On Christmas day there weren’t a lot of available dining options in Ballston, so CAF and I ate at BORU Asia Bistro & Sake Bar (formerly Matsutake) twice.  Service was good and the staff was friendly.

For lunch we had their buffet ($11) which had a options from various places in Asia.  This included sushi, Chinese dishes, and a Korean spicy cucumber dish. (I do appreciate that some of their dishes were spicy.) The dishes looked mediocre, including the sushi, which looked dried out and visually unappealing, but other restaurants were not open, so we figured we’d make the best of it. But, the food actually turned out to be good. Was it amazing, no, but it was well worth the price.  And, if you are there at the end of the lunch service, you will see the staff dive into the buffet themselves (with enthusiasm) which is a good sign.

We went back for dinner (everyone remembered us) but sat in the grill area…where the chef cooked -in a whirlwind of blades and flames- shrimp, steak, and broccoli for us. I’ve done this type of Japanese meal before, but this time the food it was well-seasoned and I actually enjoyed it. He made a spicy shrimp appetizer while we waited for the rest of the food, and it was tasty as well.

We did appreciate how friendly the staff was, and wish them luck with their new restaurant.  The new owners are still transitioning the signs from the old restaurant (Matsutake).

BORU ASIA BISTRO & SAKE BAR
4121 WILSON BLVD STE#102
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 351-8787

-JAY

[ad]