Food Journals: February 2018

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGGGHHHH!
That was a deafening scream FYI. It comes off pretty naturally since I was being pulled in all kinds of directions while juggling with kitchen duties. A sewage line was being replaced, a tree being taken down, and new tenants being accommodated while I took requests from family on what to cook. Some homestyle, old favorites simmered in my pots and pans, and a couple of new eateries were discovered while dining with friends and family.

The family experimented with an Arabian intervention to our dining out events this month. Aldeerah Saudi Cuisine in Virginia was our pick. I liked it for the delicious desserts and Chai. The low-on-spices dinner fare did not please my Pakistani palette. The restaurant theme was Saudi style; there was even a floor seating lounge, and it brought back Hajj memories for me from 2016. Our travel group had served five star Saudi courses (lunch and dinner) and not all of it was weak in spices. But the overall Saudi cuisine is not as hot and bold for the Pakistani spicy, flavors.

The advertised star dishes - Harees and Shawerma - were not available. The family settled for Lentil Soup, Lamb Kabsa (they'd ran out of chicken), Qursam (please pass me the Sheikh Salt and Sheikha Pepper!), and appetizers: Falafel and Sambousa. Appetizers did not disappoint. Desserts Muhallabiya and Basbousa were delicious! But the food ... it was pretty much like what Jack Dawson experienced at the First Class banquet on board the Titanic. Big show, limited taste.

Eat of the month is definitely the lunch buffet we experienced at Sapphire Tysons. The Indian menu was good! There was variety to that Sunday brunch. Vegetable biryani, zeera rice, Kadhi Pakora, chicken tikka, puri, curries ... these were some of my favorites! Desserts were mango mousse and sooji halwa. For me, the ambience and the atmosphere of the eatery matters as much as the menu itself. Buffets are always a treat, provided the food is fresh, has variety, and taste! Sapphire works for me!