Review: Kora Restaurant, VA

I don't buy the Groupon offers all the time, but it's definitely good to keep up with their e-mails in case something interesting comes along.  Case in point, 1/2-price for $40 towards a meal at Kora restaurant in Crystal City.  The menu looked good and I was interested in trying Chef Morou's place since I saw him on The Next Iron Chef, but never got to try his old restaurant (Farrah Olivia).    

 

Bread Basket

Started out with a nice warm bread basket- the bread was v. tasty with the olive oil to dip into.  Honestly, it reminded me of the bread at Macaroni Grill with the herbs in it...but I'd like to clarify by saying I LOVE the bread at Macaroni Grill, so this is actually a good comparison from me, haha.

 

PAMA-tini

Note to self: I don't like Martinis.  I think I'll need to ease myself into the hard-er alcohol drinks like this.  Love the idea of pomegranate liquor though. 

 

Seasonal Seafood Chowder

S and I both started with the seafood chowder above- rich, hearty, and lots of flavors in this huge bowl.  Loved the texture of the veggies and the bacon on top that added some contrast.   

  

Pasta Tasting Trio

I opted for the pasta tasting trio, with my choices being: Cannelloni, Linguine with Seafood, and the Short Rib Ravioli.  My two favorites were definitely the linguine and the ravioli.  Bold flavors, lots of texture from both the house-made pasta and the proteins.  Especially the seafood- I was pleasantly surprised with how much they give you even in this smaller plate.  The Cannelloni wasn't bad, it was just probably too plain of a choice for me- wasn't enough for me to be like, "Wow, I'm so glad I chose that".  That being said, the pasta trio is a fantastic choice if you're in the mood to try out a few of their many pasta dishes- and the portions are "tasting size" but definitely fill you up!  

  

Seared Salmon

S got the Seared Salmon entree, which looked v. pretty - I liked the green asparagus railroad tracks between the orange salmon and orzo, haha. 

  

Dessert Sampler 

For dessert we got the Sampler, which consisted of: Mini Creme Brulee, Tiramisu, Sorbet (mango?), and Bongo Bongo, which is a Cream Puff with Chocolate Semi-freddo and Dark Chocolate sauce.  This was a perfect plate of mini-desserts for us to share.  Each dessert was unique enough that the plate didn't feel repetitive, and more fun than getting just one larger portion of one, in my opinion.     

S says: "My drink (unlike your lethal concoction) was great! The fresh berries in the drink blended so well with the alcohol and other ingrediants, that it was a fun and flavorful cocktail!  My salmon was cooked perfectly and the orzo just melted in my mouth." 

Overall, I'm glad that we tried the restaurant out.  Nice atmosphere, tables are well-spaced out/lots of booths, and a wide variety of menu items.  Also, there is a parking garage located right next to the restaurant that appears to be free on the weekends, which is a definite plus.  I don't really go to Crystal City much so I'm not sure what else is around, but if you are looking for a reasonably priced but nice dinner out in that area, I would recommend checking this place out.   

Kora Restaurant

2250 Crystal Drive

Arlingon, VA 22202

571.431.7090 // On OpenTable