NICK
Lei’d Hawaiian Poke @ Tysons Corner, VA – 10/20/17
#ThePlace
Where: Lei’d Hawaiian Poke
When: 10/20/17
Who Picked: Nick
This week we went to a newer establishment in the Tyson’s Corner area, which is a fast casual take on one of the newest food crazes, Poke. Lei’d has enough seating for ~40-50 people and it was packed when we went at noon, with the line snaking around the seating area.
#TheFood
Nick went with a large bowl with nacho chips and green tea soba noodles. The large bowl gives 3 scoop of protein and Nick selected 2 of the Get Lei’d tuna and 1 of the sriracha aioli tuna. There were plenty of choices of toppings and Nick got the pineapple, jalapeño, masago, ginger, and wasabi tempura crunch. Everything went together nicely and the chips were an interesting pairing for the poke. The difference in flavor of the two sauces was just subtle enough to notice.
Eric went with the regular bowl with half rice and half chips with two scoops of Tuna. Eric got the Classic Shoyu Tuna and the Wasabi Cilantro Aioli Tuna. There were a ton of choices to put on top, Eric had no clue what most of them were. He ended up getting some ginger, cucmber, masago, sesame seeds, and crunchy bits. The flavors on the tuna were subtle and not overpowering. The chips were good but a little more delicate than a typical nacho, more like a fried wanton wrapper. Overall it was a good value from some quality Tuna Poke.
#NoRegrets
#Decor
The decor was appropriate for a Hawaiian themed restaurant. The area for the line was not large enough though, it ended up wrapping around the restaurant at the peak of the rush. This restaurant seemed like it could use a larger space assuming the popularity remains high.
#TotalBill
The bill was ~$15 for the large bowl and the regular bowl was ~$12. The restaurant accepts credit cards.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
Pasa Thai Restaurant @ McLean, VA – 10/6/17
#ThePlace
Where: Pasa Thai Restaurant
When: 10/6/17
Who Picked: Eric
This week we chose a place in Mclean which was closer to Eric’s new work location. The waitstaff here were all very friendly, we had at least 2 different people wait on us. One of the waiters even complimented Nick on his fire TV-static sneakers. We decided to get the spring roll appetizer which did not disappoint. These had a good crunch and very subtle flavors. The dipping sauce was very mild.
#TheFood
Nick went with the chicken Pasa Thai Green Curry and asked for them to spice it up a bit. The curry had a nice flavor to it and it was nice to get something other than the drunken noodles at a Thai restaurant. It wasn’t too spicy, but was a nice amount if you aren’t a fan of spicy foods. Nick would have liked a bit more spice, but overall it was a nice change of pace.
Eric went with Pad See Ew. This is the dish his wife always gets and he is always jealous that he didn’t get it. This dish tasted exactly how a pad see ew should, hot soft noodles, crunchy vegetables, and savory chicken pieces. It was a good sized portion for lunch.
#NoRegrets
#Decor
We chose to sit outside since the weather was so nice. The table and seating area were nice. We did not get to see the interior.
#TotalBill
The bill was ~$15 each before tip. The restaurant accepts credit cards.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
Kohinoor Dhaba Food Truck @ Crystal City Food Truck Thursday – 9/28/17
#ThePlace
Where: Kohinoor Dhaba Food Truck – @kohinoor_kulvir
When: 9/28/2017
Who Picked: Eric & Nick
This will be the last update for us from Crystal City Food Truck Thursdays as Eric is off to a new job next week, and we were fortunate enough to have some new trucks to pick from this week. We both chose the Kohinoor Dhaba truck, based out of a restaurant that we had previously gone to (also called Kohinoor Dhaba) for the all you can eat lunch buffet, which was excellent. If you are in Crystal City, definitely stop by that restaurant if you like Indian. It’s the definition of hole-in-the-wall. You feel like you are walking into someone’s apartment, but do not let that fool you, they really bring the flavor with their delicious food. It’s just across Jeff Davis and through a sketchy parking lot.
#TheFood
Nick got the lamb curry which was piled on some rice with sides of spinach and chick peas. A good sized Naan bread was also included. The lamb curry was well seasoned and tender, the chick peas were cooked perfectly, and the spinach puree looked awful but tasted great. The Naan was warmed up provided good cleanup for the sauce left in the container. The food was all delicious and the portion size provided great bang for your buck.
Eric got the Butter Chicken which came with rice, chickpeas, creamed spinach, and some Naan bread. Most of the chicken was tender with a few pieces that were a little over cooked. The curry was rich and delicious. The creamed spinach was ok, a little too mushy for Eric. The star of this dish was the chickpeas, they were awesome. Eric felt super full after this as it was a ton of food for lunch.
#NoRegrets
#TotalBill
The bill was just over $10 each. The truck accepts credit cards.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
Hill Country Barbeque Market @ Washington DC – 9/22/17
#ThePlace
Where: Hill Country Barbeque Market – @HillCountryBBQ
When: 9/22/2017
Who Picked: Nick
We decided to make our first trek into DC as Eric will be starting a new job soon that would make it more difficult for us to meet there. Nick thought that Hill Country Barbeque Market would be a great choice for our first trip to DC.
#TheFood
Nick went with one of the Pitmaster Specials, the Cue and 2, which gives a choice of two meats and two sides with an order of cornbread. Nick got the moist brisket and a Kreuz jalapeño cheese sausage link with baked beans and corn pudding. The sausage links are flown in from Kreuz Market in Texas and the baked beans have burnt ends. The brisket was melt in your mouth tender and the sausage had some nice spice and crunch to it. Both sides were excellent and whatever was added to the whipped butter with the cornbread provided a nice extra bit of flavor.
Eric went with the Cue and 1 since he is a lightweight, that included a choice of meat, 2 sides, and some cornbreads. Eric got the moist brisket with Bourbon Sweet Potato Mash and the coleslaw. The addition of the coarse salt and pepper mix at the table took this brisket to the next level. As you can see, the fat soaked through the paper, delicious. Eric tried a bit of the sauces which were on the table but decided just good old salt and pepper was the way to go. The sweet potato mash was good as was the coleslaw. The honey butter brought the cornbread to the next level.
#Regrets
Nick would have liked to get the Cue and 3 to try the smoked turkey. #Savage
#Decor
The decor at Hill Country was very appropriate for a BBQ joint, lots of rustic finished wood, chalk boards, Texas ferever, etc. 10/10
#TotalBill
The Cue and 2 was just over $24. The Cue and 1 was $15. The restaurant accepts credit cards.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
Miami Vice Burgers @ Crystal City Food Truck Thursday – 8/31/17
#ThePlace
Where: Miami Vice Burgers Food Truck – @Miamiviceburger
When: 8/31/2017
Who Picked: Eric & Nick
We were back at it for Food Truck Thursday this week as we were both back at the office. We had the usual options with newcomer Miami Vice Burgers, a great choice on a nice summer day.
#TheFood
Nick went with the Spicy Bacon Burger which was topped with bacon, jalapeño jack cheese, jalapeño relish, cilantro sour cream, and half of a jalapeño pepper. The jalapeño triple threat provided a good balance of heat and flavor while neither component of the cilantro sour cream was overpowering. The burger was cooked to a nice medium rare and the brioche bun kept everything in place.
Eric got the Sonny’s Burger which had guacamole, grilled onion, jalapeño relish, cilantro sour cream, a sunny side up egg, and sharp cheddar on a brioche bun. We also split a sweet potato fries because they are the bomb. The burger was very juicy and had a lot going on on top. The egg was fully cooked, so it wasn’t too messy. The jalapeño gave it the slightest kick but was not overpowering. Our food came out pretty quick which was a nice touch.
#NoRegrets
#Decor
It doesn’t get any more Miami Vice than this truck. I’m putting the picture again just because the truck looks so awesome in it. It seriously looks like we could have been in Miami!
#TotalBill
The bill was just under $9 for just a burger and …. for the burger and fries. The truck accepts credit cards.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
Brooklyn Signature Sandwich Food Truck @ Crystal City Food Truck Thursday – 8/17/17
#ThePlace
Where: Brooklyn The Signature Sandwich
When: 8/17/2017
Who Picked: Eric & Nick
This update come a bit late as we were off to a wedding the next day and have been busy with other things until now. This was another great food truck Thursday in Crystal City. Lots of trucks and people came out this week.
#TheFood
Nick got the pulled pork Cuban, which was a well executed combination of two great sandwiches. The meat to bread ratio was a little off for my preferences but the flavors were good. The seasoned fries were a nice touch to round out the lunch.
Eric got the Brisket Bulgogi Sandwich with fries. The sandwich had great flavor and lots of cheese. The panini press gave it a great crunch on the outside and the cheese was not too melty.
#NoRegrets
#TotalBill
The bill was just under $10 each. The truck accepts credit cards.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
KBBQ Taco Box Food Truck @ Crystal City Food Truck Thursday – 7/20/2017
#ThePlace
Where: KBBQ Taco Box Food Truck – @dckbbqbox
When: 7/20/2017
Who Picked: Eric & Nick
It was another hot one in NoVA, with the heat index up near 100°, but we decided to brave the heat and head over to Food Truck Thursday in Crystal City. The trucks can usually be found in the parking lot just across from the Metro Station on 18th St. and Crystal Drive. There were 7 or 8 trucks when we arrived, but we both chose to hit up KBBQ Taco Box, a Korean BBQ Taco Fusion truck.
#TheFood
Nick went with the Spicy Pork Taco Box, which comes with a spicy pork taco, spicy chicken wing, salad with house ginger dressing, and two fried cheese rolls with spicy mayo. The taco had a good amount of heat to it and all of the items within mixed very well together. The chicken wing was cooked perfectly and the sauce was great, but it was a little smaller than the wings I am used to. The ginger dressing and salad were a nice addition. The fried cheese rolls had some combination of rice and cheese and were cooked perfectly and tasted excellent.
Eric went with the Bulgogi Taco, which also came with a spicy chicken wing, salad with ginger dressing and two fried cheese rolls with spicy mayo. The Bulgogi was saucier than expected, but still had really good flavor, decent size too. The taco was hot temperature wise, which is a good thing, just notable because of the weather. The wing sample was good and I am glad they included it so I could try it. Same with the cheese rolls, I saw it on the menu as a lunch option and was debating trying it, ended up getting to try it anyways with the taco. The salad was not for me, it was a nice touch, but a little too small and it got warm quickly.
Both of our meals also came with a small item that appeared to be some sort of dessert. It said keep frozen on it but was totally liquid when we got it, but was cold. After trying it, we both agreed it tasted like Smarties.
#BonusCoffeeStop
Eric saw this @CommonwealthJoe coffee cart and wanted to try it since he saw them on Twitter. $4.77 for a nitro cold brew coffee. It was good to try it once, but Eric is no coffee connoisseur. The nitro tap did give it a nice smoothness and the coffee was pretty decent, no real bitterness as the coffee guy pointed out. #CommonWealthJoe #TheseMillennialsWillBuyAnything
#Regrets
Not splitting an order of fried cheese rolls. The heat.
#Decor
The lighting was very bright and it was quite hot inside this restaurant. The food truck was nicely decorated.
#TotalBill
The bill was just under $10 each. The truck accepts credit cards.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
Neramitra Thai Cuisine @ Crystal City, VA – 7/14/2017
#ThePlace
Where: Neramitra Thai Cuisine
When: 7/14/2017
Who Picked: Nick
It was a rather warm day in Northern Virginia today, making it the perfect day for a nice walk from the office to the recently renovated Neramitra Thai Cuisine.
#TheFood
Nick went with the lunch special with the Drunken Noodles, Tom Ka Gai soup, and a spring roll. The soup has a coconut base and also includes chicken and mushrooms. The taste of mushrooms was evident while the coconut didn’t really shine through. The wrapper on the spring roll was fried perfectly and the filling tasted great. The Drunken Noodles had wide rice noodles, which were cooked well and had good texture, but a bit more chicken would have been nice. The menu also indicated two peppers on the spice scale, but it wasn’t that spicy.
Eric ordered the lunch special with Tom Yum Chicken soup and spring roll with the Panang Chicken Curry as the main dish. This is the dish he always gets at Thai places the first time so they can be compared more easily. The soup was very good and the spring roll was crispy and delicious. The Panang Curry was perfect, as good as it gets. It had a good coconut balance to it and the chicken was cooked perfectly. It was a very hot and humid day, so the warm lunch certainly did not help matters, but it was worth it. He also ordered a Thai tea to-go to help cool down, that did not disappoint, rich and filling as Thai Tea always is. All of the food was very good and the waiter was very attentive.
#NoRegrets
#Decor
This restaurant has recently renovated and it has a very nice interior. We did not get a shot of the interior, but it is appropriately themed for a Thai restaurant and it has a nice bar area.
#Menu
#TotalBill
The lunch special costs $14, which comes to $15.40 after tax.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
Haute Dogs & Fries @ Alexandria, VA – 6/30/2017
#ThePlace
Where: Haute Dogs & Fries – @Haute_Dogs
When: 6/30/2017
Who Picked: Eric
Haute Dogs & Fries is a fast casual restaurant offering its own take on the All-American classic, the hot dog. With the Fourth of July just a few days away, this seemed like the perfect time to hit this spot.
#TheFood
The restaurant has a number of different combinations on the menu and also gives the option to create a custom dog. The menu also has burgers, sausages, and milkshakes.
Nick went with the OBX and NY Reuben dogs, but could have easily swapped either out for a few of the other options. The OBX was topped with yellow mustard, chili, and cole slaw. Both the chili and cole slaw had good flavor and the cole slaw had a great crunch to it. The NY Reuben was topped with brown mustard, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese. The sauerkraut also had a good crunch and combined nicely with the cheese and mustard. Out of the two, Nick thought the OBX was the best. The highlight was the bun, which was buttery and toasted perfectly.
Eric went with the House Dog and the Bombsheel. The House Dog was his favorite, it had warm house onion relish, yellow mustard, mayonnaise, and celery salt. The dark onion relish is where all the flavor comes from and they really piled it on there. The bombshell had sauteed onions, mango-pineapple relish, and jalapenos. This one did not really make it all the way to flavor town, it just tasted like a hot dog with a few fresh ingredients on top, it didn’t seem to have a theme or any particular heat, which is what Eric was expecting with the “Bombshell” name. Eric agreed with Nick that this place really brought their A game when they made the buns, this really elevated the dogs.
Nick and Eric also shared a side of sweet potato fries, which were great. These are super thin shoestring fries, which had a suprisingly good crunch to soft potato ratio. Sometimes sweet potato fries can be a bit soggy, but these were really good.
#Regrets
Nick regrets not ordering more of the hot dogs. Eric regrets not having a bigger stomach and not getting a milkshake.
#Decor
This place has a good vibe on the inside. Lots of different themes going on inside, pictures of dogs on the wall, a Pac-man arcade game, chalk boards, signs covering the lights, etc. Nick liked the puppies on the wall. #ThatShoulderLean
#Menu
If you can’t find it online anywhere
#TotalBill
Two hot dogs will run you ~$11 which seems reasonable for the quality of the ingredients.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
Taylor Gourmet @ Crystal City, VA – 6/23/2017
#ThePlace
Where: Taylor Gourmet – @TaylorGourmet
When: 6/23/2017
Who Picked: Nick
We are back after missing payday last week as Nick was away for the weekend at a wedding. Taylor Gourmet serves a variety of unique hoagies with a rotating seasonal menu, and a new location was opened in the past few months within walking distance of work.
#TheFood
We started out with the seasonal risotto balls which add corn, chives, smokey bacon, and jalapeno to usual offering of mozzarella and switch out marinara for a black pepper buttermilk dipping sauce. There were five in total and they were excellent. 
Nick went with a seasonal offering, the Barrientos, which feels like it has a bit of Tex-Mex flavor with a black bean spread, charred poblano, and smoked chili sauce. The chili sauce added some nice flavor and wasn’t too spicy. The spice grilled chicken was well seasoned and overall the hoagie had a good ratio of bun to filling.
Eric chose the Mr. Morton sandwich which has pepper-crusted roast beef, avocado spread, Herr’s Jalapeno kettle chips, Smoky bacon, Gorgonzola, red onion, red bibb sauce, and olive oil. The bacon and potato chips both brought a lot of crunch and flavor to the sandwich and the avocado spread combined with the Gorgonzola made for a really creamy combo. Eric is not usually a roast beef sandwich guy, but this sandwich was packed with flavor. The red sauce didn’t really add much to the sandwich, it was barely noticed. A regular was enough for a hearty lunch.
#Regrets
None
#OtherNotes
Nick ordered a large Barrientos, but was only give a regular size. After informing the staff, he was given an additional regular size and was offered a complimentary bag of chips or cookie, but politely declined. High ratings for customer service.
We could see directly into the kitchen from the register. Everything looked really clean and everyone looked like they knew what they were doing, no one standing around chatting.
#Decor
Eric really like the decor, it had a really fun feel to it with lots of bright colors. He was not a fan of the pallet wood style wall hangings, but they still get points for trying. The 55 gallon barrels and the 5 gallon buckets that were used for lights looked really cool as did the recycled bicycle tires on the wall near the line.
#Bathroom
Neither of us checked out the situation there.
#TotalBill
Nick’s total was $20 for the hoagie and balls. Seems reasonable and in line with other sandwich type restaurants. Eric’s was around $10 for just the regular size sandwich.
#OurRating
| Nick | |
| Eric |
About Author
NICK
Add Short Descriptiop From Users > Your Profile > Biographical Info
Recent Comments