Tom Sietsema Bestows Two Stars on Israeli Newcomer Sababa - Eater DC
"Northern Virginia Magazine guest restaurant critic Rina Rapuano visits the new-ish addition to downtown Fairfax; a “tiny but pleasant dining room” turns out to be home to cuisine influenced by China and neighboring countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Mongolia. Rapuano recommends kicking off the meal with flaky and pancake-like katlama naan, and a cool marinated beef salad sprinkled with garlic, cilantro and chiles. Another “standout” appetizer is the eggplant, with its “melty flesh and chewy skin” covered in garlic, oyster sauce, cilantro, and tomato. Notable entrees include: boneless chicken qourma with rice and fresh ginger, as well as noodles sauced with lamb and veggies with an “intense” homemade chili blend. The soft noodles — boasting “a perfect chew” — are the overall stars of the meal, as is the whole pomfret fish bathed in ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Dumplings filled with spiced lamb, and a bowl of noodle soup fall short on the excitement scale. Same goes for the samsa, with its too-dry minced lamb filling. Rapuano urges diners to try a French press filled with a blend of black and green tea accented with saffron, cardamom, rose and a homemade spice blend; the mostly-Muslim menu means no alcohol, she reminds readers." - Tierney Plumb
