Palace Garden Korean Restaurant, Annandale, VA

Palace Garden
7131 Little River Turnpike
Annandale, VA 22003 
(703) 256-9292

If it wasn't for a deal offered by Groupon or Specialicious (can't remember which coupon we had), we would never have tried this place. Getting deals like these is definitely an incentive to try a new place. The food was great. All the dishes we ordered, including seaweed salad, avocado salad, Beef Soon Doo Boo, Seasoned Korean Chicken BBQ, an assortment of sushi, and the wide assortment of small typical Korean "banchan" side dishes were delicious. They were fresh, tasty and plentiful.

Unfortunately, the service made us feel less less than welcomed. The waiter's favorite word seemed to be "no," regardless of what we asked. The restaurant was clearly shorthanded on wait staff, so a waiter and two others who appeared to be his helpers were running around between tables, with barely enough time to stir the food on the BBQ or refill waters. Requests to make a dish more spicy was met with at least several "no's" and a request to take a photo of our table was also declined because he had to run to another table. It was hot and stuffy in the restaurant, the exhaust systems were definitely not working properly.

We had a great time with our friends, as always, because after all, it's the company and the food that make a great evening. Our advice: if you like Korean food, but don't care about the service, this is not a bad place. But for an all-around better experience, almost any other Korean restaurant in Annandale would be better.

Karamara Ethiopian Restaurant, Arlington, VA

3205 Columbia Pike

Arlington, VA 22204
703.271.0202

Next to the Panda Express Chinese restaurant, this place looks much smaller than it is. We came to Karamara for a "linner," so besides us there was only one other table occupied. Walking in, it seems like a tiny carry out, but the upstairs opens up to a large dining room. The feel of the place is dark and dingy. Railing along the stairs is broken exposing dried gummy glue. There was only one waitress, who was very nice, but clearly more preoccupied with getting the kitchen ready for dinner than with the diners in the restaurant.


We ordered a vegetable sampler of 5 items, including spicy lentils, a pico-de-gallo type of side mixed in with pieces of injera called "fit fit", a mixture of boiled cabbage, potato and carrots and chick peas. As opposed to most other Ethiopian restaurants, like Meaza or Merkamo or Lalibella, the flavors here were definitely toned down and not great. We ordered 2 types of tibs, which is the typical Ethiopian dish consisting of pieces of steak grilled with jalapenos. We ordered the house specialty tips, the Karamara Tibs, and the regular Beef Tibs. The Karamara tips were dry and flavorful. However the Beef Tibs came in a oily sauce that even as a fan of stews, I found very oily and runny, coupled with the fact that there was a very weird and unsavory flavor to them. It was like a mixture of being "gamey" and... just weird, not in a good way.

We tried this place because we had a Specialicous coupon and love Ethiopian food. Washington DC metro area is very lucky to have so many wonderful Ethiopian restaurants, so we have tried most of them. Unfortunately, Karamara is not a restaurant worthy of a second trip.

Cassat's Kiwi Cafe - a taste of New Zealand - Arlington, VA

4536 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 527-3330

If you put pico de gallo on a waffle, does it become Spanish? If you put wasabi paste on a grilled cheese sandwich does it become Japanese? If you serve burgers with curry, does it become an Indian burger? In all three cases, perhaps (but definitely not with the Indian burger); however, what these illustrations do prove is when cuisines can adapt it can work. When there is very little food that is “indigenous” to a particular country or region, you wind up with a menu that is disjointed and confused. Case in point – Cassat’s Kiwi Café. What cuisine indigenous to New Zealand? Lamb? Kiwis? No. This is a classic example of why there are no Canadian, Hawaiian, or even Sri Lankan-themed restaurants in the DC area or anywhere to be found outside those particular countries. New Zealand and Cassat’s fits this example.

We were simply confused. We found out that the place was owned by a Philadelphian who took some trips to New Zealand and converted a Philadelphia-themed storefront to a Kiwi café. Walking in the place seems more like a café/bistro than anything else. A small bar which holds a half dozen is halfway down the place surrounded by 15 dining tables. The restaurant is narrow and popular among the locals (especially on the weekends when they remove a few tables and have a house band play mostly folk and lighter music). The wait staff were friendly and the manager was engaging and talkative (perhaps a bit too less of the former and too much of the latter).

On to the food that we did not find to be particularly good. Here’s the rundown:

Calamari for appetizer. While we thought the appetizer we shared was void of the typical breading and deep fry was unique, the spicy sauce and bean cake lacked taste. 

Entrees. We both ordered meat pies but in retrospect, we’d probably order something else if we knew ahead of time. We ordered different types of pies—Elena ordered the chicken curry, Bill ordered the chicken, spinach, and cheese. Both served with a side salad and homemade tomato chutney sauce. The salad was typical and the chutney sauces perhaps a bit too sweet. The Chicken Curry pie was too sweet and dry, the Chicken Spinach was ok, but nothing special. Interestingly, depending on the pie, it’s either homemade or shipped in from the owner’s other establishment (can’t remember which ones are made on site).

Perhaps Cassat’s needs to rethink the whole Kiwi thing and go back to cheesesteaks.

Brio Tuscan Grill - a taste of Italy - Tysons Corner Center, Vienna VA

7854L Tysons Corner Center

(Ground Floor next to Barnes and Noble)
McLean, VA 22102 (703) 288-8882

Brio is clean, friendly, convenient, affordable and the food is good. For someone who really likes Italian food, it's good. For someone who does not like Italian food, it's fine. 

One of the things we most like about it was that the chef is very accommodating. Any dish can be made any way you want.  We have been there for dinner twice and were not disappointed at the level of service or the food. We have had their Pasta Fra Diavolo, Pasta Pesto, Chicken Milanese, and Fettuccine Campania. When we requested extra veggies, such as broccoli and asparagus, there was no problem to include them for a small extra charge. The calamari was also quite good with two kinds of sauces, which were both delish. Brio's signature flat breads are a disappointment, but their white rolls are warm and tasty. The artichoke dip was also a disappointment, especially because it came with the signature flat breads. 

Overall, the Brio restaurant at Tysons is a good option when in the area and looking for Italian fare and chains such as the Olive Garden do not measure up. But if you have a favorite Italian restaurant closer to you and the Tysons Mall is not on your itinerary, it’s probably not worth the trip. 

Hard Times Cafe (several restaurants in the NOVA area)

4069 Chain Bridge Rd
Fairfax VA 22030 

(703) 267-9590

This is a great sports bar. My friends and I visit the Hard Times Fairfax location probably once or twice a week for great times to watch some hockey, baseball, and football, and enjoy the food. There are several locations, and I've tried most of them, but I keep coming back to the Fairfax restaurant for several reasons. The crowd, the service, and the cleanliness are above board for this location compared to the others. The managers are extremely accommodating.

For a place that caters largely to a younger crowd (it is down the street from George Mason University) the service is EXCELLENT. There are three separate dining areas (four if you count the pool hall). Weekend evenings and days with major sports activities such as NHL Playoffs (if the Capitals are in it), NFL games (if the Redskins are playing that Sunday), or the NCAA Basketball Tourney it gets VERY crowded so get there early if you want to get prime viewing seats.

Hard Times' grilled wings are the best wings I've ever had. These are not your typical deep fry, toss in a buffalo sauce, and serve up with celery and blue cheese. Hard Times grills their wings before seasoning (lightly, but meanigfully) with a wide variety of flavoring goodness. I absolutely recommend the “Original Texas Grilled;” however, a pound of your choice of Chili Lime, Honey BBQ, Old Bay, Sweet Red Chili or Teriyaki all will work well. Hard Times serves their wings with a side of wet naps for post clean-up. I think this is an insult to their wings as they are not the messy sauce dripping down your arms type of wings.

Hard TImes' chili is also the best chili I've ever had. If you’re lucky enough to show up on a night where they have their free nacho bar, you get to try a couple of their chili on tortilla chips. Hard Times chili almost has its own menu. Each type is worth trying: Texas, Cincinnati, Terlingua, and Vegetarian.

• Texas Chili: Coarse ground beef cooed in its own juice, using an authentic turn of the century family spice blend and recipe.

• Cincinnati Chili: Introduced in 1922 by Greek immigrants, it is a fine grind of beef with a tomato base and sweeter spices including cinnamon.

• Terlingua Red: A tribute to the Texas ghost town that hosted the first Chili cook-off. A redder color and spicy kick of championship chilies.

• Vegetarian Chili: Soy flakes cooked in a tomato base with fresh mushrooms, onions, green peppers, jalapenos & peanuts.

Try the vegetarian chili first--no, on second thought--save it for last. If you try it first, you’ll never get the opportunity to try any of the others. It’s THAT good. I prefer the chili au natural, but it can be served on spaghetti noodles (their version of ChiliMac), in nachos, on burgers and dogs, and even in their Chili Salad.

I’ve tried many other menu items including burgers, salads, apps, even coffee and dessert. Everything was prepared well, tasted great, and served with a smile. Their great food, great service, fun atmosphere, smoking and non-smoking areas, pool hall, countless TVs, outdoor patio and fun crowds all lend itself to a great way to spend an evening.

Joong Mi, Annandale, VA

7630 Little River Turnpike

Annandale, VA 22003

(703) 658-2030

Joong Mi (no website, sorry) is probably a very typical Korean restaurant—if it were in the suburbs of Seoul.  Having been exposed to high-end or Korean cuisine that caters to westerners, what we were expecting was not what was delivered.  The best way to describe our experience is that it is more “home-style” than what you may be used to.  The most telling feature of Joong Mi is that it is about as difficult to explain as it is to find.

First off, don’t rely on GPS or paper maps.  Joong Mi is in the basement of a 1970-era office building off the Little River Turnpike on the back side of another popular Korean restaurant, Yechon.   After calling for further directions, we stumbled upon a knocked over Joong Mi sign (it was very windy that day).  We walked down the stairs and were greeted by a very pleasant staff.  They seated us in a very open, non-descript dining room surrounded by post (and we mean VERY POST) Christmas decorations (it is February) and a large flat screen blaring a Korean game show.  The menu, doubling as a placemat was difficult to parse through being written mostly in Korean. 

We asked the server for suggestions and eventually were able to narrow down our dining selections.  We expected to order a few main dishes and the customary sides of kim che, pickled veggies, and the like, but were disappointed to learn that was not the offering at Joong Mi.  We did get a simple side of an unknown pickled fruit.  Our orders consisted of Kan Poong-Sal, Jam Bong, and Chicken Broccoli; however, we can’t really tell you which one was which.

Even though there was another family dining that at first glance was probably from South America, this restaurant pretty much caters to a more Korean diner.  Our best recommendation is to try Joong Mi (중미반점) and take the server’s suggestion for dining.  Chances are you’ll like what is served, and if you’re feeling adventurous and want to experience a meal as if it was served in a suburb of Seoul, try Joong Mi.  If you’d rather stick to something that caters more to a western dining experience, there is a host of great Korean dining in the Annandale area.

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant, Fairfax, VA *** CLOSED ***

3900 Pickett Rd

Fairfax, VA 22031
(703) 425-1130

If we hadn't bought a Specialicous coupon, we would have never gone here, but we are glad we did.  In a nutshell, the food was great, but the dining experience as a whole was not something we would return for.  The first thing that hit us when we entered Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant was the poor ventilation.  After a few minutes we got used to it, but sure enough when we walked out, the smell of an exhaust-lacking kitchen followed us all the way home.  We would say that this was the worst part of the dining experience.

Though the waitress served the entire dining room alone, she did a relatively good job and was very pleasant.  However, she was clearly overwhelmed with having to serve about 6 or 7 tables by herself. 

The other thing that we noticed right away was that most of the diners in the restaurant were American.  It’s great that Sheba caters to the American clientele, but all the excellent Ethiopian restaurants we’ve ever been to in this area all have a relatively large contingent of Ethiopians (typically all men) eating there, but at Sheba we noticed one table of Ethiopians.  Accordingly, when we sat down we were given a cutlery set – a fork and knife wrapped in a napkin!  That was extremely unusual, because Ethiopian food is typically eaten with hands (and injera--the spongy buckwheat-like pancake used to scoop up the food).  We looked around and the Americans eating at a table next to us were using forks.  This confirmed that this restaurant caters to a non-Ethiopian crowd.

We ordered our usual Ethiopian restaurant entrees – a vegetarian sampler and an order of beef Tibs with awaze sauce on the side. Bill had a Sambusa appetizer, which was a large deep-fried pastry filled with lentils.  Usually $3.95 gets you two small Sambusas, based on our experience at other Ethiopian restaurants, while here it was a single large pastry, which was OK.  The food was tasty, but lacking in the flavorful spice that is characteristic to Ethiopian food.  We usually expect a full flavored Ethiopian meal when we go to an Ethiopian restaurant, but this was not full flavored.  They may have toned it down for “gringos,” or maybe, as we wrote earlier, they do not cater to a crowd that appreciates the full experience.

If we are ever in the Fairfax area again and feel like having Ethiopian food from Sheba, we will most definitely go there, but rather than dining in the restaurant, we would take it to go.

RusUz Restaurant - Uzbek, Central Asian and Russian Cuisine - Arlington (Ballston), VA

RusUz was named one of Washington area's 100 Very Best Restaurants by the Washingtonian Magazine in January 2014!  Congrats, well-deserved!!  Below is our review from February 2013.  And by the way---  If you are wondering what to order when you go there, here are some certain gastronomic hits http://www.buzzfeed.com/dianabruk/delicious-uzbek-dishes-you-need-to-try-immediately.

1000 N Randolph St
Arlington, VA 22201
(202) 468-8472

We were amazed how crowded RusUz was after being open for only a month and no advertising that we know of, only word of mouth.  We definitely recommend trying this tiny new restaurant in Ballston. 

Be forewarned – they still haven’t received their liquor license, and they will be the first ones to suggest that the 7/11, about a minute-walk from them, will gladly sell you a few bottles of wine, with no corking fee charged. 

In a nutshell, the food is terrific, but the service… well…  they’re still getting the hang of it, so I am certain that it will improve with time. The waiters, all very nice and friendly, were clearly rushing around, so it’s possible that the kitchen could not keep up with the crowd.  Every table was taken and some people had to wait to be seated, so business was definitely booming. And this was on an early Sunday evening!  In other words, be prepared for a longer dinner time!

RusUz is owned and operated by a family from Uzbekistan, who has lived in Alexandria for several years.  They catered food to the local community for about 3 years and after being convinced by their regular clientele to start a business, have decided to open RusUz.  We have used them as caterers before and were thrilled to find out that they have opened a restaurant.

The menu selection in RusUz is a combination of two cuisines – Russian (rather Slavic), such as the all-familiar Borscht, Blinchiki, Pirozhki, Chicken Kiev, and Pelmeni (hope you like dill, as it is used ubiquitously in almost every Russian dish), and Uzbek (rather Central Asian), such as Plov, Manti, Dolma, and Lagman. We came to RusUz with a fun group of 7 friends.  Between all of us, we tried virtually everything on the menu, including the shashlyk, and all was delicious.  Our friends who had never had this food before and those who were somewhat familiar with it, all liked it, and even said they would come back.  As for me, I know this cuisine very well and can certainly attest that the food is good!

One of my all-time favorite foods is plov, a typical Central Asian staple meal to be shared with friends for dinner, which is always topped off with tea to help digest the heavy meal.  Plov is a rice-based dish, traditionally made with lamb, usually cooked slowly in a cast iron cauldron, with carrots and raisins and flavorful (not hot) spices.  For those of you familiar with Indian food, it is close to a biryiani, close, but not the same.  Plov is usually served with a tomato-onion side salad, which brings out the richness of the rice.  To try plov is to fall in love with it!  I have traveled to Central Asia many times and can attest that plov in RusUz is as authentic as it can get (although the tomato salad includes cucumbers, which is a local addition).  In the U.S. lamb is not nearly as popular as in Central Asia, so if you call a few days in advance, you can pre-order plov with either beef or chicken, but be prepared to order at least 5 portions, otherwise the busy kitchen will be unable to accommodate your request.

Our hope is that RusUz can find the right formula to stay in business.  Several Russian restaurants have come and gone in the Washington DC metro area over the years, some stayed longer, some shorter, but all disappeared with the exception of the landmark Russia House, which is not our cup of chai (pardon the pun).  A relatively new Café Assorti that also serves a mix of Russian and Central Asian food, has not risen to popularity in this area (we have never even been there, but maybe one day we will try it).  RusUz is definitely worth a go, and who knows, next stop for you may be somewhere along the Silk Road, like Samarkand or Bukhara!

Piero’s Corner Italian Restaurant, Fairfax, VA

9959 Main Street
Fairfax, VA 22031
(703) 246-0097

As dining service goes, buffets naturally put the service on the diner. Diners have to do most of the work by serving themselves. The bussing staff is generally relegated to cleaning up empty plates, the wait staff keeps the coffee cups full, the hostess to welcome the guests, and kitchen aids make sure the buffet is stocked and fresh. Sorry to say that Piero’s waiters, bussers, and kitchen staff did not live up to their end of the service. But it was the wonderful company of friends that was well-worth suffering through the bad service and (as you’ll see) mediocre food.

The hostess sat four adults at a table more accustomed for two (even though larger booths were available—and yes, we decided to occupy the larger booth). After a long wait to order drinks and have our first round at the buffet, we finally placed our drink orders. We proceeded to a well-stocked assortment of breakfast and lunch items (more on those later) and returned with “Round 1” well before our coffee, champagne was served. The champagne was on the sweet side (odd) and the coffee came with the customary 2 creamer servings, but no sugar. I for one was finished with “Round 1” before the sugar made it to the table. Oh, and I need a spoon to stir my coffee--had to ask for that as well. Thank goodness for a silverware set that was made up of 2 forks, a knife so I could at least use the other fork to stir the coffee.

Reflections on “Round 1”? The English muffins beneath the Eggs Benedict were soggy, the French toast was cold, and the scrambled eggs seemed like they were there all morning. Oh, and do you think coffee refills were automatic? Think again—we had to pull teeth to get a refill. The omelet station did not offer egg-white-only omelets and the selection of omelet ingredients was blah.

After figuring out what did not work in “Round 1”, “Round 2” was a bit more enjoyable (isn't it always this way with buffets?). I was able to catch a fresh waffle coming out of the waffle iron, so I pounced on that. The butter actually melted a bit; however, a shortage in the syrup server and waiting on them to refill it caused the waffle to lose some of its just-from-the-oven freshness. We were pleased to locate a server making a choice of four different salads. The three lunch entrees were pizza, chicken breast in an unknown sauce, and a seafood Diablo-type dish with mussels being the only recognizable ingredient.

All-in-all, Piero’s was not the best NOVA has to offer when it comes to Sunday brunch. We are very big fans of J. Gilbert’s Sunday buffet so our bias and measuring up to the McLean staple is a difficult one at best. We will not be returning to Piero’s as our brunch with friends place will always be J. Gilberts.

The Ultimate Chicken Bistro, Falls Church, VA

7263 Arlington Blvd (Rt 50)
 Falls Church VA 22042

We went to the Ultimate Chicken Bistro (or the more trendy “UCB”) with friends on a Saturday night, prompted by a Groupon and a recommendation. UCB is a small, basic storefront in the Loehmann's plaza strip mall. In a nutshell, the food selection was limited (hence the appropriate name), the food itself was not bad, and the service was ok.

The chicken gumbo (soup of the day) was spicy, flavorful and good. Great appetizer portion.

The popcorn chicken with garlic glaze (option to have it with or without garlic glaze) was pretty good, as good as popcorn chicken can be...., and the two tomato sauces (one spicy one mild) that accompanied it in small plastic containers were relatively tasty.

The chicken parmesan was ok, not great.

The teriyaki / tempaniaki and the bulgogi bento box were plentiful, but not great.

Our friends seemed to like the chicken wings.

We can't remember everything that we and our friends had. The best part about this dinner, like with any dinner, was the company of friends!

Oh, and the wine selection was relatively decent.

The place was ok for what it is, but not worth returning to.

The secrets restaurant servers won't tell you

Courtesy WTOP

Reader's Digest compiled a list of more than 50 of these dining-out secrets.  Check them out HERE (WTOP link) or HERE (Reader's Digest link).