Maple Ave

By Warren Rojas

Engineer-turned-chef Tim Ma might bill the cuisine at his new Maple Ave restaurant as “eclectic American,” but his menu seems much better traveled than any Joe Six-Pack I know.

Ma’s carte reflects the many roads that brought him to this particular juncture: his Chinese heritage (homemade pot stickers), time at the French Culinary Institute (carrot-ginger soup), an externship at Momofuku Ko (truffle-pork-lemongrass noodles), a Salvadoran girlfriend/general manager Joey Hernandez (plantain-filled empanadas with honey) and American upbringing (Dr. Pepper-braised ribs).

Ma seems confident his sampling-friendly approach and seasonally-inspired cuisine will work well in Vienna. And he’ll map out plans to toss Sunday brunch into the mix this fall.

147 Maple Ave. W., Vienna; 703-319-2177; www.mapleaverestaurant.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

(October 2009)