By new restuarants I don't mean restaurants that have just opened, I mean restaurants that I've never been to before. I tend to go back to the same restaurants that I like rather than branching out and trying new things - and since I live in Bethesda, a city that has more restaurants per square mile than any other city in the U.S., it makes no sense for me not to try something new now and then!
So for my Day Zero Project, #97 is to try 10 restaurants I've never been to before in my city. I have plenty to choose from, but the first one ended up being chosen for me when I went out to lunch over the weekend with my wonderful Aunt! She wanted to go back to a place she'd been to before, and liked, Raku.
Located in the heart of downtown "new" Bethesda, I've walked by this restaurant many times but never ventured in. Maybe it's the outlandish name. Maybe it's the fact that I get distracted by the Barnes & Noble next to it. Maybe it's that Raku's speciality is sushi and I don't eat fish, much less raw fish.
Well I can't tell you what their sushi is like and neither can my Aunt because we didn't get any. But I'm glad that we went in. The decor is Asian inspired and simple, the seating for tables of two is a little tight but we didn't mind, and the food is tasty. And some things are just amusing, if you get pleasure out of simple things like me, such as the tiny tea pot filled with soy sauce. I thought it was cute.
We both ordered soups, although the first thing that comes is a salad. Simple lettuce and carrot shavings with a tangy ginger dressing that packed a flavorful punch, it was a nice way to start the meal.
My Aunt got Tofu Coconut Red Curry Soup with Wheat noodles:
which, if you can't tell from the color, has got some spice to it! Way too spicy for me, unfortunately. I did try a bite and it was incredibly flavorful and delicious, but it set the top of my mouth and throat to a slow burn. I'm a pretty big wuss when it comes to spicy things though, and she had no problem with it at all.
I got the Chicken Tokyo Dashi Broth soup with egg noodles:
If I remember correctly from listening to Chef Hubby talk about his day working in the kitchen, Dashi broth is a kind of broth made from seaweed. Very nutritious! Sadly not as flavorful as the curry soup, but still pretty tasty. That colorful tangle on top were dried noodles which gave it a nice little crunch.
One thing of note: These are some very large soup portions. My Aunt and I both took home at least half of our meals because we were way too full to eat all of it, so not the best choice if you're planning on walking around afterwards! However, it was a nice light lunch, very delicious, and I definitely want to go back!
I saw other customers eating their food out of these decorated, segmented boxes and I want to try to order one of those!
So for my Day Zero Project, #97 is to try 10 restaurants I've never been to before in my city. I have plenty to choose from, but the first one ended up being chosen for me when I went out to lunch over the weekend with my wonderful Aunt! She wanted to go back to a place she'd been to before, and liked, Raku.
Located in the heart of downtown "new" Bethesda, I've walked by this restaurant many times but never ventured in. Maybe it's the outlandish name. Maybe it's the fact that I get distracted by the Barnes & Noble next to it. Maybe it's that Raku's speciality is sushi and I don't eat fish, much less raw fish.
Well I can't tell you what their sushi is like and neither can my Aunt because we didn't get any. But I'm glad that we went in. The decor is Asian inspired and simple, the seating for tables of two is a little tight but we didn't mind, and the food is tasty. And some things are just amusing, if you get pleasure out of simple things like me, such as the tiny tea pot filled with soy sauce. I thought it was cute.
I got the Chicken Tokyo Dashi Broth soup with egg noodles:
One thing of note: These are some very large soup portions. My Aunt and I both took home at least half of our meals because we were way too full to eat all of it, so not the best choice if you're planning on walking around afterwards! However, it was a nice light lunch, very delicious, and I definitely want to go back!
I saw other customers eating their food out of these decorated, segmented boxes and I want to try to order one of those!
you don't like sushi??! you're a crazy woman! H and I eat sushi allllllll the time. But only the cooked things. Like spicy crab rolls (that aren't really spicy) or shrimp rolls. You should try them sometime!
ReplyDeleteI think the boxes you are referring to are Bento boxes? They're usually good, but have an array of things in them and I don't think you can substitute anything. Definitely a neat little lunch "box" though!