A few weeks ago, I headed to the East Side for some Thai at Yezo Thai Isankaya. The place was pretty packed, but I was still able to snag a table for three relatively quickly. The decor was bright and very maximalist, which fit the vibe perfectly. There were tons of pink flowers everywhere, and I was definitely a fan of that aesthetic. For starters, we shared the Crispy Calamari. I thought it was solid! The calamari was prepared well and made for a pretty dependable dish to kick things off. For our mains, we ordered the Tofu Basil Fried Rice, Pla Nung Manow (steamed branzino), and the Khao Pad Mun Neur (steak). The fried rice was actually my favorite thing on the table; the flavors were all there and it was a solid dish. For the fish, everyone knows I’m a seafood lover, so my expectations are always pretty high whenever I try a new Thai steamed branzino (you can thank Fish Cheeks for setting that standard lol). It was a good dish, but honestly, there are better versions out there. The steak was also decent, and the garlic rice it came with was delicious. Overall, I think this was a nice spot to visit, but I’d probably rather try a new Thai place next time. 6.2/10!

I have been waiting so long to post this review because I’m honestly not even sure how to capture how incredible this place was. I’ll admit, for some reason I haven’t ventured out into as many Vietnamese restaurants as I’d like, but La Dong was an absolute standout. We walked in and the decor immediately caught my attention; I LOVED the fish lights and the moody vibe. Now let me get started with the food. To start, we got the Vietnamese Beef Carpaccio. Everyone, take a moment for this RIGHT NOW. It’s so impressive, I’m counting down the minutes until I can have it again. I loved the balance of flavors and the bites of green chili that gave the dish a fantastic kick. For drinks, we got the Coconut Salt Coffee and Calamansi Matcha Spritz. Both were so refreshing and added the perfect balance for a particularly rich meal. For mains, we got Ca Ri Suan Bo, which was the Vietnamese yellow curry, and the Wagyu Pho. The curry was phenomenal and we ordered it with the bread. The meat was exceptionally tender and if you’re not into spicy food I really recommend this one. The flavors are vibrant and it’s such a comforting meal. Now as for the Wagyu Pho 🥹✋🏽. Dare I say my favorite dish in NYC? I’m not the biggest pho fan but after seeing the Wagyu Pho cap on some of the servers something compelled me to get it. And thank god it did. This dish was sooooooooooo good. The broth was deeply savory and the meat was tender. The presentation was stunning. When I took my first bite I was genuinely floored. I want one of those caps now too. No notes. Overall, I’m now La Dong’s #1 fan. I’m also giving this place the title of my favorite restaurant. I’m not even gonna rank it out of 10 cause it would break the scale.

Closing out my DMV eats content with our final meal in Northern Virginia. Our friend insisted on going to Biryani Grill, claiming it was the best Indian restaurant in NoVA, and I might just have to agree. To start, we got the Gobi Manchuria. These were so good; they were fried to crisp perfection and drenched in a glaze that was just incredible. While this isn’t exactly like other manchurians I’ve had, it was still really, really good. I’ve actually gone to other Indian places since and ordered this exact dish, but I have to give it to Biryani Grill for having the best version. For our mains, we got the boneless chicken biryani, gongura chicken curry, and of course, the garlic naan. The chicken biryani was phenomenal, especially since the chicken was fried to perfection before going into the rice. This place really knows how to fry! I seriously wish I could’ve brought some home. I had never heard of gongura chicken before, so I was very excited to try it, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. It was perfectly tangy, spicy, and flavorful. I’ll be thinking about that curry paired with the naan for a long time. Overall, the place was huge, nicely decorated, and the portions were BIG. I am so happy we went here, and I know exactly where I’m going next time I’m in NoVA. 10/10

We had to give Lapis a try while in DC. After a long and busy day, our group could not wait to dig in. The restaurant is in a really nice area, and we hit the bars afterward, which was quite fun. The decor was chic, earthy, and dark; I thought the vibes in the place were great. To start, we got the mantoo shrimp and pawkora. To me, the dumplings just came across as fishy, so it was only an okay dish. The pawkora was quite doughy, but the portions for the two of them were huge. For the entrees, we got the famous lamb shank, buranee bademjan (eggplant), morgh qorma (chicken), and lamb chaplee kabob. The lamb shank was great. It was cooked to perfection, falling off the bone, and the tomato-based sauce it came in was phenomenal. The morgh qorma was okay, but it didn’t have the most flavor for me. I think it could’ve used more salt, but it was fine. The chaplee kabob was also fine, and it came with a red sauce that was delicious. The eggplant dish with the yogurt was really good, but pairing it with that red sauce from the kabob really put it over the top. Overall, I think it was good to try this place. I really vibed with the decor and the area, even if some of the dishes were just okay. 6/10

If you’ve looked up food recs online for DC, you know you can’t miss a YELLOW mention. Trust, this place deserves all the hype. If there was one place I’d recommend in all of DC, it would definitely be this. The line was about 15-20 minutes and wrapped out of the restaurant. While the sun was scorching and the hunger caused us to go silent, I would honestly do it all over again just to experience those potatoes for the first time. For drinks, we got the iced halawa honey latte, peanut dalgona iced coffee, and a flat white. The drinks were okay, I wouldn’t say they were anything crazy, but still good and offered a strong caffeine kick. For pastries, we got the za’atar and the baklawa twice-baked croissant. When I tell you I almost shed a tear when I took a bite of the baklawa one, I mean it. It was so good. The za’atar one was also very, very good, but I just have a massive sweet tooth so I usually prefer sweet over savory. Incredible all around. For our “mains” we got the smoked amba chicken, bbq lamb shoulder, and falafel wood-fired pitas. These were good, but tbh I could not take more than two bites of my pita because I was already so stuffed. I wish I could have finished my lamb pita though. It was really well-seasoned and cooked perfectly. I usually am not the biggest fan of lamb, but this was quite good. Now I feel as though I have to do a separate section for my absolute favorite bite: the Shatta Batata. Let’s all take a moment for this dish. What’s crazy is that I don’t even like potatoes like that, but I have not been able to stop thinking about these since the minute I had them. Oh my god. They were seasoned to perfection, amazingly fried, and that sauce. No notes. 12/10! Overall, I liked YELLOW Georgetown quite a lot and I will definitely be revisiting when I go back. 9.5/10!

This past weekend I went down to DC for a girls’ trip and had some of the most incredible bites in the DMV. Since our office is near some really great spots, I had to start with one of my manager’s favorite places right across the street. dLeña is an award winning Mexican restaurant with really modern and vibrant decor. The service was great, and the weather was so nice on Friday that I almost wanted to sit in one of the plethora of amazing outdoor seating options they had. For starters, we shared the Ceviche Amarillo with chips. Granted, I haven’t had that much ceviche, but I would easily say this is one of the best I’ve ever tasted. It was so refreshing and limey that I could not stop eating it even as our entrees were served. The slices of orange and the dressing were just delectable. For our mains, we split the Baja Fish Tacos and Birria Tacos. The fish tacos were crispy, seasoned, and dressed well, and the sauce they came with made the whole bite perfect. The birria tacos were okay, but personally, I love birria with consommé. Since it didn’t come with any, I would probably try something else next time. Overall, the place was fantastic, and I’m glad this was one of the first restaurants I tried in DC because it really set the standard high. 8.9/10

Back at my absolute #1 Thai spot in NYC. The weather was rainy and cold on Sunday, which made it perfect for Thai, but tbh I think it’s *always* the perfect weather for Thai. The space felt a bit crowded, but that’s honestly expected for a place this good. I grabbed a Thai iced coffee while waiting for my friends; it was a bit on the strong side for me, so I didn’t quite finish it, but it was still good. For my entree, I went with the Khao Pad Tom Yum, and it was right up my alley: spicy rice packed with amazingly prepared seafood. Both the calamari and the shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the seasoning on the rice was spot on. The green chili sauce on the side really tied the whole dish together. I also tried a bite of the Chicken Kea Mao, and it was outstanding. It’s easily one of the better versions I’ve had. The noodles had that perfect soft and chewy texture and were seasoned impressively. Even the Chicken Pad Thai was delicious. I’m usually not a huge Pad Thai fan because it tends to run a little too sweet for my taste, but this one was different. The noodles were super thin, and the chicken was great. If you’re a Pad Thai lover, this version is definitely worth your time. It’s no secret that I LOVE Sukh, every dish here is a hit. I’m giving this visit a 10/10, though I think I might have a new favorite restaurant in the city 👀.

I went back to Lan Larb Chiangmai for dinner and it truly does not disappoint. The vibe was right on point with a playlist filled with hits, and even for a Thursday night, the 10–15 minute wait for a table wasn’t bad at all. We started with the salted egg yolk fries, because why wouldn’t we? They were cooked perfectly and are such a great appetizer, especially when you dunk them in the sauce for the full experience. For my main, I tried the Zha Jein and it was fantastic. I ordered it extra spicy and it was exactly the heat level I was looking for. The beef was tender, the servings were generous, and I think I actually preferred it over the Panang curry I had last time, though both are great options. My friend actually ordered the chicken Panang curry, after seeing my previous review (😝 #influencer) and she was a huge fan. She also went with extra spicy and the portion was so big she even had leftovers. Our other friend, @stringbeanloverrr , opted for the pad khee mao with less spice and loved it, so definitely check her out for a deeper dive on that specific dish. Overall, Lan Larb Chiangmai continues to be a trustworthy spot and stayed at a solid 9/10.

One of my amazing friends came to visit NYC, so I had to take them to Jackson Heights for a food crawl. There’s no better place to find such an endless variety of incredible South Asian food. Our first stop was Fuska House for a plate of fuchka. When it comes to South Asian snacks, this is easily my #1. The crispy shell stuffed with potato filling and topped with green chilis and tamarind tok is the perfect bite. I only got the fuchka this time, but I’m definitely eyeing the bhel puri for my next visit. Next, we went to Lhasa Fast Food for the chive momos. They were easily some of the best momos I had in Jackson Heights. The filling was so flavorful, the outer layer was perfectly thin, and the sauce they came with had the perfect amount of heat and added such a nice layer of flavor to the dish.9.25/10 Lastly, we grabbed some Kalo Jam from Premium Sweets, but forgot to take a picture. The texture was exactly what I like in a kalo jam. However, Bengali sweets are always a little too sweet for me, but if you’re a fan of that traditional, intense sweetness, these would be a great fit for you.6.25/10 Overall, I’d give this food crawl a 9/10. I’ll definitely be back to try more. Jackson Heights never misses when it comes to finding the most flavorful food in the city.

Despite frequenting Jackson Heights my entire life, this was my first visit to Red Chilli. The place had a modern vibe and pleasant interior. However, while the food and drinks were phenomenal, the overall experience was a bit of a whirlwind. When we got there and got seated we waited 15 minutes without being acknowledged, I had to approach a server to request water. They were apologetic, and I moved past it as they were clearly managing a very demanding large party. Once the food arrived, it was exceptional: Paneer Pakora: The batter was perfectly crispy, encasing tender paneer. It paired beautifully with the classic mint and tamarind chutneys. Chicken Angara Kabab: Deeply flavorful and expertly prepared. Goat Pardha Biryani: Though we initially received chicken by mistake (costing us another 10 minutes) the correct goat version was well worth the wait. We sampled the Mango Lassi and the Virgin Mojito. The mojito was so good I ordered a second, despite the straw occasionally clogging from the amount of fresh mint. The service hiccups were significant; we waited well over 30 minutes between the appetizer and the mains. The staff was apologetic, and I do think we caught them on a particularly hectic night because the quality of the kitchen is undeniable. If the timing had been better, this would easily be one of my top Indian spots in the city. For now, it’s a strong contender that I’ll definitely visit again. Overall, 9.0/10

Dagg Thai has quickly become my newest obsession. The service is consistently good, and the atmosphere feels warm and buzzing with life. We stopped in for a quick birthday dinner after work and ordered the Lamb and Tom Kha. The lamb was perfect and paired with some of the most vibrant salad I’ve ever had. The seasoning on the meat was bold and deeply savory, while the greens were refreshing and bursting with brightness. I truly savored every bite. The dressing was also delicious. The Tom Kha was equally impressive, and deeply comforting on a cold rainy day. It struck the ideal balance of heat, acidity, and richness. This place continues to impress! Overall 10/10

LenLen was a phenomenal experience from start to finish. Everything about it felt thoughtfully done, from the décor to the food. The interior is chic yet inviting, the kind of place you walk into and instantly know you’re going to enjoy your night. To start, we ordered the calamari, and it completely set the tone. It ended up being my friend’s favorite dish of the evening. The real secret is drenching each bite in the coconut aioli it’s served with. The sauce adds a creamy, slightly sweet depth that takes the whole dish up a level. For our mains, my friend had the Pad Thai and said it was one of the better versions she’s tried. Well-balanced, flavorful, and satisfying without being too heavy. I ordered the branzino. The flavors were excellent and the fish itself was cooked well. My only critique is that the skin wasn’t quite as crisp as I would’ve liked, so I might explore a different entrée next time. Still, it was a strong dish overall. For drinks, I had the lemongrass gimlet, which was as beautiful as it was refreshing, bright, aromatic, and perfectly balanced. My friend ordered the Thai iced tea and really enjoyed it as well. We ended the night with the Thai Tea Crème Brûlée, and this was hands down my favorite part of the meal. It struck that perfect balance between light and indulgent. The Thai tea flavor came through boldly, and the sugar topping had that ideal, satisfying crack with the spoon. A solid 9.25/10.