For our November meal, in anticipation of the holiday season ahead, including a December month that would involve both a birthday and a very important FDP anniversary, we decided to search for something cheap and casual. Fun was also key, of course, and somehow the idea of dim sum brunch got came up as a potential solution to our needs. We consulted our imaginary boyfriend Tom Sietsema (food writer of the WaPost and unwitting soulmate of the FDPs) and found mention of a tiny Chinese spot in Annandale that he enjoyed. Its name was A&J Restaurant and it boasted small plates, dim sum all day, and foot-long, deep-fried breadsticks. Sold!
On a sunny November morning, the FDPs made the trek out to Annandale (a mecca for all foods Asian, see Honey Pig blog for further details of this delicious neighborhood). A&J is indeed tiny and tucked away in a building that also holds a Chinese grocery store, bakery, and video store. Blink and you’d miss it, although the gentleman selling dim sum treats out of a truck in the front parking lot was a sure sign we were in the right place. Once inside the small, simple restaurant, we were seated fairly quickly with no reservation (they don’t accept them) after a brief delay caused by our need to fetch cash (they also don’t accept plastic). When we were finally settled, we were presented with menus. Unlike many dim sum experiences, at A&J, you circle your choices (sushi-style) instead of ordering from a chart. Luckily, they provide descriptions next to the items so there is no guessing involved. A&J does not serve alcohol, so we sipped tea as we perused the extensive menu. We started with the breadsticks, which are pretty much just as described, not terribly exciting but enough to satiate us while we waited for the rest of our dishes. The wait was very short, though, and in a manner of minutes, plates began arriving. We started with a dish billed as “smoked chicken” which quickly earned raves from the table for its incredible juiciness and intense smoky flavor. We also began with a light seaweed and bean sprout salad in a garlic and vinegar sauce and a lightly crispy scallion pancake, which was delicious in its own right but also added a nice texture variation from the other dishes on the table. These were followed by fried pork potstickers, steamed pork buns, and steamed veggie dumplings. The steamed items were certainly tasty, but (no surprise) the fried potstickers pleased us the most, with the yummy crispy outside giving way to tender, juicy pork inside. Delicious! Finally, we tried the “5-Spice Spareribs” which come in a clay pot and are literally smothered in a spice rub that is quite intense, at once both sweet and slightly smoky. It was a bit hard to find the meat under all of the rub, and you had to be careful to chew around the bone, but the FDPs aren’t afraid to work for our food. Finally, we ordered one last dish—a “sweet” to finish. We ordered buns with a red bean and pine nut paste in the middle, which were full of flavor but not sugary, and just sweet enough to finish the meal.
We know that you must be reading all of this and thinking, but oh! All that food! The bill! As we leaned back from the table, bellies full and very content, we awaited the damage. Imagine our joy when our bill came and we realized that (including tax and tip) this veritable feast came to $11 a person! We exulted over our successful discovery of a ridiculously affordable and delicious meal. While reaching this destination certainly requires a trek outside of the city, and you have to be sure to bring cash and check your hankering for a mimosa at the door, for an authentic and inexpensive Chinese brunch without much (ok, any) fanfare, the FDPs give A&J three oinks.
On a sunny November morning, the FDPs made the trek out to Annandale (a mecca for all foods Asian, see Honey Pig blog for further details of this delicious neighborhood). A&J is indeed tiny and tucked away in a building that also holds a Chinese grocery store, bakery, and video store. Blink and you’d miss it, although the gentleman selling dim sum treats out of a truck in the front parking lot was a sure sign we were in the right place. Once inside the small, simple restaurant, we were seated fairly quickly with no reservation (they don’t accept them) after a brief delay caused by our need to fetch cash (they also don’t accept plastic). When we were finally settled, we were presented with menus. Unlike many dim sum experiences, at A&J, you circle your choices (sushi-style) instead of ordering from a chart. Luckily, they provide descriptions next to the items so there is no guessing involved. A&J does not serve alcohol, so we sipped tea as we perused the extensive menu. We started with the breadsticks, which are pretty much just as described, not terribly exciting but enough to satiate us while we waited for the rest of our dishes. The wait was very short, though, and in a manner of minutes, plates began arriving. We started with a dish billed as “smoked chicken” which quickly earned raves from the table for its incredible juiciness and intense smoky flavor. We also began with a light seaweed and bean sprout salad in a garlic and vinegar sauce and a lightly crispy scallion pancake, which was delicious in its own right but also added a nice texture variation from the other dishes on the table. These were followed by fried pork potstickers, steamed pork buns, and steamed veggie dumplings. The steamed items were certainly tasty, but (no surprise) the fried potstickers pleased us the most, with the yummy crispy outside giving way to tender, juicy pork inside. Delicious! Finally, we tried the “5-Spice Spareribs” which come in a clay pot and are literally smothered in a spice rub that is quite intense, at once both sweet and slightly smoky. It was a bit hard to find the meat under all of the rub, and you had to be careful to chew around the bone, but the FDPs aren’t afraid to work for our food. Finally, we ordered one last dish—a “sweet” to finish. We ordered buns with a red bean and pine nut paste in the middle, which were full of flavor but not sugary, and just sweet enough to finish the meal.
We know that you must be reading all of this and thinking, but oh! All that food! The bill! As we leaned back from the table, bellies full and very content, we awaited the damage. Imagine our joy when our bill came and we realized that (including tax and tip) this veritable feast came to $11 a person! We exulted over our successful discovery of a ridiculously affordable and delicious meal. While reaching this destination certainly requires a trek outside of the city, and you have to be sure to bring cash and check your hankering for a mimosa at the door, for an authentic and inexpensive Chinese brunch without much (ok, any) fanfare, the FDPs give A&J three oinks.
1 comment:
sounds pretty yummy. fried breadsticks, huh? i have never had dim sum. maybe next time I am visiting Kate in DC we will have to make the trek. my stomach is grumbling just thinking about it. thanks for the witty review!
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