Wat Yarnna Rangsee Buddhist Monastery — Local services in Sterling

Sundays are to explore new neighborhoods, parks and restaurants. Today my husband and I went to 'Wat Yarnna Rangsee Buddhist Monastery'. Located 22155 Glenn Dr Sterling, VA 20164

It features Buddhist study groups and guided meditation on Tuesday and Sunday evenings. We didn't enter the temple to see inside, didn't feel like taking our hiking boots off ...

But we did check out the food vendors, I snapped some pictures for you all to see. It's supposed to be authentic Thai and Laotian street food. The prices are decent with reasonable portions. They have a lot of tables with seats set up to enjoy your food. Stage set up for live music, though today we just heard recorded songs.

But not sure if it was the norm due to a ceremony going on this Sunday.

Best to arrive early as food sells out quickly according to locals that are regular at this market. Parking is free in the surrounding areas of the temple and behind it they have a parking lot if needed. I did notice a portable bathroom but didn't check it out.

My conclusion: In my opinion we didn't try out the food, concerns of cleanliness and proper food handling. The cooks wore face masks and gloves. I saw how food was prepared and considered my sensitive stomach - chose not to take a risk. Too many people and long lines of people talking, breathing in close proximity to the food, easily you can find things on your food that you don't want. Also I don't think any of the food was organic, grass feed, or free range ... Cooking oil??

I did get a good price on the persimmons, a bag with 11 delicious fruits for $10. Again since we're new in the Virginia area we're exploring our neighborhood! Still locals in...

Note this review is for the food festival offered by the Monastery community - not for the Monastery itself.

This Thai Monastery in Sterling, VA throws food festivals often. TikTok and Instagram reels about these festivals are bringing a ton of people. Before the online explosion, the festivals brought in a few local people without being too crowded. Nowadays, the food isn't worth the crowd. About 30 stalls offer many options: meat skewers, sticky rice in bamboo, banana leaves, freshly rolled sugarcane juice, pork noodle soup, jelly drinks, mango sticky rice, etc. Because of the crowd, the prices are also jacked up. I'm starting to have mixed feelings about these because, objectively, the food is average.

VERDICT: If you must go, plan to arrive 15 minutes before they officially start. Otherwise, good luck with the parking, and have fun waiting in line for...

Wonderful people! As a visitor, I felt very welcome. Update: Today I had a lesson in human limitations. I met the lead monk, as suggested by a fellow monk colleague. I was underwhelmed. As my Thai girlfriend greeted and attempted to engage him in conversation, he never made eye contact and scrolled on his cell phone. My gf was surprised and embarrassed. He was rather grumpy and rude. I’m a sympathetic Buddhist and can only suppose he was having a bad day or feeling poorly. Otherwise, two other monks were kind and helpful. I pray the monk in question will reflect on his communication skills and how he presents...