By Elisa Nader/washingtonpost.com

Washington Post food critic Phyllis C. Richman recently came to the Internet – live on Style Live!

In more than two decades of critiquing Washington restaurants – from the hautest temple of gastronomy to the most obscure off-the-beaten track discovery – Richman has become a household name for everyone in our area who loves to eat.

Every Thursday at noon, Phyllis will be on hand to answer your questions and field your comments about dining out in Washington. And starting tomorrow, you can read Phyllis's Sunday reviews on Friday – only on the Web!

Phyllis mentions several restaurants during her discussions. If you are hungry to find out more – prices, location, hours, dress code, etc. – visit our restaurant front, go to the "Find Places & Events" search box, enter a restaurant name or category, select "Search StyleLive" and click "Search Now."

If you missed out in today's chat you can post your thoughts in our ongoing discussion area which Phyllis visits periodically. Please note that next Thursday, July 16, Phyllis will be on vacation. Her live chat will resume on Thursday, July 22.

Following is the transcript from this Thursday's chat.

Washington, D.C.: Dear Phyllis,

My boyfriend is from New York and visits me weekly. We enjoy dining at different restaurants in and around D.C. My question is this - we are trying to find the best japanese restaurant in the area and/or surrounding areas. We think that Sushi-Ko is overrated, but thus far it is about the best. Any suggestions? Thanks. P.S. We love your column and read it every week for new suggestions.

Mary St. Pierre

Phyllis Richman: Good afternoon, everyone. Let's start this week with subject that comes up every week: Sushi.

Since Sushi-Ko has been undergoing renovations and has brought in a new chef (who was at the restaurant years ago and is coming back from Japan), I can't tell how it is at the moment. In the meantime, I can recommend Makoto, which is excellent sushi and really interesting many-course fixed-price dinners in the evening. It's on Macarthur Blvd.

In Bethesda and in Va, Matuba is a restaurant with good value and pleasant service (though often crowded). I've been hearing about two newish Japanese restaurants in Va: Asahi and Sushi-Zen.

That's a start. I'm sure this subject will crop up again.

Arlington VA: I enjoy shopping at both Fresh Fields and Sutton Place Gourmet and occasionally sample some of their prepared foods. However, I'm often disappointed and find the items are often bland and look much better than they taste. Is this your experience? Any outstanding items at either place?

Phyllis Richman: I can't tell you about particular outstanding items because I haven't found any. I find that at both of those markets, the food tends to have an institutional qualty, often a blandness. That's the price they pay for having to prepare for a mass market.

Wshington, DC: Any recommendations for Bastille Day dinner?

Phyllis Richman: Bastille Day makes me miss Dominique's. It did start and long continue a wonderful all-day Bastille Day festival. Now Les Halles, further down Pennsylvania Ave., is carrying on the tradition with a waiters' race. As for where to eat, I think any French restaurant would be fun for Bastille Day: La Colline, La Foiurchette, Gerard's Place, Bistro FRancais, Citronelle, La Chaumiere, L Ferme, La Miche, Lavandou. . .you get the idea.

Washington, D. C.: The recent Zagat restaurant ratings for D.C. is a different take on our eating scene. Do you think there is a different perspective in reviewing for the "locals" vs. the visitors market that Zagat might target?

Phyllis Richman: The difference is not locals vs. tourists as the audience, but the method Zagat uses. It forms its ratings from a reader survey. That means that it's a conglomeration of all kinds of opinions from amateur to expert, and is weighted towards longtime familiar restaurants (and sometimes those that whip their friends and family into filling out forms). It is a very different kind of rating from a single reviewer being responsible for evaluating a restaurant by going several times and trying the range of the menu. Both, of course, have their uses.

Fairfax, VA: I recall that last week someone mentioned that Asian restaurants don't serve lettuce (or not enough) with their spring rolls. A favorite place of mine and my husband's is Cafe Saigon in Clarendon. We've been going there for years, and they have always served lettuce (and always a good-sized portion) w/their spring rolls. The sauce that goes with it is excellent as well, one of the best we've ever tasted. Just wanted to put my 2 cents in. Love your column!....Ginny

Phyllis Richman: Thanks for the suggestion. I agree that this is a good place to try.

Vienna, Va.: I had a guest from Italy who asked to go someplace with "typical American" food. I tried explaining that it's a big country, with dozens of cuisines. Even Italy, much smaller than the US, has its regional differences, so I'm not sure why I had a hard time getting this across. Do you there's such a thing as typical American food? And what restaurant in the D.C. area serves it?

Phyllis Richman: Around here, typical American food is steamed peppered hardshell crabs, eaten on brown paper with a mallet and a pick. In New England, hardly anybody would have tasted such a thing. Nor in Kansas.

What is really exciting dining, I think, is discovering local foods that are not found elsewhere. St. Mary's County stuffed ham, stuffed quohogs in New England, Brunswick stew in the CArolinas, crawfish boil in Louisiana.

In trying to find - or show off - American food, the point is not just to go to an American restaurant, but to look for those special dishes on the menu that are distinctive to the area. Maryland crab chowder, anyone?

Washington, DC: Nothing is better than a good margarita on a hot DC evening. Where are the best margaritas in your opinion, and are there any particularly good places for sipping them outside?

Phyllis Richman: Okay, I found one. The new Ardeo in Cleveland Park makes and great big, wonderful fresh-lime margarita. But I think you have to drink it inside. Anyone else have a suggestion?

new york city, ny: phyllis,
i'm in dc for the summer and love your article in the sunday magazine. my question concerns eggs in food - is it common to place an open egg in noodle dishes? at Zuki Moon the other night i had a fabulous noodle dish with an open, apparently raw, egg floating in it, which i've never seen before and wouldn't have added myself. is that safe?

Phyllis Richman: In several cuisines, a raw egg (or just the yolk) is added at the last minute to a hot dish to enrich it. The effect can be wonderful in such dishes as Asian soup noodles, Italian strachiatelli (a spinach soup that I may have misspelled) and Persian rice (a yolk is set on top, and the diner stirs it in, along with some butter and powdered sumac--fabulous!). Fetttuccine Alfredo is also tossed with raw egg, cheese and butter to form its "sauce". As for its safety, if the soup or noodles or rice is hot, the egg cooks as it is stirred in. Thus it is clearly safe. If the base is not hot enough to heat the egg, it could be dangerous, but then it would also be pretty unappetizing, too.

Fairfax, VA: Which restaurant are you reviewing coming sunday. Any new exciting restaurant that you have visited recently?

Phyllis Richman: It's a secret.

To explain more, though, the restaurant review for next Sunday was written several weeks ago. After I visit a restaurant several times, I write the review, then the editors edit it--which takes five days or so. Then it is sent (along with the rest of the magazine, of course) out of town to be printed. The finished copy arrives at the Post about five days before it comes out in the Sunday paper. I, of course, often forget which review is coming out which Sunday.

Rockville, MD: About 10 years ago when I worked in Crystal City, we'd go to a huge restaurant - I think it was in Arlington - that had a large salad bar and reminded me of a ship. I think beef was a specialty. But I cannot recall the name. Do you have a clue? I'm not sure it is even still there.

Phyllis Richman: Yep, it's still there. You must be talking about Tom SArris' Orleans House, which is in Rosslyn. One of the longest-running hits in the area.

Fairfax, VA:: Is Ardeo owned by the same owner as Oval Room?

Phyllis Richman: Yes. He also owns 701 and Bombay Club.

Fairfax, VA: I grew up in Maryland and loved to visit the many wonderful crabhouses there. I now live in VA and havent found a decent one yet. All I want is brown paper on the table, along w/vinegar, old bay and paper towels. Any suggestions?

Phyllis Richman: One of these days, drive out to Pope's Creek, about 45 minutes down the Potomac from WAshington, in Maryland. There, side by side, are Capt. Billy's and Robertson's (and one more of lesser interest). They are the ideal brown-paper, wooden-mallet crabs-and-beer joints, right on the water.

washington dc: My personal favorite for Margaritas are Austin Grill and Lauriol Plaza. At Lauriol you can sit outside and drink them by the pitcher...I agree.. nothing better on a hot night!

Phyllis Richman: I've had terrific margaritas at these places, too. Thanks for reminding us.

Alexandria, VA: Where can I get some real good, down to earth, old fashioned/almost home made Indian food?

Phyllis Richman: Try the Bombay Curry Company in Alexandria, or for vegetarian food, Swagat (Langley Park and Woodley Park), Udupi Palace (Langley Park) and Woolands (ditto). I've also heard there is a new place called Tiffin in Md.

Silver Spring, MD: Dear Ms. Richman,
I recently returned from a trip to Maine, and the main staple of my diet included lobsters, of course! This made me curious as to where, in this area, could I indulge in a fresh, not-so-expensive lobster without ordering it specially or driving to the beach?
Thanks so much!
Emily Pannebaker

Phyllis Richman:
Certainly don't drive to the beach for lobster in this region. It probably comes from New England, so it is more like to be better in the city, where the airports and truck routes are more accessible. Lots of places have good lobster but the obvious one is Legal Sea Food, since it is a New England seafood house.

Fairfax, VA: How is food at Ardeo. I don't remember reading your review!

Phyllis Richman: Remember, it takes 3-4 weeks for a review to get in print. It hasn't appeared yet.

Arlington, VA: How much are you obligated to tip a waitperson if the service is horrendous?

Phyllis Richman: You aren't obligated to tip anything. But keep in mind a couple of things: Be sure that the fault is the waiter's if you are going to punish him or her. And make sure he or she knows that your reduced tip is because the service was bad, not because you're a cheapskate.

Washington DC: Korean cuisine is my favorite and I am amazed at the continued scarcity of Korean restaurants in Washington, D.C. Woo Lae Ok in Arlington is by far the area's best. Jin-ga on 24th St. is passable, but too corporate. I get the sense that a lot of Korean restauranteurs open up, for example, Chinese restaurants because they don't believe there is a strong market for Korean cuisine. Do you have an opinion on this and the growth potential for Korean cuisine in this city and across the country?

Phyllis Richman: Washington--or at least the Washington area--has plenty of Korean restaurants. Most of them are in Annandale, along or near Annandale Road. The Post food section did a roundup of several about a year ago.

Washington, D.C.: You mentioned last week that you had recently fulfilled your quota of eating one hot dog per year. Is this because you regulalry dine on more extravagant food and don't have time for hot dogs, or do you know more than the rest of us about the source of the "snouts and entrails" that go into a hot dog? And for those of us who can't resist, is there any brand of hot dog known for having better quality than the rest?

Phyllis Richman: It's not that I consider hot dogs unclean or gross, but that they are high fat and contain nitrates (or is it nitrites--I haven't written about this for years). So I eat them seldom but look for tastiest--not the healthiest--when I do. I'm a fan of Hebrew National and Sabrett's. I'm sure there are others I like; in general I prefer kosher-style. With sauerkraut or with mustard and a lot of good relish (I discovered last week that the Orioles stadium serves inferior relish).

MCLEAN: MAKOTO IS GREAT FOR SUSHI BUT IF YOU ARE OVER 6 FEET TALL, FORGET ABOUT IT. i WENT FOR THE FIRST TIME A MONTH AGO AND LITERALLY HAD MY KNEES JAMED THE ENTIRE TIME! THEY SHOULD EITHER LOWER THE FLOOR OR RAISE THE TABLE.

Phyllis Richman: Absolutely right. But that's not a problem I have to worry about.

Bethesda, MD: I work in downtown DC west of the White House and occasionally have a craving for sandwiches with proscuitto. Any ideas?

Phyllis Richman: Are you putting me on? After I've gushed so over the prosciutto-gorgozola-fig jam sandwich at the Bread Line, one block west of the White House on Pa. Ave?

Alexandria, VA: Regarding the issue of Vietnamese restaurants serving lettuce with their spring rolls -- Hands down, the best spring rolls I've ever tasted (besides my mother's) are at Queen Bee restaurant, also near the Clarendon metro. They are perfectly crisp, with filling that is subtle and powerful at the same time. And you can not only get plenty of lettuce, but fresh cilantro as well. It is always a treat to go there!

Phyllis Richman: I agree, when they are hot and fresh, Queen Bee's cha gio can't be beat.

Waldorf, Md: What do you think of the new and supposedly improved Filet-O-Fish? I don’t really care for the new bun or all the extra sauce. Do you think McDonalds will stay with this combination or bring back the good old steamed-bun version?

Phyllis Richman: Oops, I've missed it. I'm off on vacation next week, and will probably hit a McDonald's along with way, so I'll look into that.

Washington, D.C.: I keep hearing about D.C. Coast throught the grapevine. I've never heard of it. Am I just out of touch? Can you tell me more?

Phyllis Richman: I haven't been to DC Coast yet; it's too new, and I wait awhile. It's on 14th and K, and its chef is Jeff Tunks, who used to be at the River Club here. Sounds promising.

Washington, DC: I remember you saying that owner of Bread line was your friend. Promoting your friends!!!!

Phyllis Richman: I often promote my enemies, too, as long as they serve good food.

Arlington,VA: Regarding the Korean cuisine, Hee Been on Duke Street in Alexandria is pretty good.

Phyllis Richman: That's the one I go to most often, and lately I've found it better than ever.

Atlanta, GA: At what point do you think a meal is unpleasant enough to complain to the manager or write a letter?

Phyllis Richman: At any point where your evening is being ruined by the restaurant or its staff. There are no rules, except to try to be fair to the restaurant and to present your case in a way that might allow it to be fair to you. Is that vague enough? Every situation is so different, that I don't know how to offer a set of rules.

Arlington, VA: Phyllis:

thought you might find this interesting: I used to work in the restaurant industry a couple years ago, and we had a photo taped up behind the door of our host stand that said "Watch out for this woman -- Important food critic Phyllis Richman !!" Do you find that all restaurants now recognize you once you walk in, and does this celebrity in any way influence the way you critique a restaurant one way or another?

Phyllis Richman: What's interesting is how many restaurants with a photo of me in the kitchen haven't recognized me in person. It's hard from a photo, and the photo the restaurants have is either pretty fuzzy or 20 years old (I've seen them). On the other hand, many restaurants do recognize me, most often because some waiter has seen me before and sometimes because some diner has pointed me out (none of YOU would do that, right?). It means I have to be more cautious, more watchful, order dishes that can't be changed when possible. What's odd is how often restaurants serve bad food even to a critic they're recognized.

Boston, MA: Hello. I have to intercede here and say that you haven't tasted a hot dog until you have had a Fenway Frank! They taste even better if the Red Sox are winning. Though not too convenient for Washingtonians as they are only available at one place...

Phyllis Richman: Do they do mail order?

washington, dc: More than once you have given City Lights in Dupont excellent reviews. So I decided to check it out, twice. Both times I was extremely disappointed with the restaurant. I had to select three different wines because they were unavailable. My appetizer actually arrived before the bottle of wine, which was of significantly less quality than the one I originally requested. My food was served sporadically with entrees arriving 15 min between each other. The Kung Pao chicken that I ordered barely had any spice at all when the menu labels it as spicy. And to make the evening completely frustrating I was constantly being pushed out of the restaurant. I will agree that some of the food was quite enjoyable like the steamed dumplings appetizer and chicken Hunan style however I would give a warning to guests about the service and overall mood of the restaurant. Could you please recommend another Chinese restaurant that I could try.

Phyllis Richman: As I may have mentioned here before, City Lights of China is under new management. I haven't checked it out yet, but I have been getting a lot of complaints. In the meantime, try Eat First in Chinatown.

Washington DC: Regarding your articles on ethnic foods. Sometimes it seemed you rely on waiter, and do not have a comprehensive research. At Swagat (MD)they passed north Indian dishes to you as south Indian. your tastes are appalling when you mention Bombay Bistro as a good restaurant.
Are you accompanied by the natives when you go and taste ethnic foods or you rely on your supernatural powers? Also , It seems like you pick price over food and your judgement is paralyzed by that fact. I have also found you expect ethnic foods to be cheaper, that is a clear cut bias. Good food, good ambience, and good service are integeral part of restaurants. I have never found one without the other.

Phyllis Richman: To each his own. One of my favorite restaurants, the Bombay Club, is an expensive Indian restaurant. It's decor, service and quality of ingredients warrant the prices. Its being an ethnic restaurant is irrelevant to that evaluation.

Oakton, Va: About 9 months or so ago, you reviewed a Pureto Rican resturant in Maryland. What is the name of it and where is it?

Phyllis Richman: El Encanto has unfortunately closed. Does anyone know another Puerto Rican restaurant hereabouts?

Springfield, VA: Do you, in your reviews, consider the hygienic conditions of the restaurants?
Are restrooms a reflection of the restaurants?
Thanks.

Phyllis Richman: Yes, restrooms are a reflection of the restaurant's hygiene and of its general level of caring about its food and its customers. I don't in any regular way consider hygiene in my restaurant reviews, since by and large the restaurants here are clean. I might comment if I found a place notably dirty.

Fairfax, VA: Where r u eating your lunch today, any chances of meeting you in person? Not a stalker!

Phyllis Richman: I'll tell you where to find me for lunch tomorrow: Somerset, Pa., where there are several good local diners. I go there every year on the way to Zanesville, Ohio, where I'll look forward to white peaches from the farmers' market, and down-home meatloaf-and-mashed dinner at Juanita's, an order of fried chicken giblets at a local carryout and a real old fashioned ice cream parlour. If anybody has any better suggestions for that area, please email me (richmanp@twp.com). Otherwise, dine well. I'll be back on-line in two weeks, waiting to hear about more of your discoveries in the realms of margaritas, sushi, crabs, Korean food, etc. Have a fine time.

   |       |