Jasmine Cafe Still A Bright Spot At Lake Anne

It is off the beaten path in this era of the Reston Town Center, but Lake Anne Plaza's is still a good reason to visit Reston's orginial village enter.

Now in its 21st year, Jasmine can be easily overlooked behind the giant cement sculpture in the center of the plaza. Chef Eduardo Faubert is still pulling out all the stops to serve some dazzling food, and all the locals know it.

On a cold Saturday night, the restaurant was filled with regulars that were greeted by two waitresses.  With its eclectic décor and paintings for sale on the walls, plain tile floor, this café is heated with space heaters. There was a warm glow from candles and white Christmas lights throughout the narrow seating area. Yes, the interior isn’t fancy or flashy, but don't let that deter you. Your taste buds are in for a treat.

Their salads are fresh, crunchy and especially good for a first course. Our favorite was their arugula, baby greens, fresh pear and gorgonzola salad, served with long, thin slices of fresh, succulent pears. This salad also had candied walnuts, a hearty thick slab of cooked, crunchy bacon on the top and raspberry vinaigrette drizzled over the top. It could not have been more sensational. We broke apart our bacon slab and enjoyed every morsel. Their soups are creamy and have a depth of flavor, especially their rutabaga, apple and butternut squash soup. 

Chef Eduardo's main courses are the reason his quaint little bistro has stayed in business all these years. His crispy ginger duck breast, thick-sliced and medium-rare, is served with a warm poached pear and ginger sauce, atop soba noodles with sesame oil. The sauce was mingled with cooked carrots and onions. It was a razzle-dazzle entrée, and I would definitely order that one again.

Other entrees of equal praise were the sautéed pretzel and pecan-crusted trout, served with a caper-citrus butter sauce, on top of sautéed spinach and roasted potatoes. Now we were beginning to understand how this restaurant has survived all these years.

The wine list is very good, with some good Virginia wines, and moderate in prices. Most bottles were in the $20 to $26 range. They would uncork and serve you a glass of any bottle on their list for $7.25, which I found charming.

Be sure to save room for dessert to share, as all of their desserts are homemade. Their signature warm chocolate pudding cake with strawberry and vanilla sauce is just divine—encased inside is a dark, velvety chocolate pudding—we kept using our fingers to dab up the remnants of the sauce on the plate, it was that good. It is the perfect dessert to share. Their milk chocolate crème brulee with caramelized bananas is sensational, as was their homemade key lime pie. 

Better yet, come here for brunch, which is what most of the locals do on a regular basis. The outside dining opens in the warmer spring weather. Eggs Jasmine, a poached egg over an English muffin with marinara sauce and another one with Hollandaise sauce, is delicious. My favorite was their seafood omelet, with salmon, goat cheese and red peppers. These selections are served with warm muffins or breads, and their portions are generous.

Long before there was the upscale Reston Town Center, this is where the Reston Visitors Center was located. Lake Anne used to be the center of Reston—it's very heartbeat. Well, perhaps the heart is still beating in this tiny café.