Best 'O Veg - Saigon Pho Style

Here is another review for the herbivores amongst us. In this article series I am reviewing local restaurants for their vegetarian offerings. Saigon Pho Style is my favorite place for vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine. Check out my review below.

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This is a lovely little gem tucked into a well established business park off of Spring Street in Herndon Virginia. I found it when I was going to eat at another fave eating establishment right next door called A Taste of the World. Both boast in their front windows to specialize in vegetarian fare. So I decided that night to change my dinner plans, and I was very happy I had.

The 1^st thing you will notice when you enter this place is that it is small, very small indeed. You will also notice that the décor is Spartan. Despite the sparse appearance, it is meticulously clean (I find this to be a greater virtue), and the staff are tremendously friendly and eager to serve you.

I believe that since it is somewhat hidden, it never seems all that crowded. I am hoping that this fact will change because I would hate to lose a great place like this due to lack of patronage.

In my 2 trips I sampled the Caramelized Veggie Shrimp, and the Vegetarian Pho Soup. I double checked on the soup to be certain it was vegetable broth because many Asian restaurants do not understand that animal based broth does not classify as vegetarian.

This place, however, does, and they assured me that their Pho was made with only vegetable broth. Let me tell you, this was by far, the BEST vegetable Asian soup I have ever tasted. The flavors were numerous and it tasted fresh, not processed and over salted. It had fresh herbs swimming in the clear broth, and it was chock full of rice noodles. It was an event all by itself.

The Caramelized Veggie Shrimp is also excellent. It is the perfect mixture of texture and flavor as Vietnamese food should be.

It is evident that this restaurant is a family affair, the recipes, most likely, created in the home kitchen. This obvious fact makes the food memorable and well worth the trip for Veggies and carnivores alike (Yes they serve meat as well).

Contact Information:

281 Sunset Park Drive
Herndon, VA 20170-5220

Phone: 703.435.9573

info@saigon-pho-style.com

http://www.saigon-pho-style.com/

The Organic Butcher of McLean - McLean VA

Article 1 - Series: The BEST Local Places You Should Know About

There are so many uncertainties in the world today. Where your meat comes from and what is in it should not be one of them. That is something the Organic Butcher wants to help you with. An old school European style butcher located in McLean, the Organic Butcher was started back in 2005 by Don and his Brother in-law, Ryan Ford. Ryan resides in Charlottesville and operates that location while Don owns and operates the McLean store.

They focus almost exclusively on local farms, .to make sure they know who they are dealing with, the conditions the animals are raised, and methods the meat is prepared for sale. Their products are free of chemicals and hormones, and the fish is purchased from Clean Fish (http://www.cleanfish.com), a sustainable seafood company with a fabulous reputation. Organic Butcher is serious about bringing the customer the absolute best product around.

One of the questions I asked Don during our interview was “what makes the Organic Butcher different than a Whole Foods?” He stated that it is the customer service they provide that is the driving force for them and their dedication to local farms ensures the origin of the product is better documented and monitored. My own observation is that these are butchers. This is their livelihood and it is what they do. With stores like Whole Foods, they may move staff around, therefore making the knowledge of the staff unpredictable. At the Organic Butcher the focus is on you and the quality of what they are selling. Don has been there from the beginning, and so has Wendell (another butcher at the store). Chad and Wyatt round off the compliment of staff eager to assist in your delectable purchase. They know their customers, there are few strangers, and those that are, are not that way for long.

An enthusiastic customer, McLean resident Jeff Killduff, stopped by our table as Don and I talked. He wanted to be extra sure I knew that Organic Butcher was the best place for quality organic meat in town. His enthusiasm was contagious. I felt like shopping right then. I am thinking Don should hire him to be a spokesman.

I wanted to know what are the boss man’s favorite items. “I am really into wild game, wild boar and venison. For beef, I would say a good hanger steak or rib eye.” You can definitely find wild boar in shop. I would love to try that myself sometime. They even make their own varieties of sausage!

In the future, Don is looking into options such as online ordering and local delivery. They already provide wholesale ordering for restaurants like the Blue Duck Tavern.

Whether you’re talking fresh free range turkeys for Thanksgiving or ground beef for your everyday meatloaf, the Organic Butcher is the place to get those needs met without all the worry attached.

Article on the Organic Butcher of McLean Coming Soon!

Had a great interview. Look for my article very soon.

Chutzpah - Fairfax VA

There are very few places I can get this excited about. Chutzpah, in the Fair Lakes area, is one of the illustrious few. Chutzpah is a small bit of NY sass in the Stepford wife generica of the DC suburbs. Offering a full NY deli, catering service, and an awesome sit down restaurant too. Today I am here to report on their wonderful dinner menu.

I had my husband and friend with me, so I was lucky to not only try my dinner, but theirs too. I am super clever that way. All meals come with their famous pickles and slaw. Some places serve bread before the meal, but hey, they have Chutzpah! <Spoken in a thick New York accent>

The matzo ball soup was for starters. No denying its homemade roots. From broth, to the matzo ball, every component was made fresh there and it was delicious. Two things took me by surprise. The first thing was that they put noodles in their soup. They are awesome noodles, not at all mushy like most places noodle soups, but it was new to me. The second thing was this matzo ball was the size of a baseball. Amazing. I licked the bowl clean.

Next round was our entrée. I ordered Bubba’s Famous Meatloaf wrapped in bacon with brown gravy. For $13.95 you get your entrée, a house or Cesar salad, and 2 sides. I think that is quite reasonable in today’s prices spiraling out of control. I paid a bit extra to get a latke as one of my sides. As a latke expert, this gets the Jewish American Princess seal of approval. The meatloaf was so awesome that it defies any cute description I could think up for it. Obviously it is not kosher, but despite was most non-Jewish people think, not all Jews keep Kosher. As stated previously, I was also able to sample Hubby and Friend’s pick as well. For this reason I can say, without doubt, that the Beef Stroganoff and stuffed cabbage are also without equal.

What I cannot reiterate enough, is this food here is the real deal, Bubbe home cooked, no kidding around. Eric the owner is an import from New York, and we are so pleased he has joined us in DC. I now have a place to buy homemade chopped chicken liver (YUM! I like to call it Jewish pate), and wonderful deli meats to boot. The roast beef and brisket are cooked in house! I highly recommend it. Don’t forget to save room for the sinful desserts, including  favorites of mine, Napoleons and REAL New York Cheesecake.

Put Chutzpah’s on your must try list. I promise you will not be a one timer.

12214 Fairfax Town Center
Fairfax, VA 22033
Voice: (703) 385-8883
Fax: (703) 385-5855

Website: http://chutzpahdeli.com 
 

Luscious Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon - Ohh La La

So the other day I caught the culinary bug again. This time the ocean was calling to me. I decided to pick up some lovely Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (Available April – October). I do not have  a lot of experience with this fish, so true to form, I decided to wing it. I came up with a lovely baked salmon with Honey Habenero Sauce from Po River Apiary (More information included below), Citrus rind seasoning, basil, cilantro, and dill. It was FABULOUS. I am happy to report it was cooked perfectly, not dry at all. For this use a meat thermometer and common sense. Fish should be cooked to 145 degrees according to the government food safety website (Click here for more information). It just melted on my tongue.  

Po River Apiary is located in Spotsylvania Virginia. They produce a wide variety of items, but all are made from their own naturally harvested honey. In this recipe I used their wonderful Honey Habenero sauce (Which is more like a glaze). It is deliciously sweet with a subtle kick, perfect for cooking fish. The uses for this product are only as limited as your imagination.  You can view their product brochure online at: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BwxeiC-DkpYkNGVjNGJkN2EtMDBlMC00MmE4LWFhOTAtNjM4ZmZkZTU1ZGVl&hl=en_US. This kicks off another new article series, The BEST Places You Should Know About. Follwing this maiden voyage, we will be bringing interviews from local businesses that everyone should sit up and take notice. Coming soon is the Organic Butcher of McLean. Please stay tuned!

Best 'O Veg - Part 1 - Italian

This blog, like many of the restaurants in this here US of A, tends to be more meat centric. What many of my readers may not know about me is that I am pro vegetarian and was a card carrying member for 3 full years. No red meat, white meat, or fish. I had to give up that lofty pursuit when my cravings got worse and worse. I was getting proper nutrition, so skeptics; keep your snarky comments to yourself.

Suffice it to say, in 3 years you learn a lot about restaurants and where to find the best veg food around. I will share this vital knowledge with you now grasshopper. Periodically I will throw out these Best ‘O Veg reviews. It will showcase a paticular cuisine/establishment.  Today I will post a review for Famous Luigi’s in DC, once on my vegetarian restaurant review website. Enjoy…

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Famous Luigi’s

1132 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 331-7574

Website: http://famousluigis.com/

I am of the belief that on one’s 1^st visit to Famous Luigi’s Italian Restaurant, in NW DC, the pizza should be their starting point. I have had the privilege of eating their food on 3 occasions. This DC locale has been at the same building for almost 70 years. In that time they have most definitely mastered their trade.

My introduction to their groundbreaking pizza ruined me for pizza from any other food establishment. I had ordered a pizza with mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and extra cheese. Upon my 1^st bite of this masterpiece, I believe my eyes rolled back into my head.

I have always been of the school of thought that pizza was one of those foods that was good, but not worthy of culinary worship as fine cuisine. Luigi’s has single-handedly torn down my misconceived opinion in one meal.

I eat pizza from the usual places, but this pizza was beyond anything I had ever experienced. The cheese was heavy, but not overwhelming, the toppings were fresh and not overcooked, the tomato sauce was flavored beautifully and not too heavy, but the crowning point of this meal was the crust.

Normally I leave the crust. Most crust lacks flavor and texture, and does not impress me. There can be no doubt that this crust is made by scratch, and from true Svengalis of this profession. I can honestly say I have never tasted crust this good before (could you tell?). It was soft and hearty at the same time, but my favorite aspect was the lovely yeast flavor, it is what really makes this crust unique.

I have also tasted the appetizers, Melanzane fritte (fried eggplant) and the Mozzarella fritte (homemade mozzarella; breaded & fried). Both are EXCELLENT and completely homemade. The eggplant breading did lack seasoning, but all it really needed was a little salt and it was still amazing. The texture was perfect.

On my most recent visit, I finally tried their pasta (made in-house). I tasted their Fetuccine alla Luigi (homemade pasta sautéed with cream sauce & parmigiano). This is essentially their version of Fettuccini Alfredo. I also tried their Gnocchi alla bava - potato dumplings in three cheeses. I can tell you, without hesitation, that I have never tasted better.

What people do not realize, is that fresh homemade food, like pasta, looks very different than what most people are familiar with. This kind of food lacks the pre-fab/out of the jar appearance of most chain restaurants (ie: Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill). The pasta has a more yellow color, and for the 1^st time I was eating pasta at an Italian restaurant that was cooked to perfection – Al dente. At every single eatery I have been too, the pasta is always overcooked to some extent.

The sauce was a simple creation and elegant in its simplicity. It was like you could name each ingredient in it by tasting it. There is no mass-produced, from the grocery store, generic mush from Luigi’s.

My opinion is, visit this place as soon as you can, you will not regret it.

UPDATE:

Since writing this entry I have also had the privilage of trying the angel hair arrabiatta. Technically not on the menu, it is a must order. I have never eaten angel hair in a restaurant the was perfectly al dente. I could die happy now. The sauce bursting with flavor Italiano with a touch of zing. Eat eat eat!

Honey Pig - Annandale VA

What is Honey Pig you might ask. Honey Pig is a singular experience. I find it difficult to properly describe in words (although, I will try anyway). It is not just a Korean BBQ restaurant, but an experience in Korean culture.

What I like best about HP, is that it was made to please Koreans. When  I went, I was one of the only white people there. I always believe that the true way to tell if a restaurant is serving authentic cuisine, is by watching the clientele that frequent the establishment. The fact that 95% (give or take) of the diners were Korean, made me confident that this would be the real deal.

The atmosphere in HP was frantic with servers running about setting up grills at new customers tables, setting the meat to cook, bringing plates full of lettuce, Kimchi, and other accompaniments. The design of this place is very urban and spartan. Nothing was hanging about that did not serve a purpose. It was an environment completely foreign to me. In fact, I felt like this could be the closest to what it would feel like to be in Korea.

Koreans reading this will likely laugh at me. Silly white woman does not realize what Korea is really like. They would be right. But like Korea it felt. It was hot, vibrant, and bustling, and I have not even gotten to the food yet!

When we entered, our table was immediately served individual small dishes with Kimchi, which I  had never tried and was nervous about, and other similar style vegetables. There were also individual leaves of lettuce which confused me. There were 2 dipping sauces and sliced onion with chopped (yes more) lettuce.

I had tried Korean food in the past, but this experience was totally new. I felt like a tourist and little out of place, but in a good way. For the 1st time in a very long while, I was giddy, excited about this new gastronomic experience.

I ordered the pork belly, and my friend with me ordered bulgoggi. The servers here move with purpose and focus, and it was not long at all before our grill was sizzling with yummy marinated meats. Served with rice and an additional vegetable mixture that seems primarily mung bean sprouts. I was thrilled to learn that I actually do like Kimchi. The spicy sour flavor goes perfectly when eaten in conjunction with the rice and meat. I also learned the purpose of all that lettuce. By observing the table next to me, the chopped lettuce is eaten together with the meat, almost like a salad. The large leaves are used to wrap various ingredients. I tried both ways and they are fabulous together.

A table neighbor was even patient with me when I inquired about a dish they were eating. It is steamed and made of eggs, almost like an egg souffle. It is called Gaeran Jim. It is very mild and quite fluffy in texture. The fried dumplings are also painfully delicious. There was literally nothing off with this meal. It was perfect.

If you just adore Korean food, or if you are in the mood for a vacation from the norm (according to us that is), Honey Pig is just what you have been looking for. The only downside is can be difficult to communicate with the staff, so be patient, it is all part of the process. 

Contact Information

7220 Columbia Pike
Ste C
Annandale, VA 22003

Phone: (703) 256-5229

Website: www.eathoneypig.com