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The countercyclical asset, northern Virginia edition
It is Little Seoul, mostly in Annandale, spilling over into West Alexandria. The number of innovative Korean restaurants continues to increase and they are usually crowded. I love the new place devoted to the many forms of Korean porridge. Seoul Gool Dae Gee Honey Pig on Columbia Pike has the best decor (and the pork neck) around. TodamSoonDooBoo (also known as Tofu House, next to the Giant, straddling 236 and Columbia Pike) has dumpling soup and tofu. The two branches of Shilla Bakery and Le Matin de Paris give Virginia a cafe scene. Much of my eating out is now Korean or in the new Vietnamese places in the Western Saigon interior branch of the Eden Center; either that or Ray's Hell-Burger, Hong Kong Palace, Thai X-ing, or the now-reopened Nava Thai, right next door to the shuttered old branch.
Annandale used to be a nice appendage to the peak places to eat. Now it's the epicenter, the main culinary show, and also the coolest place to hang out.
Addendum: Here is a good article, which mentions Korean food as the next trend to come. Let's hope not.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on February 27, 2009 at 05:18 AM in Food and Drink | Permalink
Comments
I think Korean food will work better in fusion? I struggled a great deal with the innumerable Korean places in Sydney, but the Korean food in Japan was a revelation. I assume this is because the latter compromised to suit the tastes of a bland-food loving country (ok, subtle taste loving). The former, made predominately for Korean Australians, tended to overplay a more limited number of culinary notes. Probably the inevitable fusion will improve it. I would argue that for all national cuisine though..
Whereas Vietnamese is invariably good, even when cooking Emu.
Posted by: Richard Green at Feb 27, 2009 5:50:19 AM
Weird, I would have said Korean food was three or four trends ago....
Posted by: Sol at Feb 27, 2009 6:48:45 AM
Also posted on TCEDG
Posted by: chug at Feb 27, 2009 7:51:21 AM
Lately, Tofu House has been my go to place for Soon Doo-Boo. The fish one comes with a whole fried fish to add in as you see fit, in addition to the usual egg and selection of pickled vegetables. So much food, so good, so cheap.
Posted by: db at Feb 27, 2009 8:42:31 AM
Having so many Korean places so nearby is one nice thing about living in Northern Virginia. Han Sung Oak is the one we go to most frequently, followed by Ju Mak Jib. I owe Tyler some thanks for reviewing the later in his guide.
Posted by: Josh Pinkston at Feb 27, 2009 9:48:23 AM
"The two branches of Shilla Bakery and Le Matin de Paris give Virginia a cafe scene." A veritable rib-tickler.
Posted by: dearieme at Feb 27, 2009 10:22:52 AM
I am planning to change my hairdresser from a Frenchman in DC to a Korean woman next door to the porridge place.
Posted by: Yan Li at Feb 27, 2009 11:57:26 AM
My favorite is Yechon, on Hummer Rd. right behind the 7-11 on Little River near the Beltway. It is both comfortably elegant and open 24 hours, which is an odd combination to me. Koreans are usually in the majority there.
Posted by: Rimfax at Feb 27, 2009 12:38:52 PM
Can anyone tell me were Nava Thai is?
Posted by: josh at Feb 27, 2009 12:46:06 PM
I went to Annandale High School so I'm getting a kick out of this.
Posted by: Economic Geography at Feb 27, 2009 1:03:36 PM
Nava Thai
http://www.tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/2008/09/nava_thai.php
Posted by: at Feb 27, 2009 9:52:02 PM
Downtown San José, California became home to many "new Vietnamese places" beginning in the 1980s and ever since then I've been saying that the first Vietnamese restauranteur who figured out that other Americans prefer eating at places that are clean could start a chain and become a billionaire. Any hope of seeing a billionaire arise from Eden Center's Western Saigon?
Posted by: Pho America at Mar 7, 2009 6:06:34 PM
Posted by: 投影機 at Apr 23, 2009 10:52:01 PM
Posted by: 室內設計 at Apr 23, 2009 11:12:24 PM
Posted by: 催情性藥品 at Aug 16, 2009 11:07:33 PM
