Mandalay...hot stuff!

Mandalay Restaurant 930 Bonifant St., Silver Spring MD 20910

http://mandalayrestaurantcafe.com/

11.2.11

 Mandalay is a restaurant that started in College Park, MD many years ago. 

Those of you who went to UMD may remember it.  They are known for S.E. Asian cuisine.  The unfortunate thing about my trip to Mandalay was that I was by myself, so I didn't have anyone to order something different and share!  They have a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes as well as non.

 Jesus Saves.  Buddha apparently is environmentally conscious.  I like the fact that they use a CF bulb in their offering.

 I started out with a Iced Myanmar Coffee.  It was the pre-sweetened variety with condensed milk.  I'll take that for $2.95 over a Starbucks any day.

This is the Mandalay Tofu.  It's served at room temperature, but the spice is enough to light you up.  I really enjoyed the flavor.  It's lightly fried, then chilled, and tossed with a lemon-soy dressing and sesame seeds.  This is a vegan dish with tons of flavor and good texture.  By the time I finished I was sweating and my nose was running.  Just the way I like it.

I look forward to going back and trying some varied dishes.  If you stop in, report back and let me know how you liked it!  I look forward to your comments.

District Taco...sounds better than Northern Virginia Taco, doesn't it?

District Taco 5723 Lee Highway, Arlington VA 10.30.11

You never know what you're going to get when you stop into a local taco joint in NoVa.  Sometimes you get lucky.  This was one of those times.

 I like the fixin's bar.  Everything was fresh and nicely prepared.  I didn't catch a hint of canned anything.  Always nice when you get fresh chopped jalapenos and spicy salsa at no extra charge.

 The menu is simple, but varied.  I want to come back and try the Huevos Rancheros.  A friend of mine had them.  He said they were fiery and kept him sweating for a while after he finished.  I'll be back to give them a shot.

 I ended up with a Burrito Mojado with pork.  It was spicy enough to make it interesting, but naturally I slathered it with their hot home-made salsa after I took this picture.  The decor is sparse, and the music is varied, but definitely Mexican.

 Nicely chopped.  Obviously not coming from a can.

 You can get Cerveza!  Ice cold.

 This is one of my favorite trends in the local fast-casual scene.  Boyland's Soda Machines.  I don't know about you, but real Birch Beer takes me back to days of $.25 bottles out of a machine.

Recycled napkins?  Check.  Compostable food containers?  Check.  Free Wifi?  Check.  Supporting other local merchants like M.E. Swing Coffee?  Two points for that one.

All-in-all, a nice concept with good food.  I think these folks will be rolling out a few more and I hope they jump the river over into my neck of the woods.  Until then, looks like I'll have to cross over to try the Huevos.  See you soon guys.