the arugula files

Elephant Jumps

The first time Marcus and I dined at Elephant Jumps we had the entire restaurant to ourselves, and the ear of the owner, who proudly made suggestions from the menu.  The tiny 32-seat Thai restaurant had recently opened in a strip mall off 495.  At the time, we were on a Vietnamese and Korean food overload and finding a reliably tasty Thai place near our house in Falls Church was a must.  After a few bites of the scallop with crispy summer basil, I said to Marcus, "I hope this place lasts.  It's good."  The Washington Post's Tom Sietsema agreed, giving Elephant Jumps a positive review.  Now instead of worrying about the restaurant staying in business, we have to worry about a 30-minute wait.  Curse you Tom Sietsema.

Is the Banh Mi the new Cupcake? (Plus the Best Banh Mi in the DC area)

"How did you find me?" asked Ha Lu, the owner of Nhu Lan.  I pointed to the Washingtonian review on the wall.  She smiled and proceeded to wrap up the two banh mi sandwiches I had ordered to go.  This was not a question she asked the other customers.  That's because the Vietnamese shoppers making their way through the Eden Center already knew the best eateries; they had their favorites.  Not me.  I was there, an interloper, searching for the best banh mi.

Banh mi, the popular Vietnamese sandwich, has several components: crusty bread (should be soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside), salty meat (grilled pork, head cheese, pate, chicken, and, sometimes available for vegetarians, tofu), tangy condiments (some mix of pickled carrots, daikon, jalepeños, and cilantro), and rich and creamy mayo or butter. 

The sandwich appears to be the darling of the media, with articles cropping up faster than cupcake shops around DC (here, here, here, and here). 

Which makes me think: is the banh mi the new cupcake?  Yet another trend that is a little bit old, overused, and tired among the foodie crowd?

It seems that everyone wants to hail a pedi-cab and head to the Eden Center, the Vietnamese shopping center at Seven Corners, where the parking lot mirrors the streets of downtown Saigon: jammed with people trying to get somewhere, fast.  You don't have to travel to the Eden Center to try this Saigon sub.  DC chefs are reinventing the banh mi by adding upscale versions to their menus.

Unlike cupcakes, which are too sweet for my taste, I wanted in on this fad.  So I set out to become a banh mi afficiando.  I tasted a few authentic versions from different shops in the Eden Center, washed down a haute version with a glass of Muscadet at a wine bar on U Street, and nibbled on a food truck creation while sitting under a tree in Farragut Square.

 Here's my banh mi diary.

Honey Pig (Gooldaegee Korean Grill)

Honey Pig, a Korean BBQ located in Annandale, has been on my "must-try list" for a long time.  Too long really.  It is for this reason that a ten minute wait standing in the hot parking lot didn't seem that bad. Marcus and I found a ledge to lean on by the entry way, where, each time the door opened, Korean pop music would spill outside.  The music was loud, up tempo--the perfect prelude to what awaited us inside.

"America is the Best Country in the World" and Himalayan Heritage

In my quest for trying all of the restaurants on the Washingtonian Cheap Eats List, Marcus and I landed at Himalayan Heritage on Saturday night.  The restaurant is only a short walk from our apartment, and we would have missed it had it not been for Amelia at Gradually Greener, who mentioned it in a comment on my cheap eats post. 

So, we ventured up the hill for a taste of Nepal and India, and were promptly greeted with perfectly spiced edamame and ginger.  Our waiter at Himalayan Heritage provided the best service I've had in a long time, maybe the best service ever.  Water glasses were filled to the rim, he described each of our plates with caring detail, and happily shared that he thought "America was the best country in the world," a refreshing statement from a Nepalese immigrant, who I'm guessing was in his early twenties, and reportedly had been in the U.S. for about a year in a half. 

How had we missed this place? (Careful you could miss it too: the signage isn't that great).  Everything was so enjoyable--the service, the soft Nepalese music in the background, and a nice reminder about feeling lucky to live in the U.S. (as opposed to, say, Iran). 

Afghan Raviolis

 

I will never make dumplings, or anything having to do with wonton wrappers again.  I'm just not cut out for it.  Wonton wrappers are a basic concept: you make a filling, stuff them, and then steam them or fry them.  What this doesn't tell you is the arduous process of stuffing those dumplings one by one.  It takes time and patience, two things which I seem to lack.  The thing is, the meat sauce I served with these raviolis was simply delicious.  I simmered lamb with coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, and cayenne pepper and then topped it with mint and yogurt.  The sauce was just as good as my favorite dish at Helmand.  It makes me want to make this dish again, but then I think about making the dumplings.  And the thought makes me want to lie down on the couch.

Delicious Chinese Food in NYC

There are not many good Chinese food restaurants in DC, so when Marcus and I traveled to visit friends in NYC the idea of going to Flushing for Chinese was super exciting.  We ended up at Spicy and Tasty where I had the best dumpling I've ever eaten.  The dumpling was served in chili oil with garlic and was filled with fatty, salty pork.  We also ordered crab sichuan style; the sauce struck a number of notes: garlic, chilis, ginger, and plums and was topped off with fresh cilantro.  Although the sauce was good enough to drink, it made it difficult to break apart the crab.  We did a lot of sucking on shells and finger licking.

Cheap Eats: Nava Thai

Todd Kliman, food critic at the Washingtonian, has been talking up Nava Thai for the last year. At his insistence we stopped at Nava for lunch the other day, and, after having eaten there, my gut instinct is cover Kliman’s mouth with heavy masking tape to prevent him from telling anyone else about the place; it’s that good. Nava Thai is a deserving newcomer to the Washingtonian's cheap eats list.

For an appetizer, I had the hot and sour squid.  This is no frozen squid; it was tender and the sauce—THE SAUCE WAS AMAZING.  Lemongrass, hot sauce, lime, cilantro were key ingredients.  Just thinking about this sauce makes me unconsciously lick my lips. For lunch, I had the Pad Thai, which was also quite good, and Marcus’ Pad Gra Pow pork was the best I have ever tasted.  We will definitely go back to try other dishes.

Nava Thai is located in Wheaton behind an Asian supermarket at 11315 Fern Street, which is a few short blocks from the Wheaton Metro.  If you are unfamiliar with this area of Maryland—it is a wonderful Mecca for ethnic food and shopping.

Best Ethiopian Food in DC

Man, I love Ethiopian Food., originally uploaded by abbyladybug.

Ethiopian is the only cuisine I’ve never tried cooking at home, though I would love to learn how to make cabbage with root vegetables and spicy red lentils. I’ll save that for the day I move to the country when walking two blocks for some injera is no longer an option. Until then, here are the places I like to eat. You should know that Marcus and I always get the same thing: spicy lamb tibs and a vegetarian platter.

Etete - The vegetarian platter here is lighter than others I've tried. Order it with a whole fried fish. The service is inconsistent, but I think the food is worth it. I would rate Etete the highest in DC for the vegetarian platter. It's about $40 for two with drinks.

Lalibela - This is where we eat most frequently. It's cheap ($35 for two with drinks), the service is prompt and friendly, and Marcus thinks the lamb tibs are the best. He describes them as greasy, spicy and perfect.  At Lalibela he usually doesn't talk to me while we're eating dinner, a sure sign he's paying attention to the food. The vegetarian platter is heavier and spicier than other places. Don’t expect much from Lalibela in terms of décor (unless you want flat screen TVs).

Dukem - This joint is tough to get into some nights. I've never had to wait for a table at an Ethiopian restaurant until I ate here. Service is friendly, but a bit slow. The food is good, but the draw, for most people, is the entertainment (offered seven nights a week). If you are up for music then Dukem is your place.

Zed's - This place is tasty, but expensive. It used to be that Zed's had the nicest decor of the Ethiopian restaurants in DC, but Etete and Dukem changed that. If you are in Georgetown, it's worth a stop. It will cost you, though. A check at Zeds for two hovers around $50-$75 with drinks.