Week 18 - Japan - Murasaki Japanese Restaurant

I found this Japanese restaurant while on sales calls one day in the Tenleytown neighborhood of DC. (Dad, this place is across the street from Sonny's old hangout, The Dancing Crab.) A sign on the sidewalk advertising Murasaki's $8.99 lunch special drew me. The special features a teriyaki beef bento box with Miso soup. The beef was very good, tender and tasty. One veggie in the box in the lower right corner is still a mystery to me - some kind of strange brown Japanese seaweed, veggie, I'm not sure... The box also had delicious vegatable tempura, and a single gyoza.

I've learned that the restaurant caters to the nearby Japanese embassy. So not much else say about this one.

Week 17 - Italy - Sal's Caffe Italia

We stopped at this Italian restaurant on the downtown mall in Charlottesville over Memorial Day weekend. Not a great find, but the food was filling and the kids could order their favorite dish, pasta with butter. Like a number of restaurants on the downtown mall, Sal's has outdoor seating along the pedestian walk. The whole family really enjoyed the trip, with Mallory lobbying the whole family to actually pick up and move to Charlottesville. She's a future wahoo for sure.

Bill - VIVE LA FRANCE!

Week 16 - Belgium - Belga Cafe

Situated along Barracks Row on 8th Street SE is Belga Café, a Belgian restaurant lead by Chef Bart Vandaele. Belga offers authentic Belgian dishes to its Capital Hill clientele.

For starters we enjoyed the 4 Kazen Kroketten. These were four cheese croquettes with a strip of bacon and some salad. Very good, but when we asked a server with limited English what type of cheese was used, we ended up with a whole other order we didn’t want. Turns out the cheese was swiss, but not like swiss cheese as we know it. These lightly fried croquettes were creamy and delicious.

Next came Mussels Mariniere for me, a pot of mussels in a white wine, shallot, and garlic broth, along with Belgian fries and Belgian mayonnaise. (Yes, I dipped my fries in mayonnaise – sounds gross, but it was good.) My mussel pot was good, but would have been better as an appetizer. It became kind of repetitive to eat - not much variety in the flavor. The fries were top notch.

I mention the chef because he came to our table while we were dining. He wanted to know how we liked a special we ordered, a new dish that the chef said he was offering for the first time. It was corn bread waffles with pulled pork, topped with two fried eggs and avocado. It was very good, and the chef seemed pleased that were enjoying his new creation.

Another yummy meal under/expanding my belt...

http://belgacafe.com/

Week 15 Mexico - Mexican Radio

Gallows humor had infected our spirits as we thought about dining at Mexican Radio in Hudson, New York. We joked that this meal could be Dad's "Last Supper." Very early the next morning we would be checking him into Albany Med for a valve job and a bypass. So we were counting on this meal being terricfic. Mexican Radio didn't disappoint.

Mom, Dad, and I started our meal with their excellent maragaritas. Next was an order of fried calamari with a green dipping sauce. Not exactly typically Mexican, but we all agreed that the dish was the best example of fried calamari we'd ever tasted. Light, airy, and tender, the morsels of calamari were heaven. See the photo attached of the tiny octupus on the edge of the plate - even whole, the calamari were incredible.

We also tried the Mexican Spring Rolls, an intriguing take on the ubiquitous Asian appetizer. They were made of a savory fresh mix of corn, mushrooms, carrots, poblano peppers and cilantro rolled into rice paper with guacamole, and then served with a raspberry-chipotle peanut sauce. Another inspired dish that was unlike any I've tried.

Dad had enchiladas, Mom a Chili Relleno, and I had the carnitas. Mine was not an inspired selection - perhaps the pressure of the next day got to me. But we all enjoyed the meal, and especially the company.

Desert featured Mexican Radio's award winning flan - again, excellent - close to the best I've tasted. Rated best in the country by Latina Magazine, we had to agree.

Mexican Radio Hudson is the sister restaurant of New York City's Mexican Radio. Columbia County is lucky to have such a terrific eatery find its way to downtown Hudson.

Week 14 - Chile/Julia's Empanadas

So I've fallen behind in the fourth month of my dining quest. The posts are going to be shorter for now - I'll try and write more as we go...

Julia's Empanadas on 18th Street in Adams Morgan. This was my first time at this long time DC establishment popular with kids looking for a late night layer of food on top of pitchers of beer. They serve empanadas in paper wraps which make them easy to walk in and out with. I ate the chorizo and the Chilean I think at their window counter - I didn't take any notes at the time. Both were very good, and would definitely hit the spot after a fun night out.

(It's a stetch to call Julia's a Chilean restaurant... but one of their most popular is the Chilean. They make empanadas from all over Central and South America. Oh well...)

Week 13 - Argentina/Ceviche

Located along Fenton Street in Silver Spring , Ceviche is a cool Latin restaurant that features a menu of South American dishes. I’m going to just pick Argentina for this entry. I had an Argentine steak, so I’m calling this one Argentina…

And so we had a dinner out with our eldest daughter at Ceviche. Cool Cuban Mojitos started the meal. Next was a ceviche sampler featuring four different types. One was Edcuadoran, another Peruvian. The other two didn’t have a nationality, but they were all delicious morsels of marinated fish and shrimp.

Here’s a wikipedia entry for ceviche: Ceviche is a form of citrus-marinated seafoood appetizer, popular in mainly Latin American countries like Peru, Panama, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and Chile. Both finfish and shellfish are used; finfish is typically raw while shellfish is typically cooked.

As a ceviche novice, I didn’t know what to expect. But it was delicious and tangy. Fresh fish or shrimp or calamari marinated in citrus, and then mixed with other fresh ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, peppers, or cilantro. Yum.

For my entrée I had the Churrasco con Chimichurri steak, the name coming from the Argentine Chimichurri sauce that topped the cut of meat. (It was very good, but slightly over cooked – I’ve decided if you want pink steak, just order it rare, not medium rare.) The steak was complimented by golden potatoes and salad.

Ceviche is the first restaurant review I’ve done during dinner. The evening atmosphere and mojitos added just the right elements to make the meal seem more authentic than during the lunch hour.

Week12 - Peru/Granja de Oro

Well it’s getting a little harder to keep up with weekly reviews – time passes!! Week 11 is Peru and Granja de Oro, a non descript Peruvian rotisserie chicken restaurant in Adams Morgan. The restaurant is a casual, fast food type restaurant that caters to the many recent immigrants in Adams Morgan.

I ordered the ¼ chicken with yucca and house salad. The dish is served with little containers of green and white sauce – spicy sauces to add heat to the chicken. The chicken was a breast on the bone with a unique, smoky or grilled flavor - their own unique cooking method. And the spicy sauces add just enough heat to make the meal. I actually picked up the chicken to gnaw some of the skin I couldn’t get off with my knife and fork – next time I’ll get the ½ chicken size. The yucca was fried and tasted close to french fries, and the house salad was a nice cool contrast to the chicken.

I was reminded of the chicken at Nando’s Peri Peri from week 9. Both are flavorful and spicy versions of the same chicken cuts. And maybe this one of those bigger picture observations. People in Peru, or Mozambique, or Adams Morgan enjoy a very similar dish that they call their own. Maybe we're all not so different after all..

Anyway, Granja is the type of restaurant that I want to continue to sample; a restaurant that serves the native populations in DC with food from back home. So I enjoyed the meal, but I need to order some more sides to experience more flavors they offer. I should have gotten a soup or the plantains. Next time…

Week 11 - Korea/Yellow Korean cart

Bulgogi and kimchi from a street corner cart in DC. It’s about time DC can offer more than hot dogs and half smokes for sale on the street. I found a Korean Bulgogi cart on Yelp, a website devoted to reader reviews of restaurants and other services. Located near The Post at 14th and L Street, the small yellow cart is run by a Korean mother and son team, and I was hoping I had found one of those little culinary gems that are so rare. And from the reviews on Yelp, I was sure I had.

Bulgogi is Korean barbecue, marinated sirloin strips grilled over an open fire. The Korean cart also offers spicy or mild chicken cooked in the same way. I tried the mild beef and the spicy chicken served over rice with kimchi on the side. Wow, the kimchi was spicy. I like the spicy food, but man, I couldn’t even eat the kimchi. Hot hot hot. The mild beef was good, and the spicy chicken was just right. But not great. I was expecting something more from all the positive chatter on Yelp. I guess I like a little more sweetness in my Asian foods – I love the Kung Pao chicken you get at hole in wall type “fast food” Chinese restaurants. But to be fair, from a cart on the street the food was good. Big portions and tasty, but I probably wouldn’t try it again.

Week 10 - England/Union Jack's

Union Jack’s pub in Bethesda is known as a hot spot for sports viewing, especially during football season when Sportstalk 980 broadcasts its Redskin post game show from the bar. But the pub also has an authentic English menu featuring such favorites as the Ploughman’s Lunch and Welsh Rarebit. And so I found myself enjoying March madness while sampling Union Jack’s British Invasion menu.

I started the meal with a Bass and the Welsh Rarebit, rye toast and a small pot of spicy cheese for dipping. The cheese is mixed with beer, mustard and spices to give it a hot kick. But they should have given more bread to use for dipping; more than ½ the pot was left uneaten. Next was Bangers ‘n Mash, English sausage served with mashed potatoes. The sausage appeared to be a little charred, but it tasted fine. I also tried the Fish ‘n Chips, the fish a huge piece of cod (or whale shark – see pic) dipped in an English beer batter. Yummy.

So I can’t make any real criticism – how can you beat drinking beer, watching the Tourney (not soccer…), and enjoying good pub food. What else is there?

Week 9 - Mozambique/Portugal - Nando's Peri Peri

Located in the Penn Quarter near the Verizon Center, Nando’s Peri-Peri typifies what my around the world quest is all about. Way back in the day Portuguese settlers in Mozambique loved a small, spicy chili the natives were using called peri-peri. The Portuguese then brought the peri-peri spice to South Africa during a gold rush, and now it can be found right here in our nation’s capital 500 years later. Nando’s has 300 locations in 30 countries around the world. We’re lucky to have the only Nando’s in the U.S.

So I don’t know exactly which country to attribute Nando’s to. Should it be Mozambique, Portugal, or South Africa? I’m going to say Mozambique since that’s where the original peri-peri spice comes from that enlivens the chicken. (and yes, I’m trying to get to 52…)

In any case, the chicken can be ordered in different dishes with varying levels of spice. I like the ½ chicken with the “hot” level. It adds just the right amount of heat to the succulent chicken. Delicious sides such as butternut squash and grilled corn, mashed potatoes, and french fries compliment the chicken. Wine and unusual beer selections can also be had. Served in a semi fast food manner, visiting Nando’s is a fun outing that won’t empty your wallet.

This trip to Nando’s topped off a night of Capitals hockey at the Verizon Center with some other Dads from the ‘hood. Thanks goes to Derek for organizing the night and getting the tickets, and also for recommending Nando’s for the post game meal.

www.nandosperiperi.com

Week 8 - Germany/Cafe Berlin

Washington is in the throes of a massive spending plan thanks to the ‘Bama and the Dems on the Hill. They’re shoveling billions upon billions of tax dollars out the door. Stimulus plan, omnibus spending bill, TARP, TALF, housing rescue, on and on it goes. Perhaps what these “leaders” need is a taste of German efficiency. And maybe if they eat enough sauerbraten and wiener schnitzel they’ll start to solve our countries problems in a meaningful way.

With that in mind I’m heading to Café Berlin on Capitol Hill.

I order Jagerschnitzel, a traditional German dish of tender pork steak topped with spicy bacon and mushroom sauce and then served on top of spatzle, or homemade pasta.

My first impression is that the pork steak is really flat – flattened in fact. My imagination gets the better of me and I think back to days of yore in Bavaria when strong, healthy fraus would swing their tenderizing hammers to flatten (conquer) her cuts of pork. Still, the Jagerschnitzel tastes delicious, the mushroom sauce is rich with flavor, and the spatzle is yummy. I also try Café Berlin’s Sauerbraten. It too is delicious, complimented well by tangy red cabbage.

The dishes are straight forward and filling. No exotic spices or flavors to be found. So it’s not efficiency, but comfort dishes I’ve enjoyed, and in these uncertain days comfort is needed. And I’m sure these dishes will taste the same on the next visit as well.

In the end I’m not sure that anything can help our leaders. But I do know that something needs to fortify the GOP to fight the good fight on Capitol Hill. Maybe the answer is Jagerschnitzel at Café Berlin.

Cafe Berlin

322 Mass Ave NE

www.cafeberlindc.com

Week 7 - Greece/Mourayo

It seems like Rome is burning (the market). Instead of fiddling like Nero, I embarked for Athens. Or a Greek island to be exact. Mourayo is a well reviewed small Greek restaurant on Connecticut Avenue north of Dupont Circle. I dined for lunch during Restaurant Week and enjoyed a prix fix 3 course meal. Mourayo's seaside theme is reflected in the decor and the food. Port holes in the wall, waiters in sailor suits and caps, and a hostess stand made from an upright dory all convey a maritime feel.

I started my meal with Kalamaria stin Shara, grilled calamari steaks served with herb flavored olive oil served in a dish shaped like a narrow little boat. The calamari was meaty and delicious, a welcome change from the typically fried version found in most restaurants. For an entree I choose Ravioli ma Kavouropsiha, ravioli stuffed with lobster and shrimp in a tomato basil sauce with crumbled feta cheese. A few bites into the yummy ravioli and I wonder if I'm really eating a typically Greek dish. I remember the owner of Mourayo also owns La Tomate, an Italian eatery nearby. It seems they've hellenized their seafood ravioli by adding feta. My waiter confirms my suspicion about the ravioli. Oh well.

I finish the meal with a recommendation from the bosun (waiter), yogurt topped with strawberries and a sweet syrupy sauce. It's quite good. And then it's anchors away; time to head back to the office.

Note to myself: remember to pepper the waitstaff with questions before I order.

Week 6 - Thailand/Nava Thai

I didn't intend to go to a Thai restaurant this week. I wanted to save Thai for later in the year for an easy fall back country if I needed it. The Scotish Royal Mile Pub in Wheaton my my choice for the week, but I didn't check the lunch hours. They open at 3 pm on weekdays.

So I found myself in Wheaton near Grandview and Price with a hungry belly. Across the parking lot I saw some new signage on a converted house for Nava Thai. I remember a mention by Sietsema in Food about one of his favorite Thai restauarnts moving to a larger space in Wheaton, and I think Nava Thai is the one. I'm curious to find out what's so special about a really nondescript looking Thai restaurant.

Upon entering the restaurant, it's hard to believe you're in the same building you see from the outside. The interior is really cool with lots of exposed wood work and substanstial tables and chairs. No plastic here. The styling level just doesn't match the exterior, or even this run down section of Wheaton.

I've decided to ask my waitress for more help in picking dishes for my blog meals. She quickly points to a popular choice, #25, Floating Market Noodle Soup, pork with meatballs, bean sprouts, watercress, and noodles in spicy broth. I wait a good 40 minutes for my soup, unusual for Thai restaurants. And when it arrives I'm so hungry I dive in without taking a pic - oops. It really is delicious. The pork is tender and flavorful, and the broth is quite spicy. I can taste why Sietsema really likes this restaurant. Great food in an out of the way location - a Thai diamond in the rough.

Week 5 - Lalibela/Ethiopian

Ethiopian food is entirely new to me. So I looked online and found Lalibela, a restaurant that caters to the Ethiopian community in DC. I’ve passed it many times on my way in and out of the city on 14th Street.

I sit down for lunch and read the menu and I don’t have a clue what to order. I decide a lamb dish should be my choice, and my waitress recommends one with a spicy vegetarian side. My meal comes served on a big platter on top of a flat piece of Injera bread, and the same bread comes on the side. I see other diners taking pieces of the bread and scooping their food with the bread using their hands. The bread is spongy and soaks up the flavors of the food. The lamb and sides are spicy and delicious, but the heat from the spice kind of overwhelms the dish. I feel like I should have ordered a vegetarian dish or platter to taste a greater variety of flavors. At Himalayan Heritage I really liked the vegetarian dishes in the buffet. So I’ll keep that in mind for my next blog meal. And now that I know about Lalibela, I’ll come back and know what to expect.
The menu tells me that Lalibela is one of Ethiopia’s holiest cities and a center for religious pilgrimage. The town has a number of rock hewn Christian churches dating from the 13th century. The churches are monolithic structures literally carved out of the rock. I’m including a photo of one of the churches also featured on a poster in the restaurant.

Week 4 - Cuba/Cubano's

This week’s restaurant is Cubano’s, a Cuban restaurant in Silver Spring. My in laws are Cuban, and over the years I have enjoyed many Cuban meals.

Staying true to Cuban tradition, I go to Cubano’s for lunch when the largest meal of the day is eaten. I started with a mango fruit drink (no more Sprites). The Casals make delicious ham croquettes, so I was eager to try Cubano’s. The Cubano’s version was good, but not as good as the Casals. And that’s how the rest of the meal went. My main course was Boliche Asado Estilo Eloisa, a beef dish with gravy served with black beans, rice, and plantains. The food was pretty good. But my father in law just has a flare for improvising, and his dishes are always seem to have unique flavors. Straight forward Cuban food seemed ordinary. Flan for desert was high point of the meal, one of the best I’ve had.

I also found that the quick pace of service detracted from the experience. A modern restaurant needs to get their lunch time patrons out the door and back to work quickly. Cuban families spend a couple of hours eating and drinking. They take their time and enjoy each others company.

Week 3 - Nepal/Himalayan Heritage

Himalayan Heritage is part of the reason I started this blog. A review in the Sunday Post Magazine a few weeks back made me stop and think, “A Nepalese restaurant serving great food – they received two stars. I’d love to eat there.” So now I have my chance.

I head to Adams Morgan in the bitter cold (for Washington at least), and it seems fitting I’m going to a restaurant from a snow covered country. I arrive for lunch to find a buffet being served. I’d hope to order momo, or dumplings, and another recommended dish, batter-fried cauliflower with a spicy kick called Gobi Manchurian (supposed to be incredible). These dishes are only on the dinner menu. I’m disappointed, but I enjoy the Nepalese buffet of paneer kadi, veg pagoda, curry chicken, chana masala, and tandoori chicken. All the dishes are quite good, but none lived up to the glowing review that first caught my attention. It seems they change their lunch buffet daily, and you’ll find pleasant surprises each time you visit. I’ll have to come back for dinner for the other dishes.

The restaurant seems authentically Nepalese, but how would I really know. Soothing Buddhist chanting is played in the background. My waitress has a centered, peaceful aura about her, and together with the music and surroundings I start to appreciate being in the moment. For a few minutes I forget about work, this blog, and day to day worries. So maybe that’s the lesson. The past and future are not here today. I’ll pretend I’m dining in the mountains of Nepal on a cold winter day.

(the brochure on this table was a for some type of

mountaineering GPS tracking locator system for climbers)

Restaurant: Himalayan Heritage, Adams Morgan, DC

$10.99 lunch buffet

Week 2 - Lebanon/Lebanese Taverna

There's a great little Lebanese cafe in Rockville called Lebanese Taverna. I'm new to the blog and don't want a huge challenge right away. So I order a beef shawarma sandwich. It's not that exotic, but at least it's not my usual dish at Taverna.

I pick up the sandwich to take a bite and it immediately starts to fall apart in my hands. The bread collapses and the beef spills out. The paper wrap get tangled up in the sandwich. It's a mess.

Right away I can't help but think, "This sandwich is a metaphor for the civil war raging in Lebanon." I'm reminded of Muslims and Christians battling in war torn Beirut. Then add the PLO and U.S. Marines. I see it all there in the sandwich. I add the cool yogurt sauce that comes on the side to quell the conflict, and finish the sandwich with a fork and knife.

Restaurant: Lebanese Taverna, Rockville, MD $5.99 Beef Shawarma sandwich

Week 1 - Sweden/Swedish meatballs at Ikea

One word comes to mind after shopping at Ikea. Modular. And I think the meatball is the perfect modular food.

Traditionally served with potatoes, lingonberry jam, and gravy, Ikea offers these delicious little spheres to hungry shoppers for $3.99. A real bargain by any measure.

After a little research I find that the Swedes are a practical, sensible, historically democratic people. The meatball seems to me to embody those ideals.

Restaurant: College Park Ikea $3.99 meatballs, mashed potatoes, gravy, and lingonberries.

Genesis

It's the first Saturday of the New Year. A time to renew and resolve. My family and I are at Ikea doing our best to organize our lives. We sit down to enjoy a delicious meal of Swedish meatballs. I'm looking down at my plate when it hits me. Here I am in the nation's Capital with restaurants from all over the world to choose from.

Why not dine at a different nation's restaurant every week of the year? One week Thai food, another week Italian. Of course those are the easy ones. Can it be done? Are there enough countries' restaurants around DC to even get close to 52 weeks?

And what does a countries food say about their people? What can you learn from different cuisines?

I'm going to explore new restaurants, new dishes, and blog along the way. I've got my iPhone to document the whole thing. I can post the blog on Facebook. Okay, this could be cool.

So the challenge has been made.

Mike