Jordan Wright September 12, 2017
Special to The Alexandria Times
Boolie (Joel Durgavich), Daisy (Patricia Kratzer) and Hoke (Kevin Sockwell) ~ Photographer: Matt Liptak
A talented, tightly knit cast of three deliver on Alfred Uhry’s heartwarming tale of Daisy Werthan, a well-heeled elderly Southern lady, Boolie Werthan, her successful son, and Hoke Colburn, her dutiful chauffeur. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, made into a film with Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman, gave Tandy and the picture Academy Awards in 1989 and has been beloved by audiences ever since.
Daisy (Patricia Kratzer) and Hoke (Kevin Sockwell) ~ Photographer: Matt Liptak
Daisy (Patricia Kratzer) is the paragon of Southern respectability in the Jim Crow South. Adhering to all its social restraints and mindful of her position as an upstanding member of her Jewish temple, she has both a girlish vulnerability and, alternatively, a stern demeanor from her days as a schoolteacher that could set your hair on fire. Daisy hails from the bygone era of Southern ladies who ruled their households with an iron fist in a velvet glove and kept guard dog-like vigilance in fear their servants would steal behind their backs. It is the true story of Uhry’s grandmother and the chauffeur she employed for over 25 years.
Set in Atlanta, Georgia in 1948 when ladies of means had drivers and fancy cars to shuttle them from their hairdressers to their places of worship – including the Piggly Wiggly, the legendary supermarket of the South – it opens to a scene with her concerned son Boolie (Joel Durgavich) after she has crashed her Packard due to her failing eyesight. (Written in the late 80’s, Daisy at 72 is over the hill. Hmm.) Boolie, standing firm against her protestations, has decided her driving days are kaput and Hoke (Kevin Sockwell) is hired on as her chauffeur.
Daisy (Patricia Kratzer) and Hoke (Kevin Sockwell) ~Photographer: Matt Liptak
Director Jim Howard takes us seamlessly through a series of some twenty-eight tricky scene changes with the help of Lighting Designer Marzanne Claiborne who focuses attention on the evolving vignettes from 1948, a time when Jews and Blacks were second class citizens in the South, to 1973 Mobile, Alabama where, decades after they have formed an indestructible bond, Daisy invites Hoke to a dinner for Martin Luther King, Jr. Setting the tone, vintage photos of the period and Daisy’s fading furniture are featured along with a “car” of sorts where the two converse on life’s puzzlements and injustices. Shades of the Ku Klux Klan and their fiery reign of terror hover menacingly over both Daisy and Hoke’s life. When Hoke relates a gruesome tale of lynching, Daisy is faced with the harsh reality that her life shares the same pain and uncertainty as Hoke’s.
But it is the humor and wisdom they impart that strengthens the bonds of their unusual friendship as well as the tender mercies they offer one another that make this tale so heartwarming while affording us a glimpse into the uneasy relationship between mistress and servant, Black and Jew, with charm, humor and poignancy. Nuanced performances by Kratzer and Sockwell are indelible.
Recommended for its relevance to today’s struggles against the re-emerging political climate of hate and prejudice. Lest we forget.
Through October 15th at The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street. For tickets and information call the box office at 703 683-0496 or visit www.thelittletheatre.com
Jordan Wright August 30, 2017
Photo credit – Jordan Wright
Guests enjoy the “cool” vibe
The unlikely event of snow in August will fall every twenty minutes at National Harbor’s super chill Harbor Dome Summer Snow Globe this weekend. The huge transparent geodesic dome with a sweeping view of the harbor features DJs on Friday and Saturday and a 90’s cover band on Sunday. Signature cocktails are from ‘Mixtress’ Gina Chersevani of Buffalo and Bergen the throwback spot in Union Market known for its adult milkshakes.
A live band will perform Sunday night only
Gina has concocted some fun and sassy drinks to get the party started. Summer Snow Globe Julep made with Maker’s Mark, mint and lime; Harbor Breeze with Effen Raspberry, pineapple, orange and lime; Tropical Ice with Mountain Dew White Label, Effen Vodka, grapefruit, pineapple and ginger syrup; and Elf on Vacation with Effen Green Apple, Mountain Dew Green Label and lemon. Winter Snow Cones are made with shaved ice. Try Snowy Melon with Effen Blood Orange and cinnamon; Big Wheel Snow Cone with Effen Black Cherry, fresh orange syrup and lime; or Kentucky Snow with Maker’s Mark, sparkling wine, ginger, lime and mint. There’s also wine and beer.
Crab cake hors d’oeuvres
We went last weekend for press night and stood under gleaming crystal chandeliers watching guests slurp on pastel colored shaved ice drinks and munch on hors d’oeuvres while marveling in the dustings of snow. And yes! It’s really snow. Not your Hollywood picture show ivory flakes or prom night confetti. Though the space is advertised as being 64 degrees (we thought we’d freeze) it’s perfectly comfortable for a sleeveless dress or light jacket.
The Capital Wheel at sunset
This is the last weekend to enjoy this unique experience. Just head to National Harbor and down towards the water. You can’t miss it. It’s beside the merry-go-round and the beautiful Capital Wheel. Be sure to time your visit for the sunset over the Potomac.
Esther Wei tries to catch the falling snow.
At the intersection of Waterfront Street and National Plaza, National Harbor, MD 20745 – Friday from 5pm till midnight, Saturday from 2pm till midnight and Sunday 2pm till 6pm.
Beer $6 – wine $8 and cocktails are $10 and adult snow cone cocktails are $12.
Eric E. Richardson (left) with friend Clarence J. Fluker enjoy the scene.
Holly Twyford (Desiree Armfeldt) and Bobby Smith (Fredrik Egerman) . Photo by Christopher Mueller
The most difficult reviews to write are the ones in which there is nothing to critique – where the music washes over you like a waterfall, the Noel Cowardesque repartee is both witty and snarky, the voices luscious and the costumes, sheer Victorian elegance. How do you argue perfection? That’s the quandary I find myself in with Director Eric Schaeffer’s production of A Little Night Music. Schaeffer has kicked off the new season with an eye-popping, ear-swooning production that will knock your socks off. Not only is the cast superlative but the 13-piece orchestra led by Jon Kalbfleisch soars.
Bobby Smith (Fredrik Egerman) and Will Gartshore (Carl-Magnus Malcolm) . Photo by Christopher Mueller
Four-time Helen Hayes award-winning actress Holly Twyford stars as the glamorous femme fatale Desiree Armfeldt, a Swedish actress who is both feisty and vulnerable and comes armed with a rapier wit. Twyford, who has never done a musical before, proves she can sell a song purely through tenderness and raw emotion. Neither sharp, nor flat, nor off-key, her delivery of the iconic number “Send in the Clowns” is poignant, wry and edge-of-your-seat at the same time. The entire show is, but for different reasons.
Maria Rizzo, Kevin McAllister, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Nicki Elledge, Sam Ludwig, Holly Twyford, Will Gartshore, and Florence Lacey. Photo by Paul Tate DePoo III
Pulling from some of the finest singers in our area the range of voices from baritone to tenor and alto to soprano is breathtaking – their harmonies flawless. It’s every singer’s dream to perform in this show, and Schaeffer has cast the best of the best. There’s Bobby Smith as Fredrik Egerman, a well-heeled attorney in the throes of a mid-life crisis and married to the virginal Anne, played by the adorable Nicki Elledge, and Sam Ludwig, just coming off of Jesus Christ Superstar, who garnered a well-earned Helen Hayes nomination for last year’s lollapalooza Titanic, here playing the angst-ridden cellist Henrik Egerman.
Florence Lacey, who lays claim to a string of Broadway hits, plays the curmudgeonly sentimentalist, Madame Leonora Armfeldt. Lacey was also in Signature’s Titanic – as well as another alum from the show, Tracy Lynn Olivera, here as the beleaguered, but shrewd, Countess Charlotte Malcolm.
Maria Rizzo (Petra). Photo by Christopher Mueller.
The sheer schadenfreude deliciousness between the characters creates the necessary tension behind some of the comic encounters, such as Petra’s tempestuous seduction of Henrik in “Soon”. (Petra played by the voluptuous Maria Rizzo) and Fredrik’s suggestion to his old flame Desiree, “You must meet my wife.” To which she sarcastically replies, “Let me get my hat and my knife!”
Holly Twyford (Desiree Armfeldt) . Photo by Christopher Mueller.
Scenic Designer Paul Tate dePoo III gives us a stately banquet table that lowers from the rafters and a massive bed that features prominently as seducers and the seduced frolic with abandon in merry games of chase all choreographed by Karma Camp. Lighting by the brilliant Colin K. Bills and the dreamy costumes by legendary designer Robert Perdziola.
Highly recommended. Five stars, if I gave out stars, which I don’t. Just go.
Through October 8th at Signature Theatre (Shirlington Village), 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206. For tickets and information call 703 820-9771 or visit www.sigtheatre.org.
Getting schooled by Thomas W. Jones II, aka “Afro Joe”, is a lesson in growing up Black, Catholic, and urban hip – “sticky leg” and all. Jones is a poet with a fusillade style of comedic delivery that gets under your skin with its beat-bopping rhythms and déjà vu tales of adolescence. It’s a story about being Black in modern culture that transcends Blackness and goes to the heart of teen angst and family dynamics. Jones is already cool. At 60+ he’s still got all the moves including a dip in the hip (he assures us it’s not about hip replacement), when he’s demonstrating the art of getting the girl. Or, at least, trying to get the girl, which doesn’t go well for Jones as a teenager until he realizes that making a well-rehearsed, slow-rolling, wordless entrance into a dance club isn’t at all the kind of approach that his target has in mind. “You enter on an angle,’ he advises, twisting his agile frame into a slow-walking, undulating gait. After a few rookie moves in which the women rebuff his advances, he switches gears and tries a little tenderness. Cue the adoring girl.
Jones and his two, talented singer/actor sidekicks, Jasmine Eileen Coles as Lady Doo Wop 1 and Kanysha Williams as Lady Doo Wop 2, blast out street-funky, free-style, free-verse poetry filled with the pain and glory of growing up and growing cool in Queens, New York. They dance, slide and do the funky chicken to James Brown, Sidney Poitier and other Black towers of power from the 1950’s rock n’ roll era as archival photos of the period, including Dr. J and Willie Mays, are projected behind them.
The Wizard of Hip – Photo credit Chris Banks
Filling the black box stage, the indefatigable Jones peels off in warp speed with riffs on his youth. One episodic piece delves into the sanctity of mamas and papas, as in “don’t talk about my mama”, a multi-character piece in which he is pitted against street toughs while defending his mother’s honor. In it he goes from getting beat up (he’s a genius at morphing into two or more characters at once) to slip sliding off in dishonor with a panoply of excuses to go home – homework, dinner, mow the lawn.
In fact, “mow the lawn” becomes a particularly notable euphemism in the troubles he has with his father (whom Jones also plays). The father figure is seen as a model of ineptitude and intransigence – forever diverting punitive decisions back onto mama while urging his son to step up his game and be a man. This impossible balance of constantly maintaining peer-pressure hipsterness while trying to score with the ladies, is what keeps our hero rocked back on his heels as he deciphers what everyone wants and where he fits in. Because in the gospel of Cool with a capital ‘C’, “You gotta be John Wayne in a Shirley Temple world.”
The Wizard of Hip – Photo credit Chris Banks
Jones is familiar to MetroStage as writer, director and choreographer on Three Sistahs, Ladies Swing the Blues and many other original productions that had their premieres here. He’s also known for his performances at Studio Theatre and more recently at Woolly Mammoth Theatre.
Two veteran musicians keep pace with Jones high energy. On keyboards is William Knowles, known to MetroStage aficionados as Music Director for his work on the Helen Hayes’ award-winning Cool Papa’s Party as well as Three Sistahs, Blues in the Night, Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song, Blackberry Daze and more. Knowles also provides original music to syncopate Jones’ kinetic style. Keeping the backbeat is Greg Holloway on drums – a staple of many of MetroStage’s original productions.
See it, if you want to keep your cool.
Through September 17th at MetroStage, 1201 North Royal Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
For tickets and information call 703 548-9044 or visit www.metrostage.org.
Jordan Wright August 8, 2017
Photo credit: J. Wright
Sofitel Launches Summer Menu – Baba Bar: A Sexy Speakeasy Sans Password – Japanese Embassy Hosts Travel Writers – Peter Chang Opens Rockville Outpost – Silver Debuts Summer Menu – Hank’s Oyster Bar Proves Great Pairing for Nederburg Wines
Let’s Play the French Way at Sofitel
The lobby at the Sofitel
One of the most enjoyable ways to while away the hours is at the Sofitel Hotel DC where luxury is part of the brand. Whether on the patio (large fans provide a breeze), in the intimate, modern-chic iCi Urban Bistro with its wraparound street-facing windows, or in the plush, loungy Le Bar, the hotel is a calming retreat, and a mere stone’s throw from the ongoing chaos of the White House.
(l-r) Salmon tartare with pickled Amish vegetables ~ Grilled octopus
Executive Chef Gyo Santa for prepares everything with great care and delicacy using the freshest ingredients with a perfectionist’s eye to alluring presentation. Santa’s Asian-influenced spin on modern French cuisine is unlike anything being prepared in the city. And we love it!
(l-r) Classic Bouillabaisse avec rouille ~ Classic Bouillabaisse avec rouille
This summer he imagines the dreamy lavender fields of Provence and the fruits de mer of the Côte D’Azur to conjure up flavors to pair exquisitely with rosés from Aix-en-Provence. A bouillabaisse with rouille, a whole grilled branzino a la Provencal with sauce vierge or roasted moulard duck breast with sliced Brussels sprout, rainbow carrots and poached pear in a sweet wine glaze – each dish could sing “Le Marseillaise”!
Rosé is perfect with the summer menu
Summer-inspired cocktails are decidedly South of France – “Tango St. Tropez”, “Cannes Cachet” and “Carte Blanche”. Of particular note is the luscious sounding, “St. Maxime Side” made with Absolut Elyx, lime juice, in-house made strawberry syrup and fresh basil.
Heavenly chocolate bombe
Pastry Chef Samantha Meissel is killing it with her Chocolate Almond Bomb made with gluten free almond sponge cake, amaretto syrup, dark chocolate mousse, honey almonds, and chocolate Chantilly. Other scrumptious desserts include, a fantastic salty caramel ice cream and refreshing summer sorbets, plus Tropical Pavlova with meringue cookie, Chantilly, mango and strawberry, tropical sorbet, and mango gel; the Bourbon Vanilla Crème Brûlée with citrus Madeleines; and the Valhrona Caramelia Sundae with chocolate sauce, and Chantilly.
And if you’re coming in later in the day, the hotel has refreshed their delightful Le Goûter program. It’s a French concept, used to break up the afternoon, and consists of light, small bites desserts. This delightful interpretation incorporates a mini Napoleon, a macaron, two small fresh fruit tarts, a mini vanilla brulee, and a Valhrona dark chocolate panna cotta. It is served between 2:00pm and 5:00pm every day with coffee, tea, or champagne.
Le Gouter
Sofitel Hotel DC, 806 15th Street, Washington, DC 20005 – 202 703.8800 www.Sofitel.com
Baba Bar – Clarendon
Baba Bar’s intimate lounge
Down a dark stairway and into the candlelight, Baba Bar is the super, sexy, small plates speakeasy where you don’t need a password to get in. Brought to you by the Ambar folks, who are right next door, this is a cozy hangout with banquettes and comfy armchairs, small tables and phenomenal cocktails where you can tuck into flavor-forward Balkan nibbles that, dare I say it, are healthy with lots of vegan and vegetarian options to go along with steak, salmon and seared scallops. You can even find the famed “Forest Gnocchi” here.
“Forest Gnocchi” dessert
Cocktails are listed under “Light & Refreshing”, “Strong & Boozy” and “Spicy & Smoky” to suit your mood. The spirits range from cachaça to rum, pisco to barrel-aged bourbon. Mezcal makes an appearance as does slivovitz and the Balkan firewater, rakia, of which they have more than half a dozen flavors.
Cocktails
Fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables, many from Amish farms, are used in the preparation of these cocktails, or “mocktails” if you prefer. It is one of the most excitingly diverse bar programs around. Of course, you would know this if you had visited Ambar’s two other outposts, the one on Capitol Hill, or the other next door.
That this hip spot serves brunch from 8am till 3pm blows my mind. Coffee is from the fantastic Philadelphia-based La Colombe. It doesn’t get any better. Good Morning, “La Colombe Martini”! I’m serious. Order one.
(l-r) Wild mushroom toast with kajmak ~ Beet salad
Little known secret – the kajmak, a type of butter used in the “Wild Forest Mushrooms” on toast and also the “Scallop Trio”, adds pulverized nori, bacon and parmesan cheese to this addictive spread. It is to die for!
(l-r) Salmon tartare ~ Seared scallops
Baba, 2901 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 – 703 312.7978 www.baba.bar
Silver
Ype Von Hengst, Executive Chef
Chef and Nutrition Guru Ype Von Hengst and Bob Giaimo have forged a powerful partnership with their Silver Diner restaurants. Last year we wrote about their latest venture, Silver, a stylish Art Deco-inspired restaurant in Bethesda that is a hugely popular neighborhood destination. The night we visited was “Meet the Chef” night and Ype was there in full-on gracious mode – charming guests and overseeing details. The monthly program was instituted this summer to introduce patrons to the congenial chef and it’s caught on – chiefly because of the Dutchman’s engaging personality.
Silver aims high. Hoping to be everything to everyone it boasts a menu jam packed full of nutritionally-dense ingredients, many sourced from local farms, elevated diner fare and upscale casual dishes. (Read more here – https://whiskandquill.com/nibbles-and-sips-around-town-december-26-2015)
(l-r) Goat cheese bruschetta ~ Avocado toast
On the night we visited the energetic Chef Ype, who has clearly discovered the fountain of youth, was dropping by each table with greetings for all the patrons. He made a few suggestions which we were glad to follow – the menu is enormous! – and we tried his recommendations beginning with the excellent Goat Cheese Bruschetta and Avocado Toast. Now I know they are ubiquitous these days, but these are exceptional. The bruschetta is made with a pine nut pesto, tomato, sunflower seeds and balsamic drizzle. See how many healthy ingredients are involved in this simple offering! Ditto for the avocado toast which incorporates queso fresco, thinly sliced radishes, tomatoes, pomegranate seeds and basil oil with the smashed avocado that is then served on slices of fresh country bread.
Did we stop there? No, because my dinner partner had a hankering for a fine steak, while I had my eye on pan-seared ocean scallops with lemon garlic sauce. All the dishes listed on the menu are annotated with their respective calorie, fat, cholesterol, carb, fiber and protein counts. You know what you’re getting even if the dish you choose might compromise what limits you set for yourself.
But we weren’t there to enumerate our caloric consumption, so we dug into dessert with abandon. (Warning: Desserts do not come with calorie counts. You’re on your own here, though “Hand-Spun Shakes” can be ordered low-fat.) These are of the super yummy, over-the-top variety. Both the “Campfire Sundae” and the “Pistachio Mousse + Chocolate Brownie” plus fresh raspberries were satisfyingly delicious.
(l-r) Pistachio mousse ~ Campfire sundae
Check out “Pups on the Patio” every Thursday from 4pm till 7pm.
Nederburg Wines at Hank’s Oyster Bar Prove a Winning Combination
Thanks to Nederburg and their we had a chance to revisit Hank’s where they paired their South African wines with some immaculately fresh seafood dishes and a heaven-can-wait lemon merengue pie.
(l-r) Assortment of local oysters ~ Fried scallops and calamari and shrimp seviche
Hosted by Andrea Freeborough, the Cellar Master of Nederburg, we heard the story of Nederburg and got a primer on the latest vintages. Established in 1791 the historic winery is on the Western Cape province of South Africa where they use a progressive and pioneering approach to winegrowing and winemaking that has earned them a wealth of respect worldwide.
We loved how nicely their wines from the new ultra-premium “Heritage Heroes” line sidled up to the seafood dishes as we tasted vintages from Nederburg’s latest vintages which includes The Brew Master, named for Johann Graue, a brew master in his native Germany who bought Nederburg in 1937 and adapted his experience to pioneer viticulture and winemaking in South Africa; The Young Airhawk that pays tribute to Johann Graue’s son, Arnold; and The Anchorman named for Nederburg’s founder, Philippus Wolvaart, who bought the farm in 1791 and planted Chenin Blanc, amongst other varietals such as the Winemaster’s Reserve Chenin Blanc. These vintages dovetail seamlessly into the summer season.
Japanese Embassy Offers Culture and Cuisine to Travel Writers
The display from the Japanese National Tourism Organization
The Japanese Embassy and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) along with JAL and purveyors of fine food and spirits presented a dazzling array of authentic musicians, sushi chefs and other traditional Japanese cuisine to excite travel writers and travel agents.
Kyoto musician
Held at the magnificent Ambassador’s residence on Nebraska Avenue, the seminar and reception was to celebrate the International Pow Wow (IPW), one of the country’s largest events to promote travel. The focus was on Tohuku, and featured some of their regional sakes. Tohuku is an area hard hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and which is now welcoming tourists to their charming
(l-r) Waterfalls in the Japanese tea gardens ~ The formal gardens at the Japanese Ambassadors’s residence
The event host was Kelley Ferro, an award-wining travel journalist and filmmaker who visited Tohoku and created videos of her experience. Watch here – Tohoku.
Representatives from Shiki-Shima, Japan’s new ultra-luxurious, high speed sleeper train that travels from Tokyo to off-the-beaten track places like Tohuku, greeted visitors. H. E. Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae gave opening remarks before turning over the microphone to Keith Kirkham, Incoming Minister for Commercial Affairs for the embassy.
(l-r) Buffet supper features Japanese delicacies ~ Sakes from Tohoku
A toast was made, “Kanpai” followed by Kelley Ferro and a lavish dinner reception before Ryoichi Matsuyama, President of JNTO, gave closing remarks.
Peter Chang Opens Q in Rockville
A soft opening at Q
Peter Chang’s empire keeps growing. This is his seventh restaurant and all are located within Maryland and Virginia – all the better for Chang and his partner Jen Lee to check on their cooks and keep the standards up to snuff.
Peter Chang (right) cuts up with his Chef de Cuisine at Q
Their latest venture Q by Peter Chang is in a tony section of Rockville and boasts a glitzy outpost tailor made to showcase Chang’s fine Szechuan cuisine. A large sunken slate patio, with spaciously arranged tables, dresses up the street side. Inside it is ultra-modern with geometrically-shaped chandeliers and a concrete floor befitting Chang’s contemporary approach. Walls are paneled with carved dark woodwork and angular wood tables run alongside the green leather banquettes.
The sunken patio at Q
If you’ve ever dined in Chang’s other locations you’ll know that he doesn’t hold back on the heat. Seasonings can be fiery hot. Tiny Szechuan red chiles take center stage in many dishes, but ask and your server will point you to milder fare.
Chicken with chiles
I’ve learned that when the salt factor rises, it ameliorates the ferocity of the spiciness somewhat, as does the addition of some sweetener to the accompanying sauce. But don’t be surprised, even if you think you know Szechuan cuisine, if you’ll have to recalibrate your palate to adjust to these authentic dishes. And be sure to check out the dim sum platter. Served only at lunch, it consists of nine samplings rotated seasonally.
(l-r) Pan-fried scallion and scallop dim sum – Scallop dim sum
Samantha Lee Contributing Food Writer
Photos by S. Lee
I discovered Shangri-La, a Nepali and Indian Restaurant, at the Taste of Bethesda. Though opened in 2008, it went under new management in January 2016 and is named after the Nepalese paradise of Shangri-La with its stunning white peaks in the Kunlun mountains.
From the outside, you’ll notice the front window frames of the modest spot are neon-lit with the orange and green colors of the Indian national flag. Inside the décor reveals framed pictures of life on the hillsides of Nepal, temple scenes, and the signature wooden windows of the old heritage houses in Nepal. On top of the cash register there sits a golden statue of Ganesha, the god of prosperity. Though small, the dining room can seat up to 60 people comfortably and can accommodate larger parties with some advance notice.
General Manager Babu Subedi and Chef Singh Maharjan co-manage the restaurant. Babu Subedi, who received a BBA and a MBA in Hospitality, has been here since it opened. Prior to working at Shangri-la, he worked in European and Indian restaurants. Chef Singh Maharjan is from the Newari ethnic group in Nepal. With over 15 years of culinary experience, his passion for cooking was learned from his mother. Prior to cooking at Shangri-la, Maharjan worked at Tandoori Nights from 2006 to 2015.
Chef Singh Maharjan
The menu is broken down into several categories: Appetizers, Soup, Salad, Specials, Thali, Seafood, Tandoori, Chicken, Rice/Biryanis, Lamb, Vegetable, Breads, Sides, Children’s Menu, Dessert, Tea/Coffee, Soft Drinks, and Wine. Each dish is made with high quality fresh ingredients, locally grown organic produce and blends of Nepalese and Indian spices.
We started with drinks. My friend ordered Kingfisher, the world’s number one selling Indian beer while I ordered the Masala Chai, a Darjeeling milk tea served with sweetener on the side, and Mango Lassi, a sweet yogurt drink with mango pulp. The Kingfisher tasted like a generic beer with a fuller body than an American lite beer and a hint of sweetness. The Masala Chai, served hot, has a sweet aroma and creamy texture. The Mango Lassi was semi-sweet, refreshing, and not too thick.
Kingfisher Beer – Mango Lassi
We started our meal off with the Cho-E-La, a boneless duck marinated in a blend of ingredients that includes Nepalese herbs and spices. This dish was cooked with onions in a clay oven and served with beaten rice. It was good but bitter at times when you combined the meat with beaten rice.
Cho-E-La
We also shared the Chicken Momos, steamed dumplings filled with minced chicken marinated with fresh ginger, garlic, and Nepali spices and paired with a mildly spicy tamater chutney. It was served with shredded lettuce, cucumber, carrots, and julienne of red bell pepper. The Chicken Momos had strong, sweet overtones of fenugreek.
Chicken Momos
For entrees, I ordered the Butter Chicken – boneless white meat chicken prepared in a deliciously creamy tomato sauce. It was sweet and savory, and mild enough for people who don’t care for spicy food. In addition to the Butter Chicken, I ordered Garlic Naan, freshly baked white bread topped with garlic, butter and fresh herbs. It was salty and savory and paired nicely with the chicken.
My friend ordered the Lamb Biryani, which consisted of lamb cooked to perfection and served with basmati rice richly flavored with saffron, nuts and raisins. The dish gave off a floral aroma and was served with Raita, a fresh yogurt sauce of cucumber, tomatoes, onions and herbs. When consuming the Lamb Biryani, the raita brings the heat of dish down.
Clockwise from the left – raita, naan, lamb biryani, basmati rice, butter chicken, and chai tea
Unfortunately, we didn’t save any room for dessert. Overall, the service was very good and our meal was delicious, leaving us with the urge to return.
Shangri-La is located at 7345-A Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. Buffet style lunch is served on weekdays from 11:30am to 2:30pm, regular lunch on weekends from 11:30am to 2:30pm, and dinner daily from 5:00pm to 10:00pm.
