Must-Eats in and around VA for visitor?
Los Angeles chowhound staying in Springfield, VA for the next week. What are some foodie hangouts (restaurants, food carts, shacks, markets, etc) that should not be overlooked? I'm bound to spend at some time in D.C., and visit a few other spots around VA, so anyplace within reasonable driving distance is doable.
Low on funds, so I'm going to say keep recs around $15/pp please. Favorites are Mexican and Korean food but I'm open to anything. L.A. has a plethora of ethnic food joints, so I've had my share of most things. What's the best food VA has to offer?
Recommendations greatly anticipated and appreciated. Thanks!
By krntourist
on Sep 14, 2008 11:15 AM
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There's definitely good Korean. The center of much of it is a little north of you on 395. Go to Hee Been to get a sure fire winner.
Not sure how LA is on Sichuan, but we have a very strong community of places. In the parking lot of Hee Been is Temptasian, which is one of the Sichuan places that is in the top ranks - though I haven't been in awhile and reports on it have been scarce of late. Others include China Star in Fairfax, Hong Kong Palace in 7 Corners, or Joe's Noodle House in Rockville, MD.
The other ethnic group that is big in the area is Ethiopian, with the center of it being U street in DC. However, Lalibella in Arlington at least used to be top notch.
And if you want Thai, two of the usual three top ranked places are in Arlington on Columbia Pike - Bangkok 54 and Thai Square.
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Psyched to hear there's a lot of Ethiopian food around. Is there a particular favorite of yours on U Street? I can certainly manage the drive to D.C. Also, what's the third Thai place of the usual top three?
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I'm not the best resource on Ethiopian - I just know we have a strong community.
The third Thai place is Ruan Thai in Wheaton. There are a number of others that are very good - it's just that those three are considered on this board to be the top three - especially after a Thai smackdown a couple of years ago.
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Although Etete gets all the press (they were recently on Samantha Brown's show), Queen Makeda has some of the best Ethiopian food you're likely to find in DC. And much less crowded.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4252...
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Queen Makeda
1917 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
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I'm not all that familiar with anything great in Springfield, but some places I think are five star Chowhound delights in the Northern Virginia area (if you stick to these recs):
La Caraquena, Falls Church, a Venezuelan arepa (variety of stuffings) and fresh (!!!) soursop juice will set you back $10. Table service.
Annandale, VA: Lighthouse Tofu, Soon doo boo, go for the spiciest version.
Bay Lo in Eden Center, Falls Church, VA. Vietnamese. Get their specialty, Bay Lo 7, which is meatballs, shrimp, and pork in a potent sauce served with rice noodles and herbs.
Taqueria El Charrito Caminante in Arlington, goat tacos. Chorizo is a good second choice. A few stools to sit and eat. $4 plus beverage.
La Union Carry-out and market, in Arlington. Salvadoran. Vegetable Enchilada, empanada de platanos. Ensalada to drink. Around $8 for everything.
Pupatella food cart in Arlington at N. 9th and Scott Sts. Italian. Individual margherita pizza for $5 or so. Italian crepes for breakfast.
Shiney's in Annandale, VA Pakistani. Long pepper pakori, chaat papri. Counter service.
Ghin Na Ree in Arlington. Thai. Yum neua (spicy beef salad), shrimp in wonton skins will set you back about $12.
In Alexandria, Guadalejara Tacos y Tortas. Get the huarache con birria.
Thai Square, Arlington, VA. Order the roast duck noodle soup off the Thai-only menu. You will have to ask for that. If you still have money left over, go for the tile fish appetizer on the regular menu.
Overall, you should try to drive to Eden Center which is a Vietnamese Shopping Center with over 23 Vietnamese restaurants plus delis, pho parlors, bakeries, and other stores. Exterior stores face the main parking lot plus three hidden interior courtyards feature much more to eat and shop.
www.edencenter.com
Annandale, VA is the heart of the Korean Business community. At least 30 Korean restaurants, some with no signage or menu in English, plus many other businesses. Not quite as concentrated as Eden Center, but still within a fairly small area. A fantastic area to explore, centered on the intersection of Little River Turnpike and Columbia Rd.
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I had never heard of either arepas or soursop until today, and they sound absolutely delicious. If anything, I will definitely visit La Caraquena. As for the Bay Lo 7, is this pho? or some sort of bun? Can you tell me where the best Banh Mi and Che can be found? All you recommendations sound great - I'm going to attempt to try all of them. - To think I would run into Salvadoran empanadas in the Virginia suburbs! Can't wait to get my hands on some.
[general comment] I'm going to try Texas de Brazil tomorrow, as my cousin works there. I'm excited to see how it compares with other churrascarias I've been to. Any experiences eating there?
I'll be back with a report as soon as I get to try some of this food. Any other recommendations in the meantime would be great.
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BTW, Central American empanadas are not like Tex-Mex or Mexican. The veggie empanada will surprise you.
Bay Lo is not a pho place. The Bay Lo 7 is more like a large combo bowl without the large bowl. They give you a small bowl to mix noodles, herbs, and meats together with the sauce. Also, they have a VERY interesting gray fish paste on the table I've never seen before.
At Eden Center, there are several banh mi places, the best is probably Nhu Lan. I like the pork skin. Plenty odf delis at Eden Center serve the bubble tea as well as various styles of tapioca pudding. There is also a tofu place, Than Son Tofu, where you can stuff yourseld suilly for $3.
If you need any help finding or eating at any of these places, my e-mail address is in my profile.
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I didn't have as much free time as I thought, but so far I've had the chance to try two places.
I went to Queen Makeda, but they were closed (their number was also out of service, perhaps they are out of business?) So, jumped across the street to Etete, where I shared their standard vegetable platter and the Yeawaze (spicy beef of some sort) tibs with my cousin. Most of the vegetable items were on par with my expectations, though the yellow potatoes/carrots seemed somewhat lacking. And I unfairly wished a bit more flavor from the collard greens, but they were more than satisfactory. The Yeawaze tibs were nice and spicy, not afraid to showcase their flavor. The injera was also good, not lacking in any way, and pleasantly less sour than some versions I've had. Overall, a hearty and delicious Ethiopian experience away from home, and a great introduction to Ethiopian food for my cousin - I'm sure she'll be back after I leave.
And today for lunch I went to Thai Square, as recommended by both Dennis and Steve. When I asked for Roasted Duck Noodle Soup, the wait staff (super friendly) referred me to the Honey Duck Noodle Soup, which came with a choice of fat or skinny noodles (I went with the fat noodles on the waitress's suggestion). The soup was an ethereal mix of sweet and savory, and the duck was not wanting of flavor. I only with my writing ability was good enough to accurately describe the taste of the food. I'm looking forward to trying out more recommendations, with La Caraquena first on my list.
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Yesterday I had the chance to try Five Guys. I had a Bacon Cheeseburger with Jalapenos, Sauteed Mushrooms, Fried Onions, Mustard, and Hot Sauce - and Cajun Fries. I have no idea why so many people rave about In n' Out - Five Guys was above and beyond such comparisons. I've certainly had one or two pretentious burgers in LA with similar size/toppings at three times the price. I'm glad to find that there is a Five Guys in Carson, CA, about 20 miles from LA. I'll be sure to check it out the next time I'm in the neighborhood.
Today I had the chance to try La Caraquena and Smiley's.
La Caraquena was awesome. Enjoyed the Saltenas, Tequenones very much. I had a domino (black beans and cheese) arepas grilled, and sampled a deep-fried carne mechada arepa as well - both were delicious. Also ate a Diputado sandwich - the onions and tomatoes were perfect though I found the beef a little salty for my taste, and I was hoping for a slightly less cooked egg - overall a good sandwich. I drank the soursop shake with milk, and the chef obliged when a mango/soursop concoction was requested by my cousin. Both were tasty. Their coffee was nothing to write home about, but it fit the bill post-meal. Service was top notch.
Smiley's had some friendly people working at the counter. I found the food to be rather unremarkable. Though I think that may be attributable to our selections - The chicken tikka, lamb tikka, chicken roll<?> sweet rice, and beef somosas were ordered. None were above average - I did like the spice of the chickpeas, but they were a bit greasy for my liking. I ordered a hot tea, which came (free of charge) at the end of our meal, topped by a thin brown film <?> which I was not inclined to taste - the tea tasted like earl grey with milk. I regret I didn't try some of the fried goods on the steamtables or any of the sweets, but the quality of the dishes we ordered left me a bit dissatisfied. Not a bad experience, but not a spectacular one. I very much regret neglecting to double check the recommendations of the long pepper pakori and chaat papri before taking off to eat.
Looking forward to trying out at least one more before I leave!
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Loving your thoughtful reports!
Which Five Guys did you go to? I think they vary in quality, but I've never heard anyone praise them over In&Out (which I love, I'm from Calif, too) -- so this is interesting!
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I'm not exactly sure, as I didn't drive there myself. If I had to guess, I'd go with the Springfield location which appears to be on Backlick Rd.
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Five Guys Famous Burgers
6541 Backlick Rd, Springfield, VA 22150
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Glad you liked La Caraquena. Was that your first time eating a saltena? Do they have then in LA? Bolivian food is becoming ubiquitous in Northern Virginia.
Also, what came on the mechada arepa?
Sorry you didn't like Shiney's. (Although I do like your transformation of the name). Like many sub-continental places to eat, Some dishes are at a steam table, so YMMV. I like ordering chaat papri because it has to be made fresh. Same goes with the Pakistani selections of nerahi or paya.
I look forward to hearing about your 'last meal.'
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I tried Shiney's with a friend last night and loved the chaat papri -- got it on your recommendation, Steve. Have never had that dish before. I think that will be one of my go-to places for carryout for a long time to come for that dish alone. Also got the chapli kabob (good, but I didn't feel compelled to keep eating it) and friend got the chicken tikka, which she liked but said was about average for that dish. The naan was very tasty and fresh. I liked the chickpeas more than she did. Thanks for the recommendation; I probably wouldn't have tried it otherwise.
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If you liked the chaat papri there, you will probably like the dahi vada at Punjab Dhaba on Rte 50 in Loehmann'sPlaza in Falls Church. Also are you familiar with bhel puri? Similar to chaat papri, but features crunchy 'angel hair noodles' instead of crackers. In general harder to find bhel puri, but they might have it at Bombay Curry Company in Alexandria.
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They do have it at Bombay, Steve.
I sometimes go to Bombay Curry Company and make a meal of the starters.
Bhel Puri, Charcoal broiled chicken wings, Garlic nan or onion kulcha bread, small dish of lentils, the samosas and onion bhaji are good but I get them when I am with a friend otherwise its too much food. They also have a starter, little burger patties of ground beef which my friend likes, I find it too 'soft'.
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Thanks for the suggestions. I will have to venture over there!
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