Astoria

When I’m in an area, I search for Michelin-reviewed restaurants. So far, they’ve never disappointed. For me, spending my time on disappointment is just a waste. Relying on friends and social media to give recommendations can also be a hit and miss. When I plan my trips, I pull from various resources to make decisions on activities and food…with the Michelin guide being one. This decision was influenced by my sisters’ frequent visits. Major plus it was on the guide.

The flaming kitty warnings on the menu are absolutely accurate. 5 flaming kitty fireballs was all I could tolerate. Bless you and your ass if you can do 10 fireballs.

If you’re eating spicy…you might want something else other than just plain water. I certainly wanted something else, but of course, sweet tea is scarce in the northern part of VA. I needed better planning for sure. Do better than me if you only dabble in spicy.

This place is worth a stop if you love asian food.

Fun fact about the menu: Everything is $15. The online full menu is HERE.

Dan Dan Noodles. 3 kitty fireballs. A good starter. Lots of heat and rich in texture from the fried ground pork.

So for most of our order, I tried the things my sister recommended. We started with the spiciest to least spicy. I’m not sure if they came to us in that order because we ordered it that way…or because it’s nice not to let someone leave on fire if possible.

Chili Wontons. 5 kitty fireballs. This place isn’t fucking around with the chili oil. Whoa.

This dish single-handedly made my water taste more like a sprite. Completely changed the way I was able to taste anything until I was done. I don’t want to know what 10 kitty fireballs feel like.

Crab Fried Rice. 3 kitty fireballs. Although, it felt more like 2 fireballs. I was able to eat this easily. Also, I probably should have utilized the spoon more because we ended up making a mess with the chopsticks. Not well versed in eating the non-sticky variety of rice with them. Still learning, clearly.

Walnut Shrimp. 2 kitty smoke coughs. I couldn’t taste any spice. Loved the tempura and walnut crunch with the honey topping. It was very nice to end a spicy journey with. It was my favorite alongside the Chili Wontons.

We are forever looking for pupper-friendly restaurants. This place is for sure pupper friendly. Luka loved our seat and the people watching.