Padaek is almost perfect -Arlington Asian & awesome (10-12-26)

We have dined at Chef Seng Luangrath's now very famous Laotian dining spots in the DC area and last year did take-out from the smaller Padeak location in Arlington, but this time we headed to the larger and a tad classier restaurant in Arlington Ridge which is a very nice spot with a great menu and our server Joy was MORE than a joy to be around. She helped us choose dishes and when I asked to taste one of the wines, she brought two wines to try and then poured a glass and said, "oh I'll just leave the rest of the bottle for you!" That made me very happy. The wine was a dry Villa Wolf Riesling!

Will & Michael loved the BeerLao from Laos and the dishes really do reflect the varied cuisines of SE Asia. I had not had a really good Burmese Tea Leaf Salad since we visited there almost a decade ago. The tea leaves were fermented and while vegetarian it had that funky fish sauce flavor as well as the garlic and crunch from nuts! YUM! The other starters we shared were also novel and excellent. Guay Chai are Chive Cakes which came with pickled cucumbers and a great dipping sauce. The Nam Khao Todd, suggested by Joy, was a treat and quite a large portion with lettuce leaves to fill with the fried coconut rice salad, peanuts, herbs and fermented pork sausage(also a  tofu version) all garnished with dried chili!

We chose three mains to share, and they were quite varied and all superb:

Piing Gau Khao Laam is a beautifully grilled whole poussin chicken marinated with lemongrass & turmeric with grilled coconut sticky rice in a ginger sauce. The meat was moist and tasty and for this dish the spice was way down. Crab Noodles declaim "Stir fried longevity yellow noodles" (will I live longer?), with crab, garlic butter, Chinese celery and shiitake mushroom., while the Nam Tok Ribs were crispy pork ribs with dry rub seasonings, a tamarind fish sauce, toasted rice powder, mint, cilantro, Vietnamese coriander and sticky rice, which was all nice, but lots of greens that did not get eaten.

I was full, but the others chose two desserts: Mango Sticky Rice and a Semolina Cake which looked great with Burmese roasted banana cake, brown sugar ghee, sesame seeds (which i can't eat) and coconut cream.

What a treat!!

DC's KARIZMA is crazy-good Indian! (10-8-26)

 We visited KARIZMA for the first time earlier this summer and loved it, so we returned as a family for Will's birthday dinner the other day and it was even better!

We loved the Stadt Krems Gruner Veltliner this summer so ordered another bottle or two while Sam enjoyed a Gaffel Koslch German beer or two. There was a cute HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign on the table as well for fun.

We had to order the Quinoa Tikki starter made with potato, quinoa, ginger and a white pea mash that once again we all loved. Spinach & Paneer Croquettes was a main, but we had it as a starter and they were yummy all bathed in a rich mace-scented tomato sauce. Since it was a main, a bowl of the superb rice came with it to mop up the sauce! Our third starter was the Chicken Jodhpur Skewers which were three juicy skewers with thighs cooked perfectly in a malt vinegar sauce.

I was not a fan of the too thin garlic na'an last time, but Sam loves it and this time it came out perfectly cooked, a tad thicker and puffy and not dry! The Tandoori roti was also delicious and oh so buttery! They were ideal with our main sauces!

Dal Makhani was a huge lentil platter (and again each main comes with that yummy rice) with Fenugreek which Sam loved. Will had the Lamb Gushtaba or a trio of huge lamb meatballs in a spicy gravy, again great for the rice or breads! My Lobster Masala was a revelation, loaded with chunks of lobster with Beetroot Poriyal, Bell peppers & Fenugreek in a sauce that was superbly spicy but not overpowering the delicious lobster meat. The presentation (all photos on FB), with a shell laid on top was gorgeous.

We shared the Palak paneer with burnt garlic as this is one of the best Palak Paneer's around indeed.

Will ordered Coconut Payasam for his dessert and a bowl of refreshing Cardamom Ice Cream also arrived for the birthday boy!

We love this place and the service from Shivani and the entire team is really fab! We must go back next door for the enticing tasting menu the next time at KARMA which is only separated by the very nice bathrooms!

Cookfellas Wine Bar & Eatery--the last supper in UK was one of the best! (9-7-26)

 We visited Cookfellas in Guisborough once before and I didn't do a wrote-up on this blog which I must now apologize (apologise) for. We returned for our last night in the UK with our dear friends Sue & Steve and we all agreed the place is fabulous. Fran was our server and was a gem, she is also the daughter of the owner, Wayne Leonard. If you take a look at the Facebook posting, you will see the photos of the menu pages describing the reason for the vast international menu selections ranging from Asia to Europe to America, as Mr. Leonard spent many years travelling around the world learning about food, cuisine and cultures. This sounds like a guy I would LOVE to meet.

Guisborough is a small village of under 8000 people and is most unassuming, but we stay in the Guisborough Hall country manor nearby now whenever we visit North Yorkshire, so it's a 5-minute drive from the hotel! That said, the town has very few dining options and this place is a star in the entire region indeed. 

There is a small pub in the front with the charming restaurant in the back and while I am not sure how old the building itself is, there is indeed an old-world charm about it a the five of us sat in the rear facing the open kitchen and constantly raving to all the staff therein how fabulous the food was.

Sam had his requisite Old Mout Cider; this time Berries & Cherries flavor (flavour), while I ordered a bottle of Le Jardin Chardonnay. The wine list here is not large, but it is varied and offers something for everyone. Our Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Emotive 2024 red was a great one which was medium bodied and went with everything from fish to beef.

A yummy rich starter was the Pulled Ham &Manchego Croquetas made with pulled ham hock, Manchego cheese, bechamel and were deep fried with a sticky chilli jam to dip in that was divine. It's quite filling and we were glad to move on to mains after sharing these while (whilst) Sam enjoyed and HRPA or hummus, red pepper, avocado mix with rocket (arugula), tahini mayo and added grilled halloumi all in a giant fresh focaccia bread.

I think Will hit the top of the jackpot with the Mejillas de Credo Estofado or slow cooked pig cheek with sherry, almonds, ham stock, whole grained mustard, cream and parsley served with mashed potatoes, green beans and toasted almonds. Just the sound of the dish evokes raves, but it was simply superb. Pork Bimbimpap moved us from Spain to Korea just across the table with grilled pork belly in a spicy red pepper sauce, jasmine rice, "numal" fried vegetables (spinach, beansprouts, carrots & mushrooms) all topped with a fried egg. Sam chose

The Shroomie Burger on a whim, even though he is not a mushroom fan, and ended up adoring it. The burger is a veggie one with crispy Cajun (so we crossed the Atlantic to Louisiana as we moved back across the table) fried oyster mushrooms, pulled BBQ king oyster mushrooms, pickled red onion and fennel on a Brioche bun with Cajun majo, baby spinach served with slaw and skin-on fries (not chips!). Flame grilled Scottish (back to the UK) Salmon Filet came with plum tomatoes, flat cap mushroom, slaw and fries. My Vietnamese (back to Asia) Crispy Beef and Noodle Salad compromised a huge bowl of crispy fried picanha beef rump with rice noodles, bean sprouts, pickled carrots, radish, mange tout (pea pods), spring onion, courgette (zucchini), Thai basil and crispy noodles topped with Vietnamese dressing that was so large our friends took home 1/3 of it. Crispy beef is an acquired taste as it tends to chewy, but the whole dish together was delightful and fun, and every bite had different ingredients!

Dessert here is not to be missed, and more raves came for the Bread & Butter Pudding with Irish Cream Liqueur, White Chocolate, dark chocolate curd and a jug (small) of warm creme Anglaise. The local word for this is Fandabby Dozy!! Look it up!

Looking for cheese (and I always am) is not an issue here as the team has procured some unique ones from the UK and some from Europe as well. I always keep local and chose the Isle of Mull Farmhouse Cheddar from Friesian cows owned by the Reade family (read the long cheese descriptions on the FB foto as well), a delicious Rollright soft rind washed cow from Kingston Dairy in Gloucestershire as well as the more local Shepherd's Purse Harrogate Blue. These come with chutney, celery, biscuits, and apple.

A glass of Bulas LBV port was a nice accompaniment and again as all the wines here, very reasonably priced.

Thanks to Fran and the entire team and we hope to see you next August when we return to the area!

Stockton-on-Tees VADAH is impressive Indian (9-6-26)

 When we visit the UK we always like to have Indian food as it is really great and the only place it is better is India! Up North here they tend to lessen the spice, but last night we did convince the staff to add some extra kick to our main courses.

Vardah is a cute little spot on the river here with comfy booths and banquettes, although the chairs could use some reupholstering as they have very little cushions left in the seat after years of use. We were here years ago and loved it then, but the chairs were way more comfortable. The staff were attentive and helpful and while Will had a vodka and I tonic, Sam had a Kopparburg Mixed Berry cider and I started the white wine we perused the menu at length, which was indeed VERY lengthy.

We noticed the large tree trunk with cherry blossoms hovering over the entire entryway and thought immediately that these guys used the same decorator or supplier as the Ivy Asia in Leeds from several nights prior!

Our wine was listed as Domaine St. Felix Sauvignon Blanc/Vermentino blend, but I noticed at the end of the meal, the label read Les terraces d'Arches Blanc 2025 made from Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache, which was bright and crisp and worked great with the spices anyway.

The Popadoms (spelled that way in the UK) came with several sauces, two of which were a tad too sweet, a raw onion chutney and a sweet and sour chilli sauce. Sam liked his Coconut Dumplings which were potato coated and we adored the crispy Onion Bhaji. we also liked the "King Prawn on Puree of Ginger, Garlic, Green chillies, tomatoes and tamarind sauce" which came looking more like Prawn Enchiladas and all three starters had the same swaths of sauces made with some spices, but not super spicy. (fotos on FB)

The spices picked up for our mains although Sam said his Daal was quite mild and his Garlic Fried Rice as well. There was very nicely spiced Garlic, Cheese, Chilli Naan that was steaming hot and the server brought an odd bowl to the table then poured liquid nitrogen or such on top, so we were enveloped in a cloud of fog! It was dramatic, yet funny as well. Will and I were so full from all the starters that we shared one main of Vadam Morosan listed as one of the chef's specialties. The sauce was hot garlic and minced meat which was fabulous and it was filled with huge chunks of lamb and chicken, alas the breast was a tad too dry and even the fabulous sauce could not redeem it. Bhindi Bhaji is a super okra curry dish we had recently on the ship and always crave, so we had that as a side, and it was superb indeed and a Rice pilau was simple yet great for sopping up all the sauces. we could not even fathom dessert but enjoyed the fresh orange slices brough to the table before we headed back to our hotel.

The MUSE in Yarm is yummy, but noisy (UK-9-4-2026)

 We met up with some family here for our second night in North Yorkshire at the Muse in Yarm where we have dined before many times and always loved. It was a belated celebration for Aunty Pat's 80th birthday and I was truly grateful we had a back corner table in the quietest part of the restaurant as the place was jammed on the first Friday night of the month and the autumn season and the din made conversation a tad difficult!

Will and I ordered a "Picante" which was a yummy spicy cocktail of tequila, lime, chilli & coriander much akin to a spicy margarita.

Once again, we decided to share some "snacks" of rye flour sourdough and hummus (the bread was great, the hummus very nice); green nocellara olives & a Chorizo & smoked paprika focaccia with sour cream and tomato salsa. They were nice, but nothing to rave over. Our wine was a Cotes du Rhone Brunel de la Gardine 2022 which was quite nice.

The mains were all delicious with Will having the Loin of Pork, harissa aioli, char grilled tender stem broccoli, broccoli puree, and smoked almonds although he substituted chips for the Moroccan cous cous (Lord knows why as that seemed the ideal accompaniment to the dish!). I loved my Roasted Rack of Lamb cooked perfectly to medium rare with a braised lamb belly, lamb sweetbread, spinach, salsa verdi(their spelling), spiced tamarind ketchup, heritage tomatoes and marinated feta. Everything worked on this dish, but the belly was quite fatty and not really prepared to my liking as it was battered and deep fried, as was the tasty sweetbread, which was superb.

Other dishes all got the thumbs up from Lime & Mango marinated Chicken Breast to Pan Fried Salmon and Brown Shrimp Risotto to the Flat Iron grilled steak of grass-fed aged beef.

A super nod here to the sticky toffee pudding, which is made with dates and my Apricot souffle, honey & ginger ice cream drizzled with apricot syrup was divine!

The Waiting Room in UK's Stockton-on-Tees is vegetarian variety with flair (9-3-2026)

 We always look for a great menu with vegetarian options when we travel with Sam, so on our first night in North Yorkshire we chose to revisit The Waiting Room which is a simple little spot which was indeed the waiting room for the station nearby at one time in a previous life. It's cozy, but alas not the most comfortable of chairs as they have many mismatching wooden chairs that were clearly used in churches or schools at one time in the way past! That said, the 7 of us settled into the large wooden table feeling much like a family from somewhere in the precious century!

We all recalled the very large portions in the past so decided to share some breads and spreads to start rather than overdoing it with starters. The spreads were a superb pea and mint hummus; a smoky, spicy aubergine red pepper, black cardamom zaalouk and a sunblushed tomato and thyme pate all served with yummy homemade breads and a nice serving of superb purple slaw.

The wines here are simple and all natural, vegan and bio, but I did miss the wonderful library of wines they used to have which was stored at the tiny bar room next door. Our server said they could not keep them well with the heat and cold and alas many had spoiled, so they did away with them :-((.....  Instead, I chose a Running Duck Chenin Blanc Fair Trade form South Africa and an Adobe Pinot Noir Bio Bio from Chile both of which were very reasonably priced and tasty as well.

The dishes here are inventive and as varied as can be. The chef is not afraid to use spice as he does in the Puy Chilli Enchilada or the Chilli & Brown Rice Bowl. Simpler dishes such as the Double Rainbow Sald come overflowing with veggies and more and are indeed a full meal in themselves. Sam loved his Halloumi & Leek Sausage Rigatoni although oddly it was the smallest dish of all the ones we ordered. One dish I wanted to try which got raves was the Coconut cream broth Laksa with "exquisitely sauced broth, thick ribbon noodles, roast pepper, tamari-roasted sweet potato, sugar snaps and more topped with fresh slaw, crunchy peanuts and sambal", again with a kicky spice. You just gotta love the descriptions!

I chose the Cauliflower, Sweet Potato & Artichoke Thermador Pancake which was a dosa-like crispy crepe filled with all the veggies in a white wine, cheddar cream sauce with celeriac remoulade, browned butter and capers which was a huge creation that was full of flavor and indeed a vegetarian delight.

Since we did not have starters there was indeed room for the fab desserts such as Sticky Toffee Pudding (mine was with custard!!); Vanilla Ice Cream with Butterscotch or the very different Stem Ginger and Lime Basque Cheesecake.

We loved it all and went home very full after a superb evening with dear friends.

The IVY ASIA in Leeds (UK) is luscious (9-2-26)

 Dining is Leeds is fun and there are many good choices. Our first night we returned to RBG (Restaurant Bar & Grill) with our entire local family and had lots of fun, but felt the prices had escalated and the food was no longer at the quality it was on many visits over the past several years.

Our second night took us to The Ivy Asia, located above the famed local version of The Ivy where we have been many times as well. Will loved the Ivy Asis on a previous trip and we fell in love this time as well. It is an intimate setting with super cozy booths surrounding a giant fake cherry tree trunk with 1/2 the ceiling made of flowering blossoms. the floor is a lit from the bottom geode/quartz mélange and the bar has adorable beaded fringed fish/dragon lamps. There are heavy silk curtains and gold leaf walls. This is the place to go for a great meal on a chilly night as they know how to spice up their food as well.

We ordered a bottle of Viognier Les Collines de Bourdic 2024 from Languedoc/Roussillon and it was clean and fresh with the spicy dips. Our server Mariam was very helpful with the wine choices as well as suggestion various dishes!

First came Edamame with yuzu salt and a super garlic and chilli dip; what a brilliant idea to give the edamame an extra umami! Wonton crisps and Poppadoms were okay with a Szeechuan dip. (all fotos on FB).

If you head to the loo, be sure to greet the oversized Samurai warrior who stands at the urninal and greets you with "konichiwa!"

Popcorn shrimp were crunchy and tasty and not over battered and came with a spicy mayo and lime dip. The Yellowtail Sashimi was perfectly sliced kingfish with a toszzu dressing & dry miso, but became a hit with the green chilli slices (serrano) and black truffle slices on top.

Sam enjoyed a Thai Singha beer with his Cucumber, Crunchy Asparagus and Avocado rolls with mizuna and Masago Arare(what's that?) and then had a yummy bowl of Chilli Noodles followed by Wok Fried Broccoli and Tofu with greens, broccoli, water spinach (bok choy), crispy tofu, Szechuan sauce and crispy shallots!

We adored our amazingly presented (video on FB) of Golden Aromatic Duck which was spice marinated shredded duck in a giant metal duck brought to the table with smoke billowing out. Steamed pancakes were thin to wrap it up with cucumber and spring onion with a perfect hoisin sauce! Our red was a brilliant Syrah from Gimblett Gravels "Craggy Range" 2021 in Hawkes Bay New Zealand where we had been just this past January and fell in love with their minerally rich wines.

Sam had mochi for dessert in multiple flavors, Will loved the Golden Monkey (another fab presentation) of Coconut sorbet with pineapple and passion fruit while I loved my Ube doughnuts of Filipino yam & coconut with a delish Kalamansi yoghurt dipping sauce.

Someone thought it was our anniversary so a small plate of mochi arrived with a chocolate medallion reading "Congratulations!" We loved it all from start to finish and would return in a flash.

The Ivy Asia has multiple locations now in the UK so look for it for fun and whimsy.

London's CAFE DECO is delish (8-11-26)

 We had only one night in London again this trip before boarding our cruise to Iceland and we were looking for something that offered vegetarian options as Samuel was with us. I remembered our wonderful dinner last year at the oh-so-casual CAFE DECO and booked it again for a return visit. This time was just as nice as we settled in to the very small space not far from the British Museum and only a 20-minute walk from our hotel. We were dining early at 6pm (jet lag for Sam coming from DC) and the place was pretty quiet. Tables filled up, but this place is so laid back it never gets noisy. It was also a very warm London evening and many folks were dining outside.

Vodka martinis were on the order made with a local UK vodka with an odd name that escapes me and Sam enjoyed a Melon Shrub, but later said the Cucumber & Lime Cordial was better. The menu is simple and we wanted to share some of the yummy starters and chose Fried Shishito & Goat Horn Peppers which were okay and Sam loved his rich creamy Celery Soup. The Green Bean Fritters with Mushroom Ketchup were a huge hit and are basically deep-fried battered green beans with an Asian style mushroom dipping sauce.

Marinated Summer Beetroots with Mustard Leaves in Herb Vinaigrette was a superb, refreshing salad. We ordered a fab bottle of Austrian rose called Revolution Pink Solera from Johannes Zillinger in Weinviertel made from Rosler, Syrah & Sankt Laurent grapes, and while UK prices for wines are sometimes a tad high, this was a great rare find.

The Braised Chicken with Girolles (Chanterelles), Sweetcorn and Bacon sounds so simple but was a wonderfully moist and juicy breast cooked to perfection.

Dessert was a Damson Curd Tart with Creme Fraiche which was really tasty and fresh as well with a very nice pastry crust to boot. We walked back home knowing we had a long day boarding our ship in Southampton coming, but felt our return to Cafe Deco was a delicious delight.