Sunday funday. For most this conjours up images of a little day drinking, maybe a mimosa, and perhaps some eggs benedict. Working on most Sundays keeps me from doing most of this stuff. Rather than going to eat brunch, a friend of mine and I went to Oya for dinner to kick off Sunday Funight. I had not been to Oya in some time so I was pretty excited to see if they had anything new on the menu.
Walking into Oya can be kind of intimidating on a Friday or Saturday because it is always POPPIN, the entire restaurant is white and gold, and there are mirrors everywhere...am I in Miami circa 1983? Anyways, we went on a Sunday night, before rendezvousing with other work folk, and the environment was pretty chill.
The first decision that needed to be made was whether or not we were going to go strictly sushi or try some of the entrees as well. We both wanted to try and stick to sushi. She ordered the: 1) Fruit Roll Up - avocado | crab |strawberries | kiwi | yuzu mango, 2) Mucho Bonito - spicy tuna | tempura flakes | avocado | sweet aioli | bonito flakes | ponzu. I ordered the: 1) Rock n' Roll - grilled eel | avocado | cucumber , 2)Spicy Crunchy Salmon - salmon | tempura flakes, and 3) and the Godzilla roll - I don't even remember what all was on this one except for alligator. All of the rolls were solid, but there was definitely an obvious favorite and that was the rock n roll, roll haha. The sauce that came with all of the rolls was good as well. It was about the consistency of fish sauce, but not nearly as sweet. The drinks at Oya are a step about the average cocktail. The same can be said for their sister restaurant, Sei, as well. I had the dark and stormier and she had a cilantro daiquiri. I couldn't drink more than one of either or these, but they went great with what we were eating.
The service at Oya leaves something to be desired, but the ambiance and fair prices more than make up for it. If you wanna party hit it up on the weekends, but if you are looking for an exciting place to go during the week or to round out the weekend...don't count this place out.
Overall: B+
Highlight: cocktails and the rock n roll, roll
Lowlight: the service
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Central - 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Looking back on my meal on Central I find it hard to believe that it took me almost three years to eat here. I know plenty of people who have dined there and loved it, but I never pulled the trigger. Well, I did a few weeks ago and it was worth it. The first thing that grabbed my attention while perusing the menu online was the fact that you could eat cheap here if you wanted to. I love the idea of going to a restaurant and being able to dine cheap or go big. This also makes it a lot easier to eat with a group.
Central is one of famed chef Michel Richard's D.C. establishments. When you walk into the penn quarter restaurant it gives off the vibe of a happy hour spot that turns into fine dining after 7. Danielle and I got the inside scoop on what the best items on the menu were from a friend who used to be a chef there. Some of the mentioned items were: Pork Belly Confit, Frisee Salad with poached egg, Filet Tartare, Loup de Mar, and the Lobster burger. We started with a couple beers and the Asian style Tuna Carpaccio. This was DELICIOUS! The tuna was sushi grade and cut very thin with minced ginger and some spice on top. The bread it came with was a little tough for the tuna, but it didn't change the dish too much. For entrees...She had the Frisee Salad with poached egg and I had the Loup de Mar (Sea Bass). This was the entire fish from head to tail and was minimally seasoned which I enjoyed. The lime vinegrette that came with the side salad was also good. The fish was HUGE and covered with grilled mushrooms which is one of my favorite toppings (on anything). I had never heard of poached egg on a salad before, but I had a bite or two and it was interesting...but not stellar. I was really full after this, but Central is pretty much known for their desserts so we ordered a couple. We decided on the Michel Candy Bar and the Bread Pudding. The candy bar was his take on a kit kat and was pretty cool. I wish it was a reeses or something though because Kit Kats aren't all that. The bread pudding was sooo rich. Personally, I like the bread pudding at Old Ebbit better. However, we got both of the desserts for free since we knew someone who worked there so no love lost there.
After being there once I definitely see what all the hype is about. Central is somewhere where people on a budget can eat like they aren't on one. I need to get back for happy hour to try some of those cocktails too. Shout out to Ayesha, our waitress, for the stellar service too.
Overall - A-
Highlights - Asian Tuna Carpaccio
Lowlights - We were stuffed in a corner booth since the restaurant was filled with actual ballers lol
Central is one of famed chef Michel Richard's D.C. establishments. When you walk into the penn quarter restaurant it gives off the vibe of a happy hour spot that turns into fine dining after 7. Danielle and I got the inside scoop on what the best items on the menu were from a friend who used to be a chef there. Some of the mentioned items were: Pork Belly Confit, Frisee Salad with poached egg, Filet Tartare, Loup de Mar, and the Lobster burger. We started with a couple beers and the Asian style Tuna Carpaccio. This was DELICIOUS! The tuna was sushi grade and cut very thin with minced ginger and some spice on top. The bread it came with was a little tough for the tuna, but it didn't change the dish too much. For entrees...She had the Frisee Salad with poached egg and I had the Loup de Mar (Sea Bass). This was the entire fish from head to tail and was minimally seasoned which I enjoyed. The lime vinegrette that came with the side salad was also good. The fish was HUGE and covered with grilled mushrooms which is one of my favorite toppings (on anything). I had never heard of poached egg on a salad before, but I had a bite or two and it was interesting...but not stellar. I was really full after this, but Central is pretty much known for their desserts so we ordered a couple. We decided on the Michel Candy Bar and the Bread Pudding. The candy bar was his take on a kit kat and was pretty cool. I wish it was a reeses or something though because Kit Kats aren't all that. The bread pudding was sooo rich. Personally, I like the bread pudding at Old Ebbit better. However, we got both of the desserts for free since we knew someone who worked there so no love lost there.
After being there once I definitely see what all the hype is about. Central is somewhere where people on a budget can eat like they aren't on one. I need to get back for happy hour to try some of those cocktails too. Shout out to Ayesha, our waitress, for the stellar service too.
Overall - A-
Highlights - Asian Tuna Carpaccio
Lowlights - We were stuffed in a corner booth since the restaurant was filled with actual ballers lol
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sushi Sushi - 3714 Macomb Street NW
I am writing this review in memoriam. I've been to/ordered from Sushi Sushi at least 30 times. Danielle introduced me to this hole in the wall almost two years ago and I think it was some of the best sushi in the district. Well, Sushi Sushi is no more (as of about a month ago) and I wish I had gone there one last time and broke the bank.
Sushi Sushi probably got a lot of its business from overflow of 2 Amy's and Cactus Cantina. The space was pretty small and had a huge mural of the ocean on the interior. The service was always great and they delivered for free. Since I've been there so many times I thought I would just highlight a few of my menu favorites.
The seaweed salad here was a great starter. It was chilled and just enough food for an appetizer. There were 3-4 types of seaweed in the dish. This was a perfect dish to make you feel a little better about what you did the entire weekend. SS also had a great miso soup for like 2 bucks. Thats 2 bucks cheaper than most other places.
The best part of the restaurant was the "special" sushi rolls. All of the rolls were made with high quality fish, but each was done in a different way. What made sushi sushi great was the fact that these rolls were 5-8 bucks as opposed to 15-18 bucks at high-end sushi spots. The Macomb roll was far and away the best (california roll inside topped with red snapper and spicy mayo, served grilled). Since sushi sushi has been gone I have been ordering spicy mayo with my other sushi orders, but it just aint the same. My second favorite roll was the Ocean roll (battered yellow tail, salmon and red snapper inside topped by crabmeat and chef's special sweet sauce). Both of these rolls are huge! Easily twice the size of normal sushi rolls. The most unique thing that they offered was called "the smokey boat" (half avocado filled with crab stick topped with shrimp and home made spicy mayo and baked. served with a touch of chef's sweet sauce). This was kind of pricey compared to the rest of the menu, but it was well worth it the few times I ordered it.
Highlights - Macomb roll and free delivery
Lowlights - Its F'IN closed!
Rating - Solid A babay
Sushi Sushi probably got a lot of its business from overflow of 2 Amy's and Cactus Cantina. The space was pretty small and had a huge mural of the ocean on the interior. The service was always great and they delivered for free. Since I've been there so many times I thought I would just highlight a few of my menu favorites.
The seaweed salad here was a great starter. It was chilled and just enough food for an appetizer. There were 3-4 types of seaweed in the dish. This was a perfect dish to make you feel a little better about what you did the entire weekend. SS also had a great miso soup for like 2 bucks. Thats 2 bucks cheaper than most other places.
The best part of the restaurant was the "special" sushi rolls. All of the rolls were made with high quality fish, but each was done in a different way. What made sushi sushi great was the fact that these rolls were 5-8 bucks as opposed to 15-18 bucks at high-end sushi spots. The Macomb roll was far and away the best (california roll inside topped with red snapper and spicy mayo, served grilled). Since sushi sushi has been gone I have been ordering spicy mayo with my other sushi orders, but it just aint the same. My second favorite roll was the Ocean roll (battered yellow tail, salmon and red snapper inside topped by crabmeat and chef's special sweet sauce). Both of these rolls are huge! Easily twice the size of normal sushi rolls. The most unique thing that they offered was called "the smokey boat" (half avocado filled with crab stick topped with shrimp and home made spicy mayo and baked. served with a touch of chef's sweet sauce). This was kind of pricey compared to the rest of the menu, but it was well worth it the few times I ordered it.
Highlights - Macomb roll and free delivery
Lowlights - Its F'IN closed!
Rating - Solid A babay
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Zengo - 781 7th Street NW
Being a first-time living social user is what drove me to Zengo. Normally I would not go to a place that can seat 500 comfortably, for dinner. I'm glad I did though because it was a nice surprise and a great meal. Zengo is japanese for "give and take" and is an uber-trendy happy hour spot in Chinatown. The menu is split between latin and asian influences which sounds nasty, but ends up working. We walked in and there was house music playing as the happy hour crowd was in full swing. After about a 5 minute wait we were seated upstairs. The seating upstairs is a lot quieter, but very very close together.
Our waitress came over and took our drink order while explaining that the food came out as it was ready rather than all at once; this encourages sharing. I had a caipirinha and Danielle had the Yuzu Fresa which is vodka with fresh strawberries and lemon. Both drinks were great, but the Fresa was better. The 5 tapas that we ordered were: The tuna tacos (sushi rice / mango salsa / guacamole), the duck tacos (curried apple / orange-coriander sauce), the veggie sushi roll (grilled asparagus / red pepper / avocado / mushroom / lemon-sake aioli), the kobe beef roll (self explanatory), and the thai chicken empanchile poblano / oaxaca cheese / mango-curry salsa adas).
The tuna tacos came out first and I think they were my favorite of the 5 things ordered. Sushi rice in a taco is such a good idea! It held all of the ingredients together when you took a bite and made the taco crunchy and chewy. The guacamole was yummy, the tuna was seared and spicy, and mango salsa is just fun to say. "A" for that dish. Everything else came out second. The duck tacos were also pretty good, but were a little sloppy for my liking. The apples in the duck tacos were a nice touch though. Between the sushi I think I liked the veggie roll best because it had a little more variety and the kobe roll was a tad chewy. The empanadas were also great, but I still think some of the best empanadas I've had were at the bar at Clyde's (is that wrong?).
The scene here is what draws a crowd, but the food is worth sticking around for. I really like the idea of everything coming out at different times because it makes you feel like you get a lot of bang for your buck (and Zengo can get pricey). Props to LivingSocial for getting me to try a place that I normally would have walked right past.
Lowlights: proximity to next table, dessert sucked
Highlights: Yuzu Fresa and the tuna tacos
Overall grade: A-
Our waitress came over and took our drink order while explaining that the food came out as it was ready rather than all at once; this encourages sharing. I had a caipirinha and Danielle had the Yuzu Fresa which is vodka with fresh strawberries and lemon. Both drinks were great, but the Fresa was better. The 5 tapas that we ordered were: The tuna tacos (sushi rice / mango salsa / guacamole), the duck tacos (curried apple / orange-coriander sauce), the veggie sushi roll (grilled asparagus / red pepper / avocado / mushroom / lemon-sake aioli), the kobe beef roll (self explanatory), and the thai chicken empanchile poblano / oaxaca cheese / mango-curry salsa adas).
The tuna tacos came out first and I think they were my favorite of the 5 things ordered. Sushi rice in a taco is such a good idea! It held all of the ingredients together when you took a bite and made the taco crunchy and chewy. The guacamole was yummy, the tuna was seared and spicy, and mango salsa is just fun to say. "A" for that dish. Everything else came out second. The duck tacos were also pretty good, but were a little sloppy for my liking. The apples in the duck tacos were a nice touch though. Between the sushi I think I liked the veggie roll best because it had a little more variety and the kobe roll was a tad chewy. The empanadas were also great, but I still think some of the best empanadas I've had were at the bar at Clyde's (is that wrong?).
The scene here is what draws a crowd, but the food is worth sticking around for. I really like the idea of everything coming out at different times because it makes you feel like you get a lot of bang for your buck (and Zengo can get pricey). Props to LivingSocial for getting me to try a place that I normally would have walked right past.
Lowlights: proximity to next table, dessert sucked
Highlights: Yuzu Fresa and the tuna tacos
Overall grade: A-
Siroc - 915 15th St, NW
Eating in downtown D.C....do you want Cosi or BLT Steak? Do you want to spend 8 bucks or 200 on dinner? That is basically what it boils "down" to. Danielle's "new"(ish) apartment is in downtown DC and we often find ourself looking for somewhere easy, relatively cheap, and most importantly, good, to eat for dinner.
Siroc is owned by a couple of brothers that put out "lighter" Italian food. You might assume that this means less flavor, but just because they aren't piling on butter and creme does not mean it doesn't taste good. The inside of the restaurant has about 20 tables and is a very romantic setting. The noise level is minimal.
As far as our dishes. For our appetizer we had a composed tower of avocado, mango and roasted shrimp with basil oil and crispy parma prosciutto. This came out looking beautiful, but ended up being one of those menu items that you poke once and the whole thing falls apart like jenga. However, it did taste pretty good. It could have used a little more salt to go with all of the sweet, but it was alright. In the battle of the entrees, Danielle's ended up being much better than mine. She had the house-made black pepper tagliatelle with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and seared scallops. This pasta was very very rich in flavor, but was not a belly-bomb that sent you directly into a coma. The scallops were done perfectly and were not too small. The red pepper flakes gave it a little bit of spice, but they did not dominate the dish. I was only shared one bite of the pasta if that gives you an idea of how good it was. The bite I had was excellent and you could really tell that everything was fresh and home-made. My entree order was the pan seared Muscovy duck breast served with a turnip and taleggio cheese torte, roasted pear and a star anise sauce. Unfortunately my duck was not as good. I ordered it medium and it came out pretty rare. The highlight of the dish was the roasted pear. I could have eaten a bowl of the pears without the duck. Normally I really love duck and this was one of the first times I wished I had not ordered it. The pears and the cheese torte far outshined the duck. Next time I eat at Siroc, and there will be a next time, I will stick with the pastas. For dessert...we had gelato. The three that came out were mango, passion fruit, and rasberry. Each of these were so creamy and tart that it was a nice ending to a very savory meal.
Siroc offers great italian food for around 20 bucks an entree. The setting is romantic and the service is average. They arent gonna knock you out with the best meal of your life, but its good for what it is.
Overall Rating: B+
Lowlight - undercooked duck
Highlight - a GREAT martini and perfectly cooked scallops
Siroc is owned by a couple of brothers that put out "lighter" Italian food. You might assume that this means less flavor, but just because they aren't piling on butter and creme does not mean it doesn't taste good. The inside of the restaurant has about 20 tables and is a very romantic setting. The noise level is minimal.
As far as our dishes. For our appetizer we had a composed tower of avocado, mango and roasted shrimp with basil oil and crispy parma prosciutto. This came out looking beautiful, but ended up being one of those menu items that you poke once and the whole thing falls apart like jenga. However, it did taste pretty good. It could have used a little more salt to go with all of the sweet, but it was alright. In the battle of the entrees, Danielle's ended up being much better than mine. She had the house-made black pepper tagliatelle with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and seared scallops. This pasta was very very rich in flavor, but was not a belly-bomb that sent you directly into a coma. The scallops were done perfectly and were not too small. The red pepper flakes gave it a little bit of spice, but they did not dominate the dish. I was only shared one bite of the pasta if that gives you an idea of how good it was. The bite I had was excellent and you could really tell that everything was fresh and home-made. My entree order was the pan seared Muscovy duck breast served with a turnip and taleggio cheese torte, roasted pear and a star anise sauce. Unfortunately my duck was not as good. I ordered it medium and it came out pretty rare. The highlight of the dish was the roasted pear. I could have eaten a bowl of the pears without the duck. Normally I really love duck and this was one of the first times I wished I had not ordered it. The pears and the cheese torte far outshined the duck. Next time I eat at Siroc, and there will be a next time, I will stick with the pastas. For dessert...we had gelato. The three that came out were mango, passion fruit, and rasberry. Each of these were so creamy and tart that it was a nice ending to a very savory meal.
Siroc offers great italian food for around 20 bucks an entree. The setting is romantic and the service is average. They arent gonna knock you out with the best meal of your life, but its good for what it is.
Overall Rating: B+
Lowlight - undercooked duck
Highlight - a GREAT martini and perfectly cooked scallops
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