Tom Sietsema’s 7 favorite places to eat in January 2022
The Japanese native says he’s “cooking food I like to eat,” which is food you’re likely to enjoy, too. Fried Tokyo chicken translates as piping hot nuggets of thigh meat made flavorful with soy sauce, ginger and garlic and partnered with snappy pickled cucumbers — a pause that refreshes between bites of chicken. Rich pork belly, julienne carrot and jalapeño fill the maw of a bao bun. Sweet day boat scallops arrive with scrolls of bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms. “I want sweetness, sourness and saltiness” on every plate, says Matsuzaki, whose dishes are as beautiful as they are mouthwatering. Even the hamburger, made with buttery Wagyu beef and served with hand-cut fries, proves impressive.
The Japanese-inspired Wren restaurant flies high in Tysons
Illuminated as if by a moonbeam, the oval bar is the heart of the restaurant, situated on the 11th floor of the Watermark. Anticipate top-drawer cocktails and service that acknowledges the current labor situation: all the attendants are bartenders — easier to find these days than experienced waiters, says their boss.
Five reasons to go out to Tysons (and only one of them is the mall)
1825 Capitol One Dr. South, Tysons, Va. 703-655-9527. wrentysons.com. Open for indoor dining and takeout. Entrees, $15 to $31.
