Foresta — Restaurant in Abingdon

My wife and I were super excited to try this place after a show at Barter. We made reservations and, when we arrived, we were the only patrons in the restaurant other than one customer at the bar. Our expectations were high, we love kimchi, Korean, Japanese food etc, and we had researched the menu before we arrived. The vibes and atmosphere were immaculate, gorgeous and eclectic in the best way.

We got the spam bao bun as an appetizer ($6) to split, and I wish we had just ordered 3 each of those to eat as our meals because it was delicious! The flavor was on point! The spam was buttery, and the bao bun had the perfect texture! Very flavorful! My wife got one of the offered soju ($12) and said it was good as well. However, both of our entrees were totally flavorless without the kimchi in them.

I got the tonkatsu Ramen ($25) and my wife got the Kimchi fried rice and added chicken ($25, $19 on the menu +$6 to add the chicken). The tonkatsu Ramen broth tasted like nothing, no umami. I'm not sure it even had salt. The noodles were a good texture but the pork belly was tough, even trying to chew repeatedly to get a bit size piece didn't work so I left it to the wayside. It had little flavor itself anyway. The kimchi was very good, as was the soy sauce soaked egg inside. I just wish the broth had tasted like anything. To get a flavorful bite I had to have either the kimchi or egg in it, otherwise it was just the bone broth with no seasonings and noodles.

The Kimchi fried rice suffered the same. If the kimchi had been added to the rice while cooking it may have tasted like more but it was just added on the side. It was confusing how little flavor the dish had without the kimchi in the same bite. Not like any Kimchi fried ride I've ever tasted, and we had it at our wedding.

We got the crepe cake ($10) for dessert and it was delicious! Very light and airy, flavor was good and I loved the sauces on the side of the plate to create a different experience for each bite!

It was so disappointing to have the entrees so lacking in flavor when the appetizer and dessert were so lovely. We also spent a long time waiting for the check. We were there for over an hour when we ordered pretty immediately and, until the last 20 minutes of our stay, were the only customers. We didn't see much of our server at the end.

Overall very disappointing showing for the pice point. We were very excited for a good meal after a wonderful show. If we do go back, it will be for the delicious bao and dessert. I won't be dropping $25 per for flavorless main dishes again. For a $91 bill for two people to eat, I would have expected a better showing. I will also say, I got a soda and have no idea how much I was charged for it but it must have been one expensive soda to up our total of $78 before tax for the items I know the cost of to be $91 after tax. I suppose I should have asked, but it must have been an $8 single glass of soda to get to $91 after tax. I wasn't given a copy of the bill to check after.

Overall disappointing, go for the boa and the vibes, but I wouldn't spend my money on the...

I just had the most delicious and flavorful salmon with a ginger topping. The salmon was perfect and the ginger was exquisite. But I have a story to tell. Seated when I arrived was a couple, I hope to heavens it was just a date and they weren’t married so she still has an opportunity to avoid her hot head date in the future.. They seemd to be enjoying themselves and their food arrived, and the man started immediately huffing and puffing, about there not being enough meat. He complained how hungry his date was and that the noodle bowl had very little meat. He didn’t give anyone an opportunity to come observe and correct if necessary. He simply growled about how it needed to be right the very first time. The owner was gracious, even in the face of being shouted at and offered to correct it, but the man pushed it across the table and said we’re leaving right now! His poor, hungry date I kept thinking. The owner kept his cool throughout, removed the dinner from the bill and remained gracious as the man legitimately stormed out Continuing to numb about how hungry his date was that his date as he left her food behind. Lo and behold, had he moved those noodles around there was twice the amount of meat inside and below the top and the dish looked amazing.

Moral of the story don’t date men who act like this in public even if they are well over 6 foot😅

Second moral of the story this is a delightful restaurant with a well tempered owner and a great staff and absolutely...

Welcome to Foresta

After living in Washington County for over a year—and passing by Foresta at 190 East Main Street in Historic Downtown Abingdon countless times—we finally followed a friend’s recommendation to dine there tonight. To our sheer delight, we discovered yet another gem in Abingdon’s vibrant culinary scene.

Foresta offers a welcoming atmosphere, personable and attentive service, and a menu full of enticing, Southern-inspired dishes. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the Fried Chicken, paired with creamy mac and cheese, Nashville Hot Honey, and B & B pickles. My mother-in-law savored every bite of her Cheerwine-Glazed Meatloaf, served with mashed potatoes and broccolini. Our friend raved about the Korean BBQ Wings, which came with celery, carrots, and ranch. We all shared a refreshingly unique Lemon Gelato for dessert—an absolute treat!

Service was swift and friendly throughout. Zane, Foresta’s owner and Leila, our server that evening, checked in with us personally to ensure we were enjoying everything, which we deeply appreciated.

Needless to say, we’ll be back soon—whether for another dinner or to explore their lunch offerings, available Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. While we’re not drinkers, it’s worth noting that Foresta also features an extensive wine and beer selection.

Highly...