Restaurant update
Cafe Dalat is a hole-in-the-wall on Wilson Street in Clarendon, but, with the exception of some pho specialty shops, its Vietnamese food is perhaps the best available close to a Metro. Perhaps a little bland, and they don't include mint when they provide greens with the meal. Service is a little indifferent for my tastes. But what they do well, they do well: the skewered-meat dishes are pleasantly marinated and savory; the spring rolls are crunchy explosions of peppery flavor. Thumbs down on the seafood kabobs, however. The lunch buffet may be the best bargain in DC: $5.95 for a spread of two tables of their best dishes, one of the tables vegetarian. Hurry, because it's closing.
Confidential to W.: I'm guilty of spreading misinformation about the pronunciation of "pho", which I correct now.
Queen Bee, down the street, is famous in DC for being one of the first Vietnamese restaurants here, but, while it's a nicer environment than Dalat, one suspects it's seen better days. The food was unmemorable and bland.
Thai at Silver Spring. Pearl was staying with a friend in NE DC, so we tried finding food in Silver Spring; almost went to Crisfield's on Georgia Avenue, but wasn't happy with the parking and lighting situation there, so we went to the new pedestrian mall, and ended up at this Thai restaurant, because we were starving. It was either here, or wait twenty minutes for Macaroni Grill. And I don't think we made the right decision. I probably won't be back at this mall.
Southeast Asian snack-foods: Ruth introduced me to Koh-Kae peanuts, which come in a fried shell of coconut or coffee-flavor; I found an Indian variant that's masala-flavored. Very tasty, very unhealthy. Similarly unhealthy is another snack I discovered in an Indian market, chana jor garam, squashed chickpeas fried in spice and salt. Disturbingly addictive, given that it's about 150 calories an ounce. Just one more reason for me to avoid Indian markets; at least I avoided purchasing cashew chikli (ingredients: ground cashews and fried sugar). Still haven't found any place that has the similarly evil coconut berfi, which is just as well.
And... that's it. I haven't been dining at too many new places lately, mostly going to old standbys like Bombay Bistro and Sushi Taro.
Confidential to W.: I'm guilty of spreading misinformation about the pronunciation of "pho", which I correct now.
Queen Bee, down the street, is famous in DC for being one of the first Vietnamese restaurants here, but, while it's a nicer environment than Dalat, one suspects it's seen better days. The food was unmemorable and bland.
Thai at Silver Spring. Pearl was staying with a friend in NE DC, so we tried finding food in Silver Spring; almost went to Crisfield's on Georgia Avenue, but wasn't happy with the parking and lighting situation there, so we went to the new pedestrian mall, and ended up at this Thai restaurant, because we were starving. It was either here, or wait twenty minutes for Macaroni Grill. And I don't think we made the right decision. I probably won't be back at this mall.
Southeast Asian snack-foods: Ruth introduced me to Koh-Kae peanuts, which come in a fried shell of coconut or coffee-flavor; I found an Indian variant that's masala-flavored. Very tasty, very unhealthy. Similarly unhealthy is another snack I discovered in an Indian market, chana jor garam, squashed chickpeas fried in spice and salt. Disturbingly addictive, given that it's about 150 calories an ounce. Just one more reason for me to avoid Indian markets; at least I avoided purchasing cashew chikli (ingredients: ground cashews and fried sugar). Still haven't found any place that has the similarly evil coconut berfi, which is just as well.
And... that's it. I haven't been dining at too many new places lately, mostly going to old standbys like Bombay Bistro and Sushi Taro.