Gagawa — Restaurant in Tysons

Saw this place on social media and wanted to check it out. Went on a Tuesday evening to have dinner with a friend. From the get-go, the front of the house woman was trying to convince people to come and try out the new restaurant. (Which seemed to be odd) Once we were seated, the waiter who (never introduced himself) was a young gentleman with very little skills about the items on the menu. He said "I honestly don't know what's in the broccoli salad.... Ummm some shedded broccoli and mustard? (Shoulder shrug) " We ordered two different plates. The pitmaster BBQ chicken and the sweet chili chicken with rice and the two salad. The food did not taste good at all. The menu said it was Turkish. We didn't see any Turkish influences. It is advertised that the chicken is marinated with special seasonings, none of that was present. The chicken was basically like food court style with sauce thrown on top of it. I probably could have got to McDonald's and got a better meal. It is not worth $16 per plate for this type of food. Not to mention the diet Coke was flat. Very disappointing. Oh, the front of the house came around while eating and asking " how is the food?" As I'm explaining my views she came closer and starts pointing to my food, almost touching it ... Which I didn't...

Just tried them for Lunch, I live for spicy foods so naturally I gravitated to the "dragon" chicken. Holy-moly it was awesome but not for the casual spicy tolerance. My husband tried the Teriyaki, it was so awesome! It wasn't overly sweet like most places which is a huge teriyaki deal breaker. The Nuggets on the appetizer menu are phenomenal, the breading isn't to thick, it's got just the right crispy crunch, and the inside is tender and juicy! Another one to try is the Grilled Halloumi cheese, Best eaten as soon as it arrives, Like cheese Curds they do squeak. The Sweet chili sauce that comes with it has a LOVELY smoky flavor! 10/10 going back asap

Edited for update: Dropped 1 star over all for the following reasons:

1. The removed “The Dragon” from the menu, a very spicy version of buffalo that I fell in love with since day 1, and the over all spice level of all offerings had dropped significantly.
2. the atmosphere switched from friendly servers to seat yourself, order from kiosk, pay before you eat.
3. the younger servers just do not want to spend time around customers. There is one lady that is there frequently, she’s the nicest person, and always makes sure we are...

While visiting Tysons Corner, my family and I were handed a sample of their menu on our way into the mall. From the very first bite, we were hooked, even my picky girls loved it! That sealed the deal, we knew we had to come back for dinner.

Each of us chose a different flavored chicken, and every plate came with some of the best rice I’ve ever had, along with a fresh and delicious salad. The chicken was incredibly tender and juicy. I kept raving about how amazing it was throughout the meal! The portions were perfect, and everything felt light yet satisfying. We also ordered appetizers, which were just as delicious and a hit with the whole family.

What truly impressed me was the experience itself. I approached someone who seemed to be a manager to compliment the food, and he enthusiastically shared that they had only been open for two months. He went the extra mile to explain why their food is so fresh and healthy and even showed me through the window how the chefs prepare everything. I absolutely loved the transparency and passion behind their process!

Not only was the food fantastic, but I left feeling great. This place is a gem, and I highly...