so much on this menu that looks interesting/unique and authentic, so after some more people review the place and give recommendations, I want to go back. The Salvadorean place in the plaza looked really, good, too. Simul

This restaurant opened up about 3 weeks ago, and not a review on Yelp or DR or anywhere that I can see. I went in a week ago to look at the menu. They had standard north Indian fare, a Sri Lankan menu, and oddly enough, a few Thai dishes. So, yesterday, I had not eaten all day and went over there to pick up some take out. It was only two of us, so we didn't get to try much, but I'll definitely go back to try more dishes. The place inside isn't much different than when it was Po Siam. I think some of the same decorations are up. I'm sure it will take some time. The bar area remains, but the alcohol does not. Wondering what their plan is going to be for that... I ordered off of the Sri Lankan section. Dhal Vede - "the quintessential street food of south India and Sri Lanka" (not my words, I just googled it). It's a small patty made of split yellow lentils, chilies, curry powder or leaves, chickpea flour. About 2-2.5 inches, circular. They are tasty and a nice snack. 3 in an order for $4. Eaten with tamarind sauce and cilantro sauce. Mutton Curry - deep brown color, meat on the bone, flavorful. My dining partner has some issues with spicy food, so we went with medium spice level. It was rich and I enjoyed it. It was $11-12 and not a very big portion. There was a fair amount of meat. Eggplant dish - I forgot the Indian name. Not too different than baingan bartha. It was good, but skin was on, and I don't always like that. Sorry, not super descriptive - feel like takeout is super hard to get a hold of. I liked it. I'm going to try as many of the other dishes as I can. Since Bombay Curry Company seems like it will never open, this is what we have for South Asian in the Del Ray area. At about 615p, it was nearly empty, save for one other person who came in for take out. She tried ordering a Thai dish. I hope people give it a chance.