bamian restaurant

bamian restaurant
5634 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041
tel: 703) 820-7880

what was consumed: mantu, meat filled pastries, roasted eggplant spread, vegetable special, grilled chicken, stewed lamb (with rice), chicken with rice

thanks to a groupon discovery, four of us head to what felt like the middle of nowhere virginia (it's not the middle of nowhere. i'm just being dramatic, as us "city folk" who trek into the 'burbs can get. hahaha) to check out bamian's afghan fare. friend k said she would go to bamian all the time when she lived near there. she knows good food, and i knew i was in good hands. a few appetizers (roasted eggplant eaten on bread, fried savory pastries, hummus, and mantu (the afghan version of mandoo/dumplings) is always a must, no matter what and no matter where) and a few entrees (a fall off the bone lamb stew on rice, grilled chicken kebabs, chicken stew on rice, a plate of veggie sides) filled our bellies.

if they don't bring it automatically, be sure to ask for "green sauce." a pepper-vinegar-garlic-other stuff i'm sure-sauce that really should cover everything you eat, it's that delicious ... 

afghan food, though, is very rice heavy. i am all about the rice these days, so i welcomed that with open arms. bamian's rice is cooked will, and the flavors of the bbq or stew or whatever else just blends in so well.

i am craving some bamian now ... 

online: http://www.bamianrestaurant.com/

hong kong pearl seafood restaurant

hong kong pearl seafood restaurant

86 arlington boulevard, falls church, va 22044

tel: 703) 237-1388

hours: monday-thursday 10:30a,-2am, friday-saturday 10am-3am, sunday 10am-2am

what was consumed: dim sum! 

dim sum has got to be one of the best things in the world. servers go around to all of the tables and diners pick and choose the various plate options - no waiting!. there are lots to choose from - meat dishes, starchy dishes, seafood dishes, veggie dishes, and everything in between. and then, if there's something that you want in particular, you can speak with one of the servers who goes around to make sure everything is ok and put in a special request. at the end of the meal, servers tally up all that you've eaten and you pay your bill, which is usually less than you anticipated.

during lunchtime on a sunny language training day at FSI, a bunch of us were talking about dim sum and about how much we loved it, where to go, etc. as we were talking, someone (whom none of us knew) came up to our table and gave us his opinion about the best dim sum in wdc. and while we thought it weird that he would interject himself into our conversation (though i've come to understand that that's just par for the course), i'm most certainly glad that he did! that's how we found out about hong kong pearl seafood restaurant. i'm sure hong kong pearl seafood restaurant does great stuff at other times of the day, but we made it a point to head out there during lunch.

on a sort of relaxed day, we decided to do an "off campus" lunch at hong kong pearl seafood restaurant. we head over, were immediately seated (hong kong pearl seafood restaurant is quite large with probably over 30? 40? tables, all covered in the regulation pink cloth (haha)) and the carts started to come over. we chose, ate, made a few requests, ate some more, chose some more, ate some more, and paid. and we did very little talking (we were on a mission!). it was totally worth it. i hope it's still there when i head back to wdc - a must go!

han sung oak

han sung oak
6341 columbia pike, falls church, VA 22041
tel: 703) 642-0808

what was consumed: korean bbq! beef and chicken

han sung oak was the first korean restaurant (if my memory serves me correctly) i visited upon moving to the dc/metro area (what does it mean when it's taken me soooo long for me to actually write about it? hmmm). friend k wanted to try it out, so i happily obliged (note: she's also not korean, so mentioned something about wanting some assistance in ordering food as well). after doing a bit of research, because neither she nor i knew about where to go, we decided upon han sung oak.

we walked in and were immediately seated. there were a number of tables with patrons enjoying their food, but by no means was it filled. the restaurant is also quite large, so i imagine it would be easy to accommodate large(er) parties. we quickly ordered, but i was careful not to order too much. after all, there are just the two of us and, per usual with korean cuisine, i knew that a lot of my stomach would be filled with banchan. yum.

we were quickly served with our bbq menu after the table was filled with banchan (all of which were standard fare and really tasty). we cooked our own bbq a bit, but the servers did come around and did a bit of the cooking as well. i enjoyed the food and while i thought i could make something like this on my own at home, i probably wouldn't go through the effort of doing so. not regularly, anyway. all in all, i enjoyed my meal, enjoyed spending time with friend, and looked forward to other k-dining options i knew just had to be available in the dc/metro area, the 3rd most populous area with korean expatriots.

downsides? annandale is far in and of itself, so while this isn't a downside of han sung oak, it's a downside nonetheless. of course, this doesn't prevent me from frequenting annandale businesses (haha). also, if i remember correctly, han sung oak is a bit more expensive than some of the other options i've since partaken in. then again, thinking that you get what you pay for, the feeling of "higher-end" is definitely visible here. at this point, i would consider who i'm dining with (and whether that sense of fancy-shmancy-ness is important altogether). han sung oak is also probably a good place to go to if you're dining with someone who has never had korean food (who is that??!?!?!? silly goose). oh, and this last point is not a downside (haha).

now, as i pass han sung oak during my annandale adventures, i often think fondly of my first k-food experience and wonder if i should visit again. perhaps.

hong kong palace

hong kong palace
6387 seven corners center/leesburg pike, falls church, VA 22044
tel: 703) 532-0940
hours: sunday-thursday 11am-10pm, friday-saturday 11am-11pm

what was consumed: among other things, dan dan noodles, cumin beef, tofu and veggies, some green beans things, some shrimp thing, mapo tofu, fried rice, some of these crazy fried potatoes that tingled in your mouth ... and, of course, tsingtao beer!

it's been just about a year since i've been to the hong kong palace. part of it is because it's far (remember - i'm sans car! for now), part of it is because i really do feel like it's a place you can't go to by yourself (i.e., you have to order a variety of different dishes in order to get the full experience. this necessitates quite a number of people to be in attendance). why has it taken me so long to write about it!? especially when i'm often looking for chinese food (yes, it is true that the options in chinatown are few and far between. oh, the irony). maybe it's because i'm lazy. maybe it's because i'd forgotten and only recently came across my photos again. maybe it's because it's almost my friend's birthday (sort of the reason we were there to begin with). most likely, it's a combination of all of those, with the biggest blame being on the laziness. leave me alone!

anyway, here's the story. i'm at an afternoon bbq (i think it was a baby shower?) and it's also my friend's birthday. i get a call saying that they're meeting at hong kong palace and i respond with, "huh?" i then proceed to arrange for some sort of ride situation (i had ridden with others to the baby shower). of course, i had no idea where hong kon palace was and all people kept telling me was, "oh, it's in virginia." hello, that is not enough information! but if someone else is driving, then i'm not one to ask questions. just drive me home, please. oh, and thank you (these days, i feel really restricted not being able to drive myself around. does this mean i'm "growing up" and becoming more adult-like? or maybe it means i'm being more frivolous. a combination of both?! who knows. anyway ...)

so, once we figure out the ride situation (thanks, mike!) and we actually find the place, we meet up with the rest of the crowd and begin to order. there were probably a good 8 of us there ... and here's what we ate:

YUM.

what a great combination of foods! apparently, a mix between szechuan and cantonese cooking (who am i kidding, as though i know the difference outside of the most obvious) and despite having been still full from the previous event, i proceeded to consume my fair share of the lots and lots of food that was presented to us (lots of people were also recovering from a night of debauchery - how great is chinese food for that? awesome). they have the standard chinese dishes as well as some special ones. i still remember those crazy tingle-y fried potatoes (bottom right). i think we concluded that it was the boatload of msg that was in it (love me some msg!!). i have no idea if that was the case, but i want to go back and eat them. besides, you know me and fried potatoes ...

hong kong palace is also right next to the dogfish head alehouse. so, after a filling meal of chinese goodness, maybe a nice dessert and some great beer is in order. that's what we did last time. let's do it again!

online: www.hkpalace.webs.com/

dogfish head alehouse

dogfish head alehouse
6220 leesburg pike, seven corners shopping center, falls church, VA, 22044
tel: 703) 534-3342
hours: monday-wednesday 11:30am-11:00pm; thursday-saturday 11:30am to 12:am; sunday 11:30-10pm

what was consumed: beer, beer, and more beer! chipotle chicken dip, bacon chedder burger, slow roasted roast beef sandwich, ahi tuna sandwich, chocolate cake, bread pudding, apple crisp

dogfish head has a great line of beers. when i found out that they had an alehouse (totally by accident - it happened to be next to the chinese place i was at. we head over to the alehouse for dessert the first time, and then for dinner at a later date), i totally had to go. so, after taking tyler to his first experience at the korean market, we head over for some good eatin's.i started off with a nice black and tan. i'm usually not so much a fan of darker beers (though i'll drink them. you know i'll drink them), our server suggested that to us (our server was also well informed about drink selections - that's always impressive). and i'm glad we took him up on his suggestion! we then proceeded to begin our meal with a great chipotle chicken dip that was on the special menu, and also suggested by our server. it was nice and cheesy, totally delicious. we then proceeded to consume (rapidly - omg, i was so hungry that night) our respective sandwiches. i had the tuna sandwich which was cooked more than i liked (and more than i asked for), but hey - the delicious fries made up for it. i also got to try christine's and tyler's sandwiches, both of which were totally delicious. dogfish head alehouse also has a nice selection of entrees in additon to their varied sandwiches, salads, and small plates/appetizers. yum~

they also have a series of desserts that you should totally try out (which is what i had, in addition to beer of course the first time i visited the alehouse) ... though i wonder if the selection changes:

there's just something about places that have good beer. tyler also says that other parts of their menu are also worth trying. i will have to visit again to do so!

online: www.dogfishalehouse.com

idlywood grill & wine bar

idlywood grill & wine bar
2190 pimmeit drive unit b, falls church, va 22043
tel: 703) 992-0915
hours: lunch (monday-friday, 11:30 am–2pm), dinner (monday-thursday, 5pm–9:30pm; friday & saturday 5pm–10pm)

what was consumed: vegetable linguini, wine~

as many know, i do not have a car (for now ...). as a result, i rarely frequent locations that are neither metro accessible nor walking distance from wherever i happen to be (i.e., home). but on this night, having both a ride to and fro, i head out to the suburbs for a night of good eats, and good sights. you see, a few friends and i decided to go out to eat before watching 'the dark knight' at the IMAX theatre out in the country of virginia (woohoo! IMAX!!). we met up at henry's place (to which i am scared to go back to for fear of being assaulted (again) by (for real) crazy ladies in the building!) and then head out to idlywood grill & wine bar.

the grill & wine bar, being in a shopping center, didn't look like anything special from the outside (but perhaps that is typical of suburban eateries in shopping centers ... gawd, i've been out of the 'burbs for some time now). but when you step in, there's just something about the place. the ambiance, the candlelight, the people, the fragrance of food ...

i almost got the seafood linguini (which is what i usually get when i have pasta). that was also what our server recommended. and while i know that each place has its own version of seafood pasta, i felt so boring by ordering "the usual." because i wanted to be different, i got the vegetable linguini (on top of wanting some beloved veggies). and boy, was it delicious! the variety of vegetables were cooked and season so that they were nice and juicy, filled with flavor. the linguine was cooked just the way i like it (not too al dente and definitely not overcooked), and the oil based sauce was just what i wanted, what i needed (i love pasta!). the only thing was ... i was hesitant to order pasta because i know that i have a tendency to get some pretty bad food coma post eating, and even more so after pasta! but the pasta others were eating and my own favor for such dishes won over. let me tell you - it was worth it!

i also tried the gnocci (and artichoke hearts) in a creamy pesto sauce that came along with the salmon entree (and, you know, i'm a sucker for gnocci - i love it!) which was also delicious. i love the faint flavor of potato that you taste as the gnocci melts in your mouth. it was combined well with the creamy pesto sauce, though some may say that the pesto and cream are a bit overwhelming. i thought it was more of a compliment to the creaminess of the gnocci. delicious!

in addition to the fantastic food, i'll have to say that the service was great (maybe that's because henry, a 'regular' at this place, was with us). they have a somalier on staff (who, i believe, also happens to be the owner of the place) who recommended some great wine to us. there was concensus at the table that the wines went really well with all of our meal selections (at least that's what the people i was with were saying. i'm not a wine-o, so i know little about wine outside of enjoying it - hee hee).

if there is a next time, i will be sure to save some room for dessert (even though i'm normally not a huge fan). there was a large variety of options that sounded oh so tasty. too bad there was no room in my stomach ... too bad!

online: http://idylwoodgrill.com/