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Guest contributor ~ Samantha Lee
New Tokyo is an authentic Japanese restaurant in the Potomac Valley shopping center. Despite its less than prominent location, the restaurant manages to attract devoted customers seeking unique Japanese cuisine. Among the wide variety of unique small plate offerings, I particularly enjoyed Roasted Nigiri, Takoyaki, Fried Japanese Tofu, Octopus in Honey Vinegar, Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura.
The restaurant is owned by Chef Eizi “Jackie” Nakazima, who studied at the Culinary Institute of Tokyo Busashi School. Nakazima, an award winning chef, has over 28 years of culinary experience. In 2004, he opened his restaurant specializing in kaiseki (multi-course meals). He also serves sashimi, sushi, grilled fish, teriyaki marinated grilled meats, sukiyaki, ramen and many more delicious dishes.
The restaurant is small and homey and can accommodate 45 diners. It reminded me of a small café in Japan, but with nicer décor. I was particularly intrigued by the faux crustaceans – lobsters, crabs, crayfish, and fugu – dangling from the ceiling and hanging from the walls. There is also a vast array of unique Japanese artifacts – Daruma dolls, shoji screens, paper lanterns, and framed artwork.
I believe New Tokyo is the only restaurant in the area that prepares nigiri in the Aburi style, in which the top side of the fish is partially grilled or seared, while the bottom side of the fish is partially raw. After the seared fish is placed on the oval shaped cooked rice, it is drizzled with a sweet mayonnaise, making each bite of the Roasted Nigiri both sweet and savory. My favorite part about this dish was the strong char-grilled flavor. Among the Roasted Nigiri, I’d recommend the Scallop, Salmon, or Fatty Tuna.
Miso Soup
Takoyaki is a small dish consisting of three fried wheat balls, filled with diced octopus and tempura scraps, topped with bonita flakes, and drizzled with a special mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce tasting like sweet, thick Worcestershire. I liked the crispy outside and soft inside.
The Fried Japanese Tofu comes in 5 pieces, each tempura-battered and deep fried, then topped with bonita flakes. The dish is served in a sweet dashi broth – one made from boiled hot water, kelp, and preserved fermented skipjack tuna. The tofu is silky and smooth inside.
Among the Makis on the menu, I favored the Lava Roll with spicy sauces on the side. It comes to the table in ten rolls consisting of a raw seafood medley of scallop, smoked salmon, shrimp, crabmeat, white tuna, and avocado rolled in dried seaweed then sticky rice and sesame seeds. The rolls are baked or deep fried and drizzled with mayonnaise, spicy mayonnaise and Rooster sauce. My favorite experience about the Lava Roll is that it is served warm and deliciously crunchy.
As compared to other local Japanese restaurants in Montgomery County, MD, I’ve found that the sashimi/sushi at New Tokyo are very fresh. The sashimi entree is served with lemon, wasabi and pickled ginger on an ice boat, which adds a delightful visual effect.
The ramen at New Tokyo is absolutely delicious too. It consists of freshly made wheat noodles, imitation crabmeat, scallion, miso-marinated sliced pork, and fried wheat gluten in salty miso, fish or pork broth. It is served with shrimp and vegetable tempura that includes two shrimp, sweet potato, zucchini and kabocha squash served with tempura sauce, a nice blend of dashi stock, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. I liked the ramen because it was cooked perfectly – not salty or heavy.
The Grilled Striped Bass is one of the featured items on the menu and is a whole striped bass with head and tail intact, marinated with seasoning, coated with flour, grilled over high heat. It is served over lettuce with a lemon wedge and seasoned sticky rice topped with sesame seeds. The rice was a nice complement to the fish which was fresh, crispy and not greasy.
Beverages include assorted Japanese beer, Ramune (Japanese carbonated beverage), sake and freshly brewed hot green tea that tastes like roasted rice tea (Genmaicha). The green tea is served in a cup made of earthenware with Japanese characters engraved on it; the hot or cold sake is served in sake cups with sushi patterns.
To finish off a meal at New Tokyo, you can order rice pudding or green tea ice cream. Overall, New Tokyo Restaurant offers a great variety of delicious Japanese food at a reasonable cost. The atmosphere is relaxing and comfortable. Drop by for an authentic Japanese meal when you are in the area. 12115 Darnestown Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 www.newtokyorestaurant.com
Photo credit ~ Samantha Lee
Raaga Restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia
Guest contributor ~ Samantha Lee
Raaga Restaurant, whose name means “sweet melody”, is an authentic Indian restaurant serving Northern Indian cuisine in Falls Church, Virginia. Its Chef/Owner, Paddy Rawal, who also owns Om Fine Indian Restaurant in Rockville, MD, once cooked in Bombay, India and more recently the Bombay Club in DC.
The restaurant’s décor feels like an exotic temple – yellow walls, white columns, an Indian Buddha, musical instruments, wooden elephant statues, Aladdin’s lamps and paintings of Indian musicians that grace the walls of this cozy outpost. The menu has moderately priced items – breads, meat and seafood, as well as vegetarian offerings. Dinner entrées typically range between $14 – $22. And each dish is colorful, rich, and intricately flavored.
Try a Mango lassi, a refreshing blend of yogurt, water, sugar and mango pulp. It is thick, rich, smooth and creamy – a cross between a fruit smoothie and a milkshake – a perfect complement to spicy dishes.
Rather than sharing appetizers, I’d recommend an assortment of breads. The plain naan, onion kulcha, and garlic naan are made freshly here and are served piping hot from the tandoori oven. I liked the herbaceous aroma, combination of flavors, and taste of this bubbly dough. It is served with raita, a yogurt cucumber dipping sauce made with mint and cilantro that also goes well with the Chicken Tikka Masala.
Also known as butter chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala is the most popular dish at Raaga. It consists of charbroiled chunks of tender chicken prepared in a sauce of tomato paste, yogurt, butter, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, and garam masala. Garam masala can be made in as many ways as there are cooks, but typically consists of a blend of various spices – black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, black and green cardamom pods, bay leaf, cumin, and fenugreek. It is known to warm the body, mind, and soul of the diner. Ask for a spicier version if you like. Many Indian restaurants now ask you to choose your preferred heat from an index of one through five.
Shrimp Masala is made with butterflied shrimp prepared in a sauce of coconut milk, seafood stock, curry powder, garlic, stewed tomatoes and sugar. The coconut milk is what renders the sauce thicker and sweeter.
Each entrée is served with spiced basmati rice topped with green peas.
Raaga Restaurant was named the “Best Indian restaurant in the DMV” the Washington Post. So if you happen to be in the Bailey’s Crossroads area, be sure to drop in and give it a try.
Raaga Restaurant is located at 5872 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. For reservations and information visit www.raagarestaurant.com
Photo credit ~ Samantha Lee
Jordan Wright
March 29, 2016
Special to The Alexandria Times
Israeli playwright Motti Lerner’s world premiere production, After the War, is set in the two weeks following the end of the Second Lebanon War which began in July 30, 2006 following an airstrike by the Israeli military on Lebanon’s Hezbollah. A time of fear, vulnerability and ambiguity by both sides, it hardly mattered who cast the first stone, since good fences don’t necessarily translate into good neighbors, and war comes easier to these eternal enemies.
 Paul Morella as Joel and Tonya Beckman as Trudy in After. Photo by Stan Barouh. For Joel (Paul Morella), a world renowned concert pianist, it’s his duty as an artist to speak out. Unfettered by his country’s jingoist politics, he takes a broader view of war’s toll on humanity, speaking out to anti-war and human rights groups to draw attention to the suffering of those affected – even if it is against his own country. In this instance he agitates for aid for the Lebanese orphans – a political position unimaginable in Israel. “The person is also his conscience,” Joel insists.
When he returns after 18-years to make amends to his family for his absence, he is received as a traitor. Joel has returned to give a concert to raise funds for the orphans and they are determined to undermine it. Living in Tel Aviv they have endured the wrath and excommunication of neighbors and a government that condemns Joel’s outspoken beliefs. His brother Freddie (James Whelan) has had his business destroyed and his son Izzy (Guy Kapulnik) has fought in this war and hold an entirely different view based on their war zone experiences.
 Tonya Beckman as Trudy and James Whalen as Freddie in After the War. Photo by Stan Barouh. With all the elements of a Greek tragedy that pits brother against brother, mother (Barbara Rappaport) against son, and son against his own son, the story reveals the conflict burning within as each betrays Joel. It is described in a press release as such, “The play speaks of the artist’s responsibility in an embattled society and illustrates the entrenched divisions between elite cultural purveyors and working class pragmatists; between right-wing and left-wing Israelis: and be extension, between conservative and liberal forces in a divided American Jewish community.”
 Paul Morella as Joel and Barbara Rappaport as Bella in After the War. Photo by Stan Barouh. At times Director Sinai Peter’s staging seems over-dramatized, but there is raw passion at hand and a fierce commitment to tell a story of how a family’s faith in one another can be destroyed by war. Bear in mind too that Lerner, who describes this play as autobiographical, cannot mount this play in his own country where free artistic expression is challenged by the right-wing government.
 Tonya Beckman as Trudy and Michael Tolaydo as Bernard in After the War. Photo by Stan Barouh. An exceptional cast puts this play on the must-see list.
Note: This week Mosaic Theater Company announced an extraordinary one million dollar grant from the Reva and David Logan Foundation, allowing the two-year old company to continue to present its series of groundbreaking plays.
Through April 17th at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. For tickets and information call 202 399-7993 ext. 2, or visit www.MosaicTheater.org.
Jordan Wright
March 24, 2016
Special to DC Metro Theater Arts
Just as I was beginning a healthier diet what should appear in my mailbox but two wonderful books from Lifelong Books, both dedicated to vegan cooking. How psychic is that? Terry Hope Romero, who has written a number of cookbooks on the subject, and was voted “Favorite Cookbook Author” by VegNews in 2011, has come out with Protein Ninja: Power Through Your Day with 100 Hearty Plant-Based Recipes that Pack a Protein Punch. It’s especially geared to vegans who feel they might not be getting enough protein in their diet. I take that to apply to those of us who work out a lot as well as those who are strictly vegan. Now I do not purport to be vegan, or even vegetarian (I can’t/won’t give up eggs or seafood), but there are some fantastic recipes in these pages that can benefit all of us.
You may already be familiar with Romero’s books Vegan Eats World, Salad Samurai and Viva Vegan!, but she was also co-author of Veganomicon, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and Vegan Pie in the Sky to name a few. In her latest cookbook she gives us recipes for every meal of the day. Gratefully they are quick and easy, as well as ethnically diverse. No bored palates. The collection offers plant-based protein dishes that are more sophisticated and creative. One might easily say, gourmet.
Though Romero is vegan for ethical reasons of kindness to animals, there is much current evidence that this philosophy is leaning towards another scientific proof – that eating vegan is a solution to climate change. Think about it. The less impact on the environment, the healthier the planet. Okay, enough science. Pretty soon I’ll need footnotes. In any case, it’s fact-based. Trust me. Google it.
In her book Romero offers tons of advice on how to easily up your protein intake. She also tells you what dishes can be frozen, which is tremendously helpful to those of us on the go. And though many of these recipes call for a myriad of different ingredients, mostly staples, there is enough symbiosis between recipes that you won’t feel as though you’re wasting food or money. Also helpful is the recipe icon guide that lets you know which dishes are gluten-free, soy-free, etc.
It was nearly impossible to choose one recipe from all these tempting vegan burgers and patty recipes (there are seven and she calls them “Burger Bowls” since they consist of a full meal) or her “Bakery Basket” (that includes amped up biscuits, waffles and the like). Dressings make up another group of recipes and they are super-creative, like the Dill Pickle Thousand Island Cashew Dressing. But here is Romero’s recipe for White Bean Cashew Ricotta Toast that can be made savory or sweet.
White Bean & Cashew Ricotta Toast
Makes about 2 cups spread in less than 30 minutes
I’m probably pushing the boundaries of what can be called a ricotta, but this satisfies my craving for a mellow, creamy spread without the usual help of tofu that plays well with fresh toppings, such as baby kale, arugula, and thinly sliced tomatoes or radishes or cucumber. Or go bold and use it as a base for sweet toast, too: sliced strawberries and chopped fresh mint, or a swirl of almond butter, chopped dates, and a dusting of cinnamon.
SPREAD
½ cup unroasted cashew pieces
1/2 cup hot tap water
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or navy beans, well drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons mild flavored olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
½ teaspoon salt
Hot whole-grain or sourdough toast
SAVORY GARNISHES
Baby kale leaves
Diced cherry tomatoes
Ground sweet paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
SWEET GARNISHES
Thinly sliced strawberries
Fresh mint leaves
Date syrup or pure maple syrup
Pink sea salt
- Make the spread: In a small bowl, combine the cashew pieces with hot water and soak for at least 20 minutes, or until the cashews are tender. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the soaking water and drain away the rest.
- In a food processor, blend the drained cashews and the reserved soaking water into a thick, slightly grainy paste. Add the beans, olive oil, lemon juice, agave nectar, and salt. Pulse into a thick mixture, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl. Don’t overblend; it’s preferable that this have a somewhat grainy texture. Taste and add a pinch more salt, sugar, or lemon juice, if desired.
- Use immediately, or chill for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to develop.
- Slather over hot toast and top with either the savory or sweet garnishes.
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The path cookbook author Elina Fuhrman took to arrive at her passion has been a circuitous one to say the least. As a war correspondent and journalist for CNN, she’d fashioned a career writing about international conflict in far-flung hot spots. But nothing could have prepared her for the personal battle she faced when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. In her search for health and wellness Fuhrman took on the challenge like the professional she is – researching, studying and interviewing doctors and nutritionists, from both Eastern and Western medicinal cultures. She calls her search her “healing pilgrimage”. The result is her debut cookbook. You might even call it a guide – Soupelina’s Soup Cleanse – Plant-Based Soups and Broths to Heal Your Body, Calm Your Mind and Transform Your Life. It has a little bit of schtick and a lot of tried and true recipes for the same freshly made soups she sells to her tony clientele in Los Angeles.
Fuhrman uses an artist’s palette of vegetables to inform her recipes – a nod to the “rainbow” concept of eating right. The first few dozen pages describe the application of Ayurvedic (from the Sanskrit “science of life”) principles to diet and lifestyle. She further delves into homeopathy, Chinese medicine and folk remedies, now commonly referred to as “alternative medicine”. Fuhrman makes a strong case for including these ancient theories and practices into her holistic regimen and offers 3- and 5-day detox cleanses, extreme for some, yet useful for those seeking a dramatic kickstart to their diet.
From quirkily named soups like “Easy Peas-y”, “Don’t Kvass Me Any More Questions”, a title derived from her Russian roots, and a cold soup called “Brave New Watermelon” that incorporates watermelon rinds (who knew?), it’s a book to teach as well as inspire. I particularly liked reading the prefaces to each recipe. They describe why it’s good for you, what symptoms it addresses, and what nutritional benefits it contains.
Here’s a recipe from the book that uses a delicious springtime ingredient – watercress. Though it calls for a Vitamix, you can just as easily use a blender.
GONE WITH THE WATERCRESS
I’ve been looking to bring watercress into my diet for a while, but for some reason, I shied away from its bitter, peppery flavor. Until I read studies that it has significant levels of glucosinolate compounds, which means major anticancer benefits. Having these compounds in your body appears to help inhibit breast, lung, colon, and prostate cancers. When I remembered the delicious roasted chickpeas and carrots dish I had in Capetown, spiced with the intense North African blend called ras el hanout, I decided to play with the flavors. The sweetness of chickpeas totally worked with the bitterness of watercress, and the flavors seriously transported me to another continent. Not to mention the soup’s health benefits: It’s an antidote to fatigue, and great for detoxifying your body, healing your respiratory and digestive systems, and protecting against free radicals.
Serves 4
+ Preheat the oven to 350°F.
+ Combine the carrots and cooked chickpeas with the ras el hanout and a sprinkle of olive oil, and arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until al dente. Reserve half of the spiced chickpeas and set aside.
+ Meanwhile, heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add the onion and ginger, and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the nonreserved spiced chickpeas, watercress, salt, and boiling filtered water and simmer until the leaves wilt, about 3 minutes.
+ Transfer the mixture to a Vitamix and blend until smooth.
+ Taste and add salt to your liking.
+ Serve with the hot spiced carrots and reserved chickpeas.
- 3 carrots, diced into ¾-inch pieces
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons ras el hanout
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 (1-inch) knob fresh ginger, grated
- 1½ to 2 bunches watercress
- Himalayan pink salt
- 3 cups boiling filtered water
Jordan Wright
March 22, 2016
Special to DC Metro Theater Arts
Photo credit ~ Jordan Wright
 The coffered walls of the hotel’s elegant lobby There’s something restorative about being coddled and enveloped in the lap of luxury. Doors magically open, dark coffered wood and gleaming marble floors beckon and the soul-soothing hushed tones of a well-trained staff welcome you into a sanctum sanctorum of elegance and sophistication. It’s the rush that comes from entering a venerable five-star hotel and the Cheshire cat satisfaction of dipping your toes into its posh milieu.
Arriving from beneath the colonnaded porte-cochere and swanning into the stately Hay-Adams on a rain-splattered evening, I had the immediate sense that I was entering an exclusive club. The doormen with their broad smiles and neatly tailored uniforms do nothing to dissuade you of that feeling. Cocktails were calling and the Off the Record bar below stairs was the first stop. This secluded spot is a little known bastion of journos, pols and their minions who end their day at the White House and stroll across Lafayette Park to sip and spin the the day’s news – far from the rough and tumble of the Old Executive Office’s press room. Here one is cosseted by the ornate gilded ceiling and comforted by the dozens of framed political caricatures, a priceless collection housed here under the auspices of the Library of Congress. Cable news blinks updates from strategically placed screens, and on the night we visited a great deal of attention was being paid to the primary election results filtering in. Lately, to reinforce the hotel’s connection to political life, notable political cartoonist Matt Wuerker has been commissioned to design 18 irreverently drawn drink coasters of Washington leaders and politicians. Choose your favorite candidate to cushion your drink.
 Cocktails at Off the Record Keeping a low profile in this cozy, fire engine red room is easy. Wing chairs offer up a view exclusive to one’s table companions, and banquettes, sumptuously upholstered halfway to the ceiling, muffle the sound of negotiations and shared confidences. There is an air of something of consequence about to go down coupled with a calm that mitigates anything that could upend the delicate buzz. It’s positively electrifying in a genteel way.
 Matt Weurker’s Bernie Sanders coaster, Kevin “Kal” Kallaugher’s Biden and Obama coasters and Ann Tellnaes’ was commissioned to do additional coasters. Once one’s appetite is whet over a drink or two, it’s time to repair to the dining room where all is calm, all is white – linens, that is. You prefer privacy? There are alcoves with a view and all the Chippendale-style chairs have comfortable arms. Settle in for a luxe meal, any time of day.
Since this was my last hurrah before beginning a month-long vegetarian diet, I went big and put my trust in Executive Chef Peter Schaffrath. He should know. He’s been in the hotel’s kitchen turning out sumptuous meals for heads of state and assorted VIPs since 2001.
 (L-R) Maine Lobster Salad ~ Hamachi Salad For appetizers we ordered Maine Lobster Salad enhanced with a tangy lemon curd sauce and trout roe; and Hamachi, a delicate salad of fennel, carrot, American caviar and yuzu. We followed with Black Angus beef tenderloin gilded with foie gras and served with Madeira sauce, and Diver Scallops graced with a coconut lobster sauce. Each dish was sheer perfection – exceptionally prepared and elegantly presented.
To cap it off we had rich chocolate soufflés embellished with a heaping dollop of freshly whipped cream. Be sure to order these as soon as you are seated. Pastry Chef Josh Short changes the flavors from time to time, so I can’t promise chocolate. As of this writing pistachio soufflés are the thing for Spring.
Special seasonal offerings for Easter and the Cherry Blossom Festival are available now.
 Black Angus Beef Tenderloin Easter Brunch at the Top of the Hay, which offers a bird’s eye view of Lafayette Square with the White House beyond, is lavish. Chilled White Asparagus and Truffle Oil Soup with edamame peas; Baby Romaine Lobster Salad with boiled egg, pickled red onion and basil vinaigrette; Carved Black Angus Beef Tenderloin with Yukon gold and sweet mashed potatoes and Perigourdine sauce; Spinach Tortellini with herb roasted tomatoes and white asparagus; Baked Organic Chicken Breast with oregano and parmesan crust, fava beans, diced heirloom tomato and piquillo pepper sauce, as well as Colorado Lamb Noisettes with Spring vegetables and tarragon lamb jus complemented by either a glass of Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne, a classic Bloody Mary or a Strawberry Orange Mimosa. A dessert buffet created by Pastry Chef Josh Short includes the White Rabbit Carrot Cake; Lemon Bundt Cake with blueberries; Brown Butter Layer Cake with dulce de leche; Mango Coconut Parfait; Bunny Tails BonBons; Rhubarb Cobbler, and many more.
 Pastry Chef Josh Short’s Chocolate Soufflé In addition, during the Cherry Blossom Festival, The Lafayette dining room will offer a Japanese-inspired three-course, pre-fixe dinner menu in addition to the featured menu. The deliciousness starts with an amuse-bouche of cherry Kir Royal, followed by first course options such as Spring Vegetable Salad with kabocha squash puree and matcha tea powder, and Yellowfin Tuna Tartar with smoked avocado and quail egg. Entrees include Caramelized Chilean Sea Bass with seaweed salad, pickled radish, miso, and brown butter sauce, as well as Nori Wrapped Black Angus Strip Steak with steamed Japanese eggplant, matsutake mushroom, and plum wine reduction. Dessert is Caramelia Chocolate Panna Cotta with cherry marmalade and griottines.
If staying at the Hay-Adams during the historic festival is your plan, a specially designed package includes a luxuriously appointed guestroom created by renowned interior designer Tom Pheasant, a chocolate espresso cake with morello cherries, the National Cherry Blossom Festival information packet, and American breakfast for two each day, available through room service or in The Lafayette. This package is available for three nights or more from March 20th 2016 through April 17th 2016. Rates begin at $469 per night for a superior room (excluding taxes) and is based on a minimum three-night stay.
For reservations and information call 202 638-6600 or visit www.hayadams.com
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