The Afghan cuisine - Panjshir

Chicken and mushroom curry/Zardach and lamb quorma

Panjshir, Afghan cuisine
924 West Broad Street, Falls Church, VA 22046

Muntoo (beef dumplings)

Before I visited Panjshir, I associated Afghan cuisine with kababs. I love kababs but find them a bit dry. But Panjshir's menu is surprisingly diverse. I especially enjoyed the curries, which are served with rice. I have tried their chicken curry with light spices and mushrooms and lamb quorma (lamb with Afghan prunes, walnuts and spices).

We also tried their chicken kababs and muntoo (beef dumplings with meat sauce and yoghurt) . The  menu features a large number of other meat entrees, mostly lamb and beef.

If you are vegetarian, they have some great dishes too. We tried their zardach as a side (slices of fresh carrots cooked with seeded afghan prunes, walnuts, and chickpeas, topped with tomato sauce).

On the whole, the food is delicious and not spicy. The ambience is cosy. If I were pick one fault, it would be the lack of choice in poultry dishes. There are only two chicken dishes on their menu (which I absolutely loved). 

Food on the Vegas strip

Roast chicken

Las Vegas boasts of several restaurants run by celebrity chefs, so we were very excited to experience the food scene. We visited a few restaurants on the strip at various casinos.

Overrated. Food was less than mediocre. At Bellagio, we stopped by the popular Lago. It specialized in small plates, tapas style Italian food. We tried their seafood risotto, and shrimp-stuffed squid. Although edible, I did not think the seafood was fresh. It looked fancier than it tasted.

Shrimp stuffed squid

On the other hand, Jasmine, a Chinese restaurant at Bellagio, was pretty good. We tried their roast chicken (with caramelized onion), and dumplings and were satisfied.

We also had a chance to try the much talked about smoked salmon pizza at Wolfgang Puck's Spago. It was simple, filling and not as pricey as the other restaurants but honestly none of this food struck to be as particularly great.

Finally, we sampled a couple of breakfast/lunch buffets that the strip is known for. The first was a French buffet at Le Village. Don't let the long waits deceive you. I identify French food with fine preparations served in petite portions. There was nothing French about this place. Bulky portion with no flavor. Not recommended.

All of these restaurants, just like the casinos, were flashy in appearance. Although some like Lago's dining space at Bellagio offered a beautiful view of the water fountains, overall, my impression of these restaurants was that they served a clientele who were looking for that Vegas gaudiness and are not necessarily targeted towards foodies. 

Goat Stew

Goat stew

Ingredients
1/2 pound goat (on the bone)
1 large red onion
2 small tomatoes
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
2 tablespoons yoghurt (marinade)
10 small baby carrots
3 stalks celery
4 small potatoes
1/2 bell pepper
2 garlic pods
1 cup of spinach paste
2 spoons coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
2 green cardamon pods
1 spoon chilli powder
1 spoon turmeric powder
1 spoon coriander powder
3 teaspoons garam masala
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Fresh coriander leaves
2 green chillies
Coconut oil
Ghee or Clarified butter for cooking

Step 1: Marinate the goat (on the bone) with yoghurt, chilli, turmeric, coriander powder and ginger garlic paste for 4 hours. In a separate bowl, boil spinach with green chillies and garlic. Let it cool and grind it to a paste.

Step 2: Saute diced onion, tomatoes, carrots, bell pepper, celery, bay leaves, coriander seeds, cardamon pods in coconut oil and clarified butter until brown. Add the chicken bouillon and garam masala.

Step 4: Add the spinach paste and the goat to the mix.

Step 5: Add two cups of water and let it cook for about 2 hours. I pressure cooked it after letting it cook on a medium flame for 2 hours. If you do not want to pressure cook, you might want to cook it for additional two hours (depends on how tender you prefer your goat).

Step 6: Add 1 cup of milk and flour to thicken the stew. Add some more garam masala if you like it more spicy.

Step 7: Add fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with bread or rice.

Specialty ethnic food retailers in Northern Virginia

Amity, Meat and Grocery

Fresh olives at Amity

Turkish
10372, Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030
Located in Fairfax, Amity sells Halal meats and Turkish specialties. Their breads, feta cheese and baklava is mouth-watering! Their olives are also very good. 

European Foods, Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish
2700 Pershing Drive, Arlington, VA 22216
Located in Arlington, European Foods sells some of the finest Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish specialties. If you are fond of freshly baked bread and choriso (sausages), it is a must-go. They also have a variety of imported wines and fresh olives. A bit pricey. 

Italian Store, Italian
It has several stores in Northern Virginia. Slightly pricey but worth it. They have some of the finesh imported pastas, freshly made pasta sauces, a selection of cheeses and wines.

Russian Gourmet, Eastern European
Has several locations in Northern Virginia
Offers great cakes, russian salads, and other gourmet food. Pricey but good quality. 

Patel Brothers, South Asian
11116, Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA
Offers a range of South-Asian foods - spices, lentils, and fresh vegetables. Their strength is their fast food- samosas, vada pao are available at the counter. They also have several frozen meals that are worth trying. 

Babylon Market, Mediterranean
1044, W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046
Located in Falls Church, this store has a variety of Middle Eastern food (dates, dry fruits, honey, Tahini, and grape leaves) as well as fresh meats including goat and beef. It has a wide range of prepared frozen foods including kubba (meat pies) and an aisle of Iraqi staples. 

Specialty Market, Peruvian
2190, Pimmit Drive, Falls Church, VA 22043
Located in Falls Church, this place offers a variety of Latin American food, veggies (great avocados), seafood and meats. They also have some delicious home-cooked tamales at their counter that you might want to try. 

Buen Nao, Vietnamese (near Bestway Supermarket on Route 50)
This small grocery stores sells a variety of Vietnamese staples. Freshly shredded papaya (great for salads), pickles, sauces for pho, duck eggs, kim chee and veggies. It also has a section of meats that includes duck and shrimp balls). 

Lotte Plaza, Korean
It has several stores in Northern Virginia. Known for its fresh vegetables, meats and seafoods. If you are fond of sweets, try their Shila Bakery. They have some great cakes. It also has a decent sushi bar. 

Los Angeles - a destination for ethnic food lovers

Taquitos in avocado sauce at Olvera street

We recently spent a long weekend in Los Angeles. If you are fan of different ethnic cuisines, LA's various ethnic enclaves offer a variety of options.

We tried several dishes ranging from sushi, Korean soups, biryani to curries. While none of it was something I had not eaten before, when you try these dishes in places that primarily serve a native audience, you can be assured that the food is authentic.In Little Bangladesh, for example, one restaurant featured Bengali sweets like kheer kadam which are typically not found even in some of the Bangladeshi restaurants I have visited.

The ubiquitous Mexican food was a complete delight. From mom-and-pop shops to up-scale chains, this city has it all. I tried some dishes for the first time, like flautas, taquitos in avocado sauce at the popular Olvera Street, and experienced guacamole being made fresh at my table at Rosa Mexicano. And the fact that you can have a wholesome meal for less than $10 certainly adds to the feel-good factor.