How was your Valentine’s Day? Mine was delicious!

Crystal City in Arlington has quite a few dinner options and I’ve been dying to check out this place called Farrah Olivia. It is run by Chef Morou. Farrah Olivia is actually in the restaurant called “Kora.” That’s right. A restaurant in a restaurant. That was where our v-day dinner took place.

Bread is served with 4 types of spreads: apple chutney, ricotta cheese with radish, bok choy pesto and cheese with chili! (Bok choy pesto was my favorite.)

Amuse. Raw oyster with chopped peppers and gelatin pepper bubbles! I saw how they made these on tv one day and today finally got to taste them! I wouldn’t mind just a raw oyster itself but it’s so fun with those peppery bubbles!

Pan-seared scallops. The seaweed used for garnish had really good taste. I wasn’t too crazy about the candied lemons in the sauce but the scallops were perfectly cooked. (Often, it is so easy to overcook them. Who likes rubbery scallops?! :()

Seared mahi in Japanese style broth over puréed cauliflower. Shiitake mushrooms were just delightful!

Duck cooked rare. Ginger Brussels sprouts, flan, Ivorian mole! So many different flavors were nicely plated! 🙂

Basically, when you walk into a restaurant, they take you to a small, private room. Thats Farrah Olivia. It could fit 10-15 tables. Overall, the food was good. However, I guess my expectations were too high. It is not an “upscale” restaurant by any means. The servers were a little too busy and distracted. They were rushed to get your orders in and clean your table. They stack up the dishes in front of you when you are done. Not that it’s wrong but, it being so private and “exclusive,” I was expecting more than just good food. 😉

What was your v-day dinner? I don’t think it really matters whether you went out to a nice restaurant or cooked pasta at home. As long as we have good company, it’s happy Valentine’s!