Ann's Soul Food ~ Stafford, VA

One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is finiding the diamond ring in the sand when you were not even looking.  Today I had a diamond ring moment. 

Whilst driving down route 1 one afternoon I was scoping the area for good eats. I wanted something new, a place I had not already tried. Most places were not restaurants in this part of the highway, and I did not see the sign for Ann’s Soul Food till we zipped right on by. It was small, and unassuming. The only proof that good ol country cooking resided inside was that sign. For true soul food, we needed to turn around,  it is not something you usually see in these parts. 

Upon entering the dining area, I had the immediate sensation of entering someone’s home. The kitchen was open, so we spent our time talking with Ann and a family friend working the counter (I apologize for not getting her name) as if we were old friends. 

I had my sidekick with me on this culinary adventure, my husband. He ordered the fried chicken, and I decided on the pigs feet with mac and cheese and cabbage. First thing I knew for sure was that everything was handmade, the second was all the recipes were passed down from Mama. No air conditioning, so the restaurant door stood wide open. There were regulars sitting outside conversing and gospel music playing over the radio. This is the real deal.

Décor was a collection of furniture pieces scrounged together. I have read other reviewers who talk about the shabbiness of the building, but this is the experience. I did not want a place any shinier than that, for that would be the façade. What Ann is giving you is not a show, but food prepared with love. 

This is not Cracker Barrel (Thank goodness). If it were, then there would be nothing to separate it from the pack of boring cookie cutter food establishments. Everything I was served was fantastic. The pigs feet had great flavor, as did the mac and cheese and cabbage. The corn bread was just sweet enough, and the fried chicken is worth driving to Stafford for sure (The best fried chicken I can remember having in a long long time). There are certain cuisines that are about the food, but also the experience. Everything about Ann’s was the perfect experience to me. I would change nothing.

Contact Information:

3349 Jefferson Davis Highway

Stafford, VA 

(540) 288-1806

My Apologies

I wanted to apologize to my readers for this long hiatus. I have so many irons in the fire that is can be difficult to keep up. I do have a review of a wonderful soul food place (yes your read correctly) down in Stafford VA. Check back soon.

A & J Authentic Chinese ~ Rockville, MD

If you have not already taken notice of a trend in the restaurants I often frequent, I am a lover of all Asian cuisine. The best thing about living in the DC metro area is all the wonderful options we have available to us. In reality, we take it for granted. Never did I realize this more than when I was visiting my in laws in blue collar town, and they were happy they had found one decent Chinese, Mexican, and Afghani restaurant. Here in DC, the options are endless.

I had been hearing whispers of this authentic Chinese dim sum joint with a very unusual name. A & J’s is located in Rockville and Annandale. Very small with spartan décor, this is a place for hard core enthusiasts of real Chinese cuisine. I went there with the explicit plan of trying a multitude of dishes, which here is easy to do since they are small plates at inexpensive prices. Dim sum is like Spanish tapas.

My choices were thus:  
       

• Wonton soup Shanghai Style (Ground pork and vegetable wonton)   
• Chinese style fried pork chop on rice
• Braised pork on rice with a braised egg
• Pan-fried pork dumplings/potstickers
• Steamed pork bun
• Steamed beef dumpling 
• Steamed pork hock with special seasonings
• Cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce
• Sliced pork ears with hot spiced seasoning

Wow, that was porkerific. Chinese food does center a lot around pork. If you have special dietary needs, such as keeping Kosher, this place would probably not be the most satisfying.

The wonton soup was OK. The wontons themselves were fabulous, the broth was a bit eh. I could not quite tell you what was off about the broth itself. ALL of the dumplings/potsticker/buns were truly amazing. If Chinese dumplings are your thing, then A & J is your new mistress.

The braised pork with braised egg was also yummy. The egg was the most surprising, as I have never had one before. It was brown in color, but do not let this deter you. It tastes like a hard boiled egg, period. I was also thrilled with the pork hock. Subtle nuances of flavor swimming in a well seasoned broth. The meat and skin perfection.

Another surprise was the cucumber salad. This was, in my opinion, the only spicy item on my plate. I did not order this, they simply brought over a serving for me to taste. I have never tried cucumbers this crisp. The sauce was spicy, but fresh with subtle sweet undertones. Their plan to hook me on this item definitely worked.

By far, the only really disappointing item was the pigs ear. I was hoping for chewiness, but they sliced them in a way that the cartlidge was present in every bite, and it was served cold. I am sure it is a perfect example of the dish, it was just not what I expected. 

This is the kind of place you go to to step outside your comfort zone and try new flavors. You will find that once you start stretching your palate, you want to do it again and again until the ordinary no longer feeds your cravings. What fun can be had when that happens….

Contact Information:

1319 Rockville Pike (The location I ate at)
Ste C
Rockville, MD 20852

(301) 251-7878

4316 Markham St
Annandale, VA 22003

(703) 813-8181

Link to images of the menu

Huong Viet ~ Falls Curch, VA

Saturday night, decision made, I am off to the mecca of all things vietnamese in good ol Falls Church VA. Visited by individuals like Anthony Bordain of the TV show No Reservations. I have wanted to try a restaurant there for some time. I decided on Huong Viet based on reviews from former patrons.

The first thing that caught my attention was the place was hopping, a grand mixture of Vietnamese and American diners.The next were the many, many, many accolades from local and not so local publications. Awards from Washingtonian magazine each year from 2006-2011. 

All of this pales in comparison to the delicious food of which I am about to partake. I was really excited about this place, so in my typical fashion, I over ordered. To start I ordered the spring rolls (w/ Ground Pork, Crab Meat & Shrimp), and a small bowl of pho (Awesome traditional Vietnamese noodle soup). If you have never tried pho (Fu, like the first part of a very naughty word, see demonstration here) run out right now, well after reading my review, and get some.

 The spring rolls were surprising. Not at all like the Chinese versions I have had. Filled almost exclusively with pork and crabmeat with very little filler. The outside seemed almost battered and fried. Absolutely DELICIOUS. As wonderful as they were, the pho was above and beyond. Sensuously aromatic herbal spicy goodness in a bowl. The noodles were good too, but that broth. It was cold outside, but my tummy was warm and happy.

For the final act I ordered the BÚN THỊT NƯỚNG – Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork. This dish demonstrated perfectly the freshness that permiates all Vietnamese food. A simple bowl of plain rice noodle covered with delicously sweet grilled pork. This is served over fresh lettuce and other vegetables. What finishes this dish if the spiced fish sauce you pour over, along with other condiments like siracha sauce for zing. The flavor simple yet complex and fresh. Pleasure personified.

Another thing of note, they are very fast in delivery. This is not European style dining. They must have a fairy godmother in back doing the cooking, cause it was very impressive. This means good things for the mid day work lunch. You can easily get in and out in less than an hour, and be gratefully satisfied.

Another note, no credit cards. Bring cash. They do accept checks, as I found out <blush>, but the ritual of wrting out the check was humiliation enough to swear I will always have cash when I dine here. Yes, I will be back. 

Contact Information

Huong Viet Restaurant
6785 Wilson Blvd
Falls Church , VA 22044
Phone: 703-538-7110
E-Mail: postmaster@huong-viet.com

Website: http://www.huong-viet.com

El Manantial ~ Reston, VA

A small cozy European restaurant tucked away in a sleepy shopping center in Reston, VA. A mixture of French, Spanish, and Italian cuisines, it is an undiscovered gem to many in the area. 

I went there for a romantic supper with the hubby, and my 1^st thought was how open and inviting the layout was, especially the kitchen. I wanted to just go in, roll my sleeves up, and get to work. Naturally, I quelled this desire.

The walls were painted with scenic Mediterranean landscapes (which I believe were hand painted), the lights were dimmed for the evening’s amorous crowd. From the menu, I was very torn between three seafood items. In my experience, I only find exceptional fish at fine dining establishments, and will only order it there. Fish is a delicate medium. You cannot be heavy handed or inexperienced. It is one of the easiest ingredients to completely destroy.

My perplexing decision tonight was between the Dover sole (Pan fried whole Dover sole, served boneless, served w/ lemon butter & white wine sauce), the barramundi (Australian mild white fish, semi boneless & stuffed w/ crabmeat), and the seafood paella (steamed rice in saffron w/ shrimp, mussels, clams, squid and monkfish).

When I am in this sort of conundrum, I rely on the experts to steer me in the best direction. In this case the expert, our server, was Raoul. Raoul is one of the shining beacons that make fine dining worth the cost. He listened carefully to what I was interested in and provided well thought out and planned advice. “Will you be having the soup?” He asked. “Tonight it is lobster bisque.” That is a vigorous affirmative. With that combination, he recommended the barramundi. Off we go.

Lobster bisque, a creamy flavorful liquid concoction only made better by the crusty French bread endlessly supplied. It was one of those soothing moments like sitting next to a roaring fire on a snowy evening.

Shortly after, the main event arrived. The barramundi was regally displayed and dressed to the nines. As beautiful as it was, it could not compare to the luscious and vibrant flavor. A celebration of light citrus notes with garlic. The flesh of the fish perfectly done, light and delicious. It was accompanied by simple steamed broccoli and some carrots. The fish was the rock star of this dinner, the vegetables were not to distract from that fact.

In conclusion, wonderful food, wonderful staff, enough said.

Contact Information

12050-A North Shore Dr.
Reston, VA 20190
Phone: (703) 742-6466

Website: http://elmanantialrestaurant.com/

Email: elmanantial2002@aol.com

BRB, No Really

OK Restonians, another shout out to you. Today I am talking BRB, or Be Right Burger. Another burger joint has joined the ranks over at the RTC (Reston Town Center for those uninitiated). There is no shortage of holy temples to red meat at RTC. There is also the Counter Burger, and numerous American and steak watering holes where ground meat on buns may be consumed.

The Counter is nice, but a little more expensive when you are done tabulating everything alacarte. Both burger places offer humanely treated free range ecologically conscience meals. BRB has a couple things above the others. Their prices are reasonable, their food is very good, and they have free wi-fi. For techies at Town Center over lunch, this is a boon. They really need to advertise this a little better. 

Suffice it to say, "Meat good! Grunt!, especially the shroom burger, and the fries awesome too. This is definitely something they have all over Five Guys. If your feeling up for a burger (Whether turkey, veggie, or beef), I would recommend you add BRB to your list. They are even open until 3am on Friday and Saturdays for you night owls who feel carnivorous after hours.

Contact Information:

1820 Discovery Street

Reston, VA 20190

571-926-9428

http://www.eatbrb.com

Ga Go Pa - Chantilly, VA

CLOSED.

Let me start off by saying that I am in no way a Korean food expert. I like Korean food. I have had it a few times, and I see a serious addiction on the rise here. Having said that, my review of this newest restaurant is only a reflection of my tastes.

I stumbled into Ga Go Pa on a rainy Monday evening. Understandably there were not many other patrons there, but a couple of Korean families gave me hope that the food may, indeed, be the real deal. Ga Go Pa is a Korean buffet for Korean BBQ and sushi. This means there are individual burners on each table for the grilling of wonderfully marinated meats and vegetables; this includes the illustriously famous Kimchi. 

On one side of the four sided buffet bar was a variety of sushi, the next a small collection of Korean foods, including sautéed sweet potato noodles (more on that in a moment). The last two sides pertain mainly to the BBQ portion of the itinerary. You select your combination of raw meats and take them back to your table for some sizzling good fun.

The staff was especially friendly and attentive, which is always a big gold star in my book. If the service is bad, it makes little difference how wonderful the food tastes.

For our performance this evening I selected the Bulgoggi and pork belly (It is a lot like unsmoked bacon). The accompaniments included a big helping of kimchi and fresh garlic (I did not want to talk too much to other people this week anyway). A little tip from me to you, do not try and frizzle your meat on your own…the servers really do not like that. They hide it quite well with their understanding smiles, but trust me, I am doing you a favor here.

As promised I am returning to the delicious sweet potato noodles or Chapchae.  If you have never tried cellophane noodles or bean threads, these little lovelies will be new territory for you. When cooked they are translucent.  Chapchae is one of the most popular noodle dishes in Korea.* These noodles DO NOT taste like sweet potatoes. They absorb the flavors of the dish beautifully, and this is why I love this kind of noodle over any other. The Chapchae is a must at Ga Go Pa.

What I can say is, if you are like me and enjoy the variety of a buffet, and have a craving for Korean food…this is a good stop for you. 

* Chapchae information on About.com

Contact Information

14015 Lee Jackson Hwy
Chantilly, VA 20151

(703) 631-3400

View on map