wongeats

Himalayan Heritage

I have had my fair share of Indian food, either during my youth growing up in Southeast Asia, or the Indian food establishments that I’m always seeking out to find good authentic Indian fare. So, when a coupon for Nepalese cuisine popped up on my computer screen, there was no hesitation pressing “enter” to purchase this deal, having in mind that this South Asian cuisine could be fairly similar and at the same distinct from the aforementioned cuisine. I showed up at Himalayan Heritage in Adams Morgan, D.C., with coupon in hand, to later find out that it had just passed the expiration date for such deal. Walking through its door, I entered a familiar space that held a former life and cuisine (that restaurant and its type of food escape me), and I was immediately impressed by the rich and exotic decor that whisked me to the Himalayan highlands, with a bright autumn light flooding and illuminating the rich painted walls within. Since the paid value for the deal was still valid, I sat down and looked at the menu with a certain degree of enthusiasm and culinary curiosity, having not ventured in this gastronomic field before.

Immediately after taking my seat by one of the well-dressed windows, a waiter put down in front of me a plate of soybeans and puffed rice. After perusing the menu and placing my order, I took my first bite of this opening dish. The soybeans were a bit firm, an indication of being freshly cooked, tasting slightly salty, spicy from some chili heat, slightly sweet from the onions and red pepper, and yellow from some turmeric. This was an indication of what I could predict what Nepalese food was about – rather simple and not overspiced. The puffed rice was a playful counterpoint to the green beans, being flavorless but slightly nutty. An order of Mango Lassi as my drink was a pleasant surprise from the usual expectation, it being not too thick, not too sweet, and the mango puree fruity and not metallic (the result of canning), exuding some slight floral notes. A good start.

I decided to go for the five-course special in order to sample as many dishes as I could in this one sitting – the mango lassi, glass of wine, or beer made up the first element. The next course was a choice of soup or salad, and I went for the Coconut Tomato Soup – unfortunately, I could not substitute this course with the famous Nepali Momo, akin to Chinese dumpling. The large bowl arrived with a waft of coconut essence emanating from the orange hot liquid, forecasting what to expect with each spoonful. It was an interesting combination of Indian Sambal soup with its sour fragrant notes, slightly fruity from the pureed tomato, and rich from the coconut cream and toasted coconut bits in it. Each spoonful was a layer of my gastronomic research as my curious tongue probed each mouthful. I eventually had to place my utensil down as I was started to feel quite full from this hot soup, and I had to leave room for the rest of the meal. It was tasty and interesting, but I would have preferred as smaller bowl of this rich sip.

I was taken aback when my next course arrived. The Stuffed Chatamarin looked like a huge pizza with a topping of different colorful ingredients. One mouthful revealed its true nature. The dough was a spongy rice flour base that was completely mild and lightly seasoned, sans the gluten pull, and made yellow with the use of turmeric. Studded through it (not toppings, but cooked as part of the dough mix) were pieces of green onion, red peppers, white onion, bits of ground chicken and a whole egg cooked as its center. The disparate elements came together in each bite, with the rice dough providing the mild backdrop, the vegetable bits fragrance, the chicken its meatiness and some good seasoning, and the over-easy egg its rich yolk creaminess. Just like the above soup, each bite was whetting my curiosity, but I had to stop my probing venture into this dish when nearly half had already been consumed.

As for the next two courses of the super meal, the choices were served as half orders, and understandably so. The first medi-portion was Nepali Style Tarkari. My order came with 3 large shrimp, butterflied and cooked perfectly, just done without any bounce in each bite, and tasting fresh and seafood sweet. The sauce was quite salty (which I didn’t mind once mixed with rice) but slightly sweet from the tomato base, fragrant from onions, ginger, cumin, and a little spicy from some chili. Obviously, someone in the kitchen knows what he (I did see Mr. Chef) is doing with such skilful handling of the elements especially the star protein in this dish. The side of Basmati rice was properly cooked, being light and fluffy, slightly oiled, and studded with some flavor-exploding whole cumin seeds.

The other half portion was Asparagus Bhutuwa. A bowl was filled with cauliflower, asparagus, and chunks of potato, covered by a orangy sauce containing some fragrant cumin seeds. But what impressed me the most was the cooking of all the different vegetables: the cauliflower completely cooked without being mushy, the asparagus tasting fresh with a slight crunch, and the potato completely cooked and disintegrating in the mouth with ease – such cooking needs perfect timing. The sauce was slightly sweet with a hint of sufficient spice heat, and a tinge of sourness to complement and add some more interest to the whole mix. This was a most satisfying and worthy vegetarian/vegan dish.

Dessert was the final course, and while perusing the menu, I shied away from the usual Indian suspects and honed in on a Nepali sweet dish: Sikarni – Spiced Sweet Yogurt Pistachio. The bowl arrived with thick full-cream yogurt studded with bits of nuts and sultanas. The first mouthful woke this diner up with its use of cinnamon that not only provided some zing but also a bark-like fragrance from the fresh-tasting spice. The nut-fruit element did not come across as an afterthought in this dessert since they were quite soft from a long sitting in the mix, having absorbed the slight tanginess from the fermented milk. The sugar level in it also pointed to a judicious hand that was skilful in providing the perfect balance. My only complaint was the lack of fragrant pistachio as listed in the menu, but this dessert was already chockful with nutty slivers of almond. Even though I was quite stuffed from the previous courses, I found this sweet ending very tantalizing and completely irresistible, and despite its richness, I simply could not get enough of this cold sweet fragrant yogurt.

Despite not being able to capitalize on the coupon deal on time, I was most impressed by my trip to this restaurant serving a little-known cuisine in this area. I did walk in with some preconceived notions of how the food was going to taste. But what I came out with far outweighed those ideas as the dishes left me with a big smile from a sated stomach and my pleased gastronomic senses; the interesting rich coconut soup, the tasty and intriguing rice dough “pizza”, the perfectly cooked shrimp curry, the equally stellar and perfectly cooked vegetables in a spicy sauce, and the mild yet no-less-satisfying yogurt dessert. Yes, it did take some effort finding these Nepali offerings amidst the sea of Indian fare, but the effort paid off handsomely. Never mind I did not get to order the Nepali Momo dumpling. What made up for it was the well-executed dishes that whisked me away to another place, aided by the lush décor around me, and the next table of Nepalese enjoying the dumplings themselves. From this dining experience, I think I have found a new cuisine that I have quickly fallen for.

Pho Grill 198 – Banh Mi

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>A quick post:
Pho & Grill 198 (read blog) has just started serving the quintessential Vietnamese sandwich, Banh Mi, and I had a taste of it today. Fresh crusty baguette, crispy vegetables, sweet and sour pickles, Jalapeño bite, fragrant cilantro, and marinated lemongrass grilled meat – a winning combination!! Finally this sandwich has made it to this side of the DMV.

Taqueria Distrito Federal

Food, Restaurants

Washington DC is going through spurts of change, especially in certain neighborhoods in this small district. I have been living in my adopted city since my arrival for graduate school, and I have seen the changes in various parts of the city, from the squalid days of the 80’s crack years to today’s prosperous times especially in neighborhoods that have gone through some serious gentrification. One such neighborhood is Columbia Heights, an area once known for its high density of immigrants mainly from Central America. Walking around Columbia Heights metro stop these days, one can’t help but marvel at the swanky condo buildings and shopping centers that were not in existence not too long ago – one could assume its mistaken identity with such drastic changes. I faced such mistaken identity when I bought some online coupons for a taco place, thinking that it was a high-end Mexican restaurant that I had been waiting to do a review on, confusing the order of the words in the name. Oh well, with such fate in the coupons, I looked up the online reviews, which built up some anticipation in me to visit this low-key establishment.

Taqueria Distrito Federal is located about half-mile from the above-mentioned metro stop. Heading north, one notices the effects of gentrification petering off as the buildings look more aged and the din of the streets pulsating with rhythmic lilts of salsa and merengue, in addition to a growing density of Latinos and less of the gringo. TDF is on the ground level of what looks like a townhouse with a small patio area for al fresco dining, prime dining property compared to the rather cavernous inside. Once seated, I was regaled with a bowl of creamy green salsa with some thin fried nachos. Not thinking much of the usual pedestrian offering, I took a small bite while I was perusing the menu. Immediately, I sensed that this was a different type of salsa. My investigative tongue was analyzing the interesting notes, coming up with a slightly smoothness from the avocado, some front-mouth heat from jalapeño peppers, herbaceous from a hit of cilantro, and tartness from a good dose of lime juice (not so limey, unfortunately, on another visit). Before I knew it, I was making some dent in the basket of chips which supported the limelight (pun intended) on the salsa. The drink offerings were the perfect accompaniment to the nachos. On one visit, it was Jamaica, Hibiscus flower water, with its slight floral notes and its soft berry-like puckeriness. Another visit’s liquid was Marañon, Cashew fruit juice, which I appreciated for its unique fruitiness with a gentle tannin-like quality. In addition, other drinks are the usual Mexican/Central American offerings of Horchata, Tamarindo, and Jarritos (Mexican sodas made with REAL sugar). Authenticity definitely starts here indeed.

The menu offers primarily Mexican street-fare that are relatively small bites. I could not help but zone in on the Tostadas, and on one visit, the topping of choice was fish. The crispy fried corn tortilla was nice and crispy, strong enough to support the layers of slightly smokey mashed black beans, the fish, a handful of crisp lettuce, and a slathering of light crema, Mexican sour cream (less sour than the usual) along with shaved mild Mexican cheese. But what really got my attention was the fish that was cooked firm but the right texture for this dish and tasting well-seasoned. I was curious to what type fish was being used, guessing Red Snapper. The waitress said it was Tilapia – seriously? There was no hint of the dreaded muddiness sometimes associated with the fish, and I was enjoying every morsel of that sea protein. This was definitely delicioso especially given that it was that fish of choice. Another trip’s order was made with shrimp which was not so exciting for the red bean paste was a bit flavorless and the shrimp not as tasty as the fish version. Other versions can be ordered with different meat topping but seafood is the way to go for me with this crispy tortilla bite.

Being a Mexican taqueria, TDF’s menu highlights its taco offerings. An order for lunch one day was made with the tilapia fish, tasting similar to the tostada on the same visit. Pieces of fish came sitting on a couple of small tortillas, tasting fairly fresh and with its corn notes, but perhaps store bought since it didn’t have the hand-made appearance judging by the perfectly round shape. In addition to the protein, a topping of ripe avocado slices, sweet white onion and cilantro, with a lime wedge was its simple accompaniments. And that’s all is really needed for this dish as to not overwhelm the palate with strong flavors. A friend’s order of a trio made with shrimp on another visit looked very appetizing and beautifully presented. One taste of his taco pointed to fresh plump shrimp, slightly marinated in perhaps reddish achiote and a hint of chili powder. Moving beyond seafood, a dinner order made with barbacoa, goat, was a bit too much for the sitting. The pieces of meat were a bit tough, although well seasoned with achiote and chili, and it was sitting on a small pool of reddish oil on top of the tortillas. The strong flavors of this meat was a bit overwhelming and off putting. Another order on another visit was on the safer side. Taco al Pastor came with pieces of beef that was also marinated the similar fashion as above (like how it is done South of the Border, according to a Puerto Rican friend who has visited the capitol), with the cut of meat tasting well-seasoned, mild in meat flavor, and tender to the bite. Other taco offerings are made with interesting cuts of meat, such as beef tongue, tripe, and chorizo (Mexican spicy sausage). Here there is a taco for everyone, from the risk-taker to the not-so.

The special of the house is listed as Plato Especial. The plate arrived with chunks of pork ribs smothered in a green sauce, served with black beans and yellow rice. A bite into the meat revealed its fattiness and strong pork flavor, simmered in the sauce until nearly falling off the bone. But it was the sauce that made the dish, tasting tart from green tomatillos (a relative of the gooseberry), slightly pungent with a good hit of garlic and cilantro, and spicy from the use of green chilies. The sauce looked plentiful until I was searching for more spoonfuls to finish my meat off, wishing for more on the plate. The black beans were definitely house-cooked judging by its bare firmness which tasted seasoned but a bit ordinary. Not much can be said about the yellow rice, but very few places can impress me with this starch cooked this way.

Perusing the menu, the weekend specials grabbed my attention immediately, and I knew I had to pay my visits on the weekend to try them. I was quite hesitant ordering the Tamales since my experience at another Mexican restaurant was disappointing and they tasted quite stodgy. My order of a pair arrived made with red sauce and green with the other. One forkful into these small bites dispelled all sense of doubt. The red version had some smokey heat from the use of dried chili sauce paired with pieces of tender pork that were well-seasoned, perhaps boiled in a good stock. The green version exuded its green chili vegetal heat with pieces of dark chicken meat that was equally tender. But what made them very successful and extremely tasty was the light fluffiness of the dough, masa harina, tasting extremely savory with the right amount of salt and stock. The moist corn husk as their shell was indicative of them being freshly-made and steamed to order (a far cry from the microwaved version in the other place) imparting more corn goodness into the moist dough. I think I could have just had these delightful parcels as my main meal that day.

The other weekend specials are soup based. The first is Menudo, the famous, or infamous, Mexican soup. I reluctantly ordered this soup due to its reputation and my preconceived notion of what it would taste like; being known as a cure for hangover with pieces of off-cuts was not exactly its most appealing quality. My bowl arrived with a reddish soup submerging pieces of barely recognizable and unrecognizable pieces of, uhm, meat. One dip of the spoon was a revelation. The reddish soup was not spicy at all, but savory and colored by the use of achiote. Fishing around the soup, I came across pieces of tripe and huge chunks of cow feet that was a slight put-off for me, even for this adventurous gourmand. After adding some sweet onion, fragrant cilantro and a good squeeze of lime, I was beginning to appreciate the broth, which was devoid of excessive grease, and the pieces of soft tripe that disintegrated in my mouth easily. The cow foot? Nah, not for me. I prefer to leave it to the inebriated to show either their ravenous hunger or drunken stupor to muster that piece of appendage.

The other soup dish was Pozole. A big bowl arrived with pieces of hominy (reconstituted dried corn) and chunks of pork, all cooked in a fairly clear broth. After my dining companion dumped in a plateful of side condiments of onions, radishes, lettuce, cilantro, cracked crispy tortilla, along with lots of lime juice, I dipped my spoon to have a taste – I fell in love with this bowlful immediately. The hominy was cooked enough with still a slight bite left, paired with the fork-tender pieces of pork, swimming in that oh-so-good broth that was clean tasting and herbaceous from a good sprinkling of Mexican oregano, possessing a slightly darker flavor than its Mediterranean cousin. I was also enjoying the accompaniments in the soup with the onions providing a sweet crunch, the crispy tortilla for more crunch and toasted corn notes, the lime juice for citrus tang, and the lettuce and radish that brought some cooling vegetal crunch to this hot soup. Even though I had my order in front of me, I kept reaching over for more of this soup with its irresistible flavor and ingredients. It was definitely a very tasty Pozole, órale! (Sorry, I couldn’t help it).

Despite the mistaken identity on my part, I’m glad I made it to Taqueria Distrito Federal for its authentic and tasty Mexican street fare that puts most places making similar attempts, especially Tex-Mex, to shame. Yes, the place is a bit of a dive and the dining area lacking in ambience. But what makes this establishment worthwhile is the dishes that are worth the trip, starting with their tacos (al pastor and the seafood kinds were my favorite), the tostadas, the ethereally light yet savory red and green tamales that raised my eyebrows, the pork house special cooked in that can’t-get-enough tangy and spicy green sauce, and that irresistible Pozole stew that just blew me away. And there is that rather funky Menudo soup whose broth was revealing but a challenge for the sober-minded diner. Instead of a trip south of the border for authentic Mexican fare, a short trip up Columbia Heights will whisk one away from the usual environment, and your taste buds will take a gastronomic journey with its authentic offerings. Buen Provecho.

Pho & Grill 198

Food, Restaurants

Vietnamese Restaurants pose quite a challenge for any blogger, especially for this reviewer. In the past, I have griped about the lack of good establishments outside of traditional Vietnamese communities, like Eden Center, Fairfax, VA, with offerings beyond the expected bowl of Pho noodles. I have also lamented about the demise of a few restaurants of this cuisine, of which one served outstanding modern and traditional dishes whose flavors were indelible in my mind. In addition, some places that I have visited have not maintained their standards after a few months of opening, and they have fallen off my must-visit list. So, when a new Vietnamese joint opened just down the road from me in Burtonsville, MD, I had mixed emotions, not knowing which course this culinary adventure would take me.

Pho & Grill 198 occupies what once used to be a Chinese restaurant in the middle of a strip mall that would escape one’s attention in a blink of the eye. I so happened to stumble upon this new establishment when I took my parents to try Ethiopian food a couple of doors down (a rare visit from Australia), and after picking up its take-out menu, I noticed some interesting dishes that went beyond my expectation. Walking in there for the first time, the well-lacquered furniture and wooden floors, perhaps leftover from its previous life, exuded a warm welcoming ambiance with lots of light streaming through the storefront windows. Well, after a few visits to this spot, here is my report.

Drinks maybe not the highlight in one’s meal, but I do enjoy some from this cuisine. I had to try the Lemonade, listed as Fresh Lemon Juice. After hearing the sound of a stirring spoon in a glass coming from the bar, I know that it was made a la minute. Fresh it was, indeed, filled with bits of tart bits of lemon, sweet enough without sending you into a diabetic shock – the perfect end-of-summer thirst quencher. Another drink that I honed in on the menu came from the smoothies section, and I had to go for my favorite flavor – Durian. My glass came filled with a thick icy creamy concoction that tasted rich and milky, with the pungent Durian sulphuric notes (some describe it as “rotting garbage”) cutting through and overshadowing the diary’s innocent mild flavors. I love the funkiness of this Southeast Asian fruit that I grew up on, and I was savoring every drop like a prized treasure – not for the uninitiated but totally up my alley. The drinks category are worth looking at, beyond the usual glass of water I usually settle for.

Well, moving on to the appetizers. This place offers a number of types of rolls, some familiar and some not. The Crispy Spring Roll was ordered on one occasion. What set them slightly apart from most that I have savored was the flavors of crab meat and shrimp that were more pronounced even though they were ground up together into the pork mixture. They were tasty, fairly light and greaseless, but I did miss the use of taro root in the traditional recipe that adds the certain soft texture to a dense filling (a rare practice these days). However, they were pretty good light bites. Since it was summer, I also had to try their Summer Roll. The rice paper wrapping was still fairly soft and moist without the chalkiness from refrigeration. The stuffing was a combination of slices of sweet shrimp (a bit overcooked and tough for me) and savory pork, mixed with lettuce, mint and Perilla leaves. The addition of the herbs in the bundle added a note of interest to this savory light combination, not commonly found in other versions, which I found refreshing with these bites. The last type of roll savored was something completely new for me – Pleiku Style Rice Paper Rolls. This Rice Paper bundle comes stuffed with grilled beef, grilled pork stick (like spam), crispy roll, fried egg, cucumber and mixed pickles. Wow, what a roll it was! I was enjoying the myriad of flavors, all tasting well-prepared and well-seasoned, and textures from the various partners who happen to get along well with each other in the cramped roll. These bites encompassed all the good things I like about this cuisine, brought together in this super roll. This has become my favorite roll which hails from the owner’s Central Vietnam hometown.

Perusing the menu for the first time, I noticed a couple of dishes in the same section that are not usually found in other Pho places. The first is Banh Xeo or Stuffed Vietnamese Crepes. A couple of yellowish crepes arrive stuffed with shrimp, beef, onion, and beansprouts. The shrimps were large and sweet, the beef well-seasoned and tasty, onions sweet, and the beansprouts added the necessary slight crunch to the mixture. But what made the dish stand out were the crepes themselves. The skins were smoky from being cooked on a smoking cast-iron to produce this crisp and slightly charred crepe (“Xeo” in the name denotes the sizzling of the mixture hitting the hot pan). The version served here may not be rich with coconut milk (a South Vietnamese trait), but the whole mixture was appealing enough for a friend considering hijacking my dish. The briny fish sauce was the obligatory and necessary accompaniment to bring saltiness to the unseasoned crepe, which is the case in the traditional approach. Another appetizer that immediately caught my attention was Roasted Quail. My order arrived with the miniature bird shiny from a good lacquering and dark from the roasting. The meat was quite firm yet moist, pulling off the bone rather easily, and exuding exotic notes from the judicious use of five-spice powder that made each bite delectable and the bones somewhat edible too. Good things come in all sizes, and this small bite is no exception. Another order that night was Stir-Fried Baby Clams. The plate arrived with a mixture of the bits of seafood mixed with herbs, topped with crispy fried shallots, along with a plate of rice crackers. One bite into the dish pointed towards mild and subtle flavors. I enjoyed this mixture with the sweet tasting baby clams, the crunchy and aromatic fried shallots, the fragrance from mint leaves and pungent Vietnamese Rau Ram herb, and hints of lemongrass and chili wafting through each mouthful. The rice crackers made the perfect vehicle for the soft seafood with their crunchy texture and for the added savoriness that they lent to each bite. The above appetizers are worth a try, and making the Banh Xeo and Baby Clams into a main course is possible due to the portion size, like my friends and I have done so on our visits.

For the main course, there are selections of dry and soup dishes. From the non-soup entrees, I ordered Shrimp Bun Noodle Salad on one occasion. The bowl arrived with a mound of rice noodles surrounded by the usual suspects of mint leaves, cucumber, lettuce, and pickled root vegetables, all topped with a heap of cooked butterflied shrimp, fried spring rolls, and a sprinkling of nutty peanuts. After pouring the obligatory fish sauce mixed with some Sriracha sauce, the dish tasted very much like how most Bun salads do. However, what sets this version apart was the shrimp that tasted a bit sweet and charred from some hot grill action, albeit a bit too long judging but its slight toughness. But, I was enjoying the mini fried spring roll bits that provided the textural contrast to the soft elements in the bowl. A friend’s order of Grilled Pork Rice dish arrived with an impressive amount of the grilled meat. One bite into his dish made a wonderful impression: well-marinated meat tasting slightly sweet and salty, and slightly smoky from its stay on the hot grill. The bits of fried green onions added the slight onion-like fragrance to these meaty bites. Another friend’s order made with Grilled Beef was equally impressive with a hit of lemongrass that exuded it citrus root fragrance to these clean tasting yet well-marinated pieces. Another friend’s order of Combination Fried Rice was skilfully made with lightly oiled yellow rice studded with pieces of meat and shrimp, onions and pieces of vegetables, all delicately seasoned – I couldn’t resist but take more than a couple of scoops from my friend’s plate.

Since it was a Pho establishment, I knew I had to try their noodle soups. Ever since I was introduced to Bun Bo Hue in a now-defunct establishment, this dish had to be ordered on one of my visits here. The bowl was brimming with some steaming reddish soup, covering some round rice noodles and bits of off-cuts like beef shank and pork knuckles, along with Vietnamese ham and some vegetables. But the star of the dish, and deservedly so, is the broth that had hints of herbal lemongrass, spicy chili kick, and a seafood pungency from the use of shrimp paste, much like anchovy paste. The side plate of sliced cabbage, banana blossom, mint, Vietnamese mint (Rau Ram), Perilla leaves (cousin of Shiso), added the additional textural interest and herbal qualities to this savory spicy dish. As if the soup was not shrimpy enough, a container of fermented shrimp paste added more sea brininess to the mix. I have to admit that this is the best version I have eaten in quite some time, and I’m glad I can just head down the road for this spicy bowl.

A bowl of the proverbial Pho noodles was calling my name on another visit, and I chose the simple Pho Tai. The bowl of hot steaming bowl came with a mound of eye-round steak sitting on rice noodles surrounded by a clear soup. After separating the paper-thin beef slices and cooking them in the broth, I could taste the mild beef flavors that were indicative of fresh quality meat. But what grabbed my attention was the broth that was perfectly seasoned without a trace of MSG, with faint hints of the spices used in its cooking, without any single spice standing out – a completely round flavor. Usually one for stronger flavors in my Pho broth (more star-anise, more cassia bark), I marveled at this “roundness” of flavor, and I don’t think anyone would find fault with this bowl.

Desserts do not feature extensively in Asians cuisine, Vietnamese included. However, I couldn’t help but order Flan Cake at the end of dinner one night, this dish obviously being a vestige of French rule. A small bowl arrived with the cooked custard surrounded by coffee, with shaved ice perching on the cake as well as pieces swimming in the caffeinated liquid. This was an interesting combination with the slightly sweet and creamy flan mixed with the slightly bitter and under sweetened coffee. I quite enjoyed this interesting pairing, but it would have been more successful if the coffee was sweeter since it was robbing some of the flan’s sugars, which made the cake a bit flat. A friend’s night-cap of Vietnamese Coffee arrived on the table in its traditional style: a filtering contraption sitting on top of a shot glass filled with thick sweet condensed milk. A sip from his glass confirmed what I like about Vietnamese coffee – sweet, strong and bitter without the acrid notes (usually found in American coffee), exuding aromatic chicory notes from its roasting.

Pho & Grill 198 is not your typical Pho noodle place. What this place offers is far beyond what one usually expects from this type of establishment, with offerings of the wonderful “super” Pleiku roll, the aromatic Roasted Quail, the subtle but tasty Baby Clams, the smoky and crispy Crepes, the rounded flavors in the Pho noodles, and the wow factor that I savored in the Bun Bo Hue spicy noodle soup. An establishment of this kind in the suburbs is a rare find, even more so in a not-so-diverse suburban town in Montgomery county. But judging by the stream of clients entering its doors, the word is out that something good is going on here. Fortunately for me, it is just a stone throw away from my house, and I will be walking through its doors with some frequency for the wide variety of its scrumptious Vietnamese offerings.

>Addendum:
Pho & Grill 198 has just started serving the quintessential Vietnamese sandwich, Banh Mi, and I had a taste of it today. Fresh crusty baguette, crispy vegetables, sweet and sour pickles, Jalapeño bite, fragrant cilantro, and marinated lemongrass grilled meat – a winning combination!! Finally this sandwich has made it to this side of the DMV.

Samantha’s

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Some time ago, I posted on a Pan-Latino restaurant located in the Dupont Circle area (read blog), serving tantalizing dishes hailing mainly from the lower half of Latin America, notably Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela. But another Pan-Latino restaurant had been on my mind for some time, making its presence on my radar for quite a while even before writing on the above locale. Since a former colleague lived in that neighborhood and had invited me there for lunch a couple of times, I paid a few visits to this establishment for dinner before writing this blog.

Samantha’s Restaurant is located on the traffic-laden University Boulevard, the congestion further exacerbated by its location on perhaps the busiest intersection in Silver Spring/Takoma Park, an area renown for its immigrant population especially from Central America. But it is very easy to miss the restaurant’s location due to its shotgun building, compounded by its storefront sign blocked by a verdant healthy-looking tree. But unlike Café Citron which was featured in the above-mentioned blog, Samantha’s menu focuses on dishes from Central America and Mexico, primarily dishes from El Salvador. Here are some of their offerings.

One senses the place’s Central American identity off the bat from its drink offerings. The usual regional drinks can be found here including Horchata (made with almond, milk and cinnamon), Tamarindo (a sweet tamarind drink), Maracuya (Passion fruit juice) and Marañon. The last item is made from the Cashew fruit which is popular in El Salvador, a juice not heard of from the region in Asia that I hail from even though only the Cashew nut is widely consummed. The flavor is a bit tart with tannin-like qualities, leaving behind a slight camphor-like aftertaste that reminded me of nutmeg juice that I tasted last year in Malaysia. I have to admit that I enjoyed this juice with each sip playing a guessing game on my taste buds due to the novelty of its flavors. This glass of fruity sip was what I needed to set the tone for my meal as it whisked me away to another world of flavors.

With a sizable Salvadorian presence in the DMV region for some time now, Pupusas have made its foray into the local diet, both to non-Salvadorian Latinos and the Gringo. For the uninitiated, it is basically a grilled stuffed tortilla. Here, there is a wide offering of Pupusas stuffed with either cheese, beans and cheese, meat and cheese, meat, zucchini, chicken, spinach, seafood, or Loroco. The latter is a flowering bud that grows on vines commonly found in El Salvador and Guatemala. A bite into my order was a complete revelation: the Loroco leaf exuded a smokiness that astounded me for being a flower that was capable of piquing my curiosity, while the mild yet creamy cheese played a complementary background partner, encased by the moist and fresh tasting corn masa harina exuding its hominy notes. The pickled cabbage, chili and carrots strips, curtido, was the necessary acid relief to the starch and diary. Another order made with seafood was equally eye-opening for this diner, having savored it for the first time in this restaurant. The stuffing was a combination of mild creamy cheese, fresh shredded crabmeat and studded with pieces of small shrimp. My tastebuds were impressed by this combination which beckoned the diner to anticipate another plateful of the same order in future visits. My friend’s order made with zucchini was equally satisfactory for her. Pupusas are definitely the strong suit in this house.

Another Central American and Salvadorian favorite offered here is Tamales. The versions that I have eaten in other locations have usually been a bit disappointing due to its dryness and compact dough which made only a few bites the necessary quota for its tasting. However, what landed on my plate at Samantha’s was au contraire. This version was wrapped in banana leaves which exuded its vegetal aroma while imbedding its leafy goodness into the dough. Each bite into this concoction only brought me a wider smile with its silky smoothness as well as the dough’s lightness, tasting savory from the use of stock and strips of moist chicken. This well-made rendition reminded me of those prepared by the grandmother of a Salvadorian friend whose tamales are a hit in her Gaithersburg community. Well, this version here definitely hit the right notes for me.

During a visit for dinner, a companion’s order was Chuletas de Puerco. Two pieces of fried pork chops arrived slathered with a light tomato-based sauce coating sauteed pieces of tomato, onion, and green pepper. Cutting into a piece of his meal, I could taste that the chops were marinated and seasoned well, hinting of notes of soy sauce which is popular in some Latin American cuisines, which added to the right Umami savoriness to the meat. The pork was well-cooked without the tough leatheriness one finds in other versions. However, the porcine flavor in each bite was a bit strong for me, which seems to be a common reoccurring theme with this meat in this country. But such inherent flaw did not deter my friend who enjoyed every bit of his dish.

For my order, I decided to try the Stuffed Chicken with Spinach and Mushroom. A huge piece of chicken arrived on my plate which seemed rather daunting on first impressions. But cutting into it revealed its true nature: a piece of chicken breast had been pounded very thin wrapping a stuffing of spinach, mushroom, onions, and bits of green pepper. The piece of poultry was still rather moist (amazing for sauteed breast meat), lightly seasoned with a hint of cumin in the seasoning mixture. But what really grabbed my attention was the filling consisting of fresh spinach leaves (thank goodness not the frozen kind), woodsy mushrooms, sweet onions, and vegetal notes from the green pepper. The thin coating of a lightly creamed spinach sauce added the necessary moisture and savoriness to the whole mix, which made for a rather quick disposal of my portion of this dish. This was definitely a light and tasty poultry dish worth ordering.

Another companion’s dish was Zarzuela Andaluza. A bowl arrived with pieces of seafood gently stewed in a yellowish sauce and topped with strips of roasted red pepper and the unnecessary green pepper ring which was purely decorative – basically, a seafood paella dish without the rice and saffron, an obvious tribute to La Madre Patria, Spain. What impressed me about the dish was the pieces of scallop, salmon, and shrimp that tasted fresh and cooked just right without getting tough. The stew soup was very savory tasting of a good seafood stock made creamy from a hit of diary. However, after a few spoonfuls, the hot liquid did start to taste rather one-note and it was crying for some herbal notes. My friend did complain about the mussels and clams that appeared anemic to my eyes, which was not exactly tempting for this reviewer to give them a try. Fortunately, with no casualty from my friend’s health the following day, I can confirm that the mollusks were just fine, just a bit sad-looking and beyond their prime. The ubiquitious Paella is also on the menu, if you are in the mood for more Iberian-inspired cuisine.

For dessert, one of my dining companions went for his perennial favorite – Tres Leches. A taste of this standard Latin dessert revealed a skillful hand in its making. It was incredibly light, sweet without its usual cloying quality, a bit heady from a good hit of vanilla, and creamy rich without the stodginess. The above qualities of this uber-cake totally defied the nuclear potential that this sweet bite possessed, and the other diners, including me, were tempted to dig more into the sweet square, if were not for the protection of the orderer of his prized finale. My motto of “Desserts should only be consummed when the calories are worthwhile” holds true here, albeit the caloric count is in the thousand. But this is probably the best Tres Leches to this day, and worth every morsel of it.

Samantha’s Restaurant stands above the usual Central American eateries for its offering of standard fares with a level of culinary skill not usually found in most places of this cuisine. The simple and humble Pupusa and Tamal are elevated to something exciting by the inventive addition of seafood as well as proper attention to their making. Even the main dishes of Pork Chops, Stuffed Chicken, and Seafood Stew showed a level of refinement that elevated these rather simple dishes, notwithstanding some minor flaws. The ending dessert of Tres Leches only confirmed that the kitchen knows what it is doing and that there is a knowledgeable hand in there. Looking around the dining room, you sense that the customers are locals who frequent this establishment. The decor maybe incongruent with its large Art Deco Italian/French posters but the smart and efficient service makes up for it. Ah, not to mention the cooking and the dishes that would tempt most diners to go back for more of their delicious offerings.

Montreal

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A Reblog of this Montreal posting with an additional of a couple of new places worth mentioning. Bon Appetit.

Wong Eats

For the last few years, a good buddy and I have been travelling to Montreal, Canada, a city that we have fallen in love with for its walking neighborhoods, the quietness of a metropolis, the outdoor cafes and restaurants, the beautiful sights of cathedrals and wide esplanades, the carefree Jazz festival, the air of French sensibility without having to cross the Atlantic, and finally the wonderful cuisine that tantalized us during each visit. This francophone city boasts nearly as many restaurants as the top contender, New York City. Here is a list of eating establishments that we have visited and are worth mentioning.

On our last trip last week, after getting off the plane and dropping off our bags at the hotel, we immediately made a bee-line to the Le Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood, specifically to Rue Prince Arthur, a pedestrian street lined with open air eating establishments. Here you are able…

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La Sirenita

Food, Restaurants

Authentic Mexican cuisine falls under the same category as Chinese: elusive in the DMV area, corrupted (at least most of the versions served here), and revelatory to the uninitiated. For a long time, I have kept a deep secret – a Mexican restaurant serving REAL Mexican food, located in the heart of Mexican immigrant community in the Edmonston neighborhood, PG County. I discovered La Sirenita during my teaching breaks from a Catholic girls school just uphill, and I had inquired the store owners of a Mexican grocery store where to eat after purchasing some home-made Mole sauce. Without hesitation, they pointed me towards her doors and it is where I entered numerous of times when I was in the mood for the veritable thing, staying away from Tex-Mex versions assuming such guise. Finally, I have decided to divulge this well-guarded information. So here are some of my favorites in this locale.

Walking into this establishment, you know you have stepped into a different world. English is a minority language here (the waitresses are perfectly bilingual) and the non-Mexican face scarce. The menu is written in both languages but remains a bit inaccessible for those unfamiliar with the cuisine. What adds to the ambience is the jukebox pumping out loud Ranchera music with its characteristic polka-like beats interspersed by equally loud Mariachi music wailing out one’s miseries like the Blues. This would make one reach for a Corona or Dos Equis to either revel in the festive mood or drown one’s sorrow. But on nearly all occasions, my friends and I choose the non-alcoholic versions. Jarrito is the Mexican soda made with natural flavors and most importantly, natural cane sugar, unlike the high fructose corn syrup found in American soda. They come in all different fruit flavors along with their day-glo color which probably is the only non-natural element in it. This soft drink is more satisfying for its fruity element as well as the naturally filling sugars found in it. For a non-gaseous drink, I prefer to order Agua de Tamarindo. A mini jug arrived to the table filled with a concoction made from tamarind pulp, tasting slightly sour, quite fruity with a clove-like note, and slightly sweet from a judicious addition of sugar. A previous order has been Horchata which is a sweet rice and milk drink punctuated by notes of interest brought by cinnamon powder. There is a selection of fruit shakes that are worth venturing also.

There are a few appetizers or small-bites worth starting off your meal here and they are seafood based. The first is Tostada de Ceviche. A crispy fried corn tortilla is topped with a melange of squid, scallop, and faux crabmeat, all brought together by a tomato-based sauce spiked with a good hit of hot sauce, made tart with some lime juice, and fragrant with some cilantro. All the pieces of seafood were well-cooked without being tough or chewy and they tasted well-marinated in the spicy tart sauce. The perfectly ripe avocado slices provided the rich element to each bite as well as a softer contrast to the seafood and crunchy tortilla. This is definitely a very satisfactory meal-opener. An equally appealing order is Coctel de Camaron. This is a far cry from the Shrimp Cocktail that most have grown up on. Here fresh tasting small-sized shrimp are paired with cubes of soft and rich avocado, swimming in a pool of sweet and tart tomato sauce, spiked with hot sauce, and made slightly pungent with bits of fresh onion. Saltines are provided to add some starch to the seafood as well as add some relief (along with the rich avocado) to the bold sauce that tends to envelop all the taste buds. Another worthwhile order.

Tacos here are the order of the day. Again, this dish made the authentic way will dispel one’s notion of what it is. They arrive with a double layer of fresh and soft tortilla tasting recently made and exuding its corn-goodness much like ground hominy. The filling is made with marinated chunks of meat, not the usual ground meat, cooked on the flat grill and nearly greaseless but tasting savory. Here, these wraps are served with some limes and topped with a generous amount of sweet onion and green onions and cilantro – that simple. Maybe a touch of the fiery red chili or green chili sauces would be the additional dressing, but not the slathering of salsa that we are accustomed to. The pork and chicken versions hit the spot for my BFF who loves their rendition here and makes it a point to join my group when we visit here. Other versions made with barbecued goat, Barbacoa, and cow’s tongue, Lengua, are indicative of the level of authenticity one finds here. I quite enjoy the slight gaminess and chewy texture of my order made with tongue despite it being a bit fattier than the usual cuts.

A couple of other small bites are worth considering. Huarache is a grilled white corn cake much like a Johnny cake found in the South. The topping is a slathering of refried beans, some meat (chicken, beef, or no meat), some shredded lettuce and onion, and finished with a drizzle of Mexican sour cream, crema, and crumbly cheese, queso fresco. I enjoyed this plateful with the texture and taste of the corn cake, the smooth refried beans, and the milk products, with the mild crema and equally mild crumbled cheese tasting innocuous from not being aged. A few drops of the red and green chili sauces added the necessary punch for this diner, and it was satisfying indeed.

An order of Tamal was made on one occasion. They come either with a stuffing of pork and red chili sauce or chicken with green chili sauce. The cake arrived wrapped in corn husk, exuding more of its corn goodness into the savory cornmeal cake. The stuffing of chicken and green chili was a bit dry but sufficient to balance out the starch and it had a bit of piquancy to it. However, the cornmeal was quite dense compared to the Salvadoran versions that I have a penchant for. The slightly dry corners were an indication that they had been microwaved, thus making them drier than what they are supposed to be. Maybe spending some time in the steamer would have made these more enjoyable.

For the main course, one of my favorites is Mole Poblano. Pieces of chicken arrived slathered with the Pre-Columbian sauce that is quintessential to authentic Mexican cuisine with the use of ingredients indigenous to Meso-America: dried chilies, several types of roasted seeds including pumpkin and sesame seeds, and finally a surprising ingredient – chocolate. With this dish, the chicken plays the supporting role to this incredibly complex sauce with its nuttiness, spiciness, and a depth from the unsweetened chocolate, tasting fresh and house made. The side of steamy tortillas is necessary to mop up every drop of that elixir that I cannot get enough of. The other sides of Mexican rice and cooked pinto beans are decent and tasty, but overshadowed by the Mole. Another version of this dish is Enchiladas de Mole. Tortillas are stuffed with shredded chicken mixed with the Mole sauce and topped with lettuce, crema, and queso fresco, fresh Mexican cheese. This dish is a definite hit for me and my friends. When in a good Mexican restaurant, go for the Mole dishes when the sauce is this delicioso!

A seafood main course that we have tried is Camarones a la Plancha. Shrimp is cooked on the flat grill with pieces of onion, shell-on or off. A strong point in this house is the freshness of its seafood and this dish does not fail on that count. The butterflied and deveined shrimp tasted well=seasoned and still moist from the grilling with slivers of cooked onion adding some sweetness to each bite. My friend prefers his order with the shells on since he finds it too salty without the shells. In addition, cooking shrimp with shell on helps to keep it moist. This dish is worth digging your fingers into it, tasting the seasoning on the shell, and enjoying the seafood sweetness of each morsel. Another dish worth ordering is Camarones a la Mexicana. Pieces of butterflied and shelled shrimp come covered with a tomato-based sauce that is devoid of its acidic nature and enriched by a good dose of garlic that makes each drop worth savoring. Seafood dishes are strong suits here since the cooks execute the fresh sea ingredients skilfully in their offerings.

Everything at La Sirenita is Puro Mexicano – unadulterated, authentic, well-cooked, a bit of a dive, loud music, a bit garish decor, non-gringo, and inviting at the same time. It maybe a bit intimidating stepping though its doors the first few times. But with the delicious and fresh seafood like the Tostada de Ceviche, Coctel de Camaron, and the shrimp main courses, along with the veritable and oh-so-tasty Tacos made the real way, along with the star dishes made with the to-die-for Mole sauce, one is willing to overcome such trepidation and realize that this is the real deal, a far cry from what we have thought what Mexican cuisine is about. So, when you are in the mood for some good Mexican fare, plan a trip to this establishment, and stepping through its doors will feel like “Bienvenido a Mexico.”

Bob’s Shanghai 66

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I’m reposting this blog from a recent revisit and the addition of a few more dishes.

Wong Eats

No holds barred: I struggle with and shy away from Chinese food especially the insipid and bastardized versions served in this country. You may have read that I went back to my birth place for my parents 50th anniversary over last summer, and I took the opportunity to literally stuff my face with all the dishes holding childhood memories and gastronomic reveries. The highlight of this epicurean trip was visiting a number of fine-dining Chinese restaurants to remind myself of what veritable dishes of this grand cuisine taste like.

From aversion to affinity. Having returned from my Southeast Asian trip, my hunt for decent Chinese restaurants has been reinvigorated, and I quickly went back to an old haunt that had not seen my face for many moons (read Full Key). Shortly after such a memorable trip, my laptop screen flashed an online coupon offer for a restaurant offering cuisine from the mainland. With coupons in hand, I made a couple…

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Etete

Food, Restaurants

Living in Washington DC area has a great perk – an incredible variety of ethnic restaurants from far-flung regions of the world within reach of any resident. One cuisine that has thrived in this metropolis is Ethiopian which first made its presence known in the Adams Morgan restaurant row in the late 80’s not long after its community had grown to a rather sizable number. Since then, many eateries have burgeoned in areas where previously were neglected and dilapidated. Such area was the U St. NW where in the 90’s crack houses were abound interspersed by bordered-up store fronts and the occasional liquor store. But where there is disaster, there is opportunity. Many Ethiopian restaurants have popped-up around the intersection of 9th and U St. NW, and walking down this rather quiet neighborhood, one notices North Africans hanging out on the street and hears the exotic tones from their tongues. This is where I encountered Etete, one of the several Ethiopian eateries on the same block.

Entering in the establishment, the eating area looked rather cramped with a bar and a few tables on the first floor. There were only a few customers seated which surprised me for a Saturday night. However, my BFF and I were asked to go upstairs which was filled with diners and the din produced by the hungry mouths. We were placed next to the stairs in a rather tight area since every table on this level was already taken. Having had quite a few experiences with this type of food, I knew what to expect. The basis of the whole meal is a common large platter covered with the exotic tasting sourdough bulgur wheat pancake, Enjera, and topped with different dishes. Pieces of the bread are torn off and used as the eating utensil to scoop up the different dishes dotting this plain canvas. For many Americans, eating this delicate pancake dough with the soft textured food poses a textural issue to most uninitiated to it, but my bestie was up to such challenge and is a fan of the cuisine.

. The first layer to go on the platter was the Special Vegetarian Combination. The large plate arrived with a myriad of vegetable dishes on the periphery of the sourdough pancake. Gomen is collard greens cooked with onion, green pepper, garlic and ginger; Tekil Gomen is cabbage and carrot cooked with onion, garlic and jalapeño pepper; Yekik Alicha is a delicately spiced cooked split pea dip served cold; Yemisir Kik Wat is red split lentils cooked with onions and herbs, spiced with the fiery Ethiopian red pepper Berbere sauce; Yeataklit Wat is carrot, potato, and onion sauteed with garlic, ginger, and tomato sauce; and a salad consisting of raw tomato, onion, and jalapeño pepper. I enjoyed the different flavors, textures, and temperatures in each vegetable dish, all exuding their unique flavors from the simple yet tasteful to the more complex tasting ones. The fresh tasting Enjera was light and spongy with a slight sour hint as a result of the dough fermentation before being cooked, and it was the perfect blank canvas to absorb all the different flavors from the various sauces and dips. The only ho-hum moment was the raw tomato salad with its not-so-ripe/-sweet chunks that was indicative of the unseasonality of this fruit vegetable. A slight up-charge is added for the similar combination but with the addition of a fried fish on the side, which seems to be a popular order looking around the dining room.

I would have been satisfied with the vegetable dishes, but this review would be incomplete without mentioning the meat dishes. The most recognizable and mentioned dish is Doro Wat. Chicken legs have been cooked in onion, garlic, ginger, ground hot pepper (berbere) , and spiced butter sauce, served along with hard-boiled eggs. The chicken leg was cooked tender, tasting of all the spices from the long stewing process. The sauce tasted complex with a slight sweetness to compensate for the spicy berbere in the sauce that had a slight smokey note much like smoked paprika. The heat was more complex and had more personality than just a hot pepper, which made the dish appealing and making one want more. The boiled egg was obligatory but a bit perfunctory in my opinion. Despite the tasty quality of the dish, I was disappointed that all that was served was just a drumstick and an egg, all for $16. A bit more generous portion would have made this order very satisfactory.

. The next meat order was definitely not short in quantity, which made up for the above dish’s shortcoming. Yeawaz Tibs consisted of beef tibs cooked in a ground hot pepper sauce (Awaze sauce) with onion, fresh tomato, fresh garlic, and chili. The pieces of beef were falling apart in the mouth with their quality cuts, devoid of gristle, tasting rich from all the seasoning and spices, spicy, slightly sweet from the tomato, and slightly smokey from the spicy Awaze sauce. Each bite exuded the perfect amalgamation in the cooking process that pointed to slow long cooking of the meat in that rich sauce. The pieces were right size making it easy to handle in each parcel created by the Enjera that was moistened and flavored by a sauce thicker than the above chicken dish. The portion of this order was very generous, and along with its savoriness, I began to pay attention to each beefy bite rather than the meager chicken portion. I highly recommend this dish as a must order.

Etete serves quality Ethiopian food cooked in the traditional and uncompromising way, and served in a rather contemporaneous environment. Such cooking was evident in all the various dishes especially in the vegetable combination platter and in the beef tibs dish with the proper seasoning perfect cooking in the vegetables to the deliciously spicy and tender meat pieces of the Yeawaz Tibs. I would recommend this experience to anyone, especially the novice, to try this cuisine in this uncompromising way. With such friendly and helpful service, I’m quite sure you will walk away impressed and satisfied from the wonderful dishes.

RG’s BBQ Café

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A tasty lunch and warm weather spell only one thing – RG’s BBQ.

Wong Eats

With summer fast approaching, the anticipation for certain seasonal events seems to grow day by day along with the temperature as it inches its way up the thermometer: a trip to the beach, wearing shorts and sandals, indulging in heaps of ice-cream, and finally eating outdoor cooked food especially the American summer classic, barbeque. With this fore-mentioned cooking style missing from my blog site, I have been quite lost in finding a suitable place to write about, given the large number of places that serve such offerings.

Well, Social Media to the rescue. I was checking in on one of the food review sites when I noticed a short write-up on a barbeque place in my neck of the neighborhood. In the quick posting, the reviewer mentioned that an old barbeque house had been taken over by a culinary chef whose CV (link) reads like pedigree background. He was raving about the different offerings, some traditional and…

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