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Showing results for tags 'Lunch Buffet'.
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I needed some grounding today, so I headed to Woodlands out in Fairfax for some carryout. This is real Indian food, and I'm talking manly-man southern Indian. Not the meatly oolag you sit and nibble on with a Kingfisher and a side of A&D, but the stuff you snort down with a cup of damned tea. Look at this: $7.25 gets you a Special Rava Masala Dosa. Man oh man oh man this is awesome. Call ten minutes before you arrive because it takes them fifteen minutes to make it. Get your order, and march straight back to your car. Open the metal container. Notice the beautifully grilled crepe, a cream-of-wheat and lentil crepe, thick, honeycombed, and crunchy in parts. Green chiles are used to enhance the flavor of the potatoes and onions, not to overwhelm them. Try a few bites of everything, admire how deep and cellularly knit these flavors are. And now that we've gotten that little formality out of the way, take your entire thing of sambar, and dump it on top. Likewise your coconut chutney. Start driving home. Use the plastic spoon - not the plastic fork - that you requested. Start shoveling. I love Woodlands. Forget the buffet which is interesting but sometimes tired and picked-over. Get fresh-cooked food. Get a dosa. Get this dosa. Try this exact same dish and you'll dream about it later in the night. You'll thank yourself, and you'll come here again-and-again. Do it! And now if I could figure out what to do with this little thing of Paan I bought. What is this stuff? What do I do with it? Cheers, Rocks. -
It was one of "those" nights. I had a glass of wine early, and couldn't get motivated to go out restaurant hopping. I wanted to get a good night's sleep, get up early, and get some things accomplished. There could be no doubt - it was time for carryout at Cafe Taj. Over the years, I've been to Cafe Taj many times, although I haven't been much lately. I've always found it pleasant and reliable, it not ground-breaking or exciting, and that's exactly what I was after last night. Karahi Kabob Lamb ($14.95) Eggplant Bharta ($12.95) Fresh Garlic Kulcha ($2.95) Raita ($2.95) Double order of pickles Came home, dumped everything into a mixing bowl, poured a lusty glass of wine, scarfed everything down with a tablespoon, left half of it, didn't remember what I ate five minutes later, bang, dinner is done. Cheers, Rocks.
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I recently asked bbhasin what was good these days at Bombay Curry Company, and he sent me quite a detailed response. I thought it was too good to waste on one person, so I asked for his permission to reprint it. Here it is, in its entirety: Cheers, Rocks. The menu is not too elaborate, as some Indian restaurants go, and comprises of some of the traditional ' comfort foods' like butter chicken, korma, vindaloo etc. which I am sure you may have tried elsewhere. Focus instead on things you may not find elsewhere. For starters try the chicken wings, marinated and charcoal broiled in the tandoor oven. The Bhel Puri, a melange of puffed rice, savoury indian noodles, diced onion & chopped cilantro mixed with our sweet & spicy tamarind chutney. Great textures & flavors. I would also recommend the Shammi kabab, little griddle fried patties 'of almost pate`consistancy' ground beef and split yellow lentils. Our samosa filling is also a bit different, you will feel the tanginess from the dried mago powder. Do not ignore the little Kachumbar salad For your dinner Try the chicken Kadai, hot and spicy, chunks of chicken stir fried in kadai(heavy wok) with crushed dried red chilles, cilantro seeds, chopped ginger and garlic and then finished in a thick tomato sauce with fresh cilantro and dried fenugreek leaves. Pathar Kabab- is a pounded lamb scallopine marinated and flash grilled on the griddle. Tradionally the shephards cooked it on the hot stones around their campfire. The Fish curry is Cubes of Cod loin simmered in a curried creamy sauce with coconut, mustard seeds, curry leaves and toasted chilly peppers. I think the Bombay Curry Company does a very good job with the biryanis, almost like fried rice. Chooza kabab is skewered marinated chicken chunks with onion tomato and pepper, grilled, served on abed of steamed rice topped with a curried sauce. Was very popular at a New Delhi restaurant I worked 30 years ago. But then, food is relative, different things appeal differently to different people. I think our butter chicken is the best around. Jeff Tunks likes it as he mentioned in the Washingtonian, Jim the chef from RT's down the street gets it without fail but my friend's 13 year old says it tastes like tomato soup, I could kill him! The lady from Bistrot Lafayette likes the Lamb in the curried spinach. Mike, who worked for Roberto Donna and now has his own place La Lucia(I think) in Alexandria loves the Tandoori Chicken and if its not on the sunday buffet when he comes in, we have to do some to keep the peace. So go figure.
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I saw Kliman mention this place in his a couple of his recent chats, and thought it was worth a trip. In short: the lunch buffet did not disappoint, and I'd love to go back sometime to order from the regular menu. The buffet is large, and well-appointed with about 8 different main courses, plus sambar, rasam, and a number of smaller appetizers and condiments. The restaurant was packed to the gills by 12:15, and the food was being refreshed at a pretty quick clip. There were no real misses, with everything in general being well-spiced and not swimming in ghee. Standouts included a daal vada (lentil fritter) that was nice and crispy without any greasiness...pretty suprising for a buffet. Topped with coconut and cilantro chutney, this was a great start. I tried a bite of just about everything on offer, but what brought me back for seconds was the haleem. Sietsma talked about it in his review, and it is definitely a dish I'll be craving from now on. The standard chicken tikka masala was a better than average version, with a touch more spice than you normally get. The naan was fine, but nothing exciting. I'm getting pretty spoiled by all the lunch options in the Laurel area...Curry Leaf will now be in the rotation. -
Website They are on Amazon delivery, so I am a bit surprised the only mention is on a thread for another restaurant. We ordered one of the spiciest chicken vindaloos I have ever eaten from here. I like spicy food, normally food has to be pretty spicy for me to even register it- this was spicy. Not bad at all. We also got chicken kadai - which I really liked, it had a nice mix of chicken and veggies. We got a side of spinach- fine not special, but I like a little more veg- and some veggie samosas, which were very large, and had a nice filling. We also got some naan and kulcha- to be honest, I couldn't tell a difference and I think maybe we just got 3 naan, they weren't super light, more dense, but not bad. They delivered via Amazon very quickly inside Arlington. I would order from them again. -
In the old Bistro Vivant space is a new restaurant called Masala. I haven't been yet. They do buffet for lunch, and have a pretty big dinner menu. The chef is Ram Thapa. -
Anil Kumar is now at Bethesda Curry Kitchen, right across the street from Grapeseed, which opened on Tuesday, February 11th. On this very cold evening, the nearly empty restaurant seemed like an eternity away from Gringos & Mariachis, just a few blocks down Cordell Avenue, and which also opened on February 11th. I have no doubt that on this evening, Gringos & Mariachis was packed. A liquor license is still a few weeks away, so for now, this restaurant is without alcohol. I started my dinner with a homemade Mango Lassi ($3.50) which reminded me that Kumar's former restaurant, Saveur India, had some of the best Kulfi I've ever tried - Bethesda Curry Kitchen also has homemade Kulfi on their dessert menu. Chef Kumar is from Hyderabad, a huge city in the South of India, and the south is very well-represented on the menu. The city of Coorg sits about 400 miles southwest of Hyderabad, nestled in the Western Ghats. When I go to India for the first time, my plan is to spend some time in Goa, but a detour to Coorg is also on the agenda. Coorgi Chicken ($15.99) isn't a dish you see very often in the DC area, but it was very well-executed here, and obviously long-cooked, containing 5-6 boneless, Halal thighs in a wonderful curry (the quality of this chicken was very high). Served with basmati rice, I also got a Mehti Paratha ($3.00) for the requisite sauce dunking. On a frigid Saturday night, there was only one other family of four dining in this somewhat stark, utilitarian restaurant. "Until you get your liquor license, weekend dinners during the winter are going to break your heart," I said to my server. I cannot think of an atmosphere that's more different from Gringos & Mariachis than Bethesda Curry Kitchen, but both restaurants are initialized in Italic in the Dining Guide which speaks volumes about the potential quality of cooking here. Also just down Cordell Avenue from Passage To India, I don't even see the two as competitors - one is a curry house; the other is fine dining. Bethesda Curry Kitchen is going to survive, not by weekend dinners, but by delivery and lunch buffets. I walked past the empty buffet - which had the signs up - and noticed that my Coorgi Chicken was on it, so you can enjoy this exact same dish for lunch, with many others to accompany it, for less money. In fact, until they get their liquor license, a lunch buffet would be the perfect way to initiate yourselves with this fine newcomer.
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2001 L St. NW Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 331-2055 Web: http://www.cafeistanbultogo.com/ Cafe Istanbul never seems to have anyone in it, but it's a good choice for a sandwich if you're in the neighborhood. I can't vouch for the Turkish buffet or the average-looking pizza as I've tried neither, but the Döner Pita ($5.99) is the real deal. The meat, which is much more lamby than an American gyro, is sliced from the traditional rotisserie and served on homemade pita with shredded lettuce and your choice of the usual toppings, like cacik (tzatziki), tomato and cucumber salad, hummus, babaganoush, and tabbouleh. Cafe Istanbul's version reminds me of the döners I used to get in Frankfurt, where one is available on nearly every street corner. I haven't seen too many in DC, and I like the one here. I'm not sure I'd travel across town for it, but it's a nice alternative if you're nearby and don't feel like standing in line for a gyro at the Greek Deli. -
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.- 6 replies
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I had dinner here two nights ago. They'd only been open for three days at the time, and though the service sometimes showed some inexperience (it took a while for the food to come out), the food most certainly did not. I don't know if I was in a particularly good mood, or if the restaurant was somehow perfectly suited to my taste, but I thought the food, from entrees to dessert, was excellent. The menu was unusual for an Indian restaurant, no familiar chicken korma or chicken tikka masala that I saw, so we just ordered using the descriptions. Nothing disappointed. Someone in the kitchen seems to really care about flavors and texture, and it showed. And even the dessert, which I usually find uninspiring at Indian restaurants, was absolutely delicious. The bread pudding was amazing. I really hope this place stays around. If you're around Tenleytown, be sure to check it out. It's at 4441 Wisconsin Ave. -
Indian food is one of my favorites, so when a friend invited me to join her for lunch at Diya I was a little surprised: I'd never even heard of it. But I'm always happy to try something new. The first thing that struck me about Diya was the smell - like a hotel ballroom, except in the bar, which smelled like bleach. The second thing was the size. It's huge. But whatever. It's the food that's important, right? The buffet that day had vegetable fritters, yellow dal, saag paneer, channa, aloo gobhi, salad and a few different chutneys, raita, goat curry, tandoori chicken, butter chicken, one or two other savory things that I didn't try, and kheer and gulab jamun for sweets. "All the safe choices for an American audience," I thought snarkily. "Except for goat curry. That's promising." So how did it taste? Bland. Brown. Boring. Muddy. Mediocre. If I'd closed my eyes only texture would have told me what I was eating. Not one dish had the complexity and vibrancy that makes Indian cuisine so enticing. Later I queried several other friends, friends whose judgement I trust, food-loving friends, friends who post on this board. Everyone said it's a really good restaurant. So I suppose I was just a victim of an office worker style lunch buffet. In Diya's defense, I'll state that I haven't yet eaten anything wortwhile at an Indian buffet (including Masala Art, my current favorite), with the exception of the late, lamented Connaught Place, torn down by the City of Fairfax in order to create a parking lot, may it rest in peace (the restaurant, not the parking lot). Has anyone else been to Diya? Care to defend it? Tell me that it was an off day or that I need to go for dinner instead? -
Madras Palace probably deserves its own thread by now. Time and again we still get a hankering for some south Indian vegetarian cuisine, and MP remains our go-to. Early Sunday evening however, I was surprised that they were pushing a buffet. The dining room was still quiet at not-yet-6 PM, so we ordered off the menu instead. I don't know if they were unprepared to cook, but there seemed to be a startup lag, as the first thing to emerge was perhaps the oiliest plate of papadum I've had in a while. Not yet up to temperature, we thought, and braced for disappointment. Fortunately, things continued to improve. The only remaining glitch was that the vada in my sambar vada was a little undercooked and doughy. But the sambar here continues to be thick and rich and spicy, with only the curious omission of pieces of drumstick. I should ask about that next time. The dosai continue to be perfect every time. My paneer dosa arrived arranged in two pieces; I'd swear that they'd made it as large as a paper dosa before cutting it in half, but it was crisp and nongreasy. Gubeen's customary saag paneer was unusually good this time, perhaps the best we've had in the area in months, without having had all of the fresh spinach flavor cooked out of it. Portions were more generous than we had remembered, as well. My dosa came with another container of sambar, and the coconut chutney. Her saag came with a small dish of flavorful but slightly watery dal, and a few choice bits of pungent mango pickle. I'm a little worried when a kitchen switches into buffet-maintenance mode, but as long as they can knock out a la carte mains with consistency, we'll be back. -
Thanks everyone, we opted to eat somewhere on the way home instead since it was halfway between lunch n suppertime. We went to Pistone's in Falls Church on 50 & 7. They liked it, hubby's veal was good, mine was not... well... that's all I'll say about mine. The salad bar was superb and you could have an appetizer and soup and that for a meal or just one or the other and that. Anyhow thanks for the suggestions. -
I keep on driving on rte one and the lights have been out at Afghan Restaurant for a while - They have the best flatbread and used to have an awesome all-you-can-eat lunch special. I saw a sign that seemed to be offering up the space for redevelopment. Anyone know if they are ever re-opening or are the days of great bread, slurpy noodle soup and crazy- generous kebab platters over? -
This is the kind of review that makes me very, very hungry. Anyone out in Sterling want to report in for us! -
Thanks to all the guests at Passage to India, Bethesda whose continued patronage and support encouraged me to open my second restaurant SpiceXing in Rockville Town Square. The menu features contemporary Indian dishes and a lot of dishes influenced by the foreign cultures that came to settle/rule the Indian subcontinent. Once again the recipes are original as collected by me from various households and I am indebted to all those friends who tolerated my persistence in US and in India. There are a lot of small plates, which make sharing several of them quite enjoyable. Look forward to meeting all the DonRockwellians in Rockville. Sudhir Seth www.spicexing.com -
Is this the best Indian anywhere? No? Is this something you would trek far and wide for? No. But it is good Indian food served up by a friendly staff. They have quite a menu to choose from and their specials are quite good. I recently had their shrimp and salmon tandoori and it was really delicious. I generally have shied away from their Thai offerings, I am not sure why -- I just recognize the place most often with Indian food and that is what I stick with. On the weekends, they have a good buffet, too, if youprefer to graze on a variety of things, with stuff represented from both the Indian and Thai menus (heavier on the Indian). Their carry out portion sizes and good as well. While I wouldn't go out of your way to find this, this is a good choice for Indian in Laurel (so if you're in the area or passing through and have said craving). I prefer it for many dishes as opposed to say, India Gate (also in Laurel). -
We stopped off for dinner here last night prior to the Van Morrison show. The menu is pretty interesting. In addition to the variety of vegetarian curries, dosas, uthappams, and rice dishes, they also have an "Indo-Chinese" menu - Chinese food done Indian style. We ordered two dishes off this part of the menu - the hot and sour soup, which was thinner and less vinegary than the typical Chinese style, but with the addition of more vegetables like carrots and cauliflower and a rather large amount of chili oil; and the Gobi Manchurian, which is comparable to a General Tso's (insert ingredient here), except not as sweet or gloopy. I'm a big fan of cauliflower in general, but this was particularly good. We also tried the assorted appetizer platter (pakoras, samosa, and a couple of lentil-based donutty things which don't appear on the online menu and which I can't remember the name of), and the paneer butter masala, as well as the zeera rice (basmati with cumin and mixed vegetables). All were worth ordering again, although if you're planning to try a number of dishes I'd stay away from the lentil donut things - they're pretty filling. The dosas also look spectacular. We saw one that had to be 3 feet long being delivered to another table, which I hope was one of the ones they list on the menu as "extra long," otherwise I'm going to have to plan on fasting for a couple of days before our next visit. Saravana Palace is about a mile and a half north of Fairfax County Parkway on Rt. 29 - if you're using Google for directions, the road name it gives for the final turn is incorrect. Instead of McKenzie Dr., it should be Robinson Hall Dr. -
It's been a while since I've been to Cho's Garden. Over the past several years, food quality can be inconsistent here, ranging from great to simply OK. Yesterday was "Great!" shouted from the rooftop of this former Denny's location, next to PJ Skidoo's on Route 29. After a long, warm, morning hike in Hemlock Overlook, Cho's hit the spot for casual dining with a dog in tow. The recently upgraded patio features better tables and brighter feel, with a cooling cross-breeze and outdoor speakers. Banchan is always diverse here, and yesterday's was especially fresh. 15 small plates of yeongeun (lotus root), melchi (tiny fish), numerous kimchee, nokdumuk (mung bean jelly), and other piquant tidbits refilled upon request. Many diners do not know this, but "Garden" is no misnomer. As you walk in, look to the left for the fenced in area surrounding what becomes garden-to-table leafy greens. I always keep my fingers crossed that my favorite of the bunch, perilla, will thrive. But alas, no appearance in yesterday's dishes. Our late lunch included an especially fresh rendition of bibimbap, although with a slightly overcooked egg. Forgivable, still outstanding. The surprise flavor punch of the meal came from the pork, kimchee, and tofu (non-stew) dish, exceptional in it's massive portion. The exact name is escaping me in busy weekend recall block, but it was the last item on the "All Time Favorites" section of the recently updated menu. The website menu and the hard copy one are no longer in synch, by the way, the print copy features more variety. Indoor dining at Cho's shows a bit more upscale environment than one might expect, with etched glass and a borderline chic soju bar. Open until 2AM most nights (perhaps later on weekends), it's an unexpected convenience when in Fairfax. -
We found ourselves in Parkville today for a family function. Knowing we had to eat before driving back to Virginia after the event, and wanting desperately to avoid the fast food chains that dot the landscape there like so many land mines, I searched on line and found Mount Everest Restaurant nestled in the Fullerton Plaza, diagonally adjacent to the KMart (!). It was right on our way from the family event to the Baltimore Beltway to head home, so we stopped in. They offer a buffet at lunch, for $8.99 (not sure if the price is the same on weekends). We got to sample some dishes from Nepal along with more familiar fare from India. Vegetable Pakora were light and crisp--I went back for seconds. Sambhar soup was rich and comforting. Chana Masala, one of my favorites, did not disappoint. Vegetable Korma was delicious and rich-tasting, simmered in coconut milk and yogurt. A Nepalese Saag (I didn't write down the name) was lightly cooked and spiced mustard greens, light and flavorful. Aloo & Simi, a Nepalese dish of green beans and potatoes with tomatoes, was really delicious. Three chicken dishes rounded out the buffet: Chicken Tikka Masala and Tandoori Chicken were both very good versions of the classics. I didn't get much of a taste of Kukhura Ko Maasu, the Nepalese chicken dish, but I'd try it again. All in all, it was a nice selection of well-prepared food for a very reasonable price, and the restaurant itself was a peaceful oasis in an otherwise very generic commercial area.
