Asia Nine, West Penn Quarter

[Meaghan]

What do ya say, what do ya know?

What do ya wanna bet it's another mediocre Asian-fusion place with a multi-million dollar wardrobe?

I'll bet you a foo foo cocktail or two.

By the way, I'm not sure if this ----> http://www.asianine.com/ is the same place, but they spelled coming wrong.

This place is going to be nick named Client9 now.

[hmmboy]

What do ya say, what do ya know?

What do ya wanna bet it's another mediocre Asian-fusion place with a multi-million dollar wardrobe?

I'll bet you a foo foo cocktail or two.

By the way, I'm not sure if this ----> http://www.asianine.com/ is the same place, but they spelled coming wrong.

This place is going to be nick named Client9 now.

Walked past yesterday - not yet open but it appears they are getting close

[DPop]

So who's going to call Natalie and tell her the Asian fusion thing has been over since 2004?

[mxyzptlk]

Seeing as my wife and I live upstairs from this place, we went tonight more to see what it was like inside after watching it being built for the last year.

Bottom line up front: Good. Not pan-asian, but Thai.

The menu is 75% Thai, 15% Japanese (sushi, yakisoba, miso soup), 10% Chinese and/or Chinese influence. The only Korean on their menu was the OB beer.

So here is what we ordered:

~ Spicy scallop roll: I am a real fiend for spicy scallop rolls. I haven't had one, I don't think, since I left Chicago in 2004. The surprising thing about these scallop rolls was they put tempura bits around the outside and inside the roll. Fresh, raw scallops have a very subtle flavor and texture and the tempura bits kind of distract a little from that. Not a deal-breaker though. The spicy sauce is like the way I am used to--made with Kewpie mayo. I'm not sure what the spicy sauce normally is here on the East coast, but it's different somehow.

~ Spring rolls: Spring rolls. They were good.

~ Penang Curry: Curry was good, wasn't bad, but definitely wasn't anything unusual. It was a fairly large portion size too.

~ Kapow on rice: Let's talk about this for a minute. I really like a traditional ka prow (I think it's traditional anyway) which is made with ground chicken. I actively search this out and the only places I've found it anywhere near DC is at this little place outside Fort Belvoir (Rice and Spice Thai, I think) and Bangkok Joe's down on the waterfront in Georgetown. The one I had here at Asia 9 is by far the best I've had in a really, really long time. It was a really large portion, and I told me wife that I would be hard pressed not to order this every time we go there. I like this place just for this dish alone.

Service was actually really good, prompt, no problems.

I'm really happy to have a place like this in my building. It will definitely save some money from getting delivery from Thai Chili. Is it a ground-breaking place? No. But it's a nice little place to have downstairs.

Next time we go, I am going to order the chirashi...

[brettashley01]

Thanks for the report! I walked past last night at around 10 and it was empty. It is a beautiful space though, and look forward to checking it out.

[Laura24601]

Service is very pleasant and timely, atmosphere is pretty and relaxing, food is not particularly, but certainly fine for the price point and purpose. This seems to be more of a happy hour/cocktail spot than a dinner destination.

I had the crab wontons, miso soup, and crunchy salmon roll...all good and basic. The green tea creme brulee had a lovely crunchy top, and the custard had a nice green tea flavor, but the custard texture was runny and left a lot to be desired.

It's a welcome newcomer, but I don't recommend planning a special evening here, not with so many other winners in the neighborhood. That said, if I lived in the area, I would be a fairly regular takeout customer.

[DonRocks]

Any other reports on Asia Nine? It's so convenient to the E Street cinema, particularly when you haven't planned ahead and everyplace else you want to go is booked.

I stopped into Asia Nine last night for happy hour - the restaurant was empty (as opposed to Elephant and Castle which was packed), but the bar had a decent crowd. I ordered a glass of Helfrich Riesling ($5 at happy hour) which tasted too German to be Alsatian, so I asked to see the bottle. Sure enough, it was a 2008 Dr. Loosen "Dr. L," which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I'll sometimes order something I've never heard of, not even bothering to ask what it is. Such was the case with the Toko Yai ($4). Does anyone know what this is?

It's a hilarious misspelling of Tako Yaki, three deep-fried octopus balls (no comments, please) that were primarily mushy breading, each having a couple tough chunks of tako inside. They were served with pickled vegetables and very strong sauces, and just weren't that good, even for $4.

The menu inside says the happy hour specials run from 4:30-8, but the sign outside says 4:30-7. I also noted that Asia Nine has curbside delivery if you call in advance ($17 minimum, pre-tax and tip).

Cheers,

Rocks