Bulgogi Cart - Washington, DC

I've been on a Korean food kick for awhile, so I ventured down to McPherson Sq. to the Bulgogi Cart.  I was hoping for a vegetarian version, but they only had chicken or beef.  So I got the spicy chicken Bimbimbap with egg on top.  The chicken was ridiculously spicy but had nice flavor.  The kimchi tasted good also.  It was hard to mix in the styrofoam container.  But it was very good.  The lettuce on the bottom was wilted by the time I got back.  Overall, I like this one better than at the Oak Street Cafe, because you got more meat and the kimchi was better.  They also had kimchi and bulgogi kimbap which I will try next time.

Tian Chinese - Centreville, Va

I'm glad the Koreans have moved to Centreville, because now I don't have to drive to Annadale for good Korean food.  This is really a Korean restaurant that serves Korean-Chinese food.  I ordered the Champong, which is a spicy seafood noodle soup.  It was the biggest bowl of noodle soup I have ever seen.  There was a good amount of seafood.  Although only one huge clam, and two large mussels.  There was squid and shrimp also.  There was a lot of nappa cabbage in the soup.  They didn't ask me how spicy I would like it, and it was very spicy.  The noodles were good, they had a nice chewy texture.  The broth was also very flavorful.  Overall, I really enjoyed this meal and will definitely be back.

Lighthouse Tofu - Centreville, Va

I just found out this place opened in Centreville.  I used to have to go all the way to Annadale to get the great Tofu soup.  I ordered the seafood Soon Dubu.  It came with several sides which were all good.  I ordered a medium spicy, which was a little milder than I would have like, but it was a great meal of Tofu soup.  The clientele was all hard core Korean.  However the service was very good.  I really enjoyed this meal and will be coming back.

Oak Street Cafe - Arlington, Va

So I went back to the Korean cafe to get the Soondubu.  The owners were waiting for me when I got there.  It took awhile for them to prepare it, but not a big deal.  Overall the Soondubu was good.  It seemed like it could have used a little more flavor and definitely more spiciness.  I suppose they did not make a seafood based stock and it was just water.  They added an egg, which I didn't really like because it was cooked by the time I got back to the office.  The kimchi was also good, but could have been spicier also.  Overall, it was a good meal.  I would get it again, but probably not every week.

Oak Street Cafe - Arlington, VA

I noticed that this deli had a special of Bimbimbap.  So I figured I would try it out.  It was actually very good.  Everything was fresh and authentic.  I even got a slice of orange to go.  Since this is a Korean owned deli, it's natural for them to serve Korean food.  I was surprised by the number of people who got the Bimbimbap and Bulgogi.  I talked to the owner and they said they would even make Soondubu on Tuesday.  So I'll have to come back.

Sopoong - Chantilly, Va

This is a little hole in the wall restaurant located next to the new Lotte in Chantilly. I ordered the Haemul Soon Tofu. It came with several dishes of panchan, which were very good and fresh. The Soon Tofu was very good. There was small amounts of seafood, but the tofu and broth were very good. Overall, I really liked this restaurant. It had a lunch menu which was very inexpensive.

Yil Mi - Chantilly, Va

This is an all you can eat korean restaurant with barbeque. They also have all you can eat sushi. The sushi is decent for a buffet. Even better than some sushi buffet places. The Korean barbeque is very good. The waitresses will cook the food for you. There is a section of prepared korean food, which is ok. I actually like the spicy beef soup. There is some kimchi and other panchan. Then they have fresh fruit and ice cream for dessert. I like the food here. It is a little pricey for lunch, but the food is good and you will be full when you leave.

14015 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy
Chantilly, VA

Shanghai - Lotte Plaza - Chantilly, Va

I decided to have some Korean noodles today for lunch. I got the ja ja myun - jam pong combo. The noodles used for both dishes were the same. They were pretty good, nice and chewy. The broth for the jam pong was a little strong. It had a little too strong seafood flavor. The soup had a lot of squid, a little shrimp and mussels. The ja ja myun, was mostly noodles with sauce and a little pork and potatoes. Overall this dish was pretty good. I'll probably try to find a different place which is a little better.

13955 Metrotech Dr.
Chantilly, VA 20151

Hwang's Restaurant - Centreville, Va

I took a chance trying this restaurant, as all the signs in the window were in Korean. But as soon as I got the menu I noticed they had a bunch of lunch specials for $5.99. I was the only person in the restaurant the whole time I was there. I got the Soondubu. I came out pretty quickly with panchan. The first thing I noticed was the rice was purple. I'm not sure exactly what that was, but didn't taste much different from white rice. The soondubu bowl looked a little small, but after eating it turned out to be the perfect size. The broth was very good, the tofu was good, but the amount of seafood was a little skimpy. One large shrimp and a few small pieces of squid. Overall the meal was very good, especially for $5.99. I would probably come back if I could handle the waiter not saying a word to me.