Duangrat’s

A thai-mless classic for us!  I stumbled upon Duangrat’s a few years ago by accident.  I was amazed by the Rt. 7/Leesburg Pike’s international corridor between Eden Center (Rt. 50 & Rt. 7), Seven Corners, and Bailey’s Crossroads (Columbia Pike & Rt. 7).  You can pretty much take a culinary tour of the world within this corridor and is one of my favorite places to be adventurous.  I have taken Aparna to a few spots here – Song Que Deli, Raaga and Duangrat’s.

Duangrat’s is always delicious and is one of our go-to Thai spots (if we decide to venture out of VA).   Aparna got a taste of Duangrat’s last year and she has fallen in love with it as much as I have.  We also like the service here – they recognize us when we walk in…not because we go there often, but because they really do remember a face.  It is a one-of-a-kind local restaurant that has its roots here in the DC area.  Started back in 80’s, they are still serving up amazing meals.

• Menu – Vegetarian items clearly have their own section.  However, you can always ask them to make a dish vegetarian and might have to remind them to not use the fish sauce.
• Total – Be prepared to spend between $40 – $50 for two people.  Average price for a dinner entrée is about $15.  A bit more expensive, but worth the cost our opinion. Plus, we always have left-overs and makes a great lunch the next day!

The Verdict

If you want really good Thai food with a unique decor and a family feel…this is the place for you.  Be prepared to spend a bit more than what you might be accustomed to at a Thai restaurant, but totally worth it!  If you are looking for some deals, go on a Tuesday night, where you get a free bottle of wine with $40 purchase.  Either way, you shouldn’t be let down and is worth the venture out to VA!

Papaya Salad – spicy, tangy, right amount of crunchiness.  Ask for no-fish sauce or shrimp.  Simply delicious and great way to start an amazing meal.  If you are hungry, get this to start because it comes out really quickly!

Tofu Radna – crunchy vegetables, soft noodles, not too salty, and super garlicky YUM.  This is not as spicy as the drunken noodles, but just as much flavor.  They know how to make it amazing every single time!

 

Tofu Brahmh – the peanut sauce is delish!  We really have a hard time ordering anything else on the menu when we visit.  This is our go-to dish…just awesome!

Lycheetini – had a frozen lychee pop in it!  What an awesome drink…would totally recommend it.

Toki Undergound – late night Ramen

I was really excited to take Karthik to Toki Underground because of my obvious love for everything Japanese (even though this apparently has more of a Taiwanese influence) . My sister told me about an amazing ramen place in NY called Ippudo so I was thrilled to hear that there was a new place in DC. After reading many Yelp reviews I was convinced that we would have to wait 2+ hours for a table. However, we only had to wait about 30 minutes and they called us when our table was ready so we didn’t have to wait around aimlessly (there is no bar to wait at because the bar is used for seating). This place is easy to miss on the H St. NE strip – you have to look for the logo on the door and head up a narrow flight of stairs. The restaurant itself has a great ambiance – dark, exposed ceilings, skateboards as footstools, and what I am assuming to be Taiwanese cartoon characters as decoration. It definitely gave you a sense of being in another country so that was cool. 

• Menu: Vegetarian items are clearly marked. Dumplings (1 option), Ramen (1 option), Sides (depends), Desserts (all veg)
• Total: 33.20 not including tax and tip

Verdict: Fun experience, mediocre food. Waiters are very friendly and willing to explain dishes and help you decide.

 

Vegetarian Dumplings: The dumplings were not impressive. They were burnt and the filling was boring. The sauce, however, was delicious.

Corn: We ordered the grilled corn with spiced butter and crumbled cheese. It was pretty good but nothing to write home about.

Masumi Vegetarian Ramen: We ordered 1 bowl with extra noodles and we shared it. The broth was pretty bland and the noodles were sticky so it was hard to eat. It was satisfying but honestly nothing stellar.

Dessert: I was really excited about the almond cookies because I had read so much about them on Yelp and our waiter even said they were amazing. We waited 20+ minutes for 3 cookies and by that time I was falling asleep on the table so we asked for it to go. It was supposed to come with a glass of milk but I guess they couldn’t do the milk to go. So, we basically paid $7 for 3 almond cookies which did come out piping hot but honestly not cooked all the way through. Could have been delicious but turned out disappointing.  

But Karthik and I had a great time!

5 Course Meal

So, I lost a game of ping pong to Karthik (best 2 out of 3 and we each won one game…and the final score of the 3rd game was VERY close). (‘Disagree’ by Karthik).  The bet was that the loser had to make the winner a 5 course meal. Really, there are no losers when there is food involved. I don’t know how to make 5 courses for 2 people so we invited both of our parent’s over. The proportions were perfect and we got to share this food with our lovely parents.

I knew I wanted to make vegetable manchurian because it’s Karthik’s favorite so I centered the rest of the menu around that. Disclaimer: I am not really a good cook. I can follow a recipe but am not really at the point where I can make my own modifications. Here are the results:

• Appetizer: Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Mango
• Appetizer: Sauteed Bok Choy with Crispy Garlic
• Salad: Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing
• Entree: Mushroom Fried Rice
• Entree: Baked Vegetable Manchurian
• Drink: Iced Jasmine Mint Tea

Our comments/variations:

Vietnamese Summer Rolls = great recipe (it is Sala’s recipe of course), I just need to learn how to wrap the rolls better. I added jicama in here for extra crunch.  I love that these are not fried!  Karthik’s Comment – Delicious!!!  It was left up to me to make the dipping sauce.  We are still looking for a good recipe without sugar.

Sauteed Bok Choy = I loved this dish. Very little oil, no spices, just sauteed bok choy with lots of garlic. I added a little bit of sesame oil and sesame seeds on top.  Karthik’s Comment – Love me some garlic and bok choy.

Quinoa Salad  = Another great recipe from Sala. I added jicama because I had a lot of it and it is delicious.  Karthik’s Comment – wasn’t a huge fan of the blueberries in this recipe, but overall goodness.

Mushroom Fried Rice = This turned out pretty well. I would cook the mushrooms a little less so they stay fresher. You could also add more vegetables to this or even scramble an egg in it.  Karthik’s Comment – this hit the spot!  I wanted a bit more salt, but Aparna is right..less salt = better in the long run.

Baked Vegetable Manchurian = I really didn’t want to fry manchurian so I was so happy when I found this recipe for baked manchurian. I was skeptical while I was making it but it turned out really well. They were crispy and retained their flavor. The gravy was spicy and tasted just like the dish I am used to. I broiled the manchurian in addition to baking them and it made them extra crispy.  Karthik’s Comment – AMAZING!  Oh man, this totally made my day.  I loved that it wasn’t fried and I loved how good it tasted.  Wish Aparna made more!

Iced Jasmine Mint Tea = I totally changed this recipe because it wasn’t enough for 6 people. I steeped 7 tea bags (4 green tea, 3 jasmine green tea) in boiling water, let it cool, and then added one bottle of sparkling lemonade from Trader Joe’s. We like that one because it’s not too sweet. So, this became Sparkling Iced Jasmine Lemonade Mint Tea….still very refreshing.  Karthik’s Comment – Arnold ‘Jasmine’ Palmer!

Thai X-ing

I think Aparna and I found our favorite Thai restaurant, ever.  For a few months now, we both have been itching to go to Thai X-ing (http://www.thaix-ing.com), located near Shaw-Howard on Florida Ave NW.  So, on a Sunday evening, with Preethi and Mani (my cousin and cousin-in-law), Aparna and I headed over to to Thai X-ing.  It is a no-frills Thai restaurant that just serves up deliciousness.  They focus on what they are good at, cooking and serving authentic Thai dishes.  Every Sunday, they serve a six course prix fixe Vegetarian menu.  Be ready to feast and take your time doing it!

All of their dishes have a twist. They are different from what you see in other Thai restaurants.  One such twist is that they serve food on banana leaves!  Yes, you heard me, banana leaves.  Now, I am speaking from experience here ( I am South Indian after all), but anytime you serve food on banana leaf, it just tastes a whole lot better.  You don’t find  a lot of places doing this…probably because banana leaves are hard to come by and expensive, but if you haven’t had a meal on a banana leaf before or are simply missing it, go now!

Another amazing twist is that the restaurant truly has a unique ambiance.  Not at all what you expect a typical restaurant to be.  You walk up to the restaurant and you think you are entering someone’s house.  You see row houses to your left and right and wonder if you arrived at the right spot.  You walk through a gate into the ground floor basement of a row house only to find dining tables and what seems to be a restaurant.  If you get a chance to sit upstairs, don’t miss out on it!  They have also converted the upstairs floor into a dining area.  It literally is in someone’s house.  You are eating in a dining room area with tables.  However, it gives a personal dining experience that you probably won’t get many other places. Tip: Don’t wear socks with holes in them because you will be asked to remove your shoes!

• Menu – we didn’t receive a menu because we had the prix fixe meal.  However, looking online, their vegeterian options are clearly marked.
• Total – the price was $60.00 ($30.00 per/person for the prix fixe menu).  They serve you water and have a couple beverages listed on the menu.  You can BYOB.

The Verdict: If you want amazing Thai food, in a truly no-frills kind of environment, then this is the spot for you.  Bring some friends and enjoy an amazing meal that will leave you full and happy.  Aparna and I had an amazing time.  This is our kind of place!  It isn’t fancy, the food is amazing and you get what you paid for.  We are definitely going to come back…anyone want to join us?

Funxion Fail

Aparna and I are self admitting Groupon (and almost all other social coupon) junkies.  We had purchased a coupon for Funxion.  Located right near Chinatown, we were really excited to try Funxion restaurant.  The website states that it is the first FIT Restaurant and Bar in America and right in our backyard in Washington DC!  When you first walk in, the restaurant looks amazing.  It is a very sleek and modern restaurant with bright colors, fancy chairs and tables, TVs and evan a juice bar.

• Menu: Veg items aren’t marked, however, there is a label for Vegan items.  For all you health conscious folks out there, almost all items have labels for calories, grams of fat, gluten free, sugar free, etc.
• Vegetarian Items: Appetizers (2/6), Burgers + Sliders (2/6), Pizzas (4/7), Salads (2/4), Sandwiches + Wraps (2/9), Sides (8/8).  Pleanty of items to choose from that are Veg and Vegan friendly.
• Total: $30 * (approx)

The Verdict: As Aparna put it, “Funxion Fail”.  To start with, we got the Nachos.  The nachos were just soggy and didn’t have much taste to it.  The Mushroom Pizza was also alright – I thought it was the best dish we got.  The black bean burger was also, you guessed it, bland. We thought it could’ve used some sort of sauce or spread to enhance the taste.  The Black Bean Mango Salsa as the side was also a let down.  We completely understand that it is a constant challenge with trying to keep food healthy and have a lot of taste, but I think we were expecting this spot to be a winner.  We walked away thinking everything could’ve used a bit more flavor, but again, guess that would defeat the FIT restaurant aspect – we just like our salt & butter. 🙂

Ghana Cafe – Satisfying, Friendly, Delicious

Karthik and I have been wanting to go to Ghana Cafe for a long time and we finally created (not found, but created) the time on Sunday after a tiring day at Karma Kitchen. Neither of us have had Ghanaian food before so we were excited. We were thrilled to see that they had a separate vegetarian menu.

Ghana Cafe feels like home. House Hunters is playing on the TV behind a bar decorated with currency from around the world. We sit down and the owner himself gives us the menu. We stare at the vegetarian menu for awhile trying to figure out how it works and we finally decide to ask our waiter for some advice. We loved our waiter – he was friendly, knowledgeable and wasn’t afraid to suggest menu items and combinations for us. It was really refreshing to have a waiter that was honest and didn’t want to convince you to order the most expensive thing on the menu. He gave us his frank opinion on the dishes and advised us to try the Red Red (Fried plantain beans stew) and the Sampler which consists of Jollof Rice (Ghanaian style seasoned rice), Wakye (Rice and beans), and the Ghana Cafe special sauce (tomato-based sauce). Basically, you pick your starch and then you can pick any stew to go along with it. He suggested the Spinach and Egussi (pumpkin seeds) stew. Our food came out fast and it reinforced the home-like feeling. Everything was served on one plate (yay for not wasting dishes) and we asked the owner to help us identify what we were eating. Our meal was hearty and one that really satisfied the stomach and the soul (more details below the fold). We even got African Donuts for dessert (we saw the waiter walk by with them for another table and we knew we had to order it). We were told that the donuts were brought over with the British but were then adapted to Ghanaian tastes. It’s basically fried cake served on pineapple marmalade.

In addition to the waiter, the owner (Tony) also made us feel at home. He told us how his wife loves House Hunters and that’s why it’s on TV. He also told us about how there are lots of Indian people in Ghana and that some of the spices are similar. He has owned Ghana Cafe for 15 years!

• Menu: There is a separate vegetarian menu with many options and many different combinations. Also seems to be vegan friendly.
• Total: It is a tad bit on the expensive side but maybe that’s because we were expecting “cafe” prices. For 2 entrees and 1 dessert our total with tip was $40.

This place is really kid-friendly! We saw a few young kids when we were there and they seemed to be having a great time dancing to the music and eating with their hands.

The Verdict: Unique and delicious. Worth at least one visit for the adventurous diner. We will definitely be back (we actually bought a Groupon for it as soon as we got home). There are endless possibilities with the menu because you can choose different stews and different starches. Peanut stew and okra stew are next on the list for us. Also, I just found out that there is dancing there on weekends!

The Bourgeois Pig (NYC)

When Karthik and I were in NYC we also went to a fondue restaurant called The Bourgeois Pig. I was really excited about this place because they are one of the few places that serve “raclette”. My parents have been telling me about raclette cheese for such a long time so I was really looking forward to this.

Raclette is  a dish indigenous to parts of Switzerland. The Raclette cheese round is heated, either in front of a fire or by a special machine, then scraped onto diners’ plates; the term raclette derives from the French word racler, meaning “to scrape”. Traditionally, it is accompanied by small firm potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions, and dried meat, such as prosciutto and viande des Grisons.

The Bourgeois Pig was a fun place to go. They don’t take reservations so be prepared to either wait or eat at the bar. We got lucky and got a table right away. It’s a dark restaurant with kind of a gothic and quirky feel. We really liked the environment because it felt different than any place we had been to in DC. The drink menu looked really interesting (mint tea infused with white wine, muddled tangerines, lime, strawberry…yum?).

• Menu: Veg items are not clearly labeled so it would be better if you asked the waiter (always the chance of a meat-based broth).
• Vegetarian Items: Petit Plates (1/4), Bruschetta (4/5), Tartines (3/4), Cheese Boards (5/5), Savory Fondue (4/6), all desserts (11/11)
• Total: $60 *(approx)
  

The Verdict: We ordered the raclette cheese plate and the mushroom royale fondue. The restaurant was fun and I would go back for Happy Hour or drinks but wouldn’t go back for the food. The raclette was disappointing. The cheese was clumped on one side of the plate and was chewy and barely had any taste. We bought raclette from Trader Joe’s that had much more flavor. It was supposed to come with gherkins but they didn’t come on the plate. When I asked the waiter about it he said that it didn’t usually come with it (the menu clearly says they do…). The Mushroom Royale fondue was also a bit disappointing. I honestly like the cheese fondue better at Melting Pot because it is more flavorful. This one didn’t have that taste of white wine and it didn’t stay that hot while we were eating it. The accoutrements, however, were delicious!

Song Que Deli

Going across the river to Virginia has never been so delicious. There are few places that we have found in this area that we want to go back to over and over again. Song Que Deli has made it’s way on to this ever-growing list.

Located in the extremely popular Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia, the Song Que deli sits in the corner of a brightly-colored strip mall of all Vietnamese restaurants, grocery stores, bars, and a disproportionate amount of jewelry stores. Karthik took me here for the first time a few months ago and I was in heaven. For some reason I love East Asian cuisines and I love the whimsy in the variety of desserts, packaged candy, and unfamiliar snacks.

The speciality at Song Que is their banh mi. We wrote about banh mi in Columbia Heights here. The tofu banh mi at Song Que is delicious. The bread is crusty, the nondescript yellow sauce is tangy, the vegetables are wonderfully pickled, and the flavor of the tofu is strong but not too spicy.

Song Que also has bubble tea. Fantastic. Last time I got sugar cane bubble tea which was really good. This time I got guarana bubble tea (mainly because my favorite soda is made from its extract) and Karthik got taro.  Taro bubble tea has become his second favorite next to Thai Tea.  Both of us were satisfied. We also splurged for dessert – banana wrapped in sticky rice with coconut milk dipping sauce. 

• Menu: The menu is written up on the wall and there is only one veg item – the tofu banh mi
• Total: $11 (approx.)

The Verdict: If you are looking for good bahn mi with a bit of that cultural oasis, this is the spot for you.  The vegetarian food is delicious, the staff is helpful and the atmosphere is fantastic.  After you eat, walk around Eden Center to shop for other fun items. 

Vatan – Indian Vegetarian in NYC

I have a feeling that this post might not go over well with folks but we’ll go for it anyway. Karthik and I went to New York City last week and went to 3 restaurants – Vatan, the Bourgeois Pig, and Saravana Bhavan (Edison, NJ). We were so excited about all 3 of these but were unfortunately disappointed with our experiences. Maybe we just had bad luck but I still feel like it’s worth posting about them. You have been warned. This is  a negative review. Perhaps our expectations were too high….

Vatan is an extremely popular Indian vegetarian restaurant in Murray (Curry) Hill, NYC.  It is completely vegetarian, all-you-can-eat, thali style Gujarati meal. Karthik hasn’t had much Gujarati food and I am Gujarati so we were both excited for different reasons. I think I was disappointed because I was expecting elevated Gujarati food but I felt like the food we got was not nearly as good as my mom’s food.

• Menu: All items are vegetarian. Not all are vegan.
• Total: $60 not including tax and tip. EXPENSIVE.

The Verdict: If you are looking for good Gujarati food, come to my house or go to Edison, NJ. Karthik enjoyed this meal more than I did because he hasn’t had much Gujarati food. I, on the other hand, was not impressed. In my opinion, it was expensive for no reason and more than that, just not delicious. I know this is a harsh review but I had to express my disappointment in some way. 🙂 The ambience and the decor was very unique and I think they are catering to a non-Indian crowd. The food is different than what you get at most Indian restaurants so that is a plus but I just wish they paid more attention to the small details and really perfected the food they serve. The menu literally NEVER changes so you would think they would be excellent at what they do?

Want to see the long list of menu items? Below the fold!

Irene’s Pupusas

If you ever find yourself in Hyattsville (original Irene’s Pupusas) or Wheaton (Irene’s Pupusas III) you need to try a pupusa…or two….or six. I can’t figure out where II is and the Internet won’t give me a consistent answer. Sorry.

We went there with my parents and had a delicious meal. A pupusa, according to wikipedia, is a traditional Salvadoran dish made of thick, hand-made corn tortilla (made using masa de maíz, a maize flour dough used in Latin American cuisine) that is filled with a blend of the following: cheese (queso) and something else equally delicious. My family loves pupusas and we have even tried to make them at home (we = my sister who conveniently has a vegetarian cooking blog).

We ordered 6 pupusas  (cheese, cheese+beans, cheese+zucchini, cheese+carrot, cheese+loroco which is a type of flower bud, and rice flour pupusa) and 1 order of fried plaintains for 4 of us. We were definitely full at the end. Details below the fold.