Area Round-Up

Good afternoon, everybody!

Just a couple of updates in the world of food from our area.

• Elevation Burger is now open in Wheaton Mall. It’s located next to Panera. I’m yet to try Elevation Burger, but I have heard mixed reviews. I’m sure I’ll get over to the mall to try it out soon.
• DCsocialite is reporting that the Arlington location of Pollo Rico is now taking credit cards. No mention of the Wheaton location. I’m interested to hear if they are now taking cards in Wheaton. The story is here.
• Wheaton Patch recently reviewed Nut House Pizza. Never tried it myself. The review is here.
• Tom Sietsema really enjoyed his meal at Fishnet, the new seafood restaurant in College Park. The review is here.
• Eatin’ in Wheaton contemplates ordering chicken feet.
• The Ecclesiastical Revue enjoyed the bánh mì at Saigonese.
• Congee is good for the soul. Or so says Janet Yu, the owner of Hollywood East. Read the article here.
• Speaking of soup, Hôpital Sacré Coeur shares a recipe for Jouwoumou, a Haitian soup that is traditionally served on New Years Day. One of the ingredients is a tropical squash that can be found at HanHnReyn Asian Market in Silver Spring. The link is here.
• Rockville Spoons checked out the Great Wall Supermarket in Rockville, located where Jeepers used to be on Rockville Pike. The link is here.
• Earlier this week, I went to the open house at Beers and Cheers in Germantown. They were offering 20% off of everything in the store, and were having beer and wine tastings. This was a great event and there were a lot of people there. I was able to try the Sam Adams Double IPA which was delicious.
• I had a craving for tacos yesterday, and was in the Arlington area. I drove past El Chilango but did not have any cash and there is nowhere nearby that is convenient to take out any money. I drove to El Charrito Caminante and they were closed. I didn’t realize they are not open on Tuesdays. I ended up ordering food at Chevy’s this week, which I hadn’t done in a long time. I ordered the Chevy’s Super Cinco which included one chicken enchilada, one beef enchilada, a beef crispy taco, a hand rolled pork tamale, and a hand battered chile relleno. Chevy’s food is not worth screaming from the rooftops, but it’s not too bad when you get the craving for Mexican food. We played an order for carryout, and they were very prompt about bringing me my food when I arrived. This is not my go-to choice, but I’m glad it’s there.

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Back to Wheaton

When we came back from vacation, we headed straight into the hurricane and were without power for a couple days. Therefore, we ate out at a lot of restaurants.

The first night, I took my parents to Mi La Cay. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Wheaton. I had a craving for a huge bowl of pho. You can order the small bowl and be more then satisfied. The pho was fantastic as usual. My dad ordered the vegetarian version and he was very happy with it. My mom ordered the grilled lemongrass chicken and she also really liked her meal. My parents could not believe how cheap and good the meal was. If you have not checked this place out, do yourself a favor and stop in.

The next day, I went to Szechuan Palace in Silver Spring.

I was feeling unadventurous, so I ordered the General Tso’s chicken. I had been there a few years ago and ordered it and I remembered liking it.

Pros: There was a LOT of food
Cons: It didn’t taste all that great.

The chicken was slightly rubbery and I didn’t like the flavor of the chicken. I’d be willing to go back, but I would definitely order something different.

That night, I picked up carryout from Nava Thai. I ordered the panang curry, extra spicy. The food was great, and I now my family will continue to frequent Nava Thai.

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Pho House

One of my go-to’s for lunch in Germantown is Pho House, located next to Lotte Plaza.

When I first started working in this area, I began exploring different options and quickly fell in love with Pho House. The first time I went, I had a hilarious experience because I ordered pho to-go. I quickly learned that pho is not an ideal to-go meal, especially because my lunch break is only 30 minutes.

I ended up sitting in my car trying to put all of the ingredients in the broth and spilling it all over myself. Lesson learned! However, the pho was delicious. I didn’t even care that I spilled it all over myself.

The next time I went, I decided to order something more appropriate for a quick lunch break. I ordered the grilled chicken with vermicelli noodles. It comes with lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, carrots, green scallions, peanuts and fish sauce on the side. This dish was absolutely delicious.

I also quickly discovered that they have banh mi sandwiches. My favorite is the house special, which is a cold cut sub. The sandwiches come with homemade mayo, pate, pickled strips of carrots and daikons, onions, cucumbers, cilantros, and jalapeño peppers. Two of these subs can fill me up, and anyone who reads this blog knows I like to eat. If you buy five, you get one free.

I need to come back when I’m not in a rush, but I love this place and will continue to frequent it because of the friendly staff and good food.

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Mi La Cay

Located in the old location of Nava Thai sits the best Vietnamese restaurant in Wheaton.

It’s directly behind Hung Phat, the Vietnamese market, which is equally as delicious.
I’ve been there twice, now.

The first time, I ordered a large bowl of pho.

This is without a doubt the best pho in Wheaton. My ranking would probably be:

1. Mi La Cay
2. Pho Hiep-Hoa Restaurant
3. Saigonese

Not only is the staff more then friendly and the food delicious, but the prices are CHEAP! A big bowl of pho will cost you 2-3 bucks less then most places.

The restaurant itself is very quaint and unassuming. I really like the environment here. You feel like you are getting a really good home cooked meal.

The second time that I went I tried the combo rice. For around $8.00, you get white rice and a salad with a choice of three meats. I got the lemongrass chicken, grilled pork, and beef wrapped in grape leaves. I topped it off with some sriracha and it was absolutely delicious. We also got an order of summer rolls, which are filled with shrimp, pork, veggies, and vermicelli noodles. They come with a peanut dipping sauce.

I will definitely be back for more. Amazing food, friendly staff, and great prices.

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