Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide

Himalayan Heritage, web site, 2305 18th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-483-9300 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | MenuPages | AllMenus | Don Rockwell | Yelp | Gayot]

Both Nepalese and Tibetan, I am a big fan of this place. The momos -- dumplings -- are excellent. Anything they do with beans is recommended. The spicy chicken dishes, including the different forms of chicken barbecue, are very tasty and different from what you can get elsewhere in the area. This is quite simply a very good ethnic restaurant with a pleasant environment and it does not cost a fortune either.

Michael’s Noodle House, 10038 Darnestown Road, Rockville, MD, 301-738-0370 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Gazette.net | Washingtonian | SilverChips | Yelp | Gayot]

Imagine a combination of A&J and Hong Kong Palace and you have what is perhaps the best Chinese restaurant in this area right now. The dishes are a mix of Sichuan, Taiwanese, and Manchurian.

It has the best noodles and best dumplings around; the Sichuan wontons are a must. Shredded tofu is great. Singapore Noodle is surprisingly good and quite subtle. Pork with spicy noodles, in various incarnations, is excellent. I’ve yet to try the soups but they looks very good. Go mostly with the smaller dishes.

The décor is slightly nicer than at most Mom and Pops, the owners are Taiwanese, not so much English is spoken by the staff, and it draws an older Chinese crowd, less raucous than many other excellent Chinese places. Highly recommended.

Lahori Kabob, 2816 Graham Rd., Falls Church, VA, 703-573-0112 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | Yelp]

This Pakistani place doubles as a hookah joint. The one time I went the service was very weak and the atmosphere was unappealing, to say the least. It looked like a dump (in fact it was a dump) without having the charm of a good mom n’ pop. That said, the chicken karahi was excellent – very authentic – and the other dishes I sampled were at least good or maybe better than good. I’ll give it a qualified recommendation for the discerning, and in the meantime I’ll predict they either get their act together or it will collapse completely. I’d like them to succeed, but they’re not on a sustainable path.

Sadly, I've never been to Iran, though I would love to go. Here are a few tips for the Iranian food I've had elsewhere:

1. A good koresh (stew) almost always beats a good kabob. Ghormeh sabzi and bademjan are national treasures.

2. The choice of rice is a central decision. Get zereshk polo -- barberry rice -- as much as you can. Or get cherry rice, rice with pistachio, etc. All those choices are winners.

3. Lamb shank can end up being dull in a Persian restaurant. If served with dill the dish is often too dry.

4. Fesanjan, fesanjan, fesanjan. In Iceland I once ate fesenjan guillemot. The fesenjan in a can that you find in Persian groceries is actually pretty good.

5. Don't be afraid to smear mast-o-moseer (or musir; the spellings and transliterations vary, as with many of these dishes) into your rice. Always order mast-o-moseer.

6. Soups are excellent, especially if they are fragrant and have noodle-like entities. Soups without barley are usually better than soups with barley.

7. In this country Westwood, Los Angeles has the best Iranian food overall. Check out Westwood Ave. and also Pico.

8. If you are in a country where you do not expect to see Persian food, and you see Persian food, it is usually very good. As a partial exception to a rule of good eating, a single Persian restaurant can be very good even if there are not other Persian restaurants around.

Originally posted on Marginal Revolution

Also see Persian category.

Bourbon Steak, Four Seasons Hotel, web site, 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-944-2026 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | Don Rockwell | Yelp | Gayot]

I have to say I was very impressed. It sounds boring by most accounts but the steak, lobster, and tuna tartare are all first-rate. Expensive, but at least you are getting something for your money. Don’t expect innovative or original cooking, but right now this is one of the best places in town.

Chinese-Korean Restaurant (Han Kook Kyola? Jang Won Ban Jum?), 4210 John Marr Dr., Annandale, VA, 703-354-1950 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [metromix | All Taste Same | Chowhound | Yelp]

Chinese food, Korean style, plus Korean food, Korean style. In other words, a Korean restaurant with fried sweet and sour and weird noodle dishes. The standard dish here is the dark noodles in the gloopy sauce, you know the serving which looks disgusting and, to some people, is disgusting. This place is very popular with Koreans, recommended, but note that it is not worth going here for the standard Korean options, which are better elsewhere.

Kebericho Deli Market, 3811-c South George Mason Drive, Falls Church, VA, 703-578-6464 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)

It’s hard to keep track of all the burgeoning Ethiopian places in this mini-mall, but since they are all excellent maybe you don’t need to. This place, which is next to the fabled Abay Market, serves six or so meat-based dishes, no real vegetables. Don’t expect Shiro here. The meats are above average and the atmosphere is excellent.

The time I went it had the single most beautiful waitress of any restaurant on this list, so you tell me whether or not it is worth going. I say yes.

Joshua Johnson, a loyal MR (and TCEDG) reader, asks:

If you are going to a new ethnic restaurant, what staple items do you order that for you, let you know if the restaurant is worth coming back to and trying more of their offerings? It would be nice if you could make some sort of list for Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Turkish, etc.

Here goes:

Japanese: One bite of the tempura tells all.

Chinese: Ma Po Tofu, or for some kinds of Chinese places Hainan Chicken with Rice.

Thai: Almost any dish shows the true colors of a Thai restaurant immediately.

Turkish: Doner Kebab, taking special care to ponder the tanginess of the yogurt and how it interacts with the meat.

Vietnamese: Anything with lemon grass, which is hard to use well.

Ethiopian: Kitfo or barring that lamb tibs.

Peruvian: Lomo saltado, taking special care to check for the right amount of cilantro in the sauce and the correct sogginess of the french fries.

Bolivian: Silpancho, and check the liquidity and consistency of the egg on top.

Afghan: Kadu (pumpkin) and is it too sweet?

Korean: Seafood pancake and in general the quality of their kimchees.

Indian: Most dishes will do (see "Thai"), although avoid the Butter Chicken as a metric of quality. Lamb with spinach is my do-or-die default judgment dish for an Indian restaurant, if only because you get to taste both the lamb (less likely to be tender than the chicken) and the spinach..

Restaurant, general: How's their chili crab? If it's not outstanding, or not on the menu, press eject immediately and get yourself to a different country.

Can you think of others? (see comments on MR)

Originally posted on Marginal Revolution.

Pike Grill, 3902 Wilson Boulevard, right by Gold’s Gym, Arlington, VA, 703-243-0279 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]

Above-average Bolivian, one of the best silpanchos around with a properly moist egg. Recommended, a fun place.

La’Jawab, 5151 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA (just east of George Mason Drive, west of Glebe), 703-532-4104 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [MenuPages | Don Rockwell | Yelp]

Could this be the best Pakistani place around right now? The haleem is excellent and the wok dishes are very good too. Vegetables taste fresh. Recommended. If it takes them a little long to serve you, it is because they do everything the right way from scratch.

West End Bistro, web site (Flash), 1190 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC, in the Ritz-Carlton, 202-974-4900 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | MenuPages | Don Rockwell | Yelp | Gayot]

I went once and had very good ham and very good cod, right after the new sous chef arrived. The other dishes I saw didn’t impress me so much. It was very noisy and not cheap. I would go back, but at this point I am reluctant to recommend it.

Aditi Bistro, web site, 405 Maple Avenue East, Vienna, VA, 703-938-0100 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | Yelp]

Run by the Aditi people, it has lots of wraps. Imagine trying to do Chipotle with Indian food. It’s OK, good enough if you’re in the area, but not up to the best Indian places around.

It is Little Seoul, mostly in Annandale, spilling over into West Alexandria. The number of innovative Korean restaurants continues to increase and they are usually crowded. I love the new place devoted to the many forms of Korean porridge. Seoul Gool Dae Gee Honey Pig on Columbia Pike has the best decor (and the pork neck) around. TodamSoonDooBoo (also known as Tofu House, next to the Giant, straddling 236 and Columbia Pike) has dumpling soup and tofu. The two branches of Shilla Bakery and Le Matin de Paris give Virginia a cafe scene. Much of my eating out is now Korean or in the new Vietnamese places in the Western Saigon interior branch of the Eden Center; either that or Ray's Hell-Burger, Hong Kong Palace, Thai X-ing, or the now-reopened Nava Thai, right next door to the shuttered old branch.

Annandale used to be a nice appendage to the peak places to eat. Now it's the epicenter, the main culinary show, and also the coolest place to hang out.

Addendum: Here is a good article, which mentions Korean food as the next trend to come. Let's hope not.

Originally posted on Marginal Revolution

Kabob Corner, 10893 Main Street, Fairfax, VA, 703-219-2078 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]

An intriguing little mom n’ pop Afghan restaurant. Not the very best kabobs but they have pumpkin, aushak, etc. I like going there.

Seoul Gool Dae Gee (Honey Pig Restaurant), web site, 7220 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA, 703-256-5133 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | MenuPages | Don Rockwell | Yelp]

An A+ for the metallic décor and the Korean pop culture strewn all over the walls. Visually speaking, this might be my favorite place on the list. It’s also one of the two or three best places for Korean food. Get the pork neck barbecue. Ask them for their house specialty, a barbecue dish cooked with meat, vegetables, and octopus on top of your table. Very yummy. Good seafood pancake here as well.

Texas de Brazil Churrascaria, web site, 11750 Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA, 703-352-4111 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | Yelp]

How bad can a churrascaría be? This place is fun but I found the meats a bit salty for my taste. So not the best churrascaria around but maybe worth a visit if this is your area. This is a chain.

Indian City Grill, web site, 9984 Main Street Center, Fairfax, VA, 703-385-4800 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]

Opened in January 2009, from the folks who brought you Connaught’s. It still tastes like Connaught’s, though the new version is less upscale. It still tastes good, but a lot has happened since now and then and this place is no longer the market leader it once was.

Hai Duong Restaurant, 6795 Wilson Blvd., #7-9, Falls Church, VA, Eden Center, 703-538-5289 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Yelp]

Again, on the inside corridor in Eden Center near Wilson Boulevard. This place is just first-rate. My favorite dish is the #31, Sizzling Fish Filet in Northern Style; you need to put all the pieces together on top of the chip for it to make sense. #10, Beef Underdone with Lime, is the best around and you should order this special dish if you don’t already know it. The soups are very good as are the crushed rice dishes. Excellent atmosphere: Go, go, go.

Ben, a loyal Marginal Revolution reader, asks:

What is the preferable type of food to eat when it is produced en masse? I.e., for what type of food does the quality not diminish significantly when it's produced for a buffet? How much worse is Panda Express from "real" Chinese food vs. Fast Food Mexican from "real" Mexican?

Indian food, produced en masse, sits relatively well, especially the non-meat dishes and the ground meats. It can sit and stew for a long time. Chinese food, which usually should be cooked at high heat and served immediately, wares about the worst. Barbecue can do fine, if it is cooked properly to begin with (not usually the case, however). At Chipotle the carnitas are pretty good and they are cooked sous vide at a distance and then reheated in the restaurant. But the top prize goes to Korean vegetable dishes, many of which are fermented and pickled in the first place. Natasha and I catered our wedding party with Korean vegetables (and a bit more, including some cold meats) with no loss of culinary value.

Originally posted on Marginal Revolution.

Komi, web site, 1509 17th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-332-9200 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | MenuPages | food-plan | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

A mix of fine dining and Greek-American. The best place in DC right now, by far. $90 for a two and a half hour extravaganza. And yes it is much improved over the previous incarnation, in case you had tried that and found it wanting. Along with CityZen, this is right now DC’s only truly excellent restaurant. I feel I could bring anyone here and impress them.

Korean Traditional Cake and Porridge Restaurant, also called Dduk Sarang (or Dduck Sa Rang), 4231 Markham Street, Annandale, VA, near Shiney’s, 703-916-0006 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [MenuSarang.com | GeekSqueak]

Currently the most innovative restaurant in Koreatown. Mostly they serve porridge, porridge, and porridge. You never knew Korean porridge could be so good and so comforting. My favorite is the tuna and vegetables porridge but they are very good across the board. Very good dumplings. The beef soup, as portrayed in their photo, is the best around. Very charming décor. Definitely recommended.

Blue Duck Tavern (in the Park Hyatt), web site, 1201 24th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-419-6755 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | MenuPages | insiderpages | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

By far the nicest eating space in the whole DC area, truly beautiful. It looks too immaculate to serve food in. Most of the food, however, is mediocre. I thought the Bratwurst was quite good and I had a very good appetizer, was it the herring? The visuals save this place and with wisdom you can have an OK meal too.

Banh Cuon Saigon, web site, 6795 Wilson Blvd., #54, Falls Church, VA, 703-534-4482, open 9 am to 8 pm, Eden Center (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | Yelp]

This small eatery is inside what has rapidly become the best corridor of Eden Center, namely the new inside corridor that is quite close to Wilson Blvd. itself. The shrimp soup, given as one of the specialties, is first-rate here.

Han Gang Korean Cuisine, web site, 7243 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA, 703-256-7077 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]

This place offers a “fine dining experience” in addition to serving Korean food. It costs more than the others, and has nice décor and service, though it is still affordable compared to a typical non-Korean place. For beef dishes it is a clear first choice for all the Korean restaurants in this area. Get the $60 combination of meats; it is an order of magnitude better than any other Korean meat dish you can get around here. Truly yummy. Go even if you think you are tired of all the other beef dishes at the other Korean places. They also have the best local Jae Chap. I would say it is important to go here with a large or mid-sized group and get a spread. Their sauces are also the best around.

Shanghai Tea House, 2400 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-338-3816, open every day (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | MenuPages | Yelp | Chow Hound]

Sietsma likes this place but it is only OK. It does have better dumplings than anywhere else I know in DC but in Annandale it would not make the top ten. I quite liked the tofu and cabbage dishes, yummy. Cramped quarters. I can easily imagine worse places to eat, but if this is what you look forward to for your Chinese food, I feel sorry for you.

Cafe Metro: Asian Fusion and Wine Bar, 6795 Wilson Blvd., Eden Center, Falls Church, VA, 703-942-8969, in the mall it is very close to Wilson Boulevard, west end of the Eden Center mall, by the smaller entrance from the main road near Viet Bistro, the sign for the restaurant is hard to spot. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper]

I had one meal here and I was blown away. The lemon grass tofu and the tamarind soft shell crab (be sure to dip it in the pepper sauce) were among the best dishes I’ve had in Eden Center, ever. The noodles and dumplings were above average, though I would not say spectacular. It is mostly Vietnamese with some Thai influence and a few Korean dishes on the menu. It tries to be a “nice” restaurant in a weird way and the music is too loud. Right now nobody else is going. Their menu is going to expand soon and I predict further evolution for this place.

Ray’s Hell-Burger, 1713 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-841-0001, open for lunch only on weekends, I believe 5 p.m. dinner on weekdays. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | menuism | Don Rockwell | Yelp]

All they have is hamburgers and they don’t even have a side of French fries (you can get corn on the cob or potato chip or potato salad). It’s the best hamburger around by an order of magnitude. Yes, it is worth paying a $4 or $5 supplement for the specialty cheeses on the cheeseburger. I like the Amish cheddar but consider the Epoisses as well. The quality of the burger and the cheese here really just stunned me. By 12:15 on a Saturday the place is already chaos but somehow it seems to work. Order your burger at the counter and then be prepared to stand at a table (of sorts) and eat it. Not a place to sit and chat but who needs social pleasantries when the burger is so good? The ice cream is first-rate as well.

Update February, 2009: Ray’s Hell-Burger is still at 1713 Wilson, but Ray's the Steaks has moved a few blocks west to 2300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-841-7297. They take reservations at the new location.

Caribbean Sea Seafood Restaurant, 6869 New Hampshire Avenue, Takoma Park, MD, 301-891-3497, closed Mondays. It is hard to see from New Hampshire but it is there, if you are coming from Univ. Blvd. it is on the left just a bit past East-West Highway, tucked away in a strip mall, removed from the street. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Yelp]

Lots of lobster, lots of conch, lots of shrimp and fish. This is neither a subtle restaurant nor a restaurant with many different tastes and flavors. But their best flavors are very good indeed. Their devil sauce is one of the best spicy sauces around. It’s not just hot it has real oomph in the soul. Good rice too. This is a very specialized restaurant but also a very good restaurant. High marks for atmosphere too, although note that the lobster is not cheap.

I love Thai X-ing (DC), Meaza (Baileys Crossroad), Nava Thai (Wheaton), Hong Kong Palace (Falls Church), China Star (Fairfax), Bombay Indian (Silver Spring) and Angeethi (Herndon), plus just about everything Vietnamese in Eden Center (Falls Church). The 9th Street Ethiopian row is very good as well, and also Zenebech, up on Florida/U/5th or so. Those places are very good and I can eat at them more or less without limit. There aren't many places around as good as those.

Here is much more:
"Chewing the Fat: Tyler Cowen and his Ethnic Dining Guide," by Alicia Mazzara, DCist, October 8, 2008

Teddy’s Roti Shop, web site, 7304 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-882-6488. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | MenuPages | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp]

Any of the rotis with goat are superb, make sure they put some of the spicy sauce in it (you have to ask). Get the buss-up-shut. The pumpkin is first-rate. The soups are very good. The “shark and bake” is a Trinidadian classic and it is pretty good here. The “Boiled Provisions” [sic] are only so-so. Ask about the fruit juices. This part of town used to be run down but now it is quite nice. This place is definitely recommended. For authenticity it gets an A+. And if you like a proprietor who is chatty and will tell you what to do, make that A++.