A couple of weeks ago, Steve, Carlos and I met our good friends Larry and Joe at El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant in Rockville. Larry mentioned that restaurant next to El Mariachi, La Limeña is also very good and definitely worth a visit. Larry’s going to kill me for going without him, but last night, Steve and I decided to make a stop on a whim.
It is essentially a Peruvian restaurant with some Cuban dishes thrown in for good measure. Not long on atmosphere, the restaurant is cozy, bright and clean with a large open counter that looks in on the kitchen. They only use plastic-ware, plastic forks, plastic plates et al.. but what they lack in style they more than make up for in substance. Service is incredibly friendly and helpful and the food is DIVINE.
We started with the Ceviche Mixtos. White fish, squid and shrimp are marinated in citrus with herbs and peppers. Here it is served with a chunk of sweet potato, a small ear of corn and homemade corn nuts. It is without a doubt the best ceviche I have ever tasted. Perfectly balanced, spicy, tart and refreshing. I would have the stuff for breakfast.
The Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken) is good but certainly not the best Peruvian chicken around. However, the sides are incredible. Try the Cuban black beans; A revelation of creamy and whole black beans with bits of pork. They are soul satisfying and a heaping portion to boot. French fries here are extraordinary. Essentially steak fries, they are greaseless and full of great "potato-ness". Great when dipped in the complimentary sauces which are brought out. Both are mayonnaise based, one mild and the other quite snappy and spicy. La Limena is known for its Anticuchos (Beef Heart) We did not try them on this trip but will the next time we go in.
The star of the show for us was the Pollo ala Parilla. A marinated half a boneless chicken is pounded flat and grilled skin side down over a charcoal grill. It was crisp and moist and utterly delicious.
Everything here is made to order so you may have a small wait for your food. All of the ingredients are fresh. They do not employ the use of freezers so you know you are getting the best possible meal at that time.
Save room for dessert. We had the Alfajores, which are two anise flavored shortbread cookies with a thick layer of caramel sauce in between. Truly unbelievable. Other items in the dessert case looked equally enticing and when you consider that the owner provides the desserts to all the other Peruvian restaurants in town, you can rest assured that no matter what you choose it's going to be good. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.
La Limeña
La Limeña 765-B Rockville Pike (in Ritchie Center), Rockville
Phone:301-424-8066
Kitchen hours: Open Monday-Thursday, 11-9, Fridays and Saturdays 11-10, Sundays 10-9
Showing posts with label Rockville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rockville. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Penzey's Spices
Have you discovered Penzey’s Spices yet? If you are not within driving distance of one of their outposts, I can only offer my condolences. The first time I stepped into Penzey’s I felt like Augustus Gloop facing Willy Wonka’s Room of Edible Everything. Penzey’s features over 250 herbs, spices and spice blends. All of their product is ground fresh in Wisconsin and is not allowed to remain on the shelf for more than 3 weeks.
Fear not, ye geographically challenged readers of mine! Penzey’s entire stock is available on line, direct from Wisconsin at http://www.penzeys.com/
There are two locations in the Washington DC Metro Area
Rockville, MD
1048 Rockville Pike
(301) 738-8707
Mon-Sat: 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Sun: 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Falls Church, VA
513 W. Broad Street
(703) 534-7770
Mon-Sat: 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Sun: 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Fear not, ye geographically challenged readers of mine! Penzey’s entire stock is available on line, direct from Wisconsin at http://www.penzeys.com/
There are two locations in the Washington DC Metro Area
Rockville, MD
1048 Rockville Pike
(301) 738-8707
Mon-Sat: 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Sun: 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Falls Church, VA
513 W. Broad Street
(703) 534-7770
Mon-Sat: 10:00AM - 6:00PM
Sun: 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Monday, February 11, 2008
Bob's 66 Noodle House
If you read my blog entry about Bob’s 88 Shabu Shabu, then you are already aware that there was an impending visit to Bob’s sister location Bob’s 66 Noodle House. Bob’s Noodle House is an authentic Taiwanese restaurant with many accolades from sources like Yelp, Zagat, Washingtonian Magazine and the Washington Post. I love Chinese cuisine in all of its incarnations so… this past Friday, Steve, Carlos and I decided to give Bob’s Noodles a whirl.
Located in a strip center, essentially across the street from Bob’s 88, the restaurant isn’t much to look at. It’s a fairly small space with very utilitarian tables and chairs set close together for maximum seating capacity. What you can say for Bob’s Noodle House is that it is bright (really bright… like all the lights full up bright) and clean.
Service is also somewhat “utilitarian”. Ultimately, Bob’s is an Asian restaurant for Asian people, so don’t expect a great deal of help from the staff when ordering. With that said, service is still friendly and efficient. Non-Asians are very welcome here. All of the menu items have English translations and apart from a specials board with a couple of items written in Chinese, I saw no evidence of a secret Chinese menu for Chinese customers only, which is so common here in Washington DC.
Much of the menu seems as though it were inspired by a hard-gore horror film with selections like, crispy intestines, fried duck tongues, stir fried pig ears or duck blood with vegetables. Hannibal Lechter would be so pleased. Despite the seemingly endless array of offal options there are just as many “more-accessible” selections for the faint of heart.
A bit daunted by the menu, I was having trouble making a decision as there were so many interesting choices. A pleasant Asian gentleman, who was sitting next to us, suggested that we order anything that was spicy. Well, I love spicy and if the locals are telling you what’s good, you should listen. I asked him what he was having to which he simply replied, “Oh, this isn’t for you”. I thought it was a plate of pig’s ears, but when I pressed the question, he almost regrettably confessed “no, this is stir-fried pig’s kidney”.
Apparently, Bob’s is one of the only places in the area you can get a good stir-fried pig’s kidney as it takes special preparation. Like chitterlings they need to be triple cleaned in order to be edible. I was assured that it was an “acquired” taste. I told our new friend, that, while I was not bothered by his menu choice, he was correct, I didn’t think the kidneys were for me.
This is Bob’s Noodle house so we all chose to order something with noodles. I ordered the Spicy Shredded Beef and Longhorn Chilies Soup with house-made noodles. The waitress was concerned that it would be too spicy for me, but I assured her it was ok. Steven ordered the Shrimp, Chicken and Pork Noodle Soup, while Carlos ordered the Stir-Fried Sa Cha Beef with house-made noodles and Chinese Broccoli.
The first thing you’ll notice at Bob’s when the food arrives is that the portions are enormous. There is no need to order appetizers here. A huge bowl of noodles topped with beef broth and delicious strips of beef which were tender and chewy was placed before me. The beef broth was unctuous and musky and LOADED with chilies that were spicy without being overpowering. Steven’s noodles came in a chicken broth that was equally unctuous and fragrant. Carlos dish was reminiscent of Beef Chow Fun, but with thick hand-made doughy noodles that must be considered comfort food for generations of Taiwanese people.
Oh, and by the way, Bob’s is ridiculously cheap. My entrée was the most expensive meal at $7.95 and it all came with complimentary hot tea. The total bill for the three of us was $26 tax and tip included. I’m anxious to return to Bob’s and try some of the other specialties. Perhaps next time I will be a little braver in my selection, still, don’t expect to be reading about kidneys anytime soon.
Located in a strip center, essentially across the street from Bob’s 88, the restaurant isn’t much to look at. It’s a fairly small space with very utilitarian tables and chairs set close together for maximum seating capacity. What you can say for Bob’s Noodle House is that it is bright (really bright… like all the lights full up bright) and clean.
Service is also somewhat “utilitarian”. Ultimately, Bob’s is an Asian restaurant for Asian people, so don’t expect a great deal of help from the staff when ordering. With that said, service is still friendly and efficient. Non-Asians are very welcome here. All of the menu items have English translations and apart from a specials board with a couple of items written in Chinese, I saw no evidence of a secret Chinese menu for Chinese customers only, which is so common here in Washington DC.
Much of the menu seems as though it were inspired by a hard-gore horror film with selections like, crispy intestines, fried duck tongues, stir fried pig ears or duck blood with vegetables. Hannibal Lechter would be so pleased. Despite the seemingly endless array of offal options there are just as many “more-accessible” selections for the faint of heart.
A bit daunted by the menu, I was having trouble making a decision as there were so many interesting choices. A pleasant Asian gentleman, who was sitting next to us, suggested that we order anything that was spicy. Well, I love spicy and if the locals are telling you what’s good, you should listen. I asked him what he was having to which he simply replied, “Oh, this isn’t for you”. I thought it was a plate of pig’s ears, but when I pressed the question, he almost regrettably confessed “no, this is stir-fried pig’s kidney”.
Apparently, Bob’s is one of the only places in the area you can get a good stir-fried pig’s kidney as it takes special preparation. Like chitterlings they need to be triple cleaned in order to be edible. I was assured that it was an “acquired” taste. I told our new friend, that, while I was not bothered by his menu choice, he was correct, I didn’t think the kidneys were for me.
This is Bob’s Noodle house so we all chose to order something with noodles. I ordered the Spicy Shredded Beef and Longhorn Chilies Soup with house-made noodles. The waitress was concerned that it would be too spicy for me, but I assured her it was ok. Steven ordered the Shrimp, Chicken and Pork Noodle Soup, while Carlos ordered the Stir-Fried Sa Cha Beef with house-made noodles and Chinese Broccoli.
The first thing you’ll notice at Bob’s when the food arrives is that the portions are enormous. There is no need to order appetizers here. A huge bowl of noodles topped with beef broth and delicious strips of beef which were tender and chewy was placed before me. The beef broth was unctuous and musky and LOADED with chilies that were spicy without being overpowering. Steven’s noodles came in a chicken broth that was equally unctuous and fragrant. Carlos dish was reminiscent of Beef Chow Fun, but with thick hand-made doughy noodles that must be considered comfort food for generations of Taiwanese people.
Oh, and by the way, Bob’s is ridiculously cheap. My entrée was the most expensive meal at $7.95 and it all came with complimentary hot tea. The total bill for the three of us was $26 tax and tip included. I’m anxious to return to Bob’s and try some of the other specialties. Perhaps next time I will be a little braver in my selection, still, don’t expect to be reading about kidneys anytime soon.
Bob's 66 Noodle House
305 N Washington St
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 315-6668
Cash Only
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Bob's 88 Shabu Shabu
Ever the culinary adventurer, I had been reading about a Chinese restaurant near Rockville town center that serves a peculiar dish called Shabu Shabu. Apparently its so good you have to say it twice. So Shabu Shabu is not actually Chinese, it’s Japanese but Bob’s 88 Shabu Shabu (the full name of the place) is indeed a Chinese restaurant. The dish and its compelling accoutrement has flourished into its own sub-cuisine in China, much the same way Tex Mex has here in the US.
Confused? Well wait till you try the stuff. Shabu Shabu is like a cross between a hot pot, fondue and Mongolian Barbecue. Large platters of raw meat, vegetables, fish balls, noodles, an egg and various elective add-ins like dumplings and meatballs are brought to your table with a bubbling cauldron of broth, and placed on an induction burner which is built into the table in front of you. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to cook the raw meat and electives in the broth, dip into one of the myriad of dipping sauces available, then create a delectable egg drop soup with the leftovers. So, Steven and I made a visit.
Steven was pissed. He hates to cook and this was definitely cooking. It didn’t help that we were the only non-Asians in the place and we had NO IDEA what we were doing. Thankfully one of the servers came to our rescue as we were clearly doing it wrong. The more we got into it, though, the more fun he had, and when he realized that he was making a really yummy soup, he was happy again.
You get two choices of broth, spicy or not spicy. I chose the spicy broth. A mistake I think. It was spiked with chili oil, a whole star anise nut and goji berries (a Tibetan mountain berry). It was great for the fondue portion of the meal, but too intense for an egg drop soup. Steven got the “not spicy” broth, which starts out rather wan, but as you add meats and veggies the broth takes on the various flavors so that by the time you are ready to add the egg, you have a fantastic flavored soup.
We both ordered combination platters, mine with shrimp and pork, Steven’s with shrimp and beef. Next time I would skip the shrimp. Full unshelled head-on shrimp arrive at your table and are just a bother to deal with once you have them cooked. They were too damn hot to handle and when I took the head off of one of mine, shrimp juice and broth shot all over my shirt like a miniature fire hose. At least that made the staff happy, and I’m a good sport, proudly displaying my now ruined shirt to them as they all hunched in a corner and tried not to laugh and point directly at me.
We shared a plate of chicken fried rice, which, while not out of the ordinary, was exactly what chicken fried rice should be. Fresh and hot, brimming with chicken and frozen vegetables, and at $6.95 a real bargain. Bob has another place, too. Bob’s 66 Noodle House. Based on our experience with Shabu Shabu, I think we will be trying Bob’s noodles very soon.
Bob's 88 Shabu Shabu
316 N. Washington St Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 294-5888
Confused? Well wait till you try the stuff. Shabu Shabu is like a cross between a hot pot, fondue and Mongolian Barbecue. Large platters of raw meat, vegetables, fish balls, noodles, an egg and various elective add-ins like dumplings and meatballs are brought to your table with a bubbling cauldron of broth, and placed on an induction burner which is built into the table in front of you. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to cook the raw meat and electives in the broth, dip into one of the myriad of dipping sauces available, then create a delectable egg drop soup with the leftovers. So, Steven and I made a visit.
Steven was pissed. He hates to cook and this was definitely cooking. It didn’t help that we were the only non-Asians in the place and we had NO IDEA what we were doing. Thankfully one of the servers came to our rescue as we were clearly doing it wrong. The more we got into it, though, the more fun he had, and when he realized that he was making a really yummy soup, he was happy again.
You get two choices of broth, spicy or not spicy. I chose the spicy broth. A mistake I think. It was spiked with chili oil, a whole star anise nut and goji berries (a Tibetan mountain berry). It was great for the fondue portion of the meal, but too intense for an egg drop soup. Steven got the “not spicy” broth, which starts out rather wan, but as you add meats and veggies the broth takes on the various flavors so that by the time you are ready to add the egg, you have a fantastic flavored soup.
We both ordered combination platters, mine with shrimp and pork, Steven’s with shrimp and beef. Next time I would skip the shrimp. Full unshelled head-on shrimp arrive at your table and are just a bother to deal with once you have them cooked. They were too damn hot to handle and when I took the head off of one of mine, shrimp juice and broth shot all over my shirt like a miniature fire hose. At least that made the staff happy, and I’m a good sport, proudly displaying my now ruined shirt to them as they all hunched in a corner and tried not to laugh and point directly at me.
We shared a plate of chicken fried rice, which, while not out of the ordinary, was exactly what chicken fried rice should be. Fresh and hot, brimming with chicken and frozen vegetables, and at $6.95 a real bargain. Bob has another place, too. Bob’s 66 Noodle House. Based on our experience with Shabu Shabu, I think we will be trying Bob’s noodles very soon.
Bob's 88 Shabu Shabu
316 N. Washington St Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 294-5888
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Surgeon General's Warning Taken Too Seriously
Steve and I needed to do some last minute Christmas shopping so I convinced him to "metro" up to Bethesda after work and we would brave the masses on Rockville Pike in search of those final gifts. Of course that meant dinner, as well, so I dutifully did my homework looking for a fun, yet inexpensive place to eat. After consulting Zagat and Yelp I discovered two sister restaurants online, Urban Bar-B-Que Company and Urban Burger Company that seemed to fit the bill. When Steven arrived, I gave him the choice and he selected Urban Bar-B-Que. As you probably already know Steve and I are barbecue fanatics and always on the hunt for the next great place.
Urban Bar-B-Que has all the trappings of a great barbecue restaurant. It's tucked away on a side street off Rockville Pike in a small strip of shops that seem more like an afterthought than an actual destination. The interior is small and kitschy with 50’s style dinettes for seating, chalkboard menus, counter service and even a homemade decoupaged Elvis Clock on the wall (Thank you, thank you very much). The cashier/manager, Tony was clad in cammie slacks and a garage attendant shirt with his name embroidered on the front. A lone guitarist strummed lively tunes while perched in the front corner of the restaurant. Overall the place has a warm and welcoming feeling that sets you in the mood for a down-home good time.
Too bad the food doesn’t match up. Not that anything is bad, it just doesn’t seem to pull through on its promise. Urban Bar-B-Que is like barbecue karaoke. It sure looks like it should be great, but ultimately, it’s just a second-rate version of the real thing.
I ordered the brisket and sausage. Steve ordered the brisket and pulled pork. We shared the “Redneck Fondue” which consists of seasoned tortilla chips with chili and queso sauce. Everything has the feeling that they need to turn up the volume. The brisket was too saucy and bland. The pulled pork was also too saucy and bland. I did enjoy the sausage which had a nice flavor and crisp casing snap.
Urban Bar-B-Que offers three sauces: a Memphis style, sweet and smokey, a mustard based sauce and a North Carolina, vinegar, tomato and spice sauce. They’re all sort of bland, but decidedly, it’s the meat that falls short at Urban. WHERE IS THE SMOKE? Good barbecue has depth of flavor and nuances that come from low and slow cooking over hard woods. Urban has the “low and slow” portion of that recipe down but it all ends there. They claim to use apple and hickory to smoke their meats but I simply couldn't taste it. Somebody, please light a cigarette or something.
Sides are decent. I had the Mac n’ Cheese which was obviously homemade and appropriately cheesey. Steve had the BBQ beans which were meaty and dense. The warm cornbread was a real stand out. Moist with a hint of sweetness and whole corn kernels.
I am anxious to try the Burger half of this restaurant duo. Following the same format with a product that is easier to execute, like hamburgers, they should have a real winner on their hands. More to come…
Urban Bar-B-Cue Company
2007 Chapman Ave. Rockville, MD 20852-1614
240-290-4UBQ
Urban Bar-B-Que has all the trappings of a great barbecue restaurant. It's tucked away on a side street off Rockville Pike in a small strip of shops that seem more like an afterthought than an actual destination. The interior is small and kitschy with 50’s style dinettes for seating, chalkboard menus, counter service and even a homemade decoupaged Elvis Clock on the wall (Thank you, thank you very much). The cashier/manager, Tony was clad in cammie slacks and a garage attendant shirt with his name embroidered on the front. A lone guitarist strummed lively tunes while perched in the front corner of the restaurant. Overall the place has a warm and welcoming feeling that sets you in the mood for a down-home good time.
Too bad the food doesn’t match up. Not that anything is bad, it just doesn’t seem to pull through on its promise. Urban Bar-B-Que is like barbecue karaoke. It sure looks like it should be great, but ultimately, it’s just a second-rate version of the real thing.
I ordered the brisket and sausage. Steve ordered the brisket and pulled pork. We shared the “Redneck Fondue” which consists of seasoned tortilla chips with chili and queso sauce. Everything has the feeling that they need to turn up the volume. The brisket was too saucy and bland. The pulled pork was also too saucy and bland. I did enjoy the sausage which had a nice flavor and crisp casing snap.
Urban Bar-B-Que offers three sauces: a Memphis style, sweet and smokey, a mustard based sauce and a North Carolina, vinegar, tomato and spice sauce. They’re all sort of bland, but decidedly, it’s the meat that falls short at Urban. WHERE IS THE SMOKE? Good barbecue has depth of flavor and nuances that come from low and slow cooking over hard woods. Urban has the “low and slow” portion of that recipe down but it all ends there. They claim to use apple and hickory to smoke their meats but I simply couldn't taste it. Somebody, please light a cigarette or something.
Sides are decent. I had the Mac n’ Cheese which was obviously homemade and appropriately cheesey. Steve had the BBQ beans which were meaty and dense. The warm cornbread was a real stand out. Moist with a hint of sweetness and whole corn kernels.
I am anxious to try the Burger half of this restaurant duo. Following the same format with a product that is easier to execute, like hamburgers, they should have a real winner on their hands. More to come…
Urban Bar-B-Cue Company
2007 Chapman Ave. Rockville, MD 20852-1614
240-290-4UBQ
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