I zipped through Northern Virginia a few weeks ago and enjoyed a widely varied series of cafes.
I started out at the East West Cafe in Clarendon, dining outside with a friend and her dog, Harley. We were the most popular people there, or rather, Harley was the most popular one. I ordered Sucuk Yumurta, though I think it had a different name on the menu. Very rich Turkish sausage with lightly fried (poached?) sunny side up eggs. Just delicious! I really liked this dish! As did Harley!
I dropped by Arlington Kabob for some Afghan style lamb kabob later and it was just as good as I remembered. So good that when 3 of my friends and I were trying to figure out where to go for lunch the next day we all went to Arlington Kabob and I did not mind a bit. I had the chole again with my dish and when my friend ordered the lentil soup I wished I had tried it instead. Great staff there, too.
Next day was laundry day so I dropped off my clothes and then went to Eden Center and walked around a bit. Still a great location for people watching. And eating. I went to my old favorite there, Banh Mi So 1 for a couple sandwiches. I got grilled pork (#10?) and #1 Special Combo, which I had not had for a long while. The grilled pork was excellent and had a good amount of meat and a generous amount of pickled vegies. I used to think they added nuoc mam to these sandwiches but I think there is just a bit of it in the pickle juice they use on the vegies. Very good sandwich! I ate the Special Combo (not sure what type of meats but it seems to be some pate plus something else) later and it was only ok. More mayo than I like on a Vietnamese sandwich, I prefer the pickled vegie topping better.
I then visited Hong Kong Palace where I am still jinxed. I tried to order the chicken with stuffed peppers. I got a reasonable chicken dish but I had to dig around to find the crunchy stuffed peppers and they were only ok. I may have gotten the wrong dish? Not sure.
On my way to my friend’s place in Ballston I stopped by a Turkish Coffee trailer (by Salt Line) with tiny little stools and tables. I ordered Turkish coffee and a small baklava. I think the coffee came with a little chocolate treat so I got double dessert for the day. The owner threw in a chai while I was waiting which was outstanding. Liked it better than the coffee, truth be told.
The Turkish coffee trailer has a fancy name but it escapes me.
Then the sun rose and it turned into a pretty toasty day, so I was walking in the shady spots when possible. Ran into a squirrel who had just given up and fallen asleep in the shade by my friend’s condo. People were walking by and kind of grinning, it was that kind of day. I managed to wake him up but he waited for me to take my photo and fell back asleep.
My friend got a table while she was in Italy a few years ago and when i was in Amalfi i saw a serving dish that seemed to complement what i remembered her table looking like, so I had the shop owner send it to my friend. It matched better when i was looking at the dish and remembering the table… LOL!
I finished up the next day at Padaek where I ordered very conservatively, for me. Two old favorites that I always enjoy there, the Nam Khao Tod rice and the Sai Oua sausage with sticky rice and green relish. Love these two dishes! I have never really mastered the lettuce wrapping with the Nam Khao, I tend to lose structural integrity one way or the other, whether I go big or small, so I just wrap it all together, lean forward and wolf it down, letting the debris fall where it will. And then I use my fork to gather all the escaping bits later.
Love Padaek! And it was good to get back and have time to see friends I have not seen for quite a while.
