malokd

Went for Father's day brunch this past Sunday with a group of 10 people. Had reservations and were seated promptly. Service was excellent--they were prepared for the rush and were communicative without being obtrusive. Had the fried chicken and waffles which was excellent--tabasco butter and possibly some bourbon in the syrup. Wife had eggs in purgatory which was good as well. Other standouts were a kale salad with pine nuts. Bacon was a good product--thick cut with good flavor. Home fries were a bust. Cheese polenta was okay. Overall a very good meal with excellent service. Eager to try them out on a normal night. Given the dearth of good food on King street, I will settle for decent food with excellent service.

We had friends from San Francisco coming into town on Friday who share our love for good food and wine. I had booked a reservation here for 8pm. As the date approached I was having second thoughts---the menu made me think that the food would be heavy and less appetizing given how hot it has been. I have to say that I was completely wrong--these guys know how to run a restaurant and the food is excellent. The service was amazing--easily the best service I have received in a DC restaurant by far. Our waiter was always available but never intrusive. Glasses were filled rapidly. When we were ordering he would give us more information about each dish to make sure we knew what to expect. He did not lead with the typical" Have you guys eaten here before?" line that is really annoying. He was funny and pleasant without interrupting our evening or being overbearing. His wine recommendations were perfect, and when one of us had ordered a glass of an orange wine that we had not had, he brought an extra glass for my wife to taste because she had appeared interested in the selection. Hats off to the team. Regarding the food--easily one of the best meals I have had in DC in the last year. We led off the crawfish panna cotta, the garlic bavarois, the mushroom torchon, and the sorrel and lettuce salad. While the mushroom dish was as good as everyone had said, the dish that really was incredible was the crawfish. In the center of the plate was a circle of a pale mousse perfumed with this amazing ethereal shellfish flavor that was subtle and smooth. It was topped with fried shallots, crawfish tails, pickled ramp stems--a perfect combination. This was one of the best dishes of the night. The lobster french toast consisted of perfectly poached lobster segments overlying two pieces of brioche french toast overlying what seemed like a fruit scented beurre blanc that was nicely acidic and not overly rich. It was excellent and components such as a sesame mousse and pickled cucumber segments . For the mains we ordered the dover sole and the roast chicken. The chicken was excellent--the layer of panade underneath the skin is thin and just salty enough--the skin was crisp and the meat perfectly cooked. The side of shredded dark meat with frisee was forgettable. The parker house rolls were good but we were so stuffed that we could not eat many of them. The sole dish was underwhelming--it was topped with batter fried pieces of the fin segments---gelatin like with an intriguing texture however they came off as greasy--not a great fry job. Overall an excellent meal --definitely a must go

Awesome--thanks for the review. Looking forward to this Sunday

Any recent visits here? I was excited about this opening and have reservations for this Sunday for my wife's birthday--would love to hear some feedback Thanks

My wife and I went here the day after we had our dinner at Ogawa and we really enjoyed ourselves. The service: Let's start with Chef Yu---extremely gracious. somewhat reserved but is eager to discuss all dishes if you engage him. His wife runs the floor and had a wonderful personality as well. You can tell that the restaurant is their baby and they take great pride in what the do and serve. The food: We ordered the omakase with the addition of soup( mushroom miso and clam miso) and the sea urchin birds nest. As part of the omakase they had live Santa Monica uni served in the shell which were amazingly sweet with a hint of salinity at the end. The birds nest appetizer was something that I enjoyed but my wife did not. The dish is really a texture dish and the naturally mucilaginous texture of the japanese yam with the texture of the egg yolk and the squid was too much for my wife. The flavor were sweet and clean. The rest of the omakase did not disappoint--I cannot name the individual nigiri but we were impressed. We enjoyed the food and the hospitality so much that we recommended him to my brother who was looking to have a sushi chef come to his home for his wife's 40th birthday. I put him in contact with Chef Yu and they were able to make it work. I have to say I was even more impressed with the sushi he created for guests at my brothers party. He and his assistant came fully prepared and made the most amazing nigiri--even more impressive given the location in my brother's kitchen. We had set pieces that he was to create and he was able to do that on site and deal with a few small children who would come up to him with respect. He never acted with any annoyance even if was not part of the set menu and happily created hand rolls of salmon and tuna for the children and let them try things they had not tried before. He made an excellent ceviche with squid. The best bite of the night was a torched king salmon belly nigiri that melted in your mouth--rivaling most pieces of seared toro in decadence. All of the pieces he served had a special touch--tuna with olive, mackerel with lemon zest and scallion, yellowtail with uni and shiso. This man is gem--and serves amazing food. The location of his restaurant is a little odd but I would urge everyone to make it out there.

I meant to write about my recent lunch here but forgot. We got a number of the raw fish apps---smoked hamachi, and the tuna and the fluke. These were probably the highlights of the meal. The tonkatsu ramen was not great. Was not a true tonkatsu broth, and there were some slivers of ginger that somehow imparted a bitter note to the broth. The noodles were good. Would return to try more raw fish items( definitely the fluke), but not likely to revisit the ramen

My wife and I have a sushi extravaganza planned for this weekend as we have child care( thank you to my folks!). Last night we did the omakase at Ogawa. 1) the restaurant is beautiful and the partions from the main dining room really give you the sense that you are all alone at the sushi counter with the chefs in front, v similar to our experience in Japan and at Brushstroke by Ichimura in NYC. 2) we had eaten at sushi capitol before and loved it, but the ambience was lacking--they have corrected this 3) we don't eat beef so we skipped the wagyu nigiri but the rest of the meal was as follows: -sliced salmon,octopus and asparagus with salted cucumbers and kewpie mayo--octupus was perfectly cooked, mayo was a bit overpowering -trio of cold prepared dishes--sweet/sour salmon, pomfret collar braised in sake/mirin, whelk that appeared to be braised in mirin/soy as well--these were alright with the pomfret being the star -in no specific order the following nigiri: two types of salmon(presented one after another as comparison), california uni followed by Hokkaido uni( as comparison), toro, torched scallops, spanish mackerel torched, cornet fish( this was the showpiece as the has this huge head to show you which fish it came from), saury, sea eel, small bowl of baby sea eel with grated daikon and mirin/soy/sake glaze and red yuzu kosho, local snapper, japanese snapper, sweet shrimp, toro hand roll, small bowl with cured salmon roe and raw quail egg, young yellowtail with yuzu zest and sea salt, cucumber scallion sesame hand roll, pickled daikon and scallion hand roll, sweet shrimp head miso soup, followed by a bowl of green tea In short this meal was excellent and hands down the best sushi meal we have had in DC, equivalent to many of our favorites in NYC. When you facotr in that the meal was $80 dollars, I think its one of the best deals in DC as well. This is particularly relevant given the recent discussion of the cost/value at Sushi Taro where we have eaten many time and have always felt that it was overpriced--returning simply bc of quality of food. Our meal at Ogawa was better cheaper, and a lot more intimate. One note of worry---they were not full on a Friday---I would encourage people to go--I think the omakase counter is going to be hard to book once word gets out We are headed to Takumi tonight for an omakase meal so will be interesting to compare the two--they will have their work cut out for them to compete with what we had last night--will report back

I preface this review with the note that it is the restaurant's opening week and despite this experience we will be back--probably in a few months after things have had time to settle and the kitchen finds its feet. Had dinner here tonight. Went at opening so that we wouldn't have to wait with our 1 year old-- we were not the only ones with the same idea and the restaurant was immediately swamped at opening with lots of families with small kids. Staff was gracious but ill-prepared for opening rush. All the tables were open in the back but it took 30 minutes to get people seated. We wanted to get the three pasta sampler but did not bc it comes with a first course of charcuterie and my wife does not eat meat--no subs available. We ordered three crostini--mushroom, tomato and liver. Liver and tomato were good, mushroom was lackluster. For mains we got polenta for my son, wife got the linguine with clam sauce, and I got the lamb ragu. --Polenta was great, son loved it. --The lamb ragu was interesting----not what I expected. It is a blond( not tomato based) ragu without any assertive flavor--most people who order lamb like the flavor of lamb--this could have been any meat, had no lamb flavor. The pasta with the lamb ragu was excellent--house made, tender, not too thick--but was let down by the sauce. --The linguine with clam sauce looked great--but after a few bites I asked my wife how it was and her reply was that the one we make at home was better. I tasted it and you could taste garlic and olive oil and little else. It was not well balanced. The portions are small, so I would definitely recommend ordering apps. They were still slammed when we left.

Went to the market and cafe for the first time today. Good addition to the neighborhood. The cafe was half full at 4pm on Sunday so it seems like they are doing pretty well. My wife is pescatarian--not much non-meat prepared food offerings so she got some sushi--just rolls. Sushi was decent--not great,not bad--not worth making a trip for, but good if you are there. Ramen was not good. Creamy appearing broth but def not tonkatsu--no emulsified fat. Despite appearance broth was thin, no fat or gelatin. Little depth. Chashu not cooked enough--still rubbery fat. Would not get again. Korean fried chicken looked good at other tables--would return to try that

I agree with Tujague and Simul--their seafood is good but not worth the markup( at least at the Old Town location). On the other hand, I had their lamb burger last time I was there and it was excellent. Really one of the best lamb burger's I have had recently. They bill it as having bleu cheese mixed in and I was worried it would overpower it, but had a nice lamb-y flavor, good char from the grill and was a nice medium-medium rare. My wife's fish tacos on the other hand were relatively underwhelming. Have had the lobster roll before and thought it was okay but nothing to write home about. I just moved to Old town from the Adams Morgan area, and unfortunately there is a dearth of quality restaurants particularly along King street--so a place like this fills a need--just wish the prices were lower. (I haven't had the chance to try some of the newer ones on the northern side of old town)

We went there for dinner two weeks ago. They have a very open kitchen, and he was nowhere to be seen. Overall food was unimpressive. Had a tilefish crudo with a pickled artichoke/onion dressing with tangerine leaves---could not taste the fish at all. The roasted cauliflower with currants and capers was good. There was a toast dish with rock shrimp on top with a curry mayo,--ok but heavy on the curry mayo. Ravioli with rock shrimp and poss fava bean puree was probably the best dish. We also had a pasta with smoked ricotta and root veggies--there was one veg that was inedibly bitter( radish possibly?) that threw off the dish. Had high hopes having eaten at places he has cooked while I lived in NYC, but was overall a disappointing experience. On a positive note the service was excellent.

This place in my mind is serving the best mexican food in DC right now. Have been back three times--ate in once and carryout twice: The good: 1) Tortillas--made in house, soft pliable, slightly thicker with a great masa flavor. Don't fall apart easily 2) Tacos--have had the mushroom, shrimp, fish, nopales, carnitas, al pastor, chicken tinga, chorizo. Standouts have been the mushroom, carnitas and al pastor, but all of them have been good. 3) Salsas--their table salsa that they serve with chips is excellent, they also have a tomatillo, red chile and habanero salsa that are all excellent Sometimes good: The quesadillas--as stated by Sandynva these are essentially like masa empanadas stuffed with cheese plus a protein. The first time I had it, they were awesome--crisp crust and they made us a bean and cheese version that tasted great. The second time it seemed more like a traditional quesadilla that had been griddled and was not as good, and they gave us a hard time about making a bean and cheese quesadilla. The bad: 1) The location--- the place gets slammed and the line grows quickly and people are hovering around your table. they turnover fast but its feels rushed--you are better off with takeout even though the food suffers a little for it. Note: they revamped their menu in the last month and have sig more vegetarian options now

Stopped in yesterday for quick dinner with my wife. The service was 100% better this time. We had a female server( can't remember name) who brought things promptly, was attentive without being intrusive. I was really tempted to get the mussels again, but decided to try the octopus since it was new on the menu. Was a braised then seared( or grilled?) octopus with vinegar braised onion, roasted tomatoes and some greens. The octopus was tender with good flavor. The vinegar braised onions were good and brought a nice touch of aciditiy. If I had to nitpick, then some dressing on the greens(lemon/olive oil/salt) would have nice. My wife got two of the vegetable antipasti and they were nice enough to throw in a third for free. Unfortunately the antipasti continue to disappoint. One was pickled beets and carrots, another was a carrot dish, and last was a farro/strawberry/goat cheese combo. They were alright, but all of them seemed one note. For mains I got the gnocchi with browned butter, ricotta, roasted tomatoes and my wife got a seafood pasta with chickpeas, clams and mussels. My pasta was good-- tender gnocchi, nice flavors. My wife's dish was not as good. The seafood was cooked well and tasty however they had put a spice, almost tasted like a curry powder in the sauce that was a bit off. We will be back, and I am glad the service is improving as they find their feet.

Ate here for the first time tonight. Between two of us we got: Aushak(dumpling--vegetarian version) Bolani( leek/cilantro and pumpkin stuffed flatbread) Sabzi(spinach/leek/cilantro stew) buranee banjan(grilled eggplant over yogurt w/tomato) chopawn(grilled lamb chops served with onion salad, rice and "naan")) naan chalow--rice,butter,cumin Service was attentive but server did not write down order--led him to forget naan for wife and our side order of chutney subz. Reminded him and he brought them out--the chutney sabz was $3 for a thimble full of watery green sauce that had been provided gratis with my lamb chop and our two appetizers. I would not have ordered it if I knew it was already included with a number of other dishes. It certainly was not worth 3 dollars in the quantity it was given. The naan was interesting... I have had afghan bread before and this was much different--it was a wheat bread, and was mildly sweet without much chew--it did not seem as though it was made in house The lamb chop was excellent and was the highlight of the meal. The vegetable dishes were not that great--definitely did not justify price point of restaurant. Mentioned to the waiter that the $3 chutney sabzi was not worth the surcharge in that quantity--he simply said that he would let managment know...In short--would get the lamb chop as takeout since we live around the corner--but would not go there to eat in again.

It's sad that this restaurant is putting out such inconsistent food, bc based on the meal I had it has potential to have some staying power in the Woodley Park area. Service was pretty poor when I went as well, but I cut them some slack being a relatively new restaurant. I am hoping the criticism they have received has the effect of leading to some improvement in their service rather than a death sentence for the restaurant.

Ate here tonight and was really impressed. Highlights: --mussels with smoked tomato broth--easily my favorite mussel dish in DC and one of the best I have ever tasted -- pincianelli with fava,mint and lamb ragu--oversauced but the ragu was awesome, hearty and would have been good on its own --tagliatelli with smoked shrimp, mussels, arugula and fennel pollen---came out looking bland but tasted great, prob the best of the pasta dishes ---prosciutto wrapped haddock with putanesca sauce and ground pork--interesting combo, well cooked and the sauce accompanying it gave it a nice acidity Lowlights: --the bread needs some work--not much of a crust to speak of, one white, one wheat with fennel seed --the vegetable antipasti are overpriced, underflavored and small in portion size---compares poorly to Ghibellina's vegetable antipasti or even Pete's Apizza's vegetable antipasti Overall I would say this is the best restaurant in Woodley park right now( not that there is much competition). Its a good neighborhood joint and I hope it does well.

First time posting--but I'm in as long as I can get out of work in time Alok

Hey guys, just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Alok, and I just moved back to the DC area. Looking forward to getting reacquainted with the food scene with your guys help. Also looking forward to contributing! Thanks Alok