Skewers Restaurant

yes, we finally made it to the birthday dinner. BOOF buddy, Twin, and I share the same birthday (get the nickname, twin), so for our birthday weekend/my triumphant return to the district, we planned to have a large group of friends get together for dinner. Oh and ALSO, it was also the triumphant return of BOOF buddy, Dotus, and his birthday was a week prior, so we were celebrating him too! Boom Bam Thank Ya OCTOBER.

We had originally planned to go to Pizza Paradisio and then head to Biergarten Haus. Unfortunately, Pizza Paradisio doesn't take reservations (sad day because the pizza is delicious), and the Biergarten was all booked up. This left us scrambling for somewhere to go in the last minute. We had decided on La Moma but as you obviously can tell, I had already been there with Twin, so I honestly wanted to try something new and different. I got to opentable and tried to see what was out there, and I found this restaurant, Skewers, which was well rated AND could accompany a party of 20 that evening! woohooo.

Skewers is a Middle Eastern Restaurant and is partnered to the Mediterranean Restaurant, Cafe Luna. Cafe Luna is located on the basement/ground floor level of a Restored townhouse in Dupont, and Skewers is located on the upper level. Despite being under the same management and being located on top of each other, each restaurant has a very distinct feel, decor and identity. Skewers is filled with a lot of mosaic and middle eastern decor but all composed of very warm colors and dim but comfortable lighting.

Because we had such a large party, I was lazy and only reviewed my dish. However, I can say that everyone really enjoyed the whole experience and their food, most of all. However, as a table did order Hummus which was nice, fresh and extremely tasty. For my meal, I ordered the Shrimp Biryani and numerous members of the table also ordered Lamb and Beef Biryani. Biryani is a traditional Indian/Middle Eastern/Arab dish with spiced rice, sauteed vegetables and your choice of Kabob. I decided on Shrimp rather than the usual mixed vegetables and was really happy with my choice. Not only did they not skimp out on the amount of shrimp that they gave me (which usually happens in most restaurants), but the dish had a lot of great flavor and seasoning throughout.

There are numerous other dishes available at Skewers, and I think it is a great destination for a mid/large group celebration. There is also a Belly Dancing performance during dinner hours, which is fun but also kinda weird after it goes on for a few songs. Nevertheless, I had a really enjoyable time at Skewers and it was the perfect foodie and fun end to my DC return Birthday Weekend.

Grade: B+

Maoz Vegetarian

oh hey, i'm a vegetarian. yup, i am. well actually, i'm a pescatarian...but you already knew that. i think. i hope?

when i saw the sign for Maoz Vegetarian one day when I was on M Street, i thought to myself "What is that little place there? I've never seen it before". good thing is that it was new to the south of dupont circle area of DC and DC as a whole, but after doing some research, i found that it actually is a chain. Maoz Vegetarian is a Falafel chain that is popping all over the states and is filled with an unlimited toppings bar and delicious belgian frites and sweet potato fries.

I had been wanting to go to Maoz for a while but when that glorious groupon/livingsocial deal finally appeared in my inbox, I quickly grabbed it up. Close buddy of BOOF, CCoast, was not going to be in town for my final DC weekend, so we decided to meet up and grab dinner on evening. I threw out the idea of Maoz and she had also been wanting to try it so it worked out perfectly.

As I had mentioned earlier, Maoz is located on M Street btw 18th and 19th and close to other previously reviewed eats, Penang and Malaysia Kopitiam. It is a very small restaurant and for dinner it is not too busy but word is that during lunch time there is a crazy line out the door. There is limited seating inside but it does have large hardwood picnic style tables that awkwardly contrast with the otherwise clean more modern interior.

Maoz has two main falafel meal deals, the Maoz Royal Sandwich which comes with a full falafel, a order of belgian frites and a soft drink. Maybe if you are there for lunch, you may consider the Junior Maoz Sandwich which is 1/2 the amount of falafel (3 falafel balls), frites and a soft drink. Both CCoast and I opted for the Maoz Royal Sandwich (only $9.00!) but I ordered the sweet potato fries instead of the regular belgian frites. The falafel is automatically topped with eggplant and hummus. However, there is about 15 other delicious looking self-serve-all-you-can-pile-on toppings bar.

The falafel is so delicious (and gluten-free!). The seasoning is delicious and the falafel is fried perfectly on the spot. I mentioned in my Pasha Bistro post how Mo commented that the falafel was not as fluffy on the inside as sometimes you like your falafel. I would say that this falafel has that fluffiness on the inside paired perfectly with the crispy exterior. Yum. Yum. Yum.
The fries were more of the same. Both the Belgian frites and sweet potato fries were seasoned well and perfectly fried. gosh, i want some sweet potato fries right now.

Overall, I really enjoyed my trip and would definitely go back for some delicious falafel...even without a coupon! shocker! But honestly, if you are looking for a quick bite, especially to take on the go or during lunch time, then Maoz Vegetarian is definitely your spot. Don't be deterred by the "vegetarian" because we are people too. and we like food. good food.


Grade: A-/B+

Mr. Yogato

Now this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And i liked to take a minute and sit right there
And tell you how I became the princess of a town called DC.

Well, not so much. But I could tell you a story about this place that I really like to go to. If I could go there every day (and If i did it for 30days continuous, they would name a flavor after me), I would. I would go there everyday. I will never forget that lovely fall day when I was out hanging with BOOF Best Bud, Apanda, and her family when she introduced me to this amazing establishment known as Mr. Yogato.

WARNING: This review is biased.

When people ask me what the Best Frozen yogurt place in DC is? I really almost gasp in shock because there is nothing that comes close to the Dupont Circle gem of Mr. Yogato. It is located on the downstairs of a small re-stored town-house and the lines can get pretty crazy in the midst of summer. There isn't a lot of space inside inside to sit (actually, almost none) but fro yo is better to take on the go as you walk around the neighborhood with your buds.

What makes Mr. Yogato so good? Not only is the ambiance always friendly and entertaining (they give you about 5+ ways to accumulate major money off your fro-yo) but the fro yo is just so delicious. I think they essentially revolutionized toppings on fro-yo before all these other fro-yo places popped up in DC because they were adding fun cereals, candies, cookies to their fro-yo before everyone else. quote me on that. The original flavor is just perfect, just perfectly tart and sweet but it allows for the toppings to take a leading role too.

Best thing in my opinion about Mr. Yogato: Tim Tams. That is when I knew I found love. Tim tams are the best cookie in the world which I discovered when I was in Australia and fell in love with. So, when I saw that Mr. Yogato had Tim Tams on the toppings list, I did a double and triple take in unbelief. I don't think I have not gotten Tim Tams on top of my fro yo (of course with other toppings). AND then, Mr. Yogato's had the nerveeeee to put Tim Tam SLAMS on their menu! some nerve. I could explain what exactly that is to you but then I would ruin it. Just go. Just do it. Your life will never be the same again. I promise. Quote me on that too.

Just go to Mr Yogato and eat copious amounts of delicious fro-yo for me. please. i beg of you.

Grade: A

Pasha Bistro

After spending way too much money at Border's going out of business sale, best buddy of BOOF, Mo and I found ourselves hungry in DC. per usual. It was a Sunday afternoon so somethings are open and somethings weren't. We originally intended to check out Maoz Vegetarian because I not only have heard so many great things about it but also I had a groupon to use there. Unfortunately, upon arriving to Maoz, we noticed that it was closed. sad day. sad face.

we were in the dupont area, so we knew that we could find something to satisfy our vegetarian and gluten-free taste buds, but nothing we saw seemed to appetizing. we continued to walk and were eventually in the area of another place I had a livingsocial/groupon deal to (i have a TON, i know it's a problem), Pasha Bistro. It ended up being the perfect stop on a warm but cloudy sunday afternoon. Pasha Bistro is located on 17th Street, in I guess what we could call the East part of the Dupont Circle Neighborhood. It is close to Komi (#1 restaurant in DMV), Mr. Yogato and Cafe Green to name a few.

the inside of Pasha Bistro is really nothing spectacular but it does feature a nice large covered outdoor patio out front which I am really a fan of and 17th street is another one of those great places to people watch. first things first, we had to ensure that the falafel was gluten-free so Mo could eat it, and not to worry...it was.

we started off by ordering some hummus which was nice, creamy and delicious. there is nothing like fresh made hummus served with ezme, feta and pita. the flavors were there and it was a nice and simple dish and the pita was also super delicious.

i then also ordered the spinach pie which was sauteed spinach and feta baked in a puff pastry and this was also very delicious. the feta nicely balanced the seasoning of the spinach and this was a dish that Mo really wish that she could have eaten. I wish she could have too. :-(

for our meals, Mo ordered the Falafel Platter which came with fries, a house salad and hummus. Mo enjoyed every part of the meal and it was nice to see a restaurant not skimp out on the house salad. she did mention that the falafel was good but it was not as fluffy on the inside as some others. the seasoning of the crust, however, was really good. the fries were also tasty shoestring fries more so then your average shoestring fry.

I ordered the Veggie Pita which was filled with grilled zucchini, eggplant, onions, bell pepper, and feta cheese. the veggies were all cooked really well and seasoned nicely and i really enjoyed it. it came with a large helping of those shoestring fries and they were really really good. i am also a big fan of the fact that despite Mediterranean cuisine really favors a lot of meat (lamb), there was more then ample veggie options on the menu. i did like that they included a lot of veggies and the pita was overflowing with them. job well done.



all in all, both Mo and I enjoyed our time at Pasha Bistro. if you are looking for a cheap, casual and tasty meal with buds then pasha bistro can definitely be your stop. I would definitely recommend it on a spring, cool summer or fall evening with buds on the patio.

Grade: B

Malaysia Kopitiam

After having such a great meal at Penang, I came to the conclusion that I must have more Malaysian food. I heard through some other buds that Malaysian Kopitiam also serves up some delicious authentic Malaysian, so when the living social deal appeared magically one morning, it was a quick and easy purchase. Best Buddy of BOOF, Hugdoll and I, would sadly be parting ways at the end of the month with her moving to Boston for her PhD (she's a Harvard smarty) and me moving to PA for med school, so we knew that we needed to have one last dinner before our respective departures. I threw out the idea of Malaysian and she was all for it, so we met up at MK for dinner.

MK is located just south of dupont circle right around the corner (literally) from Penang and a slew of other tasty restaurants. the exterior and interior both don't look like much of anything with its red block letter awning at its exterior and it's basement interior. there is a very unique smell that the restaurant features and it is not pleasant but it is also not repulsive to the point that you want to leave or vom...it's just there. it is located in a basement, which i mentioned earlier and it is not necessarily a bad thing but it is weird because you feel like you are going into basement. For example, in other restaurants such as Vidalia, you go below ground in what would technically be a "basement" but you don't necessarily feel like it when you get inside. nevertheless, the interior is just simple and nothing to annoying or spectacular.


the couple that owns MK has a special place in my heart simply for the fact that they are originally from Ipok Perah, Malaysia but then moved to Melbourne! Australia for a significant amount of time before heading to DC. they are also super friendly and sweet and when you are seated not only do you have a simple paper menu with all of the dishes, but you are also handed a three ring binder with pictures of all of their item menus. kinda genius. pick the prettiest.

after falling in love with this stuff at Penang, I insisted that we start off with Roti Canai which is a flat layer Indian bread served with a bowl of Malaysian Curry Chicken. Clearly, I didn't eat the Curry Chicken sauce that it is served with it but I didn't need it because the deliciously flakiness of the bread with that buttery taste is just so delicious, it didn't need any accompaniment, in my opinion. however, hugdoll mentioned that the sauce was super delicious and one of the tastiest parts of the meal, if not the tastiest.

we also started with the Satay Tofu (pictured at the top) which are grilled triangular tofu marinated in various spices served with cucumber and fresh. onion. This had a very interesting flavor because the sauce that it was marinated in was sweet, with an almost honey flavor but the tofu itself was quite salty. I guess some would call this balance very good, which I guess in some aspects it is but it didn't really work as well as I would have liked. I think it was a little too sweet and sticky and the saltiness tried to balance it out but then it was too salty. I ate it all but Hugdoll wasn't that big of a fan; nevertheless, I enjoyed them decently enough to polish them off. I like the vision just not the execution.

Hugdoll ordered the Vegetarian Stir Fried Mix Noodle which is a Stir fried long thin rice noodle and egg noodle with cabbage, Chinese mushroom, Chinese spinach and crispy tofu sheet. This had good flavor but nothing too special. the balance of the dish was really on point with the sweet, salty, sour and then texture all in nice harmony but there was no unique kick to the dish or a wow factor. we both agreed that it was good, just not great.

I ordered the Mamak Mee Goreng which is a stir-fried spicy egg noodle with shrimp, tofu, bean sprout, egg, tomatoes and potatoes top with lettuce and crispy shallot. This spoke both to the vegetarian and pescatarian in me but I was pretty unimpressed by this dish. The dish did have good flavor but I did consider topping it with lettuce was almost an afterthought and really not needed, in my opinion. The main thing I felt was missing from this dish was a good sauce. If there was sauce present, it was pretty absent to me because I didn't really have throughout my dish at all. It is a little sad because the ingredients are good but it just didn't have the flavor that I was looking for and was accustomed to after my trip to Penang.

Overall, I had a decent experience at MK and I would be willing to try it again, but maybe try a dish where Curry is the main ingredient because then I would be sure to have some sort of seasoned sauce throughout the dish. The ingredients were good and some dishes were a success, just not as much of a success that I wanted this Washingtonian Top Cheap Eats and Top 100 Restaurant to be.

Grade: B-

Le Pain Quotidien

le pain is an international restaurant of obvious french flair. it is a very nice restaurant/cafe to dine for breakfast or lunch and it is well known for it's "communal table" dining. i had previously been to both the georgetown and dupont circle locations (unfortunately, no international ones for me :-) ), but to hang out with BOOF buddy, kku, we decided to meet one morning for a sort of after breakfast snack at the bethesda location.

the bethesda location is located on bethesda row which is an adorable area that i had never really ventured to previously, but if I ever find myself back in DC living (which i pray i do), i definitely would want to spend some more time there. i am fairly certain that all le pain's pretty much have a similar set up with a large communal table in part of their restaurant with more individual tables set up around the restaurant and then the bakery/casing taking a large part of space also in the restaurant. the furniture is dominated by a lot of "unfinished wood", and although i really like the concept of the communal dining, i still feel that you just end up communicating with whoever you are with. nevertheless, it is an idea that i do like.

le pain uses mainly (if not all) organic ingredients in their meals and i have had breakfast there before and really enjoyed it. on this day, kku and I just enjoyed a couple of breakfast pastries. le pain is one of those places that it can be difficult to order because EVERYTHING in the pastry cases looks delicious. nevertheless, i just ordered a simple croissant (i know how boring), but it was delicious.

kku was a little but more adventurous and ordered this really tasty bread topped with a creme and strawberries. it was really really good. the creme wasn't that sweet and the strawberries were sweet with enough tart that you were not too overwhelmed. and the bread definitely had a nice pastry puff/croissant taste to it, so it was nice and had a bit of a crunch to balance out the texture.

all in all, a trip to le pain is always good and never disappointing. if you need something quick, i definitely recommend just grabbing a pastry and a coffee to go (coffee is good and strong), but if you have time to sit down...then definitely do that and order something of more substance. their omelettes are pretty tasty...just a thought.

Grade: B

Vapianos

i love how all of my dinners with buddies seem to have this SATC theme to it. four girls, talking life, love and all the above while hitting up various locations throughout OUR city. i mean, it's a little different but no biggie.

BOOF buddies eh, kh (not me), cc and I are always trying to find a time for all of us to get together. needless to say, it is ALWAYS super hard/rarely ever happens. however, we all found a day and an evening to grab dinner and so we initially had planned to go to matchbox (yummm) but it was packed (per usual), so we opted for vapianos in china town.

i have only been to the vapianos in dupont before and I really do love it, but I definitely felt it was kind of "been there, done that". however, i really enjoyed the china town location. I also switched it up and ordered a pizza (we actually all did) instead of pasta, so that was also a welcome change.

unlike its dupont counter part, the chinatown location is much more open but it does lack the nice outdoor seating that the dupont location boasts. however, i always feel like the dupont location is very dark, and although it is a nice chill vibe, I did enjoy the nice natural lighting that was present throughout the whole restaurant. i also found that it was easier to find a table at the chinatown location, which might just be in large part due to it not being as busy. there are TONS of restaurants in chinatown (as there are in dupont), but everything is in much a more confined space in chinatown. also, a major plus about vapianos is their happy hour.

for those who have never been to vapianos, i really wish more restaurants worked like this. upon entering the restaurant, you are given a "card" in which you then essentially "swipe" when you order your meal. you also can do the same thing for drinks and desserts, and when you leave, you give them a card and all of your purchases appear on your bill. it takes away the mess of splitting the check various ways and adding tip etc. furthermore, when you order, you choose what type of pasta you would like with whichever "topping" but there are also "design your own" options. they make everything right in front of you, so you know that exactly what you want is going into your meal. pizza takes a little bit longer (clearly) but they are all baked in a brick oven so it is GOOD pizza.

eh, cc and I all ordered the Verdure which is topped with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Roasted Vegetables and Mushrooms. it was very tasty and definitely hit the spot. nothing too spectacular or to call home about but it was a well done pizza with good flavors. as a pizza EXPERT, i clearly judge by the crust and the crust is tasty and airy enough but not too hard and tough. well done vapianos.

kh decided to be the renegade and she ordered the Rucola which was topped with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Arugula and Parmesan. she enjoyed it and mentioned that it was well prepared and had good flavors.

all in all, i really enjoy vapianos and i think i have been converted to the chinatown location. the happy hour is also really really good with $4.00 house red wine, house white wine, peroni draught and pilsner draught. you really can't be that.

Grade: B

Good for buddies who are looking to catch up over an inexpensive meal or a first date. Things to do: Catch a movie at the theater, catch a concert at Verizon Center, catch a play at Woolly Mammoth theater, check out the latest exhibit at the National Portrait Museum...get the picture? So many things to do. Also, for dessert (in Chinatown), check out Tangy Sweet or Coco Sala. In Dupont- Kramerbooks.

Well-Dressed Burrito

best burrito in DC? it's a far cry from it.

after hearing rave review after rave review, i thought that I would convince my co-workers to take a bite out of what is referred to as the "best burrito in DC". now, mind you, one of my BOOF buddies, ak, is the resident expert on burritos as he has spent a fair amount of time in texas where burritos reign supreme. the best burritos most of us have had come from chipotle or qdoba, therefore, we were all in anticipation of burrito deliciousness from the well-dressed burrito.

the well-dressed burrito is in located in an alley, yes an alley, south of dupont circle. the line out of the restaurant/take out spot is known to come all the way out of store and down the alley. it is only open mon-friday during lunch time, so if you live outside of the area, it is almost impossible to get there for this burrito. you definitely feel like you are apart of something special as you venture into this alleyway and open those large doors. the name is not really even apparent on the store, there is just a small picture of a penguin. yes, a penguin...it is apparently their moniker.

so after all of that, we were excited to get these burritos. we drove all the way across town during lunch to pick them up and bring them back to indulge in what was supposed to be an unforgettable experience. so yeah, it was very much forgettable. BOOF buddies ak and rm got the grilled chicken burritos while me and ml (the other veg buddy) ordered the sauteed veggie burritos (with spinach). we were all very much overwhelmed. because ak is the burrito expert he was really really unpleased with the final result and even prefers the burritos from the popular tex-mex chain, chipotle, to this well-dressed burrito. they said that there chicken was dried, there was no sauce sauce that gave it an extra spice and the meat was seasoned subpar.

both ml and i thought the veggie burritos were ok but we were definitely underwhelmed. i liked the variety of veggies that they included (carrots, broccoli), but it lacked seasoning again and there was no real "kick" to the burrito. I would take qdoba and chipotle over well-dressed any day.

sm opted to not get the burrito and opted for the chimichanga (you could actually consider her a chimichanga connoisseur of sorts), and she said it was decent but not the best she has ever had and there was nothing too special about it. the best thing of the meal may have been the guac that we ordered which was nice, fresh and tasty. they also accidentally gave us a bean and cheese burrito (well, actually...we ordered it, changed our order, they never took it off the order, charged us for it and then gave it to us anyways), so all of us took a bite of that which was also decent but nothing to write home about.

a couple of positives (because i am a REALLY nice person :-D):

1) the scene. it is pretty cool to walk down an alley and feel like you are going to some sort of hidden gem for lunch that only a few people are privy to.

2) it's really cheap. dc is an expensive city to say the least so be able to get a quick (service is VERY good) and really cheap meal (under 6$), that is definitely a plus.

3) size: it is a really big burrito. it is definitely "well-dressed" in terms of all the stuff they put on it. i had a whole half of a burrito for dinner that night too.

overall: after reading some additional reviews, many people mention that the burritos may not be the best thing on the menu and to try their tacos, taco salads and other things. HOWEVER, i do not know how i feel about this because they are called the "well-dressed burrito", so their burritos SHOULD be the best thing on the menu.

Grade: C

Lariol Plaza

god i am so behind. it is not even funny. i have about 20 billion posts to write…its been a busy few weeks for BOOF dining with buddies as summer 2010 sets in.

best buddies of BOOF who were previously featured in the trip to Zaytinya were back for our last gathering in this great city together before we all set off for the next adventures in our lives. it’s been a great year and it has gone too fast but it is funny how these things work out. who would have thought that we not only would remain so close after meeting on another continent but then we would end up in the same city. i miss this already.

it has been a long time coming since my last trip to lauriol and i honestly think that i have been craving it since then. there have been ample opportunities for me to get to go to lauriol since but it has never seemed to work out, so when were looking for somewhere to enjoy our last dc dinner, it was only natural that i through out the idea of lauriol and everyone was excited. i mean what is summer without a swirl margarita?

lauriol is located on the dupont circle/adams morgan border in a seemingly quieter part of both dupont and adams morgan. lauriol is known for their great space but also very very very busy dinner hours. it is a HUGE restaurant which is necessary as they always have a wait after 6:30 on any given evening. It has a very modern flair and we opted to sit outside on this warm early summer evening, but their outdoor seating is wonderful because it 1) is covered (barring the numerous impromptu sun showers) and 2) has ceiling fans to take away some of the DC humidity.

first things first we started off with a pitcher of swirl margaritas (1/2 strawberry 1/2 regular) which never disappoints. we also munched on some complementary chips and salsa which is a typical and delicious staple of any mexican restaurant.

onto the entrees. hugdoll ordered the brazilian salad which consisted of Grilled marinated chicken, spinach, avocodas, palmittos, other regular salad veggies, zucchini, olives and topped with an olive oil vinaigrette. She enjoyed it, thought the chicken was cooked well and enjoyed the variety of vegetables other than the typical salad staples that it included.

kb ordered the spinach quesadillas which also looked delicious. by ordering the regular size, she had a plateful of deliciousness with a super reasonable price tag. she enjoyed the flavor of the quesadillas and although there was nothing special about them, they did the trick.




sio ordered the cheese enchilladas and she thoroughly enjoyed those as well. They were filled with Monterrey jack cheese and topped with a chile ancho sauce and served with rice and frijoles a la charra. another mexican staple done well with good taste and seasoning but nothing too special.




i ordered my typical mexican meal in the veggie fajitas. i really enjoyed this because they had a real variety of veggies which is a nice departure from the typical onions and peppers. They included other veggies such as zucchini, carrots, eggplant and the winner of the evening, plantains. that definitely put these veggie fajitas on the map because the plantains added such a nice sweet taste to the typical salt and pepper seasonings that are standard in a meal such as that. surprisingly delicious.

all in all, a trip to lauriol never disappoints. although the food is nothing too special and mind blowing, it is well done cheap mexican. i believe that they could make their flavors a little more complex and could add a “kick” to their meals. but i guess you get what you pay for. furthermore, the ambiance is great and the swirl margaritas are always delicious. i recommend getting there as early as possible or even maybe going for lunch. if you wanted to get seated in a timely manner on an evening after 6pm, lauriol is definitely not your place. furthermore, they do not take reservations so although it is an ideal location for a large group, this can be very difficult because you are not sure when you will get a table. you could be waiting for a very very very long time but they will supply you with an endless supply of chips and salsa while you wait…and clearly, a drink if you so desire.

Overall Grade: B+ (ambiance/service/restaurant)/ C+ (food)

Penang

After not seeing close buddy to BOOF, ea, for a while we decidedly made plans for dinner last Wednesday. Realizing that i need to start actually using my groupons, i threw out the idea of trying Penang, and EA agreed on the choice for the evening.

Penang is located on the south end of Dupont Circle/West End/Foggy Bottom area. It sits above the Chipotle at 19 & M and close by to other good eats such as Nooshi, Luigis, and Smith & Wollensky. Penang is a Malaysian restaurant and it was a cuisine that I neither EA or I had ever tried before. I heard that it is almost a cross between Thai and Indian, so I definitely knew that it could be something that I would thoroughly enjoy. Then again, restaurants that are very veggie friendly always get a plus in my book.

Walking into Penang, you take note of the very modern decor filled with reds, low lighting, hardwood floors and a nicely open restaurant. You are met with the bar when you walk in and then you proceed to a "two" level restaurant but more like 1 1/4 level. It appears to really only be a restaurant suited for an older crowd, you don't really get a lot of college kids or anyone younger for that matter.

For starters, I opted to get a soup so I tried the Seafood Tomyan Soup which had Shrimp, squid, scallops and mushrooms in a spicy tomyam broth. It had a really good and well seasoned flavor and definitely helped warm me up on a cool rainy evening.

We then ordered the Roti Canai which is a Crispy Indian style pancake served with a curry chicken dipping sauce. This came out with our entrees (we ordered it late), so I did not actually eat it with the dipping sauce. EA tried it with the dipping sauce and said it was quite tasty and I actually fell in love with this little bite of heaven. Although this wasn't actually Malaysian and it was Indian, Penang does an outstanding job with this bread. Surprisingly, I had never had it before (I say this because I am a BIG fan of Indian food/restaurants), but I guess because I am so used to automatically ordering the typical delicious Naan bread, I had always overlooked the Roti. Trust me, I won't make that mistake again.



We both opted to order some of the "Fried Noodle" entrees but this is a term used to just illustrate that they were pan-fried at some point but they are not actually "fried". EA ordered the Penang Char Mee Hoon which is a Rice vermicelli with chicken, egg, bean sprouts, julienned red and green peppers, lemon grass, and dried red pepper.

She really enjoyed it and said the flavor was really great and seasoned just right. I went for the Penang Char Koay Teow which is their famous flat rice noodles with shrimp, squid, eggs, chives and bean sprouts in a spicy black soya chili sauce. I was really impressed with how flavorful this dish was and how it had the perfect amount of spicy kick that I was still able to enjoy it while my sinuses were definitely being cleared out. Sorry if that was too many details.

Because she didn't get an appetizer, EA opted to order a desert to go, the Peanut Pancake which is a crispy pancakes stuffed with ground peanuts, Crispy outside, moist inside. After talking to her later that week and asking her how it was, she said it wasgood and definitely something that she had never tried before and pretty unique.

All in all, we had a really great experience at Penang. After reading other reviews, I take it that your experience can be pretty hit or miss with the restaurant but for us, the flavors and seasoning was well balanced and decently complex. I've also heard that apparently on thursday-saturday, Penang turns into a dance club, so if you plan on going one of those nights, I recommend you go earlier lest you want a dance party to break out during your meal. however, that may be exactly what you want. I recommend Penang for both a date with your significant other or unformal dinner with friends after work. The vibe is very relaxed and apparently, they also serve up some great happy hour cocktails. If going on a weekend, I would pair this with maybe a trip to the National Geographic Museum a few blocks over.

Grade: B+

Cantina Pub

spinach and artichoke dip

fries with mayonnaise aioli

veg skizzo

For a good co-worker buddy's farewell celebration, we decided to head to Cantina Pub for happy hour. Cantina pub is located in downstairs of the Darlington House, a relatively new restaurant drop dead in the hustle and bustle of Dupont Circle. Cantina blends into the block as a renovated townhouse with a very warming decor inside and out. As you head downstairs into the Pub, you feel as though you have momentarily stepped outside of the typical overly modern and chic dupont area. Cantina has the very warm and welcoming pub feel with its long bar, wooden tables and chairs and also some full flat screen TVs. I won't review Darlington House in this review because similar to Churchkey/Birch & Barley, the two spaces have uniquely different feels.

Although I loved the inside of Cantina Pub and would definitely go back for happy hour, we opted to sit outside as it was the perfect spring evening. They have a really nice covered seating, and because we got there relatively early (around 5:30), we had our choice of seating. We had originally planned to head back inside when our party got larger, but the seating was accomodating enough, and it was too nice outside not take advantage of it.

For their happy hour, they offer a wide variety of drafts for $3, $4, and $5. They also have a house red and white for $5. A few of us started with the house white, which was a Pinot Grigio which was nice. Nothing special but good enough for what it was. I also tried the Leinenkugel’s Sunset, which apparently is the Wisconsin version of a Blue Moon. It tasted pretty much identical to a Blue Moon/Shock Top so that was a nice beer of choice for a 70 degree evening. Unfortunately, despite the venue, I don't believe that Cantina has great happy hour specials because most other bar/pubs in the area have better deals. Furthermore, there were no food specials! SHOCKER! they lost lots of points on that alone. To truly get the Pub feel that Cantina is trying to achieve, it is imperative that they offer half off/or some sort of food deal for happy hour. People will be more tempted to stay longer and enjoy happy hour if this were an option. Nevertheless, we were hungry so we ordered some food anyways, but I think we would have been more liberal with our ordering, if the deals were better.

We started with the Spinach/Artichoke dip which was tasty but nothing special. It came across a little to creamy, so it felt a little too skimpy on the artichokes. I then ordered the house fries which were seasoned well and served with a mayonnaise aioli sauce which appears to be the major sauce of the hour in the foodie world. Overall, I was pleased with my choice. For more substantial food, some friends ordered the wings, the chicken quesadillas and I ordered the vegetable skizzo (the pub's take on a pizza). Everyone was pleased with the food but it was definitely "Pub" food, so it was nothing to call home about. I had changed my mind at the last minute and ordered the veggie skizzo but I had originally wanted to order the Figo Skizzo, and I semi regretted that decision. Although the skizzo was nice, it was nothing special and I think I would've been happier with the fig, pears, arugula, gorgonzola and truffle oil skizzo. Nevertheless, there was a nice assortment of grilled veggies on the skizzo but they definitely need to put cheese on it. Definitely.

Overall, I was overall pleased with my trip to Cantina. I like the atmosphere of the venue, but I definitely think it's more of a place to just drink and not really look to eat. You should probably head upstairs to Darlington House for that. However, I was happy to see a variety of vegetarian items on the pub menu because many times you don't see that. I also appreciated that they offer a variety of different types of food on their menu, so you don't have to go elsewhere looking for food, but they definitely need to cut the prices during happy hour. Cantina is ideal for small and large groups but I would probably opt for Darlington House for a date as its definitely a little more private.

Grade: B

Nooshi

a lot to cover. don’t think i’ll have enough time. lets try though.

starting with best cheap Sushi in the city: Nooshi

Located: Foggy Bottom/Dupont Circle

Through my undergrad days at Gdub, Nooshi was a staple in my diet with their delicious cheap rolls only mere blocks from campus. Moreover, as we became “of age”, we began to enjoy their great half off happy hour for evening dinners.

Unfortunately, now that I have moved off campus at out of the NW bubble, I don’t really make it over to that area too often, let alone Nooshi for dinner. However, for a close friend of BOOF’s birthday, bd, I made the exciting weekday trek for this meal.

I was running a bit late after attending a previous engagement, so by the time I got there, they were already receiving their rolls. The sushi looked delicious and fresh, so I was very excited to put my order in but as the clock was rapidly approaching the 19th hour (7pm and the end of happy hour), I was more concerned with putting in my drink order. I was able to my Mango bellini order in on time, and it was a simple yet tasty drink. On previous trips, I had enjoyed Mojitos and Mai Thais, and I think when I make another trip, I would probably revert back to one of those choices because the Mango bellini was not anything special.

For dinner, I ordered the smoked salmon and cream cheese roll, the bbq eel with cucumber roll and the shrimp tempura roll. All were very tasty but the highlight was definitely the shrimp tempura roll. Although it was a smaller roll (only four pieces), the shrimp was fried perfectly and well cooked. All the seafood was relatively fresh, and as a plus the rolls were made quickly and were cheap. If you are looking for the best sushi in DC, Nooshi is not the place, but if you are looking for a nice place where you can get together for happy hour with a larger group of friends, then Nooshi can definitely be your place. They also offer Sake for another fun option. It can also be a date scene but it is important to remember that, if you are either a current gdub student, alumni or employee, you will inevitably run into someone you know at Nooshi. So, if you are just looking for some cheap sushi eats but still want a good meal, then Nooshi is definitely a suitable option.

Grade: B-

Scion

Thanks to livingsocial.com, I was emailed a sweet deal to Scion Restaurant in Dupont Circle. Always looking for a new cool restaurant to venture to, I decided to take a gander at the menu before making the purchase of a 20$ for 40$ worth of food coupon to Scion. As I began to perouse through the Asian-American fusion menu, I found myself getting increasingly hungry and wanting to leave my desk right then and there and head out for a power lunch at Scion. However, I managed to hold it together but as I continued to check out the menu, I came upon a Gluten-Free dinner menu. Say What? That's right a full Gluten-Free dinner menu. I would have usually overlooked this detail and just thought that it was "pretty cool", but with one of my best friends having a gluten-allergy, I always have my eyes peeled for delicious Gluten-free eats in the city. I immediately emailed her this deal, she purchased it and put it aside for the perfect evening dinner adventure.

That day eventually came. We headed to Scion on a Friday evening and called ahead a couple hours in advance to get a table. They fit us in easily. Scion is located on the same block as other great Dupont eateries such as Pizzeria Paradiso, Le Pain Quotidien, and Tangy Sweet just to name a few.

The decor and ambiance is great. It has a very intimate feel which can sometimes lead to awkward ease dropping on your neighbors conversations. They have a covered patio on the street but we opted to eat "indoors" as it was a little chilly that evening. The color palette is a burnt orange which gives the whole restaurant a very warm feeling to it.

To start off, we ordered the Crab-Spinach-Artichoke Dip with the Brown Rice crackers from the Gluten-Free menu. It was delicious. No one flavor was too overpowering and the dip just melted perfectly in your mouth. For our main entrees, I chose the Pumpkin Goat Cheese Ravioli, which is usually an appetizer but they make it in the entree form. Moraya ordered the Citrus Shrimp and Scallops with Flat Rice Noodles. I also ordered a side of Mac & Cheese.

The main drawback of the night is that it took forever for us to receive our meals. Unfortunately, I am not exaggerating. As attentive and apologetic as the waitstaff was, it was still a shame that it took so long for us to receive our food. We were understanding that they had a large party in the back, nevertheless, they should have been better prepared. The manager did come out and offer us another round of drinks or free dessert on the house, so they did get bonus points for that.

Back to the meal. My pumpkin goat cheese ravioli was a little to much goat cheese and not enough pumpkin. Do not get me wrong, I love goat cheese just as much as the next person but I really did not taste much of the pumpkin flavor coming through which is unfortunate because the ravioli was very fresh and cooked well. The plating also left little to be desired. Mo enjoyed her meal but also had some drawbacks. It was very tasty but she mentioned that she probably could make a similar stirfry meal at home. There was nothing too special about the dish that would entice her to come back. My mac and cheese had more flavor than my ravioli but as a mac & cheese specialist, it was nothing spectacular.

Grade: C+/B-.

Their menu is exhaustive and with some of the flavors that we tasted, I am sure that some of their other menu items are better than the ones we had. Moreover, there are few restaurants in DC with a full Gluten-Free Menu, so that on its own is definitely a reason to check it out. Despite our food taking forever to come out, the entire restaurant staff was very apologetic, pleasant and accommodating. I hear that they are very good for large parties, so you might consider checking it out with a larger group of friends. I would not recommend it for a date because of lack of privacy.