Wagshal’s in Spring Valley has dedicated their eat-in area to Chef Trini, a Caribbean restaurant. I doubt it has it’s own kitchen staff, probably just the folks at Wagshal’s who are already cooking and preparing lots of other food.
I was lured here by the promise of pholourie, chickpea flour fritters. I have intensely fond memories of the pholourie sold by Rita’s on Georgia Ave along with a very wicked pickled tamarind sauce. To this day I remember them as one of the great Chowhound delights of DC, a product of bygone days. Others since then have not stood up to that memory.
I am happy to report that the pholourie themselves may be even better here. They are bigger, fluffier, fresher:
The second component here, a mango chutney, is alas not the wicked sauce of Rita’s, but it is no slouch either. it is very fresh tasting and provides a good kick and is not sweet, as I feared. I was very happy I tried this out.
But wait, there’s more. This might be the best bargain meal of the century. Well, the one beginning in 2000.
It’s really hard to find a menu weakness anymore. You know, the one dish that is way underpriced compared to everything else. I also ordered the seasonal greens on the back of the menu. This was a really big plate of sauteed vegetables:
Broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, onion, carrot, and spinach. Despite the different textures, all cooked to just the right soft crunch, and the spinach stood up as well. All with a nice trini buzz to it.
The pholourie was $7.50, and the greens were $6. The orders were large, but resistance was futile. I couldn’t stop eating it, though honestly this was a meal for two people.
