Archive for January 4th, 2009

I found Farrah Olivia by Morou by accident, really. I was in D.C., and I was at the Springfield Mall, looking for a place to eat dinner. That’s what happens when you get in your car after getting off the Metro. With nothing but fast food there at the mall, we sat in the car, shaking our iPhones silly.

Urbanspoon kept shuffling around like a slot machine, giving us restaurant recommendations. Nothing in Springfield, VA appeared very good. We began expanding our reach. One iPhone spit-out the name Farrah Olivia, and I said, “What is that?”

Soon enough, on a whim, we’d plugged the address (600 Franklin Street) into the GPS, and off we went, to Alexandria. It’s on the corner of Washington Street (Route 1), adjacent to a Balducci’s gourmet market.

So, they took walk-ins, which was great for a Saturday night. I didn’t know what I was expecting as it wasn’t I who read the description. It was a very nice dining room, small, but chic and there was an air of formality. It wasn’t a loud place; all the guests were keeping their conversations low. Windows looked out on busy Washington Street, which was kind of fun. Inside, quiet and serene, outside, cold and busy.

It turns out, chef Morou wasn’t new to me. No, he’d been a contestant in the “Next Iron Chef” show on TV Food Network. Wow. A visit to the restroom indicated this was one of Washington’s better restaurants. (It has been listed on their top 100 list; consequently, the list was on display in the bathroom, but I digress.) I didn’t need Food Network or Washingtonian Magazine to tell me this place was special.

The amuse was a fried lobster ravioli with fish roe on top. Scrumptious, and hot.

My appetizer of vanilla lobster was outstanding, covered in an aromatic foam. It was luxurious, and served over tapioca! Wow, there was a little caviar served on the side. Reminded me of Keller’s Oysters and Pearls.

My companion’s appetizer, a seafood chowder, was “outstanding,” he reported. Filled with lobster and smokey bacon, it had a “just right” consistency and was served in an innovative bowl.

The entrées were no less spectacular. I opted for the vegetarian morel gnudi, little soft packets of dough, this time served under parmesan/truffle oil foam. Around the gnudi were arugula and green and white asparagus. It was tasty.

My companion ordered Morou’s wild black cod with a lemongrass “perfume.” This was a very light curry sauce, and he continually reported that each bite was fantastic.

Service was great at Farrah Olivia, not too fussy, but professional and attentive. They offer wines by the glass, and at least one of my selections supremely enhanced my entrée.

They offer desserts, and we chose one dessert (the apple pizza) and a cheese (lionza, from Fiscalini). Both were appropriate sized and as with all the dishes, very innovatively plated. Each plate looked like mini works of art.

The owners describe the restaurant as a “boutique” setting, and I think the name fits. If you carry pretense on your shoulders, you’d be fine here, but if you don’t, you’re equally at home. So don’t let the label scare you away.

This place has legs, and we’d encourage you to visit yourself at the next opportunity when you find yourself near Alexandria, VA. We loved this unexpected find, from the hot and tasty amuse bouche to the silky, delicious French press-served coffee.

Warmly recommended.