Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide

Lahori Kabob, 2816 Graham Rd., Falls Church, VA, 703-573-0112 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | Yelp]

This Pakistani place doubles as a hookah joint. The one time I went the service was very weak and the atmosphere was unappealing, to say the least. It looked like a dump (in fact it was a dump) without having the charm of a good mom n’ pop. That said, the chicken karahi was excellent – very authentic – and the other dishes I sampled were at least good or maybe better than good. I’ll give it a qualified recommendation for the discerning, and in the meantime I’ll predict they either get their act together or it will collapse completely. I’d like them to succeed, but they’re not on a sustainable path.

La’Jawab, 5151 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA (just east of George Mason Drive, west of Glebe), 703-532-4104 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [MenuPages | Don Rockwell | Yelp]

Could this be the best Pakistani place around right now? The haleem is excellent and the wok dishes are very good too. Vegetables taste fresh. Recommended. If it takes them a little long to serve you, it is because they do everything the right way from scratch.

Halalco Supermarket, web site, 155 Hillwood Avenue, Falls Church, VA, 703-532-3202 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Zabihah]

Located inside a Pakistani supermarket, this place is so authentic it closed completely for the month of Ramadan. It’s probably the most authentic Pakistani place around, truly spicy, a bit oily, they serve organs too. Not my #1 Pakistani place but I will go a third time and maybe yet again. It is recommended for those who want to go the nth degree, not for those who seek mainstream ethnic food. It is best to go during peak hours when the buffet is most fresh. There is lots of Islamic material in the supermarket, it is a very religious place, the people are very friendly.

Merrifield Kabob, web site, 8428 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA, 703-204-4400 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Yelp | zabihah]

More of a dump than you would expect, given the location. The core influence here is Pakistani, and shady characters smoke hooka during the off-hours. This kind of food is almost always good enough to enjoy, but so far this place doesn’t compete with Ravi or Food Factory or my other favorites of similar ilk. Go for locational reasons, that makes sense, a special trip not.

Visit London every year.

Bar Shu, web site, 28 Frith Street, London, near Leicester Square, is the best Sichuan food I have had. The "Exploded Pork Kidneys" are especially fine, as are the green beans.

Also noteworthy is Hot Stuff, web site, 19 Wilcox Road, London, a small Pakistani takeaways place that is rapidly gaining global fame.

First posted on Marginal Revolution.

Shahi Kabob House, 724 Pien Street, Herndon, VA, in the older part of Herndon (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah]

An avid reader recommends the Chicken Karahi there.

Skewers, web site, 9736 Traville Gateway Drive, Rockville, MD, 301-279-6999, off Shady Grove Road (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | Washingtonian | City Paper | food-plan | Yelp | Gayot]

Supposed to be an above-average kabobs place.

Aabshaar Kabob & Sweets, 6550 Backlick Road, Springfield, VA, 703-866-1155 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | City Paper | openlist | Yelp}

Very authentic, but in this case that means the food is too oily. Can be tasty, but not for the novice. They have haleem virtually all the time, a plus, but anything fried simply isn’t that good.

Mehran Restaurant, 2138 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-342-0056 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | City Paper | Yelp]

Very mom and pop, pretty spicy, very yummy. Nothing more than the usual Pakistani selections, but I can be pretty happy with that. A good alternative in a part of town that doesn’t have much hard-core ethnic food.

Village Kabob, 3013 Annandale Road, Falls Church, VA, 703-536-3002, at Rt. 50 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | City Paper | Yelp]

Looks great, but isn’t. Still too greasy and oily, even after a change in ownership.

Kabob Palace, web site (flash), 2315 S. Eads Street, Arlington, VA, 703-486-3535, near Jefferson Davis Highway, Crystal City (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Yelp | Gayot]

Tasty all around, plus there is Punjab Kabob next door, which I have yet to visit.

Mayur Kebab House, 1108 K Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-637-9770 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | Yelp]

A good kabob place, especially for DC.

Tabeer, web site, 1401 University Boulevard East, International Mall, upper level, Langley Park, Hyattsville, MD, 301-434-2121 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [zabihah | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

The menu resembles that of Food Factory. Whenever I am in the neighborhood, I cannot resist going to Udupi Palace or Woodlands (Indian).

Ravi Kabob House, 305 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, 703-522-6666, a few blocks north of Rt. 50 at Pershing in Buckingham Center, a small row of shops (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | zabihah | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

The best kabob and Pakistani restaurant around. The meat here is superb. Plus the chicken and lamb karahi dishes are excellent, but don’t believe them when they say it is enough for two people, it isn’t. A hole in the wall, mom and pop sort of place, but high quality all around and very authentic.

Update May 31, 2006: They're opening an additional place across the street at 250 N. Glebe Road, next to the CVS.

Lamb Kabob, with salad, rice and chick peas, and bread

Food Factory, 4221 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 703-527-2279, usually open. Turn left at North Stuart, coming from the west on 66, and park in the back. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | zabihah | WaPo - Phyllis Richman | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]

Don't let the name scare you off - this is a real ethnic restaurant. The kabobs and the breads are very tasty. The chicken, of course, should be ordered on the bone; it is tenderer that way. I prefer the chicken to the lamb. And use as much of the spicy green sauce as possible, let it seep into your bread! (You should even ask them for an extra serving of the spicy green sauce.) The spicy hamburgers (chapli burgers) are not bad either. The scooped buffet dishes vary in quality, but usually you can tell by sight. Weekends they serve Haleem, a Pakistani speciality. Haleem is a move in the direction of simply ingesting the spices directly and removing the intermediary of the food. This place now draws a pretty “white” crowd, but the quality remains high.

For people-watching Food Factory is first-rate. Go Saturday at lunch time, but there is almost always something interesting going on among the clientele. Do note that they tow cars away very easily from the parking lot, so don't run off and take a walk. If they call to have your car towed, they won't be very apologetic (or very polite) afterwards.

Update: It is now a hookah bar and the old Food Factory you used to know and love is gone, gone, gone. Sorry to report this. They do still have some Pakistani food.