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Tastes of Korea Enliven a Centreville Mini-Mall
Cook Pedro Chris, above, pours a batch of deep-fried chicken to be dipped in sauce. Cheogajip Chicken co-owners Kevin Kim, far left, and Sang Moon inside their store in Centreville. The Korean behemoth has three U.S. outlets.
(Photos By Tracy A. Woodward -- The Washington Post)
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Ted Park, owner of Tae Hwa Won, formerly owned a restaurant of the same name in Annandale, which he sold. He opened the Centreville restaurant in October.
Tae Hwa Won's menu lists dozens of Chinese specialties and includes the more regionalized Chinese-Korean noodle dishes, such as cha chiang mein (also called jja jang myun ). These fresh noodles are served in a black bean sauce and sprinkled with bits of roast pork and red onion. The version I had for lunch was excellent, with soft, slightly chewy noodles and a vibrant sauce that was never cloying. The noodle dish, which seemed to be the favorite of noontime diners, was served with kimchi and bits of raw onion.
The restaurant is tidy, if spare, and two large televisions were tuned to Korean broadcasts. At lunch, the place was packed, and a fellow diner helped me pick my way through the somewhat unfamiliar menu.
Hahmji Bahk BBQ opened in September and has the look of a steakhouse, with lots of wood, but in this case several of the tables have the familiar large exhaust fans overhead. Hahmji Bahk specializes in barbecue, cooked on a grill in the middle of the table. Sam Yoo is the chef of this family-owned restaurant.
Barbecue choices include not only beef short ribs but also rib-eye, pork ribs and pork belly. In each case, the meat is cut into thin strips that cook quickly. Pork ribs are available plain or marinated in Korean hot sauce.
The menu includes several dozen Korean specialties, such as fried dumplings -- which were particularly tender and savory -- and seafood pancake. There are also numerous luncheon specials, all costing less than $10.
A large flat-screen television dominates the back of the restaurant and will be tuned to Korean broadcasts of World Cup games for the rest of the competition.
Cheogajip Chicken 12814-C Braddock Rd., Centreville, 703-815-8744; 4300 Evergreen Lane No. 102, Annandale, 703-941-1506. Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. Whole chicken, $12.99-$14.99.
Tae Hwa Won Restaurant 13814-B Braddock Rd., Centreville, 793-266-4785. Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily. Appetizers, $4.50-$7.95; main dishes at lunch, $6.50-$12.95; main dishes at dinner, $7.95-$16.85.
Hahmji Bahk BBQ13814-C Braddock Rd., Centreville 703-266-6681. Hours: 10:30 a.m.-midnight Sundays-Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Main dishes at lunch, $6.95-$9.95; main dishes at dinner, $9.95-$26.95.
All three restaurants are accessible to people with disabilities.
If you have a favorite restaurant that you think deserves attention, please contact Nancy Lewis atlewisn@washpost.com.
