Two of my favorite cooking styles are Korean and all things Latin. Ok so technically that isn’t just two but you get my point.
Could a combination of these culinary powerhouses result in something even better? Maybe.
Last week I visited DaMoim in Annandale. This low light loungey restaurant located in a strip mall seemed promising. Side note: I have a strange love for restaurants located in strip malls. In many cases, they really are the best.
The concept of kimchi and tacos in the same meal is particularly appealing to someone like me who prefers to experience 35 different flavors in each meal. I find this cuts down on the whole food decision anxiety. Anyway, I thought this is it, bring it on.
We ended up ordering jaeyook quesadillas, galbi tacos and your standard galbi bibimbap.
So the bibimbap was first. It was pretty good and satisfied my need for a more traditional dish. It was served nice and hot topped with a fried egg. This did seem like a toned down version of what I get a more traditional place like Han Sung Oak. In other words, I could easily identify everything in the bowl. It was basically beginner bibimbap. I prefer mine kicked up notch but it was tasty none the less.
Next up were the quesadillas and tacos. I should start by saying that overall, the quesadilla was really good. The pork was tender and had the perfect blend of smoke and sweetness plus it was really spicy. The tacos on the other hand were a pretty big disappointment in my book. Here’s the thing with both of these dishes, the meat was really good but there seems to be a serious miscommunication in the whole Latin fusion department. I am a bit of a traditionalist and refuse to believe that store bought flour tortillas, shredded cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce and sour cream are the proper way to represent Latin culinary highlights.
I really think that if DaMoim could bring in some high quality Latin ingredients and flavors, they would be taking money from my wallet regularly. They already have the complex Korean flavors going for them so it shouldn’t be too tough. If nothing else it was a really fun experience and it turns out my husband really liked it. He basically said it was perfect for people who aren’t willing to wander too far outside of their food comfort zone. I plan to go again in the future and will report back if there are any upgrades in the flour tortilla department.
DaMoim
7106 Columbia Pike
Annandale, VA 22003
703.354.3211
www.damoimrestaurant.com
