Two Awesome Lunch Buffets - Bangkok Golden (Thai / Laotian Cuisine) at Seven Corners in Falls Church and Saffron (Indian Cuisine) Falls Church City, VA

Bangkok Golden - Thai and Laotian
6395 Seven Corners Center
Falls Church, VA
(703) 533-9480

Saffron - Indian
1077 West Broad Street
Falls Church City, VA 22046
(703) 992-0077

You could easily drive or walk right past them without noticing them! And you probably have! Both hole-in-the-wall tiny places with barely a store front to notice. BUT THE TASTES - WOW!

First, Bangkok Golden, which serves both Thai and Laotian cuisine.  Situated in the Shoppers Food Warehouse plaza, this is a tiny place. As you walk in, you will barely notice a wall display of multiple well-deserved awards, such as Washingtonian's best restaurants.  We came here for the lunch buffet we heard so much about from our friends. And now we can definitely say that the lunch buffet is perfection both in the variety and the flavors.  The value is also perfection: on weekdays for a mere $10, Bangkok Golden offers a delicious selection of veggie and chicken dishes, ideal especially for those who don't eat other meats.  The papaya salad alone is worth the schlep through the Seven Corners traffic.  On weekends, Bangkok Golden adds several fish dishes that are out of this world delicious, for just a few dollars more.  Most dishes are on the spicy side, especially the Laotian ones.  If you are the type who usually puts extra spices on your food, you will definitely not need to do that here. Every buffet item is flavorful and spiced to perfection.

What makes Bangkok Golden more interesting is the Laotian side.  The chef owner Seng Luangrath is leading the much welcomed Lao Food Movement in the Washington, D.C. area.  Recently, her 21-year-old son, young chef Bobby Pradachith, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, also joined his parents at Bangkok Golden, while also working at D.C.'s well-known Minibar.  We look forward to returning here and ordering off the menu, but for now we are delighted with tasting the variety of offerings from the buffet. NOTE: Bangkok Golden is CLOSED ON TUESDAYS!!! We found out the hard way, so if you're planning to go, pick any day of the week but Tuesday.

Bangkok Golden

Second, Saffron. We wrote up Saffron in this blog several months ago, and since then have returned here at least a half a dozen times, bringing friends and relatives, who all enjoyed their meals here.  Saffron serves South Indian cuisine, which generally tends to be spicier than North Indian.  Their Goan specialties are great.  Usually, we order off the menu. Their Chicken Vindaloo is addictive, especially when prepared personally by the chef-owner with 20+ years of experience.  Their Chicken Tikka is also one of our favorites, complemented with an order of garlic naan.

Saffron's lunch buffet does not disappoint. Make sure you arrive for the buffet early, as the crowd likes to arrive at the opening of the restaurant and stay around for a while to enjoy the plentiful delicious buffet selections.  As we have described this restaurant in our blog only recently, we will not linger, other than to emphasize that the value for the lunch buffet is not only worth it, it is a steal! And definitely leave room for dessert, which is a plain and simple vermicelli-based Kheer (a white pudding), only offered at their buffet. At other times, their rice-based Kheer is offered as a menu item. Both are absolutely delicious.  Like all Indian food, it is quite complicated to make and requires ingredients most non-Indians typically don't keep around at home.  Incidentally, here is a demonstration of how to make

Seviyan Kheer - Vermicelli in Milk, Indian Dessert Recipe by Manjula.

 Saffron

Saffron

Saffron - Vermicelli-based Kheer

Argia's Italian Restaurant - Falls Church City, VA (revisited several times)

124 North Washington Street

Falls Church, VA
(703) 534-1033

We were happy that Northern Virginia Magazine selected Argia's for its feature restaurant in the Taste of NoVa last week! Argia's is a local restaurant in Falls Church City that we enjoy visiting, so we invited our friends and braved the cold to have lunch here.

After about a half a dozen meals here since its re-opening under new ownership in 2013, we know to expect a good meal and great service. We wrote about it last summer.  Staff is usually friendly, attentive and efficient. Food is better than decent. One of our barometers for a good restaurant is the consistency of our dining experiences to this establishment and Argia's definitely passes that test, so you know what to expect when you come here.

On this particular Saturday afternoon Argia's was hosting two large parties in its large dining room, with over 50 people total. Good thing we made a reservation! We got the only table out in the bar area, which is a bright, sunny area, and was quite nice.  However, the wait staff was frazzled trying to service the large parties, so our service fell somewhat short of the typical excellent this time, which we are writing off as a hickup.

There is one important factor that truly value in Argia's, which is the flexibility of the chef and the billing structures. Not only can they accommodate individual orders within larger parties, but whenever we have requested something that was either not on the menu, or a substitution of any kind, the kitchen has accommodated our requests happily, flawlessly and deliciously. Seems like the management instills in its employees the importance of treating each individual customer like family and the chef is the perfect manifestation of this spirit.

Ask any regular customers and they will rave about the baskets of warm bread that are generously dispensed from the kitchen. The bread, notably baked on premises, has somewhat of a gritty texture, and is delicious and fluffy, with just the right hint of herbs. It is served up with some delicious olive oil.  The Mista Salata and Caesar's Salad were fresh and only lightly dressed. The cup of Minestrone soup was quite good. The Pappardelle and Trout entrees were also good and fresh.

We were most pleased when the owner Salina came over and chatted with us, proudly telling us that Argia's was chosen as one of the winners of the Taste of Falls Church last year.  Well deserved!!!

Prix Fixe Menu January 12 - 18, 2015

Minestrone Soup and Mista Salata

Caesar's Salad

Pan Roasted Trout entree

Papperdelle with Roasted Pulled Chicken entree

Awards wall

Front dining room (the smaller dining area) and bar

Saffron Indian Cuisine - Falls Church, VA

1077 West Broad Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 992-0077

WE WELCOME a terrific addition to Falls Church City's Indian food scene - SAFFRON took over the now-closed Curry Mantra 2 in the West End Plaza Shopping Center.  We were not fans of Curry Mantra 2, despite its seemingly popular appeal to those who prefer a more modern version of Indian food, both in flavor and presentation. So, we were happy to see Curry Mantra 2 close its doors in NoVa to re-open in DC in Spring 2015. Good luck, Curry Mantra 2!

Goes without saying, that, in our humble opinion, Saffron is heads above its predecessor. Since we began our blog in 2010, our long-standing neighborhood favorite for traditional Indian food has been Haandi in the Giant Plaza (Falls Plaza Shopping Center) in Falls Church City. Saffron may well offer some competition to Haandi, located right across the street.

The service at Saffron was great.  Azad, a knowledgeable and very pleasant maitre d', took our order and, throughout our meal, was attentive. He supervised several cheerful and very polite wait staff, who assisted in serving dishes, clearing plates, and ensuring our water glasses were always full.

There were happy diners of all ages and demographics, families, couples, and singles, eating here early on a Saturday evening. On a cold evening, the atmosphere in Saffron was warm and amiable.

The food, both in taste and presentation, was also great  While we waited for our food to arrive, we snacked on the traditional Papadum served with the standard Indian dipping sauces / chutneys.  Our appetizer order of Samosas came out quickly, it was hot and delicious. The Chicken Tikka entree served on a rectangular white plate was perfectly moist and seasoned just right. It comes with an order of plain Naan, but we also ordered a Cheese Naan, which as delicious, though a bit greasy. The saucy, stewey Chicken Vindaloo, served in a bowl, was also terrific, with just the right seasoning and a very slight tinge of sweetness.  Hint for those who want an even spicier version of the Vindaloo: Order it as a "10." It was absolutely excellent in its flavor, poured over rice.  It is typically prepared at a "5" spice level, so if you can handle the double hotness, you will love it. Overall, the food was wonderful, and priced quite reasonably.  Our total bill came to about $41.00, not counting the tip.

For the most part, the restaurant has not been remodeled since Saffron took over this space. The main positive feature of the restaurant's layout is its open kitchen with a very strong exhaust system. The relatively small dining hall seats about 50 at its tables along walls and one middle row. We hope that the new owners address the somewhat sea-sickening askew placement of dining tables in the middle row, which is a relic of the previous restaurant's layout.

Most of the wait staff remained from the predecessor restaurant, though definitely were much better trained, more responsive and seemed much happier and more knowledgeable about their jobs than when they worked for Curry Mantra.  The chef, who apparently, worked for a short time in Curry Mantra 2, then left, has returned to cook at Saffron.

Overall, we can't say enough good things about Saffron.  Our experience there was very pleasant. We will definitely be back!

 Askew placement of tables can lead to sea-sickness, but try not to think about it...

 Incomplete renovation...

 Vegetable Samosas

 Paneer Kulcha (Cheese Naan) and Chicken Tikka

 Chicken Vindaloo

Hooray for round plates!

Argia's Italian Restaurant - Falls Church City, VA

124 North Washington Street
Falls Church, VA
(703) 534-1033

Had it not been for Groupon, we may not have tried Argia's and it would have been our loss.  

We stopped in at Argia's for a quick lunch and enjoyed our experience. The atmosphere was pleasantly dim (despite a large window at either side of the long dining hall), intimate and modern. Argia has somewhat of an urban feel, as urban as one can get in in Falls Church City, with an exposed ceiling look, solid chunky oak furniture, and simple artwork, including several textured murals and an old-world mural, which adds some warmth.  There is a small bar area, a large dining room, and in the rear of the restaurant there is a small outdoor seating area that is separated from the parking lot by a tall wooden half-fence. 

Our waiter Cal was knowledgeable and friendly without being intrusive.  We promptly received our water, our wine order and a basket of delicious hot bread.  Our menu choices were basic - Spaghetti with Meatballs and Cappellini Fresca.  They cheerfully accommodated our request for spicy marinara sauce, which was delicious. Both entrees come with a side of a green Mediterranean salad with a light dressing.  The food was great, service was great, overall a thumbs up and a definite prospect for a return to Argia's.    

Pho 88 Vietnamese Restaurant - Falls Church City, VA

232 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 533-8233

In a small strip mall in Falls Church City, Pho 88 is not to be missed.  It is a low-key Vietnamese dive with large windows brightening up the the restaurant's plainest of plain decors.  Like most ethnic dives, the ambiance isn't the draw here. It is the food in Pho 88 that definitely makes it a neighborhood favorite.  Pho 88 serves up reliably delicious food to a steady stream of clientele for lunch and dinner.

We have been here several times over the last few years and have enjoyed our meal every time.  Our lunch today was no exception.  Their spring rolls served with peanut sauce were very fresh, and, although rather bland, they were still moist and delicious.  Pictured here are spring rolls with shrimp and spring rolls with tofu ($2.95 each).  A few drops of hot sauce brings them to perfection.  We typically get the Pho with chicken that comes in a "small" bowl for $7.95 or a "large" bowl (slightly larger than the "small") for $8.95.  The Pho is aromatic, flavorful and plentiful.  Don't worry if you don't finish the whole bowl, of course you can take the rest home. Pho is better the next day anyway!

Don't forget to order the Vietnamese iced coffee with sweet condensed milk to make the meal complete. It has a strong caffeine kick to it. Just lift up the aluminum press, stir it up with the long tea spoon, pour onto the ice and ENJOY!

During peak hours the service can be a bit slow, but that does not detract from the great experience and the DELICIOUS FOOD.  

The parking lot in the back of the mall can be packed during the weekdays, but usually you can find a spot, and in the evenings it is generally easy to park.  Note their website says they are CLOSED TUESDAYS.

Oh, and as an extra bonus, Tutti Frutti, which recently opened next door, is offering anyone who eats at Pho 88 a 20% discount on frozen yogurt!  This is a limited-time offer, but definitely worth it! 

Btw, if you like sushi, another restaurant that we love in the same strip mall is Manekineko Japanese Restaurant! Review coming soon, so if you are not yet subscribed to our email list, go ahead and sign up so you don't miss any of our highly valuable descriptions of our dining experiences in the Northern Virginia area!

Shrimp Spring Rolls and Tofu Spring Rolls

Pho Ga (Chicken Pho)

Pho Ga (Chicken Pho)

Awesome Vietnamese Iced Coffee