Restaurant Review: Bombay

One question I like to ask to folks from India is to tell me the difference between biryani and pullao. These are two common rice dishes in India. Typically, biryani has meat and is a more substantive dish, while pullao is vegetarian, and somewhat lighter.

Some places are known for their biryani. Hyderabad, a city in Andhra Pradesh, in the mid-south of India, is known for its biryani.

I've been working my way through restaurants in this year's Cheap Eats, which is the Washingtonian's special issue on the best "cheap" restaurants. To be fair, these are hardly cheap restaurants. Prices at restaurants, in the US, typically don't vary by orders of magnitude.

You might get a Happy Meal for several dollars, but to get food that's better than McDonald's typically requires you to spend about 7-8 dollars a person, on the main dish. Thus, Cheap Eats focuses on places where the main entree is about twenty dollars or less. Twenty dollars is quite expensive, for most tastes, and really, most restaurants charge 7-14 dollars.

Again, this is simply the entree.

Bombay is a restaurant in White Oak, which is on New Hampshire Avenue. White Oak a strip mall, and not exactly a trendy place. Even so, it appears to have a mix of restaurants, to accompany a Giant food store, and a Sears, a place I used to drop by to make my Discover card payments, back before you could handle it on the Web.

Bombay doesn't look like much on the inside nor the outside. When I went in, the clientele was mostly white. Several people dropped by for take-outs. It just seemed just one step above the Chinese restaurants who, while having places to sit down, do primarily take-out business.

Nevertheless, Cheap Eats liked the place, and makes their picks not always on the decor, but on the food itself (though I'm sure decor doesn't hurt). They suggested biryani, and having had it before, I thought I'd give it a try.

The prices were a bit steep for a restaurant in a run-down strip mall. Dishes were in the low teens, though this is not uncommon for an Indian place. Soups were around three dollars, as were the breads. Lassis and beers around four dollars. I've become more wary of places serving beer at four dollars and more, though it's terribly common.

The rule of thumb for many restaurants appears to be: beers at 3.50 to 4.50 unless you get a large size, wines at 5-6 dollars. Mixed drinks, if there are any, at 7 dollars or more. It's not that any of these drinks should be that expensive. Indeed, there's no particular reason mixed drinks should be that pricey. The alcohol should be cheap because it's used in small quantities. The rest of it is paying for a supply of juices, ginger ale, limes, etc. I suppose you're buying labor and knowledge with mixed drinks.

I decided not to get the alcohol, as that's practically like ordering another small meal or appetizer.

The biryani came out in a karahi, the Indian equivalent of a wok, except, unlike a wok, it tends to be made of copper, and it has rings for handles on the outside, and it's smaller than a wok. Quite frankly, after having some Indian meals where the quantity is somewhat small (though deceptively so, because often after you eat it, you're quite full), the biryani was huge, which offset the fact that it cost about 14 dollars. Indeed, you could eat for two with biryani.

It was a bit wetter than I expected. Perhaps that's because the biryani I've had lately have been at buffets where there's a heat lamp drying stuff out. But, even compared to the biryani I had at a hotel in India, it was wet. Even so, it was pretty tasty, and had lots of chicken.

I had also ordered naan. That was OK, nothing special. It came out a bit after biryani. I suppose ordering naan and biryani together isn't so common, as naan seems like something you use to sop up curries, and biryanis hold up well on their own. But something about ordering naans at Indian restaurants compelled me to get some.

My feeling is that I'd come here to pick up biryani to go in the future, and it would be enough food for two meals.

So my opinion? The chicken biryani was pretty tasty, if a bit wet, and priced a bit high (alas, somewhat typical though). There was plenty of biryani, however, which compensated for the price.

Review: Domku

When you go to certain parts of DC, you start to see a greater prevalence of metal fences, for lack of a better word, that people use to block windows and doors from vandals that might break in. Such neighborhoods see more than their share of crime.

Domku is situated in such a neighborhood, but at least, it's not the kind of warzone that some cities (East St. Louis, I'm told) have become. The buildings seem bright. Domku is located in neighborhoods with churches, Carribean food, an Ethiopian place. Indeed, it appears wedged between a liquor store on one side, and some religious building on another. Just beside that is someone's residence.

It seems rather out of place in this neighborhood. From its modern font design, to its coffeehouse-like interiors, with branches decorating the walls, conveying almost a shrine of nature worship. You see a strange melange of architectural ideas. Chandeliers with several bulbs out. Long couches that seem second or third hand.

It reminds me of College Perk, but with a bit more space, a bit more class.

The place serves Scandinavian/East European food. Since I was there around lunch time, and since they have brunch on the weekends, and since I like breakfast food, I had two of their offerings. One was a thin pancake, with onions and some kind of sausage. The other was a dish made with grits, cheese, and an egg--some kind of a bake.

What I liked about Domku is the portions aren't too large. I had the equivalent of two dishes, and still, I wasn't that full. I wasn't stuffed, which I'm starting to believe is the key to eating. I also had a Pom Fizz, which is pomegranate juice, champagne and something else. Not too bad. A variation on the mimosa. (Friday, I had a Chambord margarita. I discovered that, from my mimosa making adventure, that Chambord is a make of raspberry liquer, so at least I knew what a "Chambord" magarita was).

I've read that Domku is owned by an Asian American, its cook, African American, and its food, Scandinavian. I believe I saw the owner, a woman wearing pig tails, with mostly unaccented English. The patrons seemed sparse. The prices are a touch high, so I wonder if this artsy restaurant might not exactly be "right" for its neighborhood, though I'm sure the prices of renting are far cheaper. I had overheard someone who had wanted to give the place a try for a while, and arrived there.

The patrons, what few were there, was a good mix. One group was African American. One group appeared to be Latino. The other one was white.

As I entered, a little girl, sitting at the bar asked one of the waiters if they knew who I was (clearly not, since I had never been there before, though with low probability, I could have known them in some other context). The waiter, who found the question amusing (surely, he knows almost none of his guests) said she was right, he did not know who I was.

It's worth giving this place a try. It's a bit different, and I didn't try the gravlax, which is cured salmon, often used in appetizers, but presumably worth trying at a Scandinavian place. They also had Swedish meatballs. I also didn't try that.

The waiters seemed nice enough. I learned that it's really wDomku which means "a little house" in some language, the "w" being pronounced something like an "f". They had been open a little over two years.

It's pleasant place to try out, even if it's a touch of a hike to get to.

Mmm...Typhoon

I've always been somewhat ambivalent about Thai food. I've generally found their Tom Yum (I believe this is their lemongrass soup) a bit too sour and not hot enough. The dishes are decent, but not great. Even Pad Thai, the national dish is all right. I'll eat Thai food, enjoy it, but generally not be wow'ed by it like I am with Indian or even Korean from time to time.

That changed yesterday. I was visiting Chadd who lives in the Portland area and teaches at a university nearby. Laura, who also graduated from Maryland with a Ph.D., also came out to this area some years before. She now lives in Portland and recommended a Thai place. We tried a place called Typhoon.

Let me say that it was fantastic. I started off with a lemongrass clam chowder, which is a bit of a fusion thing, and that was quite a good combination of the ordinary (clam chowder) with a twist of really different (the lemongrass).

Then, we ordered three dishes, none of which are really typical Thai dishes. One was called Death by Asparagus which was spicy chicken with asparagus. They claim it took top prize in some asparagus competition. I can't really begin to fathom who the competitors were, and who thought this contest was worth setting up. And, of the three dishes, it was the weakest, but still pretty good.

Then, we had something called Curry Roma which sounds like a fusion thing too, some combination of Italy and Thailand. Indeed, it was basically a ravioli like wrapper with shrimp and stuff inside, with a light green curry on top. Wonderful!

Finally, we wanted to get a noodle dish and opted for the King's Noodle dish. Though not spicy, it had a fantastic flavor. Now, I don't know how authentic any of it is, but even if it's not, I certainly liked everything a lot. Indeed, the appetizers were kinda the weak point and they were tasty too.

Thank goodness they decided not to go for the more punny Thaiphoon which is something other Thai restaurants have done.

On top of that, I had Mirror Pond beer, a local Portland (or Oregon) brew. I am told Portlanders like their beer and wine. It was decently good, as beer goes.

So next time you are in Portland, give it a taste. You won't regret it!

Myongdong

For a while, I didn't particularly care for Korean cuisine. I thought it had a hot, but not particularly flavorful taste. Or I had a bowl of dumplings that were a little greasy, but nothing particularly special.

After a while, though, I began to warm up to Korean food. Each Asian cuisine has its own taste. Chinese is the best known and ranges from flavorful spicy to non-spicy. Japanese is blander, but focuses more on visual appearance and texture, thus sushi. They have some lightly fried stuff like tempura. There is an emphasis on seafood. Thai cuisine can be fairly spicy, and is something of a cross between Indian and Chinese, as is Burmese cooking.

Korean cooking is spicier than most Asian cuisine, probably somewhere in the league of Thai cooking. What I love about Korean cooking is not bulgogi, the marinated beef--Koreans prefer beef over all other meats, but Korean stews, and right now, above all, I like sundubu jigae.

This dish looks fiery red, mostly, I'm sure due to gochujang, the equivalent of Japanese miso (fermented soy beans) hopped up on chilies. Despite its intense red color, the taste is more bark, than bite. While it is spicy, it's not painfully spicy. Hot enough to make you sweat some, but still tasty enough that it isn't an exercise in pain.

The stew consists of soft tofu, so delicate that it falls apart when you grasp it. Koreans prefer to use a very long spoon for their stews, plus chopsticks. The stews almost always come with a metal bowl filled with sticky rice. This is almost always preceded by the usual assortment of Korean appetizers, the most notable being kimchee, which is fermented cabbage.

I had had sundubu in a variety of places, including Seattle, on the "Ave". They don't serve it at Sam Woo in Rockville, though I've ordered it there, and it is a pale imitation of really good sundubu. I've had it Yijo, which is a Korean restaurant in a Day's Inn very close to where I live. However, I decided to give Myongdong a try.

While this Korean restaurant has been nearby to where I live for a few years, I had never known it was around. Apparently, in its old location, there was a problem with parking. It was very close to the road. Then, they tore the small shopping complex down, and Myongdong went away for a year. Then, a new complex was built nearby, with the shops further recessed back from the road, near a CVS, so that there was reasonable parking, and Myongdong opened its doors again after a hiatus.

The place is brightly lit, from flourescent lights. Like many Korean places, the restaurant opens late--til 11 PM (other places open well past midnight).

I have to say, in this area, it's the best sundubu I've had. That's due, I suspect, to the assortment of seafood in it, from squid, to clams, to a mussel, each lending its flavor to the reddish gochujang beef broth at its centerpiece. When presented, it was boiling furiously in a metal pot.

Much like Indian restaurants, Koreans favor metal as serving instruments, from metal bowls for their stews, to thin metal bowls of rice.

Myongdong appears to have a wide assortment of other stews, so I'm eager to give them a try sometime in the future.

For some reason, they were playing music of the 80s and 70s. I was listening to some Phil Collins tune that was popular in the 80s, and it made me reminisce about college. It's a weird thought to have, at a restaurant I had never been to, eating among the best sundubu I've ever had.

Urban BBQ

I ate at Urban BBQ with Dave today. I decided to get a half-slab of ribs plus two sides and beer. This cost a lot, though pretty much anything at Urban BBQ costs a bit. By that, I mean it's pretty easy to spend ten dollars, and I spent nearly twice that.

First, the good stuff. The gravy on their mashed potatoes and gravy is fantastic. Best ever, I'd say. Their collard greens was fine, rather leafy. Yes, I like eating southern veggies and collard greens qualifies.

The ribs? I dunno, a bit messy to eat, and could have been better. I can't say I'm a true rib connoisseur, but I do like getting it when I can. It just helps to find the actual ribs.

I've decided I really can't stand Yeungling draft. It always tastes a bit skunky to me. I think it's bland American beer next time, either Miller or Bud.

Sometimes I think I should just do sides. They aren't too expensive, and they're pretty tasty. I feel bad not getting something bbq'ed though, so I may not be able to commit to that.

Even though Urban BBQ is a tighter fit than Urban Burger, I like the variety and ambience better, and I also like its location better too.

Dog Days

Sounding more like a Linux distro than a restaurant and decorated more like a furniture store, Red Dog Cafe, in Silver Spring sure looks like a bunch of similar restaurants of its ilk. I asked Dave about it, and he said "meh". It was OK.

This was restaurant week in Silver Spring. That usually means restaurants have a bargain for people who want to eat. But as the Washingtonian Online points out, a 12 dollar lunch or a 30 dollar dinner is not nearly the bargain in Silver Spring as it would be elsewhere. Indeed, the restaurants may make more money with restaurant week.

Red Dog reminds me a bit of Cosi. The cooks cook in front of you (well, not quite in front, more like a pizzeria). Such restaurants seem to imitate other "cool" restaurants, from the way they stack their liquor and condiments in an attempt to show how fresh they are, to the meaningless mini-woks hanging as a kind of cooking equipment as decoration.

I arrived at 11:30 figuring that's when lunch started, at least, that was the impression I got from their webpage. Not true. Turns out it's at noon, so I had to sit about half an hour (probably less). Fortunately, they also serve breakfast, so the restaurant was open.

I ordered coffee, then a frothy orange (they make freshly squeezed fruit and veggie juices--a bit pricey, but to be expected) which is made from orange juice and apple juice. It was maybe 8 ounces. I added some creatine. This has some popularity for weight loss and such.

The special for restaurant week was a turkey sandwich in a pita bread. It was more like chicken salad, with large chunks of turkey in some mayo and a touch of curry sauce. It was meh. The place looked nice and it's the kind of food you might see being made on Food Network, that is, a bit nice to look at, but does it taste good.

Due to my newly acquired braces, I ate the sandwich (more like a huge soft taco) using a fork, as biting into bread was something a bit too much for me.

I sat by an Indian family, husband, wife, two kids (daughter and son). As with many Indian families, they've adopted some American ways, in particular, the wife, who was wearing a sweatjacket and pants, rather than something more traditional. Some of that clothing makes more sense in the US where it gets chilly.

Dunno if I'll head there again anytime soon, but it was right next to the place I bought my bike. Indeed, as I went to their, I said, hey, isn't that where I bought my bike (the bike I've never ridden, btw)? Yes, it is. I took a peek inside, but there wasn't anything I really wanted to get. I noticed some Hincapie jackets. I presume Lance Armstrong's teammate, George Hincapie now has a clothing line?

Anyway, I chose not to eat all of the turkey pita sandwich, not so much because I didn't care for it (it was OK), but because there was just too much of it. It's so hard, at a restaurant, to tell yourself, don't eat everything. The money you pay is not for the food, it's for everything else (service, ambience, etc). Especially since I've been losing weight due to braces forcing me to eat soft foods, etc.

I'll write more on that later.