Eamonn's, Alexandria, Virginia

Eamonn's, A Dublin Chipper, specializes in fish and chips.  That's pretty obvious, from the name, right?  What I didn't know was that Eamonn's would make the most delectable fish and chip I've ever put in my mouth.  This past Tuesday, my mother, father, my son Ryan, and I set out to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia to get our fried fish on.  After parking at a broken meter (the joys of parking in Old Town, Alexandria!), we walked into Eamonns.  I was immediately pleased with the decor.  There was a lot of dark wood, and tons of natural light in the eating area from the huge windows.  The menu was written up on a chalkboard.  We grabbed a table right next to a window and my father went to the counter to order.  He ordered a grouper, two large cods, and one large order of chips for all of us to share.  He bought a couple of drinks for us and we sat and waited for our food.

My mother, father and my son Ryan.  We were waiting for our order.



Malt vinegar, ketchup, and a lot of napkins ready on the tables.

 When our food was ready, a really nice man brought our food out to us.  I thought he was really nice because he noticed that we didn't have any sauce, so he asked us if we would like some.  We said sure, some tartar sauce would be great.  He brought over three small containers of tartar sauce, for each of our orders.  We tore the main bag open, and dug into our fish.  The battered cod was delicious.  The batter was just the right thickness, and the perfect state of crispiness.  As my fork broke through the layer of batter, the steam from the cod rose up into my nose.  Oh, man was it perfect!  I dabbed some tartar sauce, complete with capers in the sauce--a very nice touch--on the cod and there it was, the best battered fish I've ever eaten.



The battered, fried cod.  Large, at 6 ounces.  Chips, in the foreground.

The chips were excellent.  They were cut kind of thickly, but they were still crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.  They were perfect for soaking up the malt vinegar that was sitting on the table.  My mom also ordered the cod, but my dad ordered the batter-fried grouper.  The grouper was just as good as the cod, if a little different since it's a different fish entirely.  It was crunchy, delicious, and clean-tasting, just like the the cod.




Batter-fried grouper.

To satisfy a craving for fish and chips, Eamonn's is a must-try.  I am looking forward to a return trip.

Ryan, enjoying people-watching after his meal.

Eamonn's, A Dublin Chipper
728 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 299-8384
http://www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com/

Beef Braised in Coconut and Ginger

The other day, my mother cooked one of my favorites: sumbunn.  It's pronounced sum-BUNN, with the accent on the second syllable.  Sumbunn is originally a Cambodian dish, composed of tender braised beef, most often chuck, cooked down in a coconut milk-based mixture that includes ginger, garlic, and shallots.  The pot looks like simmering soup to start, but it's not ready until the entire pot has been reduced to almost a third of its original volume, and has browned in color, flaky, tender and delicious.

Sumbunn, or Beef Braised in Coconut with Ginger, Shallots, and Garlic

Recipe

Sumbunn

2 lbs chuck beef, sliced into 1" x 1" pieces
3 cans of coconut milk, Chao Koh or Chef's Choice brand are good.
1 piece of ginger, 2" x 1" piece, chopped finely
2 shallots, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Dash of white pepper
1 TB canola or vegetable oil

Heat up a large, heavy-bottomed pot.  When pot is hot, pour 1 TB canola oil in.  Add ginger, shallots, garlic, and white pepper.  Sauté these ingredients together for a few minutes.  Add beef to the pot, brown beef.  Add the coconut milk to pot.  Bring contents to a boil, stirring constantly.  Lower heat to a gentle simmer.  Stir constantly, keep an eye on the pot.  Reduce until beef pieces obtain a thick, flaky moist crust.  Serve over hot jasmine rice.