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!

Ted’s Bulletin, Reston, VA

11948 Market Street
Reston, VA 20190

703-956-9510 (Ted's takes call-ahead reservations) 

Take your basic diner, add Mom’s unique and special ingredients, add nostalgia, add charm and comfort, and you get Ted’s Bulletin.  Movies from the 30’s, a menu spread on newsprint, daily specials (Thursdays—TV Dinners!), homemade pop tarts, and charming décor are just the tip of the iceberg here.

Ted’s has grown from a quaint storefront restaurant in DC’s Barracks Row neighborhood to an area chain with two DC locations (Capitol Hill and U St) and two in Northern Virginia (Reston and Merrifield).  We’ve only been to two, but the atmosphere, menu (and unfortunately service) is similar in each.  The first time it was breakfast.  The Big Mark was more than sufficient with 3 eggs, 4 meats, and a homemade pop tart—yes, you read right—a homemade pop tart.  Fresh out of the oven, and what sets the downtown DC location apart from our most recent lunch visit in Reston was the welcoming site of a fully staffed bakery in the front of the dining room.  Other than the bakery, this “Reston-raunt” is no different from the others: same décor, same old fashioned movies playing on the big screen (we saw the 1933 version of King Kong and what looked to be shorts from the Our Gang/Little Rascals series), same menu, same (could be better) service.  It is tucked into the stores, restaurants, movie theaters and corporate offices in Reston Town Center. 

We started with the baked pretzels with cheese/beer sauce.  Hot, fresh, delicious, but small (four finger-length pretzels).  The server’s suggestion to hold on to the rest of the cheese sauce to dip with the lunch sandwich was key as I ordered the Reuben with fries and the sauce did go very nicely with the fries.  The Reuben was very large conglomeration of lean corned beef, crunchy and tangy sauerkraut with 1,000 Island dressing.  We also had the Chicken Parmesan—a heaping monstrosity of battered chicken with tomato sauce and cheese over a bed of spaghetti served with two triangles of grilled texas toast and the Smoked Alabama Chicken—a full half chicken 1/2 chicken, white BBQ sauce that came with a sides choice.  In this case we had the creamed corn (delish) and the homemade mac and cheese.  Everything was plentiful and tasty.  If only it came out within a reasonable amount of time.

It was not that the place was crowded (it usually is, but they do have a call-ahead reservation service).  We ate around 2pm and the house was about ¼ full.  Perhaps the staff was reeling from a larger lunchtime crowd that affected the service, but we can’t give them the benefit of the doubt on that.  A salad that accompanied the Chicken Parm came out after the Chicken Parm.  Not good.

Will we go back to Ted’s?  Sure.  It’s comfortable and the food is top-notch which kind of takes the edge off the bad service.  This is akin to waiting in a line for an hour just to ride the roller coaster at a theme park.  You shrug off the wait because you know what’s on the other end of the line.  And you don’t have to be “this tall” to ride this one.

Joe's Pizza and Pasta (revisited) - Vienna, VA

435 Maple Avenue,
Vienna, VA
703-281-1111

Time has stood still at Joe's Pizza and Pasta in Vienna, VA since we last reviewed it on this blog, and probably for much longer than that.  This review really doesn't need to be written, other than to point you to our last review and say that nothing has changed. And frankly, this very fact may be exactly what Joe's has going for it.  It is a neighborhood establishment and if anything changed it just wouldn't be the same Joe's.  Judging by the many trophies displayed near the salad bar, Joe's is probably a sponsor of local school team sports. Though we have not seen more than a few diners for lunch or dinner at Joe's the few times we've eaten there, it seems like a great place to take groups of kids after sporting events.   Most diners indeed are the family-types: parents / grandparents with kids enjoying the basic salad bar, the popular pizzas, and other standard menu options.

And the menu options are definitely standard. No surprises, no variations, just the predictable mild flavors that appeal to the under-15 and over-60 diners.  No adventurous palates here.

The menu items are very cut and dry.  Literally.  This describes both the service and the food.  No frills or extras.  If you order the Chicken Parmigiana Sub, that's ALL YOU GET.  It comes with nothing else, other than a plate.  Any side, or even a dish of sauce to moisten the dry sandwich, will come with a charge. We would have welcomed at least a suggestion of a side, but this is not that kind of a place. Still $2 for a bowl of Marinara sauce, that hasn't changed in years.  We would have welcomed at least an offer of sauce to complement our Cheesy Bread.  The Calzone, which surprisingly did come with a bowl of complementary sauce, was predictable, standard and good.  Really, the food at Joe's is good.  It isn't fantastic and it isn't bad.  It is what it is. And by the look of the happy faces of its clientele, we hope Joe's stays around for a long time... exactly as it is.   

Large dining hall

 Cheesy Bread (5 pieces in an order)

Chicken Parmesan 12" sandwich and Calzone that comes with marinara sauce

Skyline Cafe - Ethiopian Cuisine in Falls Church (Bailey's Crossroads), VA

3821 S George Mason Drive

Falls Church, VA 22041
(703) 820-0240

This tiny restaurant is a place for the local Ethiopian community to enjoy their native food in a cozy, friendly and unpretentious atmoophere. The first thing you notice is a lively bar, usually full of discussion and laughter and several TV screens showing a soccer game going on somewhere in the world.  

Skyline Cafe has been operating for over 20 years at the same location in the Skyline Plaza strip that is an African enclave of eating, shopping and grooming establishments, flagged by a 7 Eleven. The speedbump-laden parking lot can hardly accommodate the busy traffic of customers in this strip, but wait for a few minutes and you will be lucky to park.

We have come to Skyline a handful of times and have seen clintele ranging from couples to families. The upbeat cheerfulness and hospitality of the new owner Samuel certainly translates to the staff and the clintele. 

We first discovered Skyline Cafe thanks to Groupon. We are huge fans of Meaza (Bailey's Crossroads) and Merkamo in Springfield.

The food in Skyline Cafe is great. We have ordered various items on the menu, trying something different each visit.  A great appetizer to begin your meal can be the Sambusa, which is a portion of two fried salty pastries filled with dark lentils and a tinge of heat. Another one that we really like is the Vegetarian Fit Fit made with pieces of injera bread soaked in awaze sauce mixed with jalapenos. The awaze sauce itself is spicy, so anything you order with it will translate into being spicy.

One of our favorite go-to combinations is the Vegetarian Sampler and one of the Tibs (grilled beef or lamb cubes) entrees offered on the menu, typically there are several to choose from.  The Vegetarian Sampler is always mild, and different Ethiopian restaurants may offer different veggies, but the staple is a variety of lentils and/or chick peas.  In Skyline Cafe the Veggie Sampler includes several types of lentils, cooked cabbage with carrots, a tomato salad (a la pico de gallo), spinach or collard greens, and other veggies.  As we are not lamb eaters, we typically order beef Tibs. Skyline's Tibs are usually of very good quality, they are lean and well-seasoned, and the kitchen is quite flexible on the level of spiciness you'd like for your Tibs, usually by varying the amount of jalapenos with which Tibs are grilled.

Samuel told us about the all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet that Skyline Cafe offers Monday - Friday for $10.99 during lunch time (call to check, as they offer it only during Ethiopian holidays several times a year).  Even during buffet hours, Samuel assured us that ordering off the menu will always be an option.

Skyline Cafe is a hands-down gem. We will definitely be back and will be bringing our friends. 

(Updated in June 2015) 

 We try to avoid posting photos of diners, so the pictures show empty tables because we photographed in-between customers. Staff do a great job cleaning off tables quickly.

 Artwork by local Ethiopian kids

 Sambusas and Vegetarian Fit Fit

 Vegetarian Sampler FOR ONE and Beef Tibs with Tomato Salad

Vegetarian Sampler FOR TWO with Skyline Beef Tibs

All meals are better with a nice cold Ethopian beer

Passion Fin - Asian Fusion Cuisine in the Mosaic District of Merrifield, VA

2750A Gallows Rd

Merrifield, VA 22190

703-204-2969

Passion Fin Dining Room

Passion Fin is more about where it is than what it is. I’ll do my best to focus on the restaurant than on the neighborhood, but one thing that stands out here is while Passion Fin is fair at best, what makes it good is its location in the up-and-coming Mosaic District of Merrifield, VA.

We’ve done the “asian fusion” thing before, and Passion Fin falls into the trap we wrote about in our Kenji Fusion entry back in January. Again, “if you can do one thing well, stick with it. The more you add, the more washed out it becomes.” Passion Fin is no different.

On to the food and service. Jake was a very pleasant and competent server. His attentive service and repeated (but not overdone) check-ins made sure we were satisfied with each course. Elena went mostly Thai, Bill went mostly Chinese. Most courses were very mediocre (see above and the Frasier quote from the Kenji Fusion entry). We started with the Crab Wonton and two soups: Miso and Tom Yum. Average, expected, but not very exciting. Our entrees were Sesame Chicken ($14) and Drunken Noodles ($10). Each were average and needed some “heat”, but requests for hot sauces were unfulfilled, other than some sriracha and a flavorless hot oil. The $8 hot sake was a hit, though!

Sesame Chicken

Is Passion Fin good enough to return? Perhaps. Seems they have some really good specials, and they may be enough to get us back. It will be a long wait though since there are many other Mosaic district restaurants we want to try.

Daily Specials

I did my best to keep the Mosaic District discussion to a minimum; however, I can’t keep it out of the discussion. Mosaic is building and building fast. Situated just off the Dunn Loring Orange Metro line, anchored by a wide swath of condos, stores, and apartments. Just look for the construction cranes, as there is plenty of development happening there. The district is well engineered, and hopefully in time the distinct neighborhoods separated by Lee Highway will be bridged so that the southern area will connect to the newer northern end. Anchored by a series of small-medium sized boutiques, grocers, Movie Theater, and a big box Target store, restaurants are plenty. Ted’s Bulletin, BlackFinn, Ocean Pearl, Four Sisters, Cava, SweetGreen, and Gypsy Soul (getting excellent reviews and on many Top Restaurant lists including Northern Virginia Magazine) serve most of the world’s cuisines. With all these notable new additions, we hope Passion Fin can survive.

Drunken Noodles

Passion Fin is comfortable, open, and well-decorated. Sparse Asian décor separates the Sushi bar, regular bar, and a few separate dining rooms. The lighting is perfect – not overbearing, but can still see your menu and food. Music was a strange mix of 80’s and 90’s pop, certainly not expected, but better than the constant stream of ting-y Asian music. The clientele was diverse, ranging from families to millennial daters.  

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

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

We were delighted to see that RusUz has expanded to almost double its original space, has substantially expedited its already very friendly and courteous service, while maintaining a high quality of delicious food, continuing to be a SUPERB addition to the Northern Virginia dining scene!

We've eaten there several times since we last reviewed it in this blog and each time our experience was better and better.

In January 2014, RusUz was named named one of Washington area's 100 Very Best Restaurants by the Washingtonian Magazine and it certainly deserves the same title in 2015!

 Chicken kebab

 Chebureki

 Borscht

Lagman

Kazan Restaurant - Fine Turkish and Mediterranean Cuisine - McLean, VA

6813 Redmond Drive
McLean, Virginia 22101
(703) 734-1960

If you have been to Kazan before, you are most likely to say, "I love that place!"  Kazan has not disappointed in the dozen or so times we have eaten there. 

Serving diners in the McLean and surrounding areas for 30+ years (since 1980), Kazan is a family-owned and family-run gem of a dining establishment. Most reviewers (yelp, urbanspoon, tripadvisor, and elsewhere) overwhelmingly rate it positively. Zagat has rated Kazan as one of DC area's top Turkish restaurants for many years (as evident in their foyer, where they simply do not have the space to display all their accolades).  Kazan is also the deserving recipient of numerous awards for its great food and service. There's no arguing that the Uzun family has made a wonderful contribution to the Northern Virginia dining scene by providing us with consistently delicious food and consistently excellent service.  

Whether you are a first-time visitor or one of the many returning customers, you will not only get a scrumptious meal at Kazan, but also be made to feel like you are the most important diner in the place. The restaurant is rather large with two dining halls, separated by a translucent partition that provides plenty of diffused natural light. The outer dining hall gets opened up during warm weather to allow for sidewalk dining and during the colder months has ample heating.

Waiters are always knowledgeable (though not necessarily Turkish themselves, which is even more impressive) in the menu choices, including the wine list.  Respectful and efficient, the staff is most welcoming and accommodating for diners of all ages, allergies, and preferences.  

Last week, we selected Kazan for a small birthday celebration.  We ordered a variety of appetizers such as Babaganush and Hummus, and entrees, including chicken and lamb entrees.  The ones pictured here are the Lamb Doner Kebob and the Chicken Shish.  All were delicious. Entrees come with a crisp greens salad with a savory house dressing. vA steady refill of the basket with freshly-baked pita made the meal even better.  

Turkish food is known for using a mild yogurt as a base for most dishes and not using particularly pungent flavors, so those with sensitive stomachs will be well-served here, as none of the dishes are spicy (hot).  

This restaurant is one of our favorites!  It is certainly a favorite of many Northern Virginia residents, as well, and is sure to remain a staple in Turkish dining for many years to come!

   

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.    

The Portofino Restaurant - Italian Restaurant in Arlington, VA (Revisited)

526 23rd St S, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 979-8200

Perfection! If you have not been to Portofino in Crystal City, don't walk, run there.  They are a family-owned restaurant (since 1970!) and this certainly comes through in the solid quality of food and service.  Everything about this restaurant is wonderful.  We have eaten here 4 or 5 times (first reviewed here in 2010) and each time can't wait to return. There is so much thoughtfulness, seamlessness and warmth that is conveyed to the customer through each dining experience, we cannot help but think that this is probably the way all restaurants should be.

To begin with, in an area where parking is at a premium, the parking lot behind the restaurant alleviates the time and frustration it takes to park on the busy 23rd Street.  When entering the restaurant from the parking lot through the back door, you are immediately greeted by the owner and manager welcoming you to the dining room through the office / bar area.  There are two dining rooms in Portofino - one with about 15 tables in an ornate (but not over the top, fortunately) atmosphere and one down the stairs toward that back that is huge and seemingly always busy on a weekend evening.  

The menu lists everything that you could ever want to eat at a fine Italian dining establishment, but wait... the manager personally comes to your table and describes the specials, which for us included two different asparagus appetizers and a half a dozen mouthwatering entrees so creatively designed and so deliciously described that it's hard not to order one of everything just to try.  While we were listening to the specials, ice water and freshly-baked bread were served at our table.  There is something about the olive oil set in a bottle on each individual table that somehow was different from most olive oils and was a particularly flavorful dip for the bread.

We had the calamari appetizer that came with a thick spicy dipping sauce with a hint of horseradish.  In addition to the plentiful selection of food between the menu and the specials, Portofino always accommodates any special requests.  Ours was a Puttanesca capellini, which was fantastic.  We also had the Veal Parmigiana that was smothered in a marinara sauce and cheese with a side of vegetables - all heavenly.

Prices were quite reasonable, too.  The calamari was $8.95, the Puttanesca was $14.95 and the Veal $20.95.  Most other similar restaurants of this caliber typically charge much more.

For dessert, we could not resist sharing the ricotta cheese cake that came in a mild and tangy lime sauce, topping off an excellent meal. Of course with a frothy capuccino.

While the wait staff were all very attentive and friendly, we could not write this review without mentioning one of the greatest assets of Portofino - Julio, a waiter who has worked there for 28 years.  He starts off by joking that this is his first day on the job, fooling you for about a second, and then it's clear he is highly versed in what he is doing.

Thank you for a lovely meal, Portofino! And again, we can't wait to return.

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

CALLING ALL WAITERS AND WAITRESSES!!! Your chance to be on TV!!! Tell your story!!!

Vintage South Productions is a television casting and development company looking for a cast for a new national TV show that will feature waiters and waitresses who have contributed in wonderful ways to their communities

 above and beyond their jobs.  

Is that YOU?  Is it SOMEONE YOU KNOW who has served you food, but also touched your life or done something kind and wonderful that needs to be told?

If you know of a worthwhile candidate for The Kindness Project for waiters and waitresses, please contact Vintage South Productions.  They are looking for servers with a story of serving more than just food - those that 

are serving their communities in other ways. 

They are hoping to cast everyone within the next 3-4 weeks.

This is a nationwide show, but they want to have an episode 

on the Northern Virginia area. 

Contact them and let them know that you heard about it HERE on

 BILL & ELENA's NORTHERN VIRGINIA RESTAURANT BLOG!!!

Making plans to go out for dinner? Check out Northern Virginia Magazine's guide to the top 50 restaurants in the area

Northern Virginia Magazine's Guide to 50 best restaurants, even sorted by county.  How many of these have you visited?  Make your new to-do list!

NoVA’s TOP 10 for 2013

1. Maple Ave	2. The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
3. The Ashby Inn & Restaurant	4. 2941
5. The Curious Grape	6. Mokomandy
7. Goodstone Inn & Restaurant	8. Pizzeria Orso
9. Peter Chang China Star Café	10. Lyon Hall

Tara Thai Restaurant - Vienna, VA - CLOSED - REPLACED BY TOM YUM THAI

CLOSED - REPLACED BY TOM YUM THAI

226 Maple Ave.

West Vienna, VA 22180 

Tel. 703-255-2467

Since Tara Thai in Falls Church is one of our favorite spots for a reliably good Thai meal, we thought we'd try another Tara Thai that is located in Vienna.  In the past, we tried Tara Thai in Arlington before it closed.  Bottom line for us is that decidedly Tara Thai in Falls Church is heads above its namesakes.

Though most of the dishes offered on the menu are standard and familiar Thai choices, the Chef's specials understandably differ from restaurant to restaurant, as does the preparation itself. One of the particularly noticeable issues we found with Tara Thai Vienna is the inconsistency of the spicyness level between the menu and the actual dish.  We ordered dishes with asterisks that turned out mild and dishes with no asterisks that turned out hot.  We suggest that regardless of what it says on the menu, you indicate directly to the waiter the level of hotness you prefer, otherwise you will be surprised when the food arrives, at least in our experience.

We ordered two appetizers - Salt & Pepper Calamari, which was lightly battered and fried, and the Num Tok, a beef dish.  The Num Tok was a bit of a disappointment not only because the two asterisks next to it on the menu did not reflect the actual rather mild seasoning of the dish, but also because the flank steak was just overall not nearly as tasty or juicy as it is in Tara Thai Falls Church.  Would not order it there again. Our entrees were a combination of one standard Thai dish - Pad Thai, which was fine, and one of the Chef's Specials.  We ordered the Tara Thai Vienna's Chef's Special the Crispy Golden Chicken, which was good, but, despite there being no asterisks next to it on the menu, it was on the hot side.

Service was not nearly as friendly or attentive compared with Tara Thai Falls Church.  While Tara Thai Vienna is perfectly fine, if we had to choose, we would select Tara Thai Falls Church hands down.