Lamb Soup

After writing a recent article about the wonderful Sichuan food at Asian Origin in Tysons, we decided to return and try their sushi menu, which is only available Tuesdays through Saturdays. We dined on a variety of fresh Sushi and Sashimi as well as Miso Soup, and Seaweed Salad. The sushi is all very fresh and skillfully prepared; the eel was a favorite of my dining partner. The Seaweed Salad is a little spicy, which is nice. The homemade tofu in the Miso Soup is made from soy, unlike the black bean tofu used in a Ma Po Tofu at Asian Origin.

Chef Liu even invited us to come back the next evening to sample the test run of a Lamb Soup recipe from the town in Sichuan Province he grew up in. The soup is made with lamb bones and fish stock, and includes lamb slices, radishes, and cabbage. It is traditional to dip the lamb slices in crushed red pepper. This is Fall/Winter comfort food at it’s best. The Lamb soup will soon be added to the restaurant’s menu. I even shared shots of extremely strong rice wine with Chef Liu near the end of our meal.

We always end meals at this restaurant with an order of Sesame Balls, which are filled with black sesame seeds and black beans.

-JAY

Update: The lamb soup has not joined the official menu.

Chef Liu Chaosheng‘s Asian Origin opened this wonderful Sichuan and sushi restaurant in the spring. This highly skilled chef/restaurateur also owns Hong Kong Palace in Falls Church; Uncle Liu’s Hot Pot in Merrifield; China Jade in Rockville; and Cafe Hong Kong Bistro in Germantown. We recently attended a media tasting at this establishment.

Award Winning Dumpling Maker, Jixin Lv.

I am thrilled that like other Chef Liu restaurants, this establishment makes everything from scratch, including the tofu. More restaurants need to do this; we are happy when we find places like Asian Origin and another newcomer, Sugar Factory, where restaurateurs understand that pre-made ingredients cost more and do not lead to the kind of deliciousness you can find in freshly made (and from scratch) dishes. You can really tell the difference from scratch cooking makes in Asian Origin’s dishes; we’ve been back twice since the media tasting. Plus, Chef Liu imports many ingredients from China (like the wooden ear mushrooms), to add even more authenticity to his made from scratch dishes.

So. let’s talk about Asian Origin’s (house-made) tofu. It is delicate and wonderful, but I could immediately tell it was different than the (also delicious) Ma Po Tofu we’ve eaten at his other restaurants. It turns out that Asian Origin is the only Chef Liu restaurant using black beans instead of soy beans. The dish is great either way, but it was nice to try the back bean version, which is a modern take on tofu that you sometimes find in China nowadays.

Besides the Chinese menu, this restaurant also has a sushi menu. We’ve only tried one sushi item here (a roll, which was good), so I’ll need to go back to to the seaweed salad, miso soup, and more sushi.

I’m not a writer who typically ends articles with “you need to try this place,” but you do, and now, especially if you are a spicy food lover. Sichuan cuisine includes a remarkable floral note in it’s spicy dishes that we (here at DCFüd) just love.

-JAY

Editor’s Note: Sushi menu is served Tuesdays through Saturdays.

I hear that some people read important memos at work. Perhaps they write emails or talk to coworkers. Not for me, these rituals of petty productivity! When I’m at work, I research up dining guides for small towns I hope to visit soon! Obsessively and compulsively!
Last month’s excuse for unproductively was the following dining guide, complete with color coded maps and timing instructions. It was meant to represent a complete culinary tour of Frederick MD, but the individual it was created with had the gall to move to Tampa before I really had a chance to sink my teeth in (dining guide to Tampa, coming soon!). Rather than waste my many hours of chowhound research, here it is for open perusal. I created it as if coming from 495, up 270 and then over through Urbana. Yes, Obsessive and compulsive. I know.
+means an especially suggested pick
Bakeries
+ Hot Breads Bakery and Cafe – Tandoori chicken stuffed croissants – 70 Market St, Gaithersburg
+ Carriage House Bakery – Cakes – 9807 Kelly Rd, Mt. Pleasant
+ Classic bakery – Cookies, Pastries, and chocolates – 18503 North Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg
+ Ed’s Country Bakery – Kinklings, cupcakes – 4309 Cap Stine Rd
Deliciosa Bakery – Pastries – 1507 W Patrick St
+ The Stone Hearth Bakery -Breads, scones, and finger deserts 138 East St
+ Proof Artisan Bakery & Barista – Pastry and sandwiches -12 East Patrick St
Coffee
Beans & Bagels – Coffee and breakfast – 49 E Patrick St
+ Downtime Café – Coffee and vegetarian food – 23 E Patrick St
+ Frederick Coffee Company – Original coffee drinks – 100 East St FSK Kaffe – Coffee and baked goods – 31 W Patrick St
+ The Mudd Puddle Coffee Café – Coffee and paninis – 124 South Carroll Street
The Book Center – 1305 W. 7th Street
+ Market Street Café (shown above) – Coffee, ice cream, and deserts – 14 N. Market St.
Dessert
+ Candy Kitchen – Chocolate – 52 N Market St
+ Classic Cigars and British Goodies – British groceries – 153 N Market Street+ Frederick Fudge & Ice Cream Company – Ice cream soda counter and fudge – 253 East Church Street
Alcohol
+ Tasting room – Wine – 101 North Market Street
Berrywine Plantations/Linganore
Windham Winery
+ Isabella’s Taverna & Tapas Bar – Wine and tapas – 44 N Market Street
Tarara Winery
Brewer’s Alley Restaurant & Brewery – Beer – 124 North Market Street
Casual restaurants
+ Bill Watson’s – Fried Chicken – 50 North McCain Drive
+ Lancaster Dutch market – Breakfast, bakery, cheese – 12613 Wisteria Drive Germantown
Frederick Farmers market – 797 E. Patrick Street Kountry Kitchen – Family food – 17 Water St Thurmont
+ Cafe Anglais – English food – 238 N Market St
+ Barbara Fritchie Candystick Restaurant – Diner food and deserts – 1513 West Patrick Street
Griff’s – Seafood – 43 S Market St
+ Wag’s – Burgers – 24 South Market Street
+ May’s Restaurant – Cream of crab soup and crab balls – 5640 Urbana Pike
+ Callahan’s – Crabcakes – 1808 Rosemont Ave
Luke’s Pizza Company – Pizza – 6942 Crestwood Blvd., Crestwood Plaza
Mealey’s Restaurant – Family food – 8 Main Street, New Market,
Isabella’s Taverna & Tapas Bar – Wine and tapas – 44 N Market Street
Serenity Tearoom – Formal tea 119 E Patrick St
Roys place: Sandwiches -2 East Diamond, Gaithersburg
Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que – BBQ – 1003 W Patrick St
Market Bagel & Deli – Bagels – 36 Market St
And a couple extras thrown in for free, although they probably wouldn’t be part of any consecutively staged meal:
Destination Restaurants
The Province Restaurant
Dutch’s Daughter
+ Tasting room
+ Acacia
Tarousos
Zest
Tajitu
Markets:
Asian Super Market
La Chiquita Grocery
Common Market Food Co-op
McCutcheon Apple Products Inc