Russian-Uzbek Fare

Rus-Uz

Steamed dumplings

1000 N. Randolph Street

Arlington, Virginia 22202

Rus-Uz, in Ballston, Arlington, offers Russian and Uzbek cuisine. Having been here several times, I have found the quality of the food to be consistent and the prices are fare. 

During our most recent visit, we picked the pirohski (potato and mushroom pastry) and Herring under fur coat (a layered fish salad) for appetizers. For the main course, we had a Uzbek delicacy called manti (large steamed dumplings with lamb and onions, served with a sauce on top), and russian roasted salmon with pomegranate sauce. Personally, I found the food a bit bland for my taste. But I could see the comfort food appeal in all their dishes - simple and well-executed. For meat-lovers, there were several beef and pork dishes on the menu. 

If you are in mood for some simple and hot food on a cold day, this is a great ethnic dining option in Arlington. Reasonably priced. Recommended. 

Kapnos - Greek fare

Saganaki

We recently visited Kapnos Taverna in  Ballston. I tried their lunch and dinner menus and absolutely loved it. The strengths of Kapnos are the small portions of most items on the menu (similar to the tapas); the flavor and presentation; and its variety.

I have to give a call out to their spreads. We tried the smoky eggplant (melitzanosalata) and a feta cheese spread (tyrokaftari). Both were served with some fresh pita and were very tasty. Their traditional saganaki (think flamed cheese with a dash honey) was also delicious. Their spanakopita, however, was just not as good.

Eggplant spread with pita

For the main course, we tried the falafel, marinated chicken souvlaki and spit-roasted lamb. All the dishes were the same size but were sufficiently filling. For dessert, we tried their almond cake. While nothing great, there was also nothing to complain about.

The Ballston location also has a raw bar. We tried their raw oysters. Expensive.

If I were to find a fault, it would be the ambiance. A bit noisy for a quiet dinner.

While not as good as what I have had was in Chicago's Greek neighborhood, Kapnos is one of the better Mediterranean options in the DC region. Recommended.

Indian Street Food in the DC area

Mysore Masala Dosa

Bindaas
3309 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008

In 2000s, Indian street food would have been quite a rare sight in the DC area. This scarcity of Indian fast food options appears to be coming to an end, as we recently discovered two places that specialize in Indian street cuisine.

The first, Bindaas, is a fairly new Indian restaurant located in the District. We tried their brunch menu on a Sunday - bhel puri, pao masala omelette, and chicken kathi roll with chai. The menu also featured some South Indian comfort dishes such as uttapam. The food was authentic and generally well-executed. Recommended.

Street Kitchen, 
7943B Tysons Corner Center, Tysons, VA 22102

The other restaurant was located in the Tysons mall next to the newly opened American Tandoor, Street Kitchen serves dosas and kathi rolls. The rolls were edible although an indian palate may not think of them as authentic. We also tried their mysore masala and chicken dosa and were pleasantly surprised at how good it was. A new addition to their menu is Masala chai (Indian spiced tea), which is great. 

Tuna cutlets

Ingredients
1/2 diced large red onion
1 diced tomato
2 cans of albacore white tuna
4 small red potatoes
1/2 of cauliflower head (Other veggies you may add: carrots, brocolli)
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 tablespoon ginger, garlic, green chilies paste (4 pods of garlic/1 large piece of ginger, 3 chilies)
2 teaspoons chili, turmeric, coriander, cumin powders
3 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 lime
coriander leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Saute the onion, tomatoes and ground garlic/ginger paste in oil. Add tomato puree and let it cook.

Step 2: Add the tuna along with the spices and let it cook.

Step 3: Pressure cook the veggies separately and mash them.

Step 4: Add them to the tuna mixture. Sprinkle some lime, add garam masala and coriander to suit your taste. Add salt/pepper.

Step 5: Make small balls and shallow fry them. Serve hot.

The seafood scene in New Orleans

Shrimp po-boy

Our recent trip to New Orleans was all about the seafood scene.

I tried several restaurants' take on a local favorite -the po-boy sandwich (a french baguette stuffed with fried seafood of your choice including shrimp, oysters or fish along with fresh veggies/mayo/remoulade). Nola poboys relatively non-pretentious version of the po-boy was my favorite and would make a great lunch or an evening snack.

Raw oysters at Acme Oyster House

Oysters came in different forms - raw, fried and char-grilled ((grilled with a lot of garlic sauce and parmesan). My favorite were the raw oysters on offer at the famous Acme oyster house.

Crawfish was another common ingredient in a lot of dishes served in restaurants. Of the multiple crawfish-based dishes that I tried, my favorite was a crawfish hash from Nottoway plantation, an antebellum-ear plantation about at an hour's drive from the city.

I also tried an omelette at the Beignet Cafe in the French quarter and thought it was alright. Crawfish ettoufet (crawfish tails cooked in a broth and served with rice) is another popular dish. Our experience at the New orleans creole cookery, where we tried the ettoufet was awful. But I would definitely try it again at another place.

Flounder at Atchafalaya

We had a fine dining experience at a couple of restaurants in town. One was the famous Commanders palace in the heart of the city. At Commanders Palace, we tried their shrimp and quail for lunch. Food was very delicious, although I thought their portions were small for the price. I was also not a big fan of its ambiance. Felt like a tourist trap.

On the contrary, Atchafalaya, a quaint little restaurant, was clearly a winner in terms of food and ambiance. Our meal included corn bread with jalapenos and olives, mussels in garlic sauce and fries for an appetizer, their special flounder. Absolutely nothing that I could complain about. Perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, it offered the most memorable food in the city.

Un tour de la comida de Santiago

Sea bass with bean rice

I had the good fortune to visit the Dominican Republic earlier this month. I spent a week in Santiago, located in the north of the country and experienced its local cuisine.

The food was  similar to that which I experienced  in my trips to Spain, Latin America and Africa, a reflection of the larger influence of Hispanic and African culture on the island. I tried variants of the Panamanian Sancocho (sancocho), mashed/fried African plantains (tostones and Mofongo), Peruvian roast chicken (el pollo), Mexican beans with rice (Habichuelas Rojas) and Spanish croquetas (Croquettas de pollo). I tried the lunch buffet at  Rancho Chito, and came out very delighted. The food had a lot of flavor (not heavily spiced) and was very reasonably-priced.

Roast chicken with beans

In terms of the ethnic dining options, there were not many options. However, I visited an American pizza chain (Brixx) for the first time and will fondly remember its white sauce pizza. An Italian restaurant that we visited, called RistorArte was my favorite of the trip. The pastas, risottos, and a cheese fondue we tried for an an appetizer were outstanding and very reasonably-priced. Though I did not get to visit a Chinese restaurant , Santiago's Chinese establishments (El pez dorado) have a good reputation.

All in all, I got to try some good, simple food, but I will admit that the seafood (I saw a lot of sea bass on their menus) did not meet my expectations. I was expecting fresher seafood given the country's location on an island, but came away a bit disappointed.

Peking Gourmet Inn

Firecracker jumbo shrimp

Peking Gourmet Inn
6029, Lessburg Pike,
Falls Church, VA
22041

We had a particularly memorable meal at this upscale Chinese restaurant in Falls Church. Great food, a busy dining ambiance, friendly service and fairly reasonably-priced.

Garlic sprouts stir-fried with chicken

We tried two of their specialties - firecracker jumbo shrimp with green and red chilies (slightly pricey @ $43) was very flavorful and delicious (and worth the price). Not very spicy and a little dry. So if you are looking to have it with rice, you should combine it with a spicy sauce on the side. We had it with some schezwan sauce on the side.

Another of their house specialties is the garlic sprouts stir-fried served with a meat of your choice. We had it with chicken. Flavorful enough to be enjoyed with rice.

Another dish for which the restaurant is known is the Peking duck - a whole duck is carved at the table (served with sauces). It was delicious. Portions were large enough to be shared by larger groups and so might be a good idea to go when you have company.