Saba - Authentic Yemeni fare in Northern Virginia

Yoghurt salad

3900 Pickett Road, Fairfax, VA

I had the opportunity to visit several Middle Eastern restaurants in the DC metro region. A characteristic shared by each of these establishments was the blandness of the food. However, a recent visit to Saba, a Yemeni restaurant in Fairfax, made me think that I was too quick to condemn the region's cuisine.   

For appetizers, we ordered the shofout, a yoghurt salad with a spongy sour-dough bread on the bottom. It was cold and refreshing. However, the portion was such that a single order could conceivably serve as the sole side dish for a party of five or more. 

Chicken Mandi

Among the entrees, we tried their chicken mandi: chicken cooked in a tandoor and served on a bed of rice and lots of caramelized onions.  We also ordered the lamb haneeth, which featured slow cooked lamb served on a bed of rice. Both dishes were delicious, especially when complemented with the yoghurt from the shofout. If I had one criticism of the entrees, it would be the excessive amount of rice, both in absolute terms and relative to the amount of protein on the plate.

Ma'soob

Finally, we tried the Ma’soob, an item off the dessert menu made with rashoush, bananas, purified butter, honey, and topped with a sprinkling of nigella. Like the other dishes, the Ma'soob was not lacking in flavor and was served in quantities that could best be described as generous, though perhaps too much of a good thing for our party of two.

The decor struck me as authentic, a perception which was reinforced by the presence of many customers who appeared to be native to the region. 

Recommended, though only for large parties.

Depth over breadth

Bonchon chicken

Bonchon Chicken, Korean

7215 Columbia Pike Annandale, VA 22003

The draw of many restaurants is their focus on the execution of a single dish. For certain items with a sufficiently broad appeal, such a strategy can result in significant popularity even if the establishment itself is associated with a particular ethnic cuisine.  Two establishments which have successfully applied this depth over breadth strategy to chicken are Bonchon Chicken and El Pollo. 

Bonchon (translated to Hometown) is a Korean franchise around the U.S that serves made to order fried chicken wings and drumsticks with hot and/or soy garlic sauce. We visited locations in both Annandale and Fairfax. They both offered a delightful dining experience, though we preferred the Annandale's location due to the complementary coleslaw, which is a must if you order the chicken with the hot sauce.  On the other hand, the ambience was a little more refined in the Fairfax location, and the servers a little more attentive. The menu includes a few other traditional Korean appetizers and entrees, which helps if you or someone in your party is not in the mood for chicken. Of these, we tried their vegetable dumplings. They were not exceptional but certainly edible.

El Pollo Rico, Peruvian

932 N Kenmore St, Arlington, VA 22201

We have been customers of El Pollo (Translated to chicken) since we were students due to its location across the street from George Mason's Arlington campus. The sole entree is the charcoal broiled chicken, which is filling and flavorful, though not particularly spicy. The chicken comes in full, half and quarter sizes. The half chicken is priced at $8. Sides include french fries, coleslaw and sauces (a hot sauce and mayo-based sauce). Producing chickens on a mass scale, El Pollo's kitchen and dining space are most similar to what one would expect to find in a school cafeteria. If you cannot deal with this "ambience", a take-out option is available. Recommended due to its lack of pretension, low prices, and delicious food.

Shrimp Biryani

Biryani is a spicy Indian layered rice dish that is mostly cooked with vegetables, shrimp, chicken or goat. This recipe I am sharing is for a medium-spicy shrimp biryani. If you like it more spicy, you can add a few more chillies and/or garam masala. 

Ingredients 
2 cups of Basmati rice
1/2 pound large deveined wild caught shrimp
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 small green chillies
4 pods of garlic
1 inch of ginger
1 large onion
1 large tomato
1 teaspoon each chilli, turmeric, cumin, and coriander powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 large potato
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
3 stocks of coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt (Add more to suit your taste)

Step 1: Grind the green chillies, ginger and garlic into a paste. Marinate the shrimp in half of the paste and keep it aside.
Step 2: Boil the rice in 8 cups of water along with 2 bay leaves, and star anise. Drain the water once the rice is cooked.
Step 3: Cut the potato in wedges, add some salt and pepper and shallow-fry them until they turn golden brown.

Step 4: Boil three eggs. Cut them into halves and keep them aside.
Step 5: For the shrimp mixture, saute the remaining ginger garlic paste in olive oil. Add the diced onions and tomatoes and let it cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat.  Add the spices, salt, shrimp, finely chopped coriander leaves and the lime juice. Let it cook for about 15 minutes.

Step 6: Layer the rice, shrimp mixture and potato wedges on top of one another. Keep layering until you can add rice as the final layer. Garnish the top layer with the eggs, remaining potato wedges and coriander leaves.

Step 7: Let it heat on low heat for about 15 minutes.
Step 8: Serve hot. You could have it with yoghurt on the side.

Chicken Curry

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
1/2 pound chicken                                                           2 tablespoons yoghurt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder                                            1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder                                         1 star anise
2 tablespoons curry powder (garam masala)                  4 small red potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil/ ghee                                           Salt to taste
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste                                    2 stocks of coriander leaves
1/2 onion                                                                         1/4 cup lime

1/2 tomato                                                                      

1/2 cup milk    
 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour                                                                 

                                    

For the cashew nut powder
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 red chillies
2 pepper corns
2 cloves

4 cashew nuts

Step 1: Grind the cumin seeds, chillies, pepper corns, cloves, and cashew nuts into a fine powder. 

Step 2: If you would like to prepare your own chicken stock, boil the chicken skin in water for about 30 minutes.  

Step 3: Marinate the chicken with yoghurt, lime, chilli, turmeric, coriander, curry and the prepared cashew nut powders and leave it for about 2-3 hours (I left it for 5 hours). 

Step 4: Saute the star anise, onions, tomatoes and the ginger garlic paste in olive oil/ghee. 

Step 5: Add the chicken, stock, milk, and potatoes and let it cook for about an hour. 

Step 6: After letting it cook for an hour, if you would like to thicken the curry, add some flour to the mixture. Add salt to suit your taste. Garnish it with some chopped coriander leaves.

Step 7: Serve hot with chapati or roti. 

Note: Instead of chicken, you can prepare goat curry in a similar way except that you might need to cook goat for close to 3 hours on medium heat. 

Latin American cuisine in Falls Church, Virginia

Causa Rellena

In my experience, the most reliable predictor of the authenticity and quality of a restaurant's ethnic food is the presence of a community of the relevant ethnic population in the surrounding area. Two local establishments offering Latin American cuisine which meet this criteria are Kampo and La Caraqueña Latin American Cuisine. 

Reina Pepeada

Kampo
5884 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041

While the overall quality of the dining experience at the  two restaurants I reviewed were similar, I thought Kampo scored higher with respect to authenticity. Kampo offers traditional Peruvian cuisine as well as Peruvian Chinese. We tried the Causa Rellena, a dish comprised of mashed potato and mayonnaise stuffed with tuna served with a sauce on the side. While I was unfamiliar with this simple, cold appetizer before visiting Kampo, its simple but strong flavors has made it a candidate for the title of my favorite comfort food. They also offered ceviche, which I thought was very close to what I tried in Peru. 

Seafood ceviche

La Caraqueña

300 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046

La Caraqueña, was a slightly more upscale establishment than Kampo. The ambience was also, in my opinion, less authentic but offered Latin comfort good of similar quality. Along similar lines of Causa Rellena, we ordered the Reina pepeada, a chicken salad blended with avocado and mayonnaise and filled in a grilled cornbread. I had this dish with some habanero sauce on the side. For our entrees, we tried their tilapia with a lemon caper sauce served with steamed veggies and mashed potatoes, El Sabraso, a chicken breast sandwich with cheese and slices of avocado, and Pollo la caraquena, baked chicken with baked beans and white rice. Overall, we were quite satisfied with all the dishes, the flavors and textures of which are more likely to appeal to American palates than the more authentic fare at Kampo.

Dining options in Yorkville, Toronto

Penne via Frattina

During my recent trip to Toronto, I had the opportunity to visit a few restaurants in Yorkville, a neighborhood in close proximity to the University of Toronto.  The neighborhood offered a great diversity of ethnic dining options.

My first stop was Sotto Sotto Ristorante, a cozy Italian restaurant where the dining area overlooked the kitchen. Every item on the menu allowed the patron to choose between lunch and dinner portions. I tried the appetizer-sized penne via frattina, penne pasta cooked with wood smoked salmon & asparagus. I never imagined a strongly-flavored fish such as salmon would go well with cheese and pasta, but I was pleasantly surprised by this dish.

My next stop was Pangaea, a Canadian restaurant where I attended a hosted dinner with a catered menu. My three course meal was comprised of wild mushroom soup, rainbow trout with veggies, and a lemon meringue for dessert. The ambience and flavorful food made for a pleasant dining experience.

Goat Korma with Garlic Naan

Finally, I visited The Host, a fine dining Indian chain restaurant located in several locations in Toronto. I tried the goat korma with garlic naan at the Yorkville site. While the goat korma was nothing out of the ordinary, the garlic naan was great example of how to make a seemingly mundane dish memorable through solid execution. This restaurant also had prawn balchao on its menu, a spicy Goan specialty I have not seen on the menu of most Indian restaurants.

Given the reasonable prices and the quality of the dishes, I would gladly return to each of these establishments during my next trip to Toronto.

Seafood Peri Peri with Quinoa

Cuisine: Goan Fusion

Ingredients

2 lobster tails

2 cups of Quinoa

4-5 wild caught shrimp

For the Peri peri sauce 

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 onion

1/2 tomato

2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 teaspoons of cumin seeds

2 small red chillies

2 cloves 

1 small stick of cinnamon

2 teaspoons of milk or cream (I used half-n-half)

Salt and pepper to taste to taste

Optional 

Coriander leaves (You could add some finely chopped coriander leaves to your sauce if you would like)

Peri-peri sauce

Step 1: Saute the ginger garlic paste with finely diced onions in olive oil.

Step 2: Add finely diced tomatoes along with vinegar.

Step 3: Let the mixture cook for about 5-10 minutes on a very low flame. 

Step 4: Grind the red chillies, cumin seeds, cloves and a cinnamon stick into a fine powder and add it to the mixture. 

Step 5: Add some tomato ketchup and the shrimp. 

Step 6: Add half-n-half and let the mixture cook until it reduces to a thick sauce. 

Step 7: Boil the lobster tails separately for 4-5 minutes and pull the meat apart from the shell.

Seafood peri peri with and quinoa

Step 8: Cook the quinoa separately in water. Sprinkle some lime in it. Add salt and pepper to suit your taste. 

Step 9: Pour the peri-peri sauce on a bed of quinoa with a side of lobster meat. 

** Peri-peri sauce with shrimp by itself, although spicy is delicious and can be enjoyed with some portuguese bread. 

Chinese Fusion

What is it about Chinese cuisine that makes it globally ubiquitous? I would argue that it is its ability to blend with many regional flavor profiles. The popularity of the two Northern Virginia Chinese fusion establishments featured in this review argue that Chinese ingredients work especially well with Indian spices as well as Latin American comfort food.

Kam-po

Crispy shrimp

5884, Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041
I recently had the opportunity to visit Kam-po, a Peruvian Chinese establishment in Arlington. I tried their crispy shrimp and spicy chicken. The ambience was such that I could easily imagine myself dining in Macchu Picchu. Along with their Chinese menu, they also have a traditional Peruvian menu. We sampled an appetizer called causa rellena, i.e. potato stuffed with tuna. Recommended to those who wish to explore two regional cuisines in a single trip.

 Inchin's Bamboo Garden
13059, Worldgate Dr, Herndon, VA 20170

Chilli chicken and chicken momos

At Inchin's Bamboo Garden, I tried their chicken dumplings (or momos), chilli chicken (the Indo-chinese staple), crispy lamb, and Singaporean shrimp. In a possible attempt to widen the clientele beyond Herndon's large Indian community, the menu includes items such as Mongolian beef which are not commonly found in Indian restaurants. However, the menu still leans South Asian, as indicated by the large number of vegetarian items on the menu. While I was excited by the restaurant's concept, my experience was compromised by poor execution. Specifically, I could not really tell it was Indo-chinese. The blandness of the entrees reminded me of something I could  find at P.F. Chiang's. The service was also generally poor, a result of attempting to serve many customers with as few employees as possible. Not recommended.

Southside 815 - Southern American food in Northern Virginia

Fried oysters with cheesy spinach

Southside 815

815 South Washington St.

Alexandria, VA 22314 

Growing up, I was often labeled "parochial" due to my lack of appreciation for American cuisine. But after two visits to Southside 815 in Alexandria, I may have finally found an establishment that can liberate my palate from the spicy bonds of my homeland.

I had the opportunity to sample both the breakfast and dinner menus. For brunch I would recommend the sausage biscuits and gravy, vegetable frittata, and eggs benedict. 

Gumbo

For  dinner, I strongly endorse ordering the fried oysters with cheese spinach as an appetizer. Their entree menu includes many Southern classics. We tried the gumbo and blackened catfish, which were both very good and, as far as I can tell, authentic. The portion sizes were large enough: the main entree was served with mostly a lot of greens or veggies. I would recommend paring these dishes with the homemade buttermilk and sweet potato biscuits. 

On the whole, the food was delicious, if bit rich. All the dishes were worth the very reasonable price. I would recommend at least one visit to any of my fellow immigrants who are interested in experiencing 'good' American cuisine.

Kalpasi - The full Chettinad experience in Virginia

Fish curry with appam

Kalpasi 
13055, Worldgate Drive
Herndon, Virginia, 20170

When I arrived in the United States, going out to an Indian restaurant carried with it expectations of butter chicken or paneer butter masala.

However, the opportunities for Americans to experience the more authentic regional cuisines in the Washington DC metropolitan area are increasing. Kalpasi, newly opened in Herndon, Virginia, is indicative of this trend. The menu is largely comprised of Chettinad,  a particularly spicy variance to southern Indian cuisine.

Dry mutton

Among the main courses, I tried their tangy and spicy fish curry served with Appam, South Indian pancakes made from fermented rice batter as well as their dry goat. Both dishes were very good. Those interested in the full Chettinad experience may also want to consider  their house-made paratha. I tried it with their king fish curry and it was delicious.

The prices were very reasonable given the quality of the food, though, at the end of the meal, we wished the portion sizes had been larger.

Goan Fish Curry

Ingredients (Serves 2-3 people)
2 tablespoons of clarified butter (or olive oil)
2 green chillies slit
3 pods of garlic (crushed)
1/2 onion diced
1/2 tomato diced
7 fillets of cleaned tilapia (you can also try this recipe with shrimp or any fish of your choice)
1 cup of coconut milk (I used the canned coconut milk. Alternately, you could make some with fresh coconut)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
Chopped coriander leaves/cilantro
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar

Step 1: Heat oil or butter in a pan. Add the cumin seeds along with chopped chillies, crushed garlic, and onions. Add the tomatoes to the mix, once the onions have turned brown.

Step 2: Add chili, turmeric and coriander powders and let it cook.

Step 3: Add the coconut milk. 

Step 4: Add the tilapia fillets and allow it to cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Step 5: Add some garam masala, tamarind, salt and sugar. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

Step 6: Serve hot with rice.

Palak paneer (Cottage cheese with spinach and mushroom sauce)

Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients (Serves 2-3 people)

200 grams of paneer (cottage cheese) cubes 

1 finely chopped red onion

1/2 finely chopped tomato

1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach (70 grams)

4 finely chopped mushrooms

2 bay leaves

4 pods of garlic

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

4 tablespoons of clarified butter (or olive oil)

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate

Pinch of garam masala

Salt to taste

Step 1: Saute the spinach and mushrooms with half onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic in a pan. 

Step 2: Blend the mixture with some milk.

Step 3: Saute the remaining onion and cumin seeds in some butter and bay leaves. 

Step 4: Marinate the paneer cubes with the spices [chilli, turmeric, and coriander powders] and fry them with the onions. ( You could also separately shallow-fry the paneer cubes with the egg white before you saute them with the onions. 

Step 5: Add the blended mixture to the paneer. 

Step 6: Sprinkle some garam masala and let it cook for 5-10 minutes. 

Step 7: Add some salt to taste. 

Step 8: For a tangy flavor, you could add some tamarind.  

Step 9: Serve with chapati (Indian bread) or rice. 

Supper Club of India

Fish Amritsari with chutney

I recently visited the Supper Club of India, located in Herndon, Virginia.  It does not have a particularly fancy ambience but I was very impressed with the quality of food. Most of India's regions were given some degree of representation on the menu.

Many of the dishes are not very commonly offered by Indian restaurants in the DC region,  including chicken kolhapuri (a spicy speciality from Maharastra), Vindaloo (a vinegar-based specialty from Goa) and non-vegetarian delicacies included Lobster Nizam and chicken chettinad, which are unique to southern India. The prices were reasonable relative to other Indian restaurants in Northern Virginia.

Shrimp curry, chicken chettinad and rice

I tried their chicken chettinad, madras shrimp, and fish amritsari. Although I thought the chicken chettinad tasted more like the Goan chicken xacuti, I certainly did not mind the latter. The shrimp was prepared in a coconut based curry that went well  with the rice.

Another interesting feature of this restaurant's menu were the many dishes prepared with phall -- the "hottest curry in the world". These curries are made from Bhut Jalokia, or ghost peppers, which originated in Assam, a state in northeast India. I did not think I could handle the spice levels, but if you think you can, this is the restaurant you will want to visit to test what your taste buds are made of. However, even for those with nothing to prove, the rest of the menu has enough to ensure that you will not regret the trip. 

North Indian fare in South Goa

Chicken legs stuffed with minced meat

If you are in South Goa and have an appetite for the north indian cuisine, here are a few suggestions. 

Tavir in Margao city is a great option and one of my favorite restaurants in Margao city. While it's menu borrows from the entire subcontinent, their comparative advantage probably lies in their North Indian dishes. I tried their kababs, chicken legs (tangdi chicken) stuffed with minced meat, and butter chicken. All were well above average. 

Many of the three-star and five-star restaurants have a buffet option with a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian north indian items.

Pao bhaji at Tato's

I tried the buffet at Taj Exotica's Marble Arch. If you are not a big fan of Goan cuisine, this might be your best bet given the sheer variety of dishes on its menu. It is certainly good enough to justify the (not low) price. 

There are few exclusively vegetarian options in Goa. Those with an aversion to meat might consider visiting Cafe Tato (in Margao and Panaji), a fast food chain whose menu is very diverse with respect to casual Indian dishes on offer. These include sukhi bhaji, pao bhaji, chole bhature, vegetable cutlets, as well as a vegetarian thali.

Goa for the seafood lovers

Prawn stuffed papad at Martin's Corner, Betalbatim

My top picks for establishments in South Goa, India which serve Goan cuisine include:

Chef Fernando's Nostalgia is a very popular choice for those looking for authentic Goan. I tried their prawn rissois, prawn stuffed papads and other specialties including ambot tik (fish curry), chicken xacuti, and prawn balchao. This garden restaurant is nested in a forested area which results in a nice ambience. 

However, my favorite Goan full service restaurant was Sharda Classic Bar and Restaurant, located in Margao. It offers a take-out option that is a tad cheaper than the dine-in menu. The fish was fresh and their fried shrimp was mouth-watering. Other dishes including chicken sukha, chicken xacuti, and chilli chicken, all of which I preferred to have with freshly baked Goan bread called pao. Of all the restaurants I visited which served Goan shrimp curry, Sharda's was one of the best, being the most similar to what one would expect if it was prepared at home.

Rawa fried prawn at Sharda Classic

Besides the full service options located in the larger cities, most Goan beach resorts have at least one food shack in close proximity which offer a variety of Goan dishes. I generally prefer the dishes served in these establishments to the Goan dishes on offer at the more polished indoor restaurants. Joe Corns near Taj Exotica in Betalbatim beach offers authentic Goan cuisine at reasonable prices. Joet's on the Bogmolo beach is located a stone’s throw from the Bogmolo beach resort.  

If you are a seafood lover, don’t miss out on their comprehensive seafood platters which feature fried fish, shrimp, mussel, lobster and calamari. The fried seafood in Goa not only sport the spices that define Indian cuisine but, somewhat unique to the subcontinent, the seafood is served fresh - thanks to the proximity of most parts of the state to the coast.