Tous Les Jours Korean Bakery - Annandale VA

7219 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003
Tel: (703) 914-0000

We would be remiss if we didn't tell you about this amazing bakery, where we stopped after lunch at BonChon Chicken last weekend.

A standalone tiny structure just a few steps from BonChon, is the Tous Les Jours Korean Bakery that wows you as soon as you walk in.  Entering the tiny store front, it is impossible to resist being enveloped by the variety of deliciousness emanating from shelves and shelves of powdered goodness as far as the eye can see. 

Modern, clean, simple decor is utterly inviting. 

BE WARNED: YOU WILL NOT WALK OUT EMPTY HANDED *EVEN IF* YOU CLAIM NOT TO HAVE A SWEET TOOTH.

THIS IS ALL WE GOT. REALLY, A HIGHLY COMMENDABLE EXERCISE IN SELF-RESTRAINT, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. 

BonChon Chicken - Korean fast food in Annandale, VA

7215 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003
Tel:(703) 914-1415

The first time we tried BonChon Chicken Wings was at the Northern Virginia Magazine's Chicken Wings NoVa Wars.  They were so flavorful, so perfectly baked and the spicy wings were way out of this world terrific, that we just had to follow our taste buds to their Annandale location.

BonChon is a modern Korean fast food joint with several large TVs and a full bar in the heart of Korea Town in Annandale.  Its staff is all young Koreans, though our waiter seemed to be so brand spanking new, our service was quite underwhelming. The bright spot in the service area was a server named Israel, who not only served most of our food, but also refilled our water and asked if everything was ok.  Kudos to Israel!

Though their website seems to be down for quite a while now, one of the nice things that BonChon offers is a calorie count of all its dishes, including wings. The wings are not cheap; they are about average at $1.30 per wing, regardless whether you get a mix of wings and drumsticks, drumsticks only or boneless strips. We got the ones were remembered as being fantastic - Soy Garlic and Spicy. Definitely worth the visit!

Looking around, most everyone in the restaurant was feasting on piles and piles of wings. Needless to say, come here for the wings. The other stuff was...  well, it wasn't nearly as good as the wings.  

The banchan served along with our food at BonChon consisted of sweet cole slaw and mild crunchy pickled radish cubes. Eaten alone, they were bland. But when snacked on in-between the fiery or garlicky wings, they gained a lot more appreciation!

The two entrees we ordered, pictured and described below, were good. Korean food doesn't skimp on flavors, so almost anything you get will be good.

But BonChon Chicken is all about the WINGS, and this is definitely a reason to return!

Oh, by the way, an added bonus was that you do not walk out of the restaurant smelling like the kitchen.  This is not a Korean BBQ place where you leave wearing the smell of all the food on the menu. It is a bright and airy restaurant with great exhaust, large windows and modern furniture.  There is just really no reason not to check it out. 

 Complimentary sweet cole slaw and the mildest crunchiest pickled radish we ever tasted

 Medium Combo of 10 bonessless chicken strips - 5 Soy Ginger and 5 Spicy $12.95

 Bull Dak entree - spicy chicken stirfried with rice cakes in fiery sauce topped wth thinly sliced scallions and melted cheese, served with steamed white rice on the side $12.95

Chicken Katsu entree - breaded chicken cutlet served on a bed of steamed rice, drizzled with "katsu" sauce and spicy mayo $11.95

Bollywood Bistro - Contemporary Indian Cuisine in Great Falls, VA

9853 Georgetown Pike
Great Falls, VA 22066
Tel: (703) 865-0450

We've heard lots of positive reviews of the year-old Bollywood Bistro, so we invited our friends to join us for dinner at this Safeway shopping strip in Great Falls this past weekend.  

Bollywood Bistro impressed us at the outset with its welcoming modern decor that bridged the old and the new styles of India. True to its name Bistro, this is not a fancy traditional restaurant with mahogany deities and a 10-page menu. Rather a short-and-sweet selection of well-known favorites that not only burst with flavor, but they are also served up by a most accommodating and friendly staff.

Our waiter, Jude Lopez, was all the personality of the restaurant. Originally from Goa, he was incredibly helpful and charming, suggesting specific dishes and explaining the intricacies and differences in flavors typical to Northern Indian, Southern Indian, and Goan cuisine, which was very much appreciated.

The unique decor offered an ambiance of both intimacy and hospitality. Dim lighting in no way sacrificed the feeling of cleanliness, defining a calm and pleasant mood for a wonderful dinner.

Our food, pictured below, can be summarized in one word - delicious. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly presented, all in all terrific.

We will definitely be back to Bollywood Bistro!  Thank you for a great dining experience!

 Wonderfully crispy and delicious Samosa $4.95

Tallest Samosa we've ever seen

 Creamy wonderful lobster bisque $6.95

 Perfectly baked Kesari Chicken Tikka $13.95 and Delectable Fiery Chicken Vindaloo $13.95

 Mouthwatering Lamb Kabob $15.95, a vegetable medley by request $10.95, creamy Makhan Palak $10.95 and delicately tasty Garlic Naan $3.50

 Don't you just love these veggies?

Almost too pretty to eat

 Ceiling a-la-Medici

Modern, intimately-lit clean and welcoming dining room