Thai Peppers in Bristow, VA is a favorite restaurant that my wife and I frequent. We try to make it at least once per week, sometimes two if budget allows. This is a restaurant that qualifies as a "foodie favorite", not only because the food is incredible, but because you can see that they strive for a combination of high quality, creativity, and tradition in every area of their cuisine and business.
Ambiance: TP's has a very intentional combination of modern style and hints of tradition. The decor is very welcoming, relaxing and the mood is very low-key, even when the place is packed. We like to sit in a booth, because their booths are extremely comfortable, but we'd never turn down a 4-top with chairs.
Service: The staff are 100% focused on making sure that guests feel like they are at home. We have been frequenting Thai Pepper for over a year since they opened, and we are always taken care of. Orders are taken quickly, beverages arrive quickly and are refilled before glasses are empty. The food arrives quickly, and is always hot and freshly prepared.
Cuisine: The food at Thai Peppers ranges from traditional Thai food to Asian fusion, offering a few dishes for those who might be new to Thai Food and need something familiar to dip their toe in the water. TP's offers an extensive menu of appetizers and entrees, Thai salads, Chef's Specialties, and Desserts. They also offer limited-run specials that are literally get-em'-while-you-can.
My wife and I have our faves at TP's, but we have also branched out and tried new things. Some of our appetizer faves include Steamed Dumplings and Curry Puffs (a must-have.) Entree faves include their variety of amazing curry, noodles, rice. Pad Thai is probably the most well-known signature dish of Thai restaurants - Thai Pepper's is the best I've ever had.
A recent Chef's Specialty that I've really enjoyed is the Triple Flavor Filet, which is a fresh Tilapia, batter-fried with an authentic Triple Flavor sauce, sort of a sweet-sour-spicy sauce with a nice heat to it, served with jasmine rice. Also notable is the stunning and unique Clay Pot Shrimp, which is fresh jumbo shrimp sauteed with crystal noodles, vegetables, roasted garlic in an savory brown soy sauce. The flavor profile on these 2 dishes are multi-layered, complex, and delicious.
Cost-effective: Thai Pepper is reasonably priced and worth every penny, but I do hope to visit during the week sometime to enjoy a lower-priced lunch menu!
Overall Score: 5/5. I didn't even get to describe everything my wife and I have tried at Thai Pepper, but every aspect of the service and cuisine is based on consistent excellence. For example: A couple weeks ago, we visited on an evening where they were experiencing technical difficulties in the kitchen, and were unable to offer any deep-fried items. The staff let the guests know as soon as they were seated. By the taste of the food we ordered, you would have never known there was anything wrong. At a table close by, I watched an irate customer berate one of the wait staff - I know, inappropriate! Did the waitress break a sweat? Not a chance! She offered the guests what was available, with a smile. Everything continued to flow out of the kitchen without fail.
Return Visit: As much as humanly possible.
Excellence. Amazing standards. Creative approach to cuisine with time-tested standards. Visit Thai Peppers as soon as you can.
Food Muser
http://foodmuser.blogspo…
Monday, July 16, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Mojitos & Tapas Bar & Grill
Today, my wife, sister and I went to visit Mojitos & Tapas Restaurant & Bar in Warrenton, VA. We were looking for a "foodie" kind of place, and after a search on my phone, I came across it on http://Foodio54.com, who had great things to say about it.
Ambiance: Mood and decor were great, it had an "outdoor seating in Cuba" kind of vibe. The music was pretty cool, traditional Latin folk and jazz, interspersed with the occasional Mariah Carey-esque balladry.
Service: We were seated quickly, and drink orders taken promptly. My sister ordered a mojito, and my wife and I ordered Cuban coffee. The mojito came out within 5 minutes, but it took about 25 minutes to get the Cuban coffees. Ordering a soda or water would have been a better idea.
Cuisine: The food is available on a standard menu of items, or on a tapas menu. We wanted to go the tapas route, so my wife ordered meat-filled potato croquettes, and a couple of empanadas, chicken & beef. I ordered a crab cake and steak sliders. My sister got the Cuban sandwich, or "The Cubano" from the standard menu.
The food came out in a reasonable amount of time, it was hot, and cooked to order. On a 5/5, I would give the food a 4/5, it was very tasty, with a lot of great flavors and spice. Although, my wife is not a fan of cilantro, and felt that there was a little too much of it used as garnish. The steak sliders were ok, but didn't blow me away, although the crab cake was nicely done. The empanadas were good and had a good flavor profile, but it was slightly overwhelmed by the deep-fried shell.
Cost-effective: Not really - it was kind of expensive for a lunch - $60 for 3, not including tip.
Overall Score: I'm giving an overall score of 4/5. We were hoping for that "foodie" restaurant where culinary artists are pushing out the best in taste and innovative cuisine. What we found was a decent place to eat - no crime in that. Also, the Cuban Coffee that took 25 mins to serve was disappointing, especially because no alternatives were offered during the wait. I am hopeful that Mojitos will continue to develop their best culinary and business potential. This place could be the major culinary draw of Warrenton, and I'd love to see that happen.
Return Visit: We would like to try it again.
Food Muser
http://foodmuser.blogspo…
Ambiance: Mood and decor were great, it had an "outdoor seating in Cuba" kind of vibe. The music was pretty cool, traditional Latin folk and jazz, interspersed with the occasional Mariah Carey-esque balladry.
Service: We were seated quickly, and drink orders taken promptly. My sister ordered a mojito, and my wife and I ordered Cuban coffee. The mojito came out within 5 minutes, but it took about 25 minutes to get the Cuban coffees. Ordering a soda or water would have been a better idea.
Cuisine: The food is available on a standard menu of items, or on a tapas menu. We wanted to go the tapas route, so my wife ordered meat-filled potato croquettes, and a couple of empanadas, chicken & beef. I ordered a crab cake and steak sliders. My sister got the Cuban sandwich, or "The Cubano" from the standard menu.
The food came out in a reasonable amount of time, it was hot, and cooked to order. On a 5/5, I would give the food a 4/5, it was very tasty, with a lot of great flavors and spice. Although, my wife is not a fan of cilantro, and felt that there was a little too much of it used as garnish. The steak sliders were ok, but didn't blow me away, although the crab cake was nicely done. The empanadas were good and had a good flavor profile, but it was slightly overwhelmed by the deep-fried shell.
Cost-effective: Not really - it was kind of expensive for a lunch - $60 for 3, not including tip.
Overall Score: I'm giving an overall score of 4/5. We were hoping for that "foodie" restaurant where culinary artists are pushing out the best in taste and innovative cuisine. What we found was a decent place to eat - no crime in that. Also, the Cuban Coffee that took 25 mins to serve was disappointing, especially because no alternatives were offered during the wait. I am hopeful that Mojitos will continue to develop their best culinary and business potential. This place could be the major culinary draw of Warrenton, and I'd love to see that happen.
Return Visit: We would like to try it again.
Food Muser
http://foodmuser.blogspo…
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