Oya

OYA
Penn Quarter
777 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202.393.1400

Restaurant Hours
Lunch: Mon – Fri 11:30 til 2:30
Dinner: Mon – Thu 5:00 til 10:00
Fri & Sat 5:00pm – 11:30pm
Sun – 5:00 til 9pm

Service: 10
Atmosphere: 11
Price: $$$


We really enjoyed this restaurant and would definitely go back. A last minute decision on a Tuesday, we headed into DC looking forward to great sushi and to walking around in the summer air afterward. We found an amazing atmosphere, with impressive service and a much more extensive menu than we had anticipated. Also, decent prices!

Oya is a sister restaurant to Sei (see review), and there is definitely a resemblance. Both have a low-lit lounge atmosphere, with white floor to ceiling, including the tables and chairs. I really like the fire along one of the walls, and waterfall on an opposite wall that was framed by rosebuds. Wow! Our waiter was great. The tables are close, but not too close. We sat at a booth/chair table close to other parties. We had some edamame to start with our drinks. A server came to empty our edamame shells before the bowl got too full. Not bad!

I was really impressed by the menu. Lots of sushi options (which people always talk about, so that's all I expected), but there is a lot more. They had a 3-course prix-fixe (only $29 and $21 before 6:30!). We had some spicy salmon tempura rolls, spicy crispy shrimp roll, traditional fish and chips on a bed of stir-fry veggies, molten lava chocolate cake (Juan insisted. Of course, he had two bites and I ended up eating the rest), and banana bread for dessert. Really impressive dessert menu, and I do speak from experience!

I saw some other fun dishes that I'd like to try next time, Grilled Cheese with goat cheese, Lobster mac and cheese, and Seafood Sliders! We definitely recommend Oya! Great food, different, fun, and decent prices!

CityZen

CityZen Restaurant

1330 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20024, USA

T: (202) 554 8588

Service: 12
Atmosphere: 10
Price: $$$$
Well, we finally got a reservation here! It seems almost impossible to get a reservation on the weekend, so we went on a Tuesday. Inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, close to the SW Waterfront, this restaurant will not disappoint. I can't say the atmosphere inside the restaurant was anything extraordinary, though it was very nice, but the service and food were great. We went at 6:30 and the restaurant was pretty empty, but by 7:30, it was full. Pretty impressive for a Tuesday night! The dining room is not large, probably seats around 100.

One thing we liked about CityZen was that the food was wonderful, but there was not too much of it. We left full, but not stuffed, which was great. The menu is impressive, but not overwhelming. Each menu is signed by the Chef, Eric Ziebold. There is an option for a 3 or 6-course prix-fixe menu ($75 and $110). We chose the 3-course menu and were very pleased. We enjoyed a wonderful sauteed asparagus in butter sauce and tempura softshell crab for our first courses. For our main courses, we had halibut and red snapper. A nice little extra was the box of tiny (1 inch) scrumptious, buttery, bread rolls! For dessert, we had the Boston Creme Pie Souffle and the Applewood Bacon Waffle with Huckleberries. Fabulous. Of note was the Cheese Trolley, probably 15 types of cheese selections brought to the table to choose from. That will be on the list for next time.

We really loved the personal touches at CityZen. It was Juan's birthday, which we told them ahead of time. Our waitress brought a card signed by the entire staff, as well as a complimentary dessert wine and some delicious petit-fours surrounding "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate script!

The kitchen at CityZen is impressive. It's interesting to see all the chefs lined up next to one another working diligently at their respective tasks.

All in all, this was a very memorable experience. Not only is CityZen a treat, but the Mandarin Oriental Hotel is beautiful as well. Do not miss the chance to walk around the lobby. It has a 'zen' feeling, with rocks and running water and a nice spa! Also, the staff is very nice and welcoming.

If you're looking for exquisite food, impeccable service, and a memorable experience, add this restaurant to your list!

Chez Francois

L'Auberge Chez Francois
332 Springvale Road
Great Falls, Virginia 22066

Reservations: 703-759-3800

www.laubergechezfrancois.com

Price: $$$$

Service: 12

Atmosphere:11

I took my girlfriend to Chez Francois for her birthday. We couldn't have been more pleased with every aspect of our experience.

The setting of the restaurant cannot go without being mentioned. It is in Great Falls, VA, tucked away from the craziness of DC, surrounded by trees. It is especially beautiful at sunset. We walked out on the patio a few times between courses and sat next to the fish pond to enjoy some wine. At night, the string lights on the patio are very romantic.

After our waiter kindly greeted us, we perused the menu while he brought out some pre-dinner drinks, which were exactly to our liking. We enjoyed an 8 course meal and can give one piece of advice-- pace yourself. We were pretty full by the time our entrees came. If you can, keep the bread to a minimum and only take a few bites of the soup and salad.

For our first course, I enjoyed a tuna tartar while my girlfriend had the French Onion Soup. Following our salads, we went out to the porch to enjoy the night air before going in for our main courses, which were exquisite. My girlfriend's angus ribeye looked amazing and my bass was scrumptious. Our entrees were followed by a cheese plate and then a special birthday dessert followed by more desserts (like I said, pace yourself). I had never experienced Baked Alaska before, and really enjoyed it--a hot, thin cake topped with fruit sorbet, and then a meringue. Crispy, sweet, and delicious.

You cannot go wrong with this restaurant. The food, service, and atmosphere were impeccable. The French tendency to insist upon perfection works very well in a restaurant.

Also interesting is the history of the restaurant. The French owner bought the original building back in the 40's and purchased the current location in the 70s. Now in his 90s, he still comes in daily. Some menu items are shipped in from France. It is evident that the restaurant's long history of success now allows the owner to focus intently on the customer experience. If you go, be sure to check out the menu from the 50s. Most items are around the $1 mark.

If you choose Chez Francois for your special occasion, rest assured you are in for treat. It can accommodate large and small parties. There was a larger group close to our table celebrating a couple's anniversary. Mark this one on your 'to-do' list and be sure to go hungry!

Idylwood Bar and Grill

2190 Pimmit Dr.
Falls Church, VA 22043
703-992-0915


Price $$
Service 6
Atmostphere 8

May 17, 2009

As a new resident in Falls Church it was hard to know good spots to eat . A friend of mine introduced me to Idylwood Bar and Grill which is located about 3 miles from where I live. For the first year I lived there I visited this place about 3 or four times and It was always a good experience.
After a year or so of not being there my girlfriend and I decided that it was time to visit again so on Sunday May 17th we headed out for dinner there. The owner who knows me immediately came over to greet me with a smile and a handshake. He always makes us feel special when we go there. He let us decide where to sit and immediately took our drink order.
Since we were the last couple who came in for the night we felt that we had to put our order in right away, though we did not feel rushed at all. I decided to order the Tuna steak with the fennel salad and wasabi sauce and my girlfriend had the lobster ravioli. For drinks I ordered a glass of Malbec and my girlfriend had a glass of Riesling which were both fantastic. We had the caramel flan and german chocolate cake for dessert. They were tasty but not as good as our entrees. Our server was efficient and there whenever we needed his assistance.
When the food came out I was amazed at how delicious it was. The tuna was perfectly cooked to medium rare and the sauces and setup were the perfect combination for this exquisite dish. My girlfriend’s ravioli was just as delicious. She couldn’t believe how much I loved my food. I cleaned my plate, which I rarely do. It was the perfect dinner for us because we were looking for something quick that it was close to home and at a decent price. I would recommend this place to anyone.
-Juan

Smith and Wollensky

4.23.09
After a few days of discussion all the management team decided that for the month of May we will all go for dinner at Smith and Wollensky Steak House. Since I am not a meat eater I was skeptical at first but after a phone call I made to the establishment I decided that they also had a good selection of seafood.
We stopped by to have drinks at DC coast then headed to the Restaurant, the reservation was made for 7:30. When we got there the Hostess/Manager recognized us and asked if we were from PassionFish at which we responded yes. She took us to our table a total of 8. First impression counts, because it was a cold day the patio was unset but in a very unorganized manner. I would think that since the patio is the first thing their guests are exposed to when they come in to the restaurant that management should pay a little bit more attention. There were chairs all aver the place and the side stations were scattered around the patio dining room.
When we all managed to sit down the server came in and greeted us, his demeanor wasn’t the way I had expected in this kind of establishment, he mumbled a lot and it seems like he was forgetting a lot of things which indicated to me a lack practice. He did mentioned to us his favorites dishes and introduced the the Prix-fixe menu. We ordered two bottles of wine for the table one red and one white.
I love the way they presented the wine. They bring these little cars and use them a surface as they are opening it.
We were getting ready to place our order, many of us had decided to go for the prix-fixe but to our surprise the server came in and mentioned that they were out of 2 different items form that specific menu. They had also ran out of certain a-la carte items so a lot of us had to go back and read the menu so we could order items which were available.
The place is just blend with no personality whatsoever. There is no music at all and the way it’s designed is like they had just thrown tables on the floor without giving it too much of a thought.
Our salads came in first, I ordered a onion and tomato salad, it is by far the most expensive salad I ever had. There was one tomato ring and an onion ring on the plate. There was no creativity and had I not been so hungry I would have sent it back. It came with balsamic vinegar on the side which seemed like they bought it in seven eleven. The whole thing was disgusting.
I ordered the crab cakes for entrees but they didn’t impress me either. Most of the steaks that my fellow co-workers ordered weren’t cooked the right way. It was very disappointing to say that least.
When desserts came in we did not have any silverware so we had to wait until the server noticed and brought us some.
I have been eating out for a few years and had very good and bad experiences. This is a restaurant that I will never go back and would not recommend to anyone.

Sei

Sei Restaurant & Lounge
444 7th Street, NW
Washington, DC

http://www.seirestaurant.com/

202-783-7007

2nd visit with PassionFish Managers!

On our second visit to Sei, we sat down for a full dinner. Our waiter was wonderful. We decided to let him choose 15 of the most popular dishes. He did a great job. We enjoyed a wonderful assortment of sashimi, nigiri, and traditional sushi, among them kobe beef rolls, and the popular fish and chips roll. We also loved the wasabi guacamole as an appetizer! What a nice variation! Tasty and not too hot. For fun, we tried a flight of sake, filtered and unfiltered. I didn't know sake could be served chilled. There was, of course, a fabulous selection of desserts--bread pudding, creme brulee, chocolate torte. We definitely recommend Sei. It was nice to see the restaurant with all the finishing touches--decorations, and the racy hologram photos of Japanese women, very creative and edgy! Thanks so much to our wonderful waiter and GM Aris Delgado for a very memorable evening.

Cuisine: Modern Asian
Price: $$
Service: 6
Atmosphere: 11

A brand new, fun, chic, sexy lounge with low lighting, white from floor to ceiling, a candle-lit infinity mirror at the sushi bar, and corsets lacing the menus and chairs. We intended to stop here for a drink before heading to dinner, but ended up staying all night.

A great meeting place for friends, or for an intimate first date, Sei offers fabulous sushi ("fish and chips" roll is a novel highlight), tasty drinks (highly recommend the white pear sangria (General Manager Aris Delgado's own recipe)), an extensive Sake selection (6 pages on the menu), and scrumptious desserts (the sorbets and creme brulee were 2 of our favorites). The lounge offers 4-tops, bar-seating, and a rounded booth with low tables and stools for larger parties.

This new lounge is ideal for pre or post concert plans with it's close vicinity to the Verizon Center (only 1 block away). If you're looking for a different, exciting destination for fun with friends, family, or a loved one, stop into Sei for innovative food, drinks, and atmosphere.

Marcel's

Marcel's
2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20037
202-296-1166
http://www.marcelsdc.com/

Map

Food: 11
Atmosphere: 9
Service: 12
$$$$
Cuisine: French

Marcel's stands out when compared to any other dining experience for me. Juan and I went with his PassionFish Restaurant management team. A special menu was prepared for us. We enjoyed champagne before we sat down, and a nice red and white during dinner. We had a 5 course meal. It was nice having the personalized menu in front of us so we knew what to look forward to. The 3 wine glasses plus a water glass for each person was impressive.

The service was superior. There was a team of 5-6 waiters attending to us. This is part of the treat when dining at Marcel's. What I really liked was the elegance combined with a friendly and comfortable air amongst all the staff. This is rare with fine dining. While it is always nice to treat oneself to a nice meal at a fancy restaurant, the atmosphere can leave the guest feeling a bit tense. This was not the case at Marcel's. The service was fine tuned and friendly.

The food was also superb. We enjoyed scallops, savory steak, cheese and apple, and a fabulous chocolate torte for dessert.

Marcel's is highly recommended for top-notch service and amazing food to celebrate a special occasion or simply to treat yourself.

Sea Pearl

8191 Strawberry Lane Suite 2
Falls Church, VA 22042

703-372-5161

www.seapearlrestaurant.com

Cuisine: Contemporary American with California Accent
Price: $$$
Ratings:
Food: 11
Service: 11
Atmosphere: 9

This restaurant is just down the road from us. If it weren't a bit pricy, we would go more often! We went for brunch, which we highly recommend. The food and service made this restaurant memorable. If you like a cocktail with brunch, the passion fruit mimosa is a great choice. The Crab Cake Eggs Benedict, Banana Stuffed French Toast, and Lavender Honey French Toast were all wonderful.

The atmosphere can be described as modern, clean, and minimalist. The bar is unique with its wavy contour. The pearl shell ceiling decorations are a nice touch.

We can only speak for the brunch menu, but if it's indicative of the other menus, you're in for a treat for lunch and dinner as well. This is a welcomed addition to Falls Church!

Los Tios Grill

2615 Mount Vernon Avenue

Alexandria, VA 22301
(703) 299-9290
http://www.lostiosgrill.com/

Cuisine: Tex Mex Salvadorean
Price: $$
Ratings:
Food--9
Service--9
Atmosphere--9





This restaurant offers a very comfortable atmosphere with a Mexican restaurant feel (low lighting, colorful paintings, neon beer signs in the bar). What really stands out is the friendly service at the bar and in the dining room. The Tex-Mex-Salvadorean cuisine offers a variety of choices. For fish lovers, a whole fish is on the menu (the Mujarra Frita). Juan loved it! It brought him back to El Salvador. Another favorite of ours was the garlic shrimp appetizer. The sauce was to die for. The homemade chips and salsa will tide you over until your order is taken, which won't take long. Also worth noting are the margaritas. They're huge! I practically couldn't see Juan over his. The "matrimonio" margarita is a must-have for tart margarita-lovers. I also liked seeing the deep fried ice cream dessert. I haven't seen that on a menu since I was a kid.


We highly recommend this neighborhood favorite. It's great for a weekend meal, or for a quick bite out during the week.Another highlight is patio seating in the summer!