North West Chinese Food

Posted on 2016/01/20 by .

North West Chinese Food, 7313-E Baltimore Ave., College Park, MD, 240-714-4473, very close to University of Maryland. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Ylp]

NW Chinese, Noodles

I really enjoyed my meal here, because I love this cuisine and it is hard to find around these parts. This is a fully authentic mom and pop where you can get spicy cumin lamb burger, Shaanxi and Yunnan style noodles, and meat on skewers. That said, this place still has a few kinks to iron out. The waitress doesn’t speak English, many on Yelp complain about the service (I had no problems), and not all of the flavors fully come together. I found it delightful, I expect it to improve, and I will definitely go back. Recommended, but with some variance around the edges.

NW Chinese, Lamb Burger and Pototoe Noodles

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Mr. Tofu House & BBQ

Posted on 2016/01/18 by .

Mr. Tofu House & BBQ, 7137 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA, 703-256-1888 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Annandale VA | xiaohua]

Mr Tofu House & BBQ, bulgogi
Mr Tofu House & BBQ, bulgogi

It looks ordinary, but it’s well above average. There’s nothing especially innovative about this place, but it does a lot of the standard Korean dishes better than its competitors. Right now this is my favorite Bul-gogi in the area, for instance. Their kimchee soups are also at the top of the distribution. Don’t expect to find your worldview shattered, but if you are up for the Annandale experience this is one of my favorite places in town right now.

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Queen Ammanisa

Posted on 2016/01/05 by .

Queen Ammanisa, web site (many scripts), FB, 320 23rd St. Crystal City, VA, 703-414-7888 [The Golden Road to Samarqand | Ylp | Zabihah | Arlington Now]

Yes, we now have a Uighur/Uyghur restaurant, did you know that Fairfax is a center for the Uighur community in the United States? I am fond of this place, and will continue to visit it, but there are some complexities. First, they serve a dark and complex spicy sauce which improves almost all of their dishes. But you must ask for it. Ask for it, otherwise things are too tame. Second, they have three different menus, none of which exactly describes what they offer. Third, they don’t believe you when you say you want it spicy, and are otherwise resistant to offering useful instruction.

If you can fight through all of these hurdles, you will have an excellent meal, available nowhere else in this area.

The best dish is the dry spicy noodles, make sure they make them spicy. Most of the vegetables are quite good. The bready dishes are authentic, but the bread needs to be a little better. Anything with cumin is worth trying. Not all of the dishes you order will succeed, so take this into account when choosing.

Recommended, but let’s hope you’re up to it.

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Marib

Posted on 2015/12/25 by .

Marib, 6981 Hechinger Drive, Springfield, VA, 703-376-3388, note the larger sign still says “BBQ Delight.” More importantly, this is easier to find than most places in Springfield, easily accessible through Backlick Rd. in Annandale, or 495 or 395. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Google | Ylp | Don Rockwell]

Marib, Chicken Mandi

Marib, Chicken Mandi

Very special, the best of the growing number of Yemeni places around. Their saltah, a boiled vegetables dish which sounds awful, is a knockout due to the herbs and flavoring. Chicken mandi has lovely, moist meat with excellent onions on top of the fluffy rice.

Marib, foul

Marib, foul

Foul, lentil soup, layered rice dishes, breakfast dishes, plain old hummus, there are many very good dishes here. I have yet to try the lamb. And like the other Yemeni places around, they have those $40 desserts, bread and stuff soaked in honey, I have yet to try them. Strongly recommended.

Marib, saltah

Marib, saltah

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Café Azul – Caracas de Ayer

Posted on 2015/12/23 by .

Café Azul – Caracas de Ayer, web site (old web site), (on Route 1, intersection of Baltimore Ave. & Longfellow St.) 4423 Longfellow St., Hyattsville, MD, 301-209-0049, they close early so check. NB: the web site claims they will be changing their name in 2016 to “Caracas de Ayer“. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [WaPo | TripAdvisor | Ylp]

At the center of Hyattsville’s “arts district,” this is a good introduction to a fun and rapidly improving part of town. Everything here is tasty, but my favorites were the tamale and the big, thick corn thingy stuffed with white cream, namely the cachapas. The arepas are delicious, they seem to rotate which kinds they have on a given day. Some Cuban dishes too, and sandwiches. Fun, and there is no other place like it around. Not glamorous as a site, but I’m very glad I made the trip.

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Requin

Posted on 2015/12/19 by .

Requin, web site, 8296 Glass Alley, Fairfax, VA 22031, Angelika Mosaic district, where Gypsy Soul used to be, 703-462-8662, dinner only, closed Mondays. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [WaPo | Washingtonian | NoVA Mag | Ylp | Don Rockwell]

It’s a pop-up as of December 2015, supposedly headed for DC, but I’ve heard vague rumors they will consider sticking around. Let’s hope so. The food is Franco-Mediterranean, more or less, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve eaten here, which by now is well over half the menu. My favorite appetizer is the potatoes with sausage. I find most main courses in most restaurants boring, but not here. Most of all here I’ve been impressed by the roast chicken and the bouillabaisse, and yes I know, neither sounds very thrilling. The execution is first-rate and they even taste original. While this place isn’t cheap like many of the other options in this guide, for what you get it is reasonably priced. Very good soufflé dessert too. Right now (December 2015) this is one of northern Virginia’s very best restaurants.

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Austin food bleg

Posted on 2015/12/19 by .

What’s the best dumpy place to eat in Austin?

I thank you in advance for your suggestions.

Originally posted on Marginal Revolution – click to see comments and suggestions.

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Posted in Bleg, Travel, Outside DC, Texas | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Riggsby

Posted on 2015/12/08 by .

The Riggsby, web site, 1731 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, DC, 202-787-1500, open many different hours as it is a hotel restaurant too (in The Carlyle). (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [WaPo | Washingtonian | TripAdvisor | City Paper | Ylp | Don Rockwell | Gayot]

This deliberately “retro” place is actually quite good. They have meat, seafood, a kind of “do they serve shrimp cocktail here?” 1970s kind of vibe. Doesn’t that make it exotic? More exotic than kitfo in fact? The mussels, sardines, and schnitzel here are quite good. The look and décor are fun. This is a welcome change of pace, I look forward to going back. Right now it’s the best place I can think of right off Dupont Circle.

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Dumpling Queen

Posted on 2015/11/29 by .

Dumpling Queen, 13942 Metrotech Drive, Chantilly, VA, closed Tuesdays, 703-378-4222 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Ylp]

An unusual bundle of real Chinese dishes and for-America corruptions. But the best items here are excellent: get the Xianjiang pork spare ribs, one of the better Chinese dishes in this entire region. The fried tofu with chiles. The cold noodles and dan dan noodles. I am told that soon, in about a month’s time, they will be gearing up their menu with a full set of Chinese offerings. Then this will be one of the very best Chinese restaurants around, it is already worth a visit.

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Dama Ethiopian Restaurant Pastry and Cafe

Posted on 2015/11/28 by .

Dama Ethiopian Restaurant Pastry and Cafe, web site, 6669 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA (an offshoot of the Dama place on Columbia Pike in Arlington), 703-333-2819. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Ylp]

CLOSED, now JD Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar as of Jan. 2024

Their kitfo special is the very best around, and that is quite a prized dish. I’ve tried about ten of the other items and they are all above-average, no huge surprises but consistent freshness and quality. So this is definitely one of the better Ethiopian places, it is also the most “westward” really good Ethiopian place, and has nice ambience and decore. Weekends they run a buffet for 430, with lots of Ethiopian dishes to sample. Friendly service, though like many Ethiopian places it can be slightly slow. Definitely recommended.

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