Japanese -> Makoto -> Washington, DC

Came here to celebrate with the wife.

	Tea – Nice hearty and great for a rainy day.
	Conch Clam Soup – This thing really was like a bottomless pit. There just seemed to be endless soup. You can definitely taste the sake in the soup. The clam and the sake combined was a nice match. The clam was supple and not hard.
	Mussels with Vegetables – A slight acidity to the dish from the vinegar and tomatoes. Nice bit of sweetness from the dish as well. Had a bit of viscosity to the dish as well. Mussels were cooked well.
	R -> L Eggplant Chicken – Eggplant with a bit of hoisin sauce with chicken in the middle. A bit on the mushier side Daikon Shrimp – A very simple dish with a simple pickled daikon radish with a perfectly cooked. Kelp Pressed Salmon – A nice salmon with just hints of earthiness from the kelp.
	Sashimi (Tuna and Flounder) – Sashimi with nice cuts of fish. Tuna had a good amount of fattiness to it. The flounder was less pronounced but still well done.
	Soft Shell Crab with Rice Cracker – Loved the rice cracker as the tempura coating. Very innovative and the taste was wonderful as there was an extra bounce in the crispness due to the rice cracker.
	Eel with Kelp and Cucumber – A nice eel with pickled cucumber on the bottom. The saltiness of the seaweed blends nicely with the earthy eel and the acidic cucumber.
	Orange with Miso – A nice mild miso flavor that doesn’t overpower the fish. Fish is cooked well.
	Chilean Sea Bass with Soy Sauce – The Chilean sea bass again had a mild soy flavor. Loved how the fishes are done mildly without them being too overpowering and cooked perfectly. Nice side of flavored daikon to accompany the meal.
	Shabu Shabu with a vinegar and ponzu sauce – The meats and veggies were cooked for you. Two different sauces. One for the meats and one for the seafood. Loved the sauces as they complemented the food perfectly. The meats were a bit overcooked yet it wasn’t too over the top.
	L -> R Yellowtail – Nice cuts of sushi. The yellowtail had such depths of flavor. Just a bit of scallion to accentuate the flavor. Tuna – Same as the tuna sashimi Flounder with Shisho – Same as the flounder sashimi however with the shiso leaf that adds a bit of aroma to the fish.
	Grape Sorbet with Grand Marnier – A simple grape ice with just a bit of Grand Marnier. True to Japanese culture, the dessert was really lackluster. However it really wasn’t that terrible.

Decor: Very austere with white walls and wooden tables. One has to park one’s shoes outside. The staff was alright. I got yelled as as cell phones are highly discouraged. I only took mine out to write notes; however, that was immediately shot down. Nice Japanese stuff over the walls.

Overall Assessment: ($$$$, 6/10) – So the meal was not over the top which we have had with other omakase. This one was simple and something that was something that one could probably have in Japan. This meal while not super fancy was homey and something that evoke great meals in Japan. One of the more reasonable costs for omakase as well.

Website: N/A
Location: 4822 MacArthur Blvd NW, 20007
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: 202.298.6866
Hours: Tue – Sun; 1200 -1400, 1800 – 2200

 

American -> Chilis -> Fairfax, Va

Wanted to do a super cheap dinner date.

	Fire-Grilled Corn Guacamole – The chips were soft and the guacamole was a bit chunky and not creamy. The fire grill corn was so so-. They did throw in a bunch of cayenne pepper to spice this up.
	Chicken Crispers – These were terrible. The chicken was rock hard and the fries were soggy. The actual chicken meat inside was dry and burnt as well.
	Steak Fajita – See Previous Review.

Previous review:
/2008/02/01/american-chilis-fairfax-va/

 

Middle Eastern -> Al Jazeera -> Falls Church, VA

Went out to lunch with co-workers. Note there was no menu that I could grab and the signs denoting what the food was were a bit small, so the names of the stuff below is my own made up version.

Clockwise in from 12 Fried Fish – Not that great, a bit soft and the flavoring was very bland. Chicken – The chicken was juicy and had a mild array of spices. I actually prefer this to the Indian tandoori meats. Yams and Bread – I think this is suppose to be a dessert. The sweetness of the yams turned the bread into this marshmellowy goodness. Rice Pilaf – The rice is nice and soft. Cooked with the lamb so it had some nice lamb juices in it. Tabouli – Nice simple salad with an aromatic smell to it. Potato Salad – Very interesting potato sale as it had a lot of mayo and eggs in it. It was however a nice change of pace from your everyday potato salad. Potatoes – Sliced and cooked in herbs. It wasn’t that great, a bit too soft. Lamb – The crowning jewel of the meal. So they do a whole lamb every Friday and Saturday buffet. Nice large chunks of lamb meat, juicy and chock full of flavor. Greens – Fairly boring. Standard fare with the cooked greens with a slight flavoring to it. Actually a bit overcooked. Meatball – A good piece of meat not too tightly wrapped. Good flavoring to the meat.

Decor: Really simple decor. The buffet is in the center of the room. There is a second floor and that’s reserve for hookah. Staff was fairly friendly. A bit run down in terms of the decor.

Overall Assessment: ($, 8/10) – Definitely a place that I would recommend for lunch. Love the atmosphere, as it has character. Also as it is a buffet, you can in and out pretty quick. One bad thing is the free drinks, they are of the Kool Aid or Crystal Light brand. Reasonably price especially if you factor the lamb at 13 bucks.

Website: www.aljazerava.com
Location: 3813D S George Mason Dr, 22216
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: N/A
Hours: 24-7

 

American -> Cafe Deluxe -> McLean, VA

Went out to lunch with co-workers.

Cheeseburger w/ Applewood Smoked Bacon – Really non-descript burger, the meat wasn’t that memorable. The toppings were eh. The fries were a bit soft as well. The bacon wasn’t crisp enough for me as well.

Decor: The interior has that posh air. Staff was a bit on the stuck up side as well. Supposedly a lot of people go here to be seen, great. Lots of white are dark mocha wood colors

Overall Assessment: ($$, 2/10) – Yeah, if this place wasn’t picked for me for lunch, I wouldn’t be here. Though I guess it has a good vibe for a power lunch deal. Overpriced and the food was a bit disappointing though not terrible.

Website: http://www.cafedeluxe.com/
Location: 1800 International Dr, 22102
Reservation: 703.761.0600
Takeout: N/A
Hours: Mon – Thurs; 1100 – 2230, Fri – Sat; 1100 – 2300, Sun; 1100 – 2200

 

Italian -> Pizzeria Orso -> Falls Church, VA

Came here after church with some friends.

	Blue Ridge Ricotta Gnocchi (mushroom puree, crispy kale, grana padano) – A nice and inviting appetizer. It was the special of the day. The gnocchi was nice and soft and the mushroom puree sauce added a bit of texture and flavoring to the dish.
	Capricciosa (tomato, mozzarella, artichokes, crimini mushrooms, ham, olives, basil) – A nice mixture of flavors and aromas. The saltiness of the ham and olives with the basil aroma.
	Cotto E Funghi (cream, provola, ham, special mushrooms, basil) – A white pizza, wish there was a bit more of the cheese flavoring in the white pizza.
	This was a specialty pizza (basil, ricotta cheese, onions, red peppers, spicy sausage) – Didn’t write the name down. Somehow I was expecting a bit more of a kick to the pizza. he spicy sausage was not really that spicy. Kinda disappointing.
	Crudo (tomato, basil, mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, grana) – This was the wife’s favorite. A simple flavoring and the salt of the prosciutto mixed well with the bitter arugula.

Decor: Very nice large open space. You can also get a good view of the preparation if you a e seated in the right area. Bright glassy red and tons of bears, I guess that is their mascot. Staff was sometimes aloof and non-helpful.

Overall Assessment: ($$, 7/10) – Wife likes this place a lot more than I do. She thinks this place is on par with two Amy’s. I didn’t think so. I definitely thought it was a few steps below Amy’s and Pizza Paradiso. Cost wise I believe it’s a bit higher, which doesn’t make sense as the real estate in VA is not as much as DC. Though there is plenty of free parking.

Website: http://www.pizzeriaorso.com/
Location: 400 South Maple Ave, 22046
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: 703.226.3460
Hours: Sun; 1100 – 2200, Tue – Sat; 1130 – 2200

Sunday: 11:00am – 10:00pm
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Saturday: 11:30am – 10:00pm