I was on the prowl for some good eats when I headed up to Dulles Towne Center mall. I skipped The Cheesecake Factory to check out Vapiano and Grill Kabob. I had read lukewarm reviews on Vapiano and thought that perhaps most of these centered negatively on the ala carte/walk-up-to-the-counter way of ordering, and this did not deter me since I already have had that experience in a few places back home in AZ and came away with some good epicurean memories. What did deter me was the pricing of these items, and I could see that I could easily spend $15-20 on lunch! I was also on a time-crunch so I decided I'd postpone my first Vapiano experience for a later visit (perhaps I'll be lucky enough to find someone to share my meal with!).
I was hoping I recalled correctly that there was a Mediterranean spot called Grill Kabob at the food court, and sure enough, I found it. The short, but sweet menu advertised single entrees of beef, chicken, or lamb (each of which included basmati rice, salad, and fresh baked bread). I was impressed to witness that one of the assistants seemed to be cooking the bread in a metal tandoor oven! These entrees were priced slightly below $10-11. Combination entrees (beef/ckn, ckn/lamb, beef/lamb) were price-y, costing at least $16 or more! I was hoping to be able to try two meats, but decided I'd try the lamb. I had to change my order, however, when I spotted a woman walk away with a plate containing great-looking dark-green spinach and scrumptious chickpea (aka garbanzo bean) -topped rice. I asked if my lamb dish would come with spinach and chickpeas and was told no, but I could have those with the special of the day, which was chicken curry.
I was all smiles as I headed to a table with my treasure of chicken curry; two scoops of basmati rice- plain was topped with spinach and seasoned was topped with chickpea curry; and salad topped with tzatziki sauce). I was in heaven as I savored every morsel of this dish, until I felt a * in my mouth and spotted a couple pieces of *, too :( I love **, but I'm, unfortunately, allergic to them. This was definitely a downer, since removing the remainder allergens won't prevent me from having an allergy attack (their essences have already permeated through the chicken curry). I was doubly-happy, then, that I was able to get cooked spinach with the meal, as spinach contains high levels of anti-inflammatory properties and could, therefore, mitigate the effects of the allergic attack that was to ensue.
While I won't be ordering the flavorful chicken curry special in the future, I'm happy to report that the chickpea curry over rice, spinach, and salad are more than enough to make a satisfying and wholesome vegetarian meal should I find myself not looking for a meat source for protein. The thought of fresh-baked bread wrapped around chickpea curry, spinach,and tzatziki-laced salad is making me hungry right now...
I thought it might help to note that at least two things kept me from giving GK four stars, and these are:
1. the lack of signs (or knowledgeable employees) listing the ingredients in the dishes- guess I'm a bit spoiled by dining at such places like Whole Foods, a few Farmer's market-type grocery stores back home, and a local foodie haven called Wegmans...
2. the way I felt rushed in the ordering process. More efficient signs could better educate consumers as to the available offerings and minimize questions and therefore help streamline the ordering process. Also, wouldn't it be better to use the correct names for these dishes, instead of the generic "white sauce" for tzatziki/raita, or "bread" for naan/roti/pita? Maybe it's just me, but I'd think it would let consumers leave with a more authentic experience of the cuisine. read more