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    Pow Pow

    3.9 (131 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Recommended Reviews - Pow Pow

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    Side of fried rice, bowl of thai pumpkin soup, and Natalie's Tangerine Juice
    Paul J.

    On my way from one meeting to another in downtown DC, I hustled into the Pow Pow for a quick bite. I just got a side of fried rice, a new bowl of thai pumpkin soup, and Natalie's Tangerine Juice. It was out in a flash, and I filled up my belly while watching the denizens of Eye Street going about their business. It sounds like just a snack, but the soup and fried rice were perfectly filling, and since they're vegan, it wasn't heavy. I appreciate having Pow Pow and their dietary sensibility right smack in the middle of the city so I can stop by for a quick bite without overdoing it in the middle of the day. Kudos Pow Pow! If you haven't tried it yet, you're missing out.

    General's Chick'n, Firecracker Cauliflower
    Jeremy G.

    Pow Pow is my go-to for vegetarian Asian-inspired food in DC. The vegetarian chicken is the standout -- great texture and flavor, and works really well in their bowls and salads. The Firecracker Cauliflower lives up to the hype: crispy, spicy, and super satisfying. The portions are amazing too! You order at a kiosk, and your food is ready pretty quickly. It's efficient and easy, and the staff is always helpful if you need anything. If you're vegetarian or just want something different, Pow Pow is a solid, reliable choice that always hits the spot. We come every time we are in the area. We need one to open in Arlington ASAP!

    Crispy Lemon Parm Brussels Angry Noodles
    rachel k.

    It's super rare that I give all 5 stars, but damn this place deserves it. I'm beside myself with how flavorful everything is. the brussels are lemony, lil bit of tang and dusted with just the right amount of cheese and scallions. the angry noodles are perfectly creamy, spicy, and chewy in exactly the way you'd hope. the veggies are chopped up nicely, siracha is drizzled over it beautifully and it's garnished w a few spicy peppers. a spicy food lover's dream! I ordered on a computer but the staff still helped us order and advised us on gluten free items. super friendly and welcoming! I also really appreciate the warm lighting and boho/safari vibes. lots of greenery and cozy w lots of natural light. this place is the SPOT for a vegan friendly lunch/dinner. you're really making a mistake if you don't try it out.

    Howard M.

    Pow Pow Vegan hits all the right notes when it comes to plant-based dining. The food is flavorful, fresh, and creative--definitely one of the better vegan spots in DC. Prices are very reasonable for the quality, and the service was friendly and attentive throughout our visit. That said, the DC location is quite small, which can make it feel a bit cramped during peak hours. There was also a minor issue with a leaking ceiling near the water fountain, which was a bit off-putting. Even with those quirks, the overall experience was excellent. Great food, great value, and great people make Pow Pow an easy 5 stars from me. Just hope they fix that leak soon!

    Rumit P.

    This location is at the corner of I Street NW and 13th St NW. My friend and I had dinner here on Wednesday, 3/19 around 5:30 PM. The restaurant didn't have much business (possibly because the downtown 9-5 crowd had already headed home). There are stools along the window facing the outside, some tables, and some half-booth/half tables. A variety of plants adorn the wall of windows. To order, you use either the huge kiosk at the entrance or a smaller tablet near the counter. Or you can order directly with the cashier who doubled as one of the cooks. Many items were out of stock. The yuzu lemonade I requested was also out of stock. A tiny cookie was $5. Coconut water was $3.50 for a small can. The service is meh. My friend ordered 10 minutes before me yet she got her food much after me and another customer who ordered after her. I said and spelled my name out to to cashier who took my order. The food is also meh. It was unique enough in terms of concept but the execution just didn't meet my satisfaction. I spent $35 for a meal that I was completely unimpressed by. $15 for a bowl, $9 for an appetizer, $5 for a cookie, and $3.50 for a small coconut water. I would not come back or recommend.

    Crispy Lemon Parm Brussels
    Ritesh M.

    We were doing the DC museum tour for the kiddo's spring break and had a few spots bookmarked. This was our first stop and we were off to a great start! Note: I miscalculated my parking reservation location and we ended up walking 28 minutes to get here. Needless to say I was so hungry I could eat a (plant based) horse! Firstly, the menu online is thorough but they have plenty more options on the touchscreen kiosks- enough to get overwhelmed with indecisiveness (a good problem). So as usual we over-ordered so we could sample plenty! Firecracker Cauliflower to start- everyone loved this and it was fully consumed. Not too spicy so the kids can eat it but lots of flavor. Crispy Lemon Parm Brussel Sprouts - these were okay and while not entirely finished- I think its moreso because we had plenty of other food at the table. While I love a crispy brussel sprout, I prefer a soy sauce over the lemon stuff. Chickn fingers- (teriyaki) - by far my favorite dish. I think they make their chickn in-house and these were perfectly tossed and not drowning in sauce. I have no idea what the accompanying dipping sauce was supposed to emulate - it didnt have much flavor- but honestly not needed. Very crispy and dense texture with a great teriyaki sauce. Chkn rice bowl- same fingers as above but without sauce and on top of rice with grilled veggies. It was a brown rice which tasted poor (as if instant out of a box) Mongolian beef n broc- I believe they use meati- the mushroom based beef. Noodles and veggies were great and could be eaten on their own! Jury is still out on the meati product line. Overall, loved the menu options and the fact the entire menu is plant based (note I didnt say healthy)! Super kind staff and I could see they were all hustling but still being attentive to all customers.

    From l to r: sticky sesame chik'n salad bowl, Thai pumpkin soup at Pow Pow.
    Noble D.

    The Thai pumpkin soup as a starter is creamy and piquant, worth the price of admission. For the main dish, I had the sticky sesame chik'n over a combo of salad and signature rice. Perfectly sweet, tangy, and crunchy. Combining the pickled cucumbers, chik'n, and rice in one bite is delicious. The atmosphere here is easygoing fast casual, with the lighting at night not too bright and comfortably serene. A Tribe Called Quest was the music selection. I ate with mindfulness, savoring every bite. As if I didn't already dig this place, the bathroom decor includes prints of 80s DC punk rock flyers.

    Ginger wonton soup
    Tonia K.

    I tried Pow Pow one day with a coworker after it had been on my radar for some time. Plant-based Asian Fusion?! I'm in! This visit was just before the noon rush and so it wasn't busy with customers placing orders in person but it still took a while for our food to be ready. We actually started to order online, which perhaps would've helped the wait and timing. On to the important part, the food! First, I appreciate nothing was salty as that can immediately kill any dish. But I will say that the Ginger Wonton soup didn't have the wow factor that I thought it would. The Firecracker Cauliflower on the other hand was AMAZING! I would definitely recommend. The Lemon Parm brussels were somewhere in the middle. The location is convenient to McPherson Square metro / Franklin Park and has a cool, open set up if you're eating in. Not a ton of seating but great for solo or small groups. Overall, not a bad experience. I would probably skip the soup and get the Cauliflower! It's a good location to try if you're downtown and want something different and plant-based!

    Trolley Fries
    Sydney G.

    My vegan cousin was visiting from Philly so we stopped here after I picked her up from Union station. We got the giant egg roll which arrived absolutely swimming in grease. Like literally there was a pool of oil at the bottom of the tray and it was no longer crispy bc it was so wet with oil. I ended up taking it home and air frying it, and it was at least edible but I don't think I'd recommend that in the future. The loaded fries were definitely a hit so try those for sure. I also really liked the peanut butter noodles but I'd recommend eating them fresh as they don't really reheat well.

    Firecracker Cauliflower
    Hannah K.

    Food is great! Awesome for vegetarians seeking variety. I'm only knocking down this rating because I had a terrible service experience within the last year where an employee (probably owner?) very publicly accused me of stealing a beverage from the fridge. She tried to make me pay again but then looked up my receipt, which proved I had already paid. Instead of apologizing, she sent a DIFFERENT EMPLOYEE to apologize to me while I was eating, because allegedly it was her staff's fault, not her's. Crazy way to run a business, so I try to avoid dining in now.

    Fried Chick'n, Side of Fried Rice, Garlic Broccoli
    Fabienne A.

    Dining in this time was way better than ordering to-go. If you're into vegan food, this is a great place to taste small dishes here and there. The menu is pretty eclectic, with veggies served bold or cold, soups to fill you up, and dishes that are mouthwatering and fresh! I ordered the garlic broccoli (it was slightly too heavy on the garlic), and the fried chick'n breast atop of a delicious and well-seasoned fried rice. Service was quick and got the job done! The ambiance is well-lit, quaint enough to sit down for a quick meal or to stay a while. Check out the Franklin' Square location! Parking was right across the street and it's a great walk to make after stuffing your belly.

    Anushka M.

    The fried cashew mozzarella and firecracker cauliflower were really good! Especially the fried cashew mozzarella, it was crispy with a great filling inside. The cauliflower was well seasoned and I love the sauce on top. My angry noodle bowl was ok, I wasn't the biggest fan of the sauce. I thought the firecracker chick'n bowl was better!

    Buddha Buddah Bowl (gluten free) Korean K-town BBQ Chick'n
    Cassidy B.

    Great price, large portions, exceptional customer service, delicious food! Love a fully plant-based menu! My husband and I ordered regular size bowls and I had enough for 2 meals. The Korean bbq bowl was a 10! The Buddha bowl was good but I would get extra sauce next time. Still tasty tho! Our meals together were under $30 which is a good deal in the city, especially for the volume and quality. Cute ambiance with real plants. The staff were very nice and personable. They offered a military discount, which I very much appreciate. The food came out very quick! Definitely recommend this place.

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    8 months ago

    Salty and oily as hell. The worst vegan food I have ever had. Their food is not worth a penny.

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    Torai Sushi

    Torai Sushi

    4.5(245 reviews)
    2.4 miCapitol Hill
    $$

    So good I almost don't want to share it! I was craving some sushi/nigiri and came across this…read moreplace. The few reviews all seemed positive and I wanted to give it a shot - I'm so glad I did. I ordered from them for a week straight. All of the fish is SO fresh and tasty. The Sushi Jumbo for lunch is the perfect amount to keep you full and then some - I'm not particularly fond of salmon and saved those pieces for my friend the first day, but the second day i ate them and they were good! Not fishy but you could tell it was salmon (i can't explain the exact taste). The Yummy Yummy roll was so good. I wasn't a fan of the spicy chicken bowl, it wasn't to my liking. It was a little too ginger forward, and not spicy and overall wouldn't get it again. I've never gone in person, but the staff was able to accommodate the little roll included to be just tuna so that was nice. I can't wait to visit them in person.

    I will preface with saying the only reason this is 4 stars is because we've been burned multiple…read moretimes on the pick-up wait time at Torai. Other than that 10/10 recommend. Torai, is a lovely local sushi and ramen spot on Barracks Row where the sushi is reasonably priced, of great quality, and delicious. We are regulars here either dine in or take out. As they are amazing - the wait time for pick up tends to be long and unfortunately tends to be severely underestimated - thus, prompting the 4 stars. We've experienced multiple times where our wait time says 45mins and ends up being over an hour. After this past week where I waited outside in the cold with our pup while my husband went inside pick up food, that's when I really felt the extra time. If I could give any constructive feedback to management would be to look into revising your wait times and accuracy for pick up. If the max it allows you to put is 45 mins, and the wait is over an hour, that is a large gap.

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    Torai Sushi
    Torai Sushi - Salmon set

    Salmon set

    Torai Sushi

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    Hawkers Asian Street Food

    Hawkers Asian Street Food

    4.3(1.2k reviews)
    6.7 mi
    $$
    Full bar
    Catering service

    Place was recommended by the hotel I was staying at…read more Started with hibiscus fizz. Tried the highly recommended five spice green beans. My waitress said they had taken them off the menu but there was such an outcry they brought them back. The green beans had a very light coating on them and were delicious I can see why people complained about them being taken off the menu It also came with a trio of dipping sauces. The sweet chili was good but the green onion one was amazing. The bulgogi steak was very tender and delicious.

    I've always enjoyed the food at Hawkers, but the service--especially with takeout--can be hit or…read moremiss. I ordered the Basil Fried Rice, which is described as coming with egg, chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. I specifically requested no egg, no chicken, and double spicy green sauce on the side. Instead, I received plain fried rice with no egg, no chicken, no shrimp, and they didn't include the double green sauce I requested. Paying $15 for what was essentially plain fried rice was pretty disappointing. To make matters worse, the "green sauce" they did include wasn't even the usual spicy green sauce you get when dining in. It looked more like finely chopped green onions than the actual sauce. I also ordered Yaki Udon and requested double spicy green sauce with that as well--and once again, it was missing. It honestly felt like no one actually read my order. They seemed to go off muscle memory instead of following the modifications. Removing the shrimp entirely when I never asked for that just reinforces the impression that my order wasn't checked before it went out. The pickup experience wasn't much better. My order was sitting on the pickup shelf, clearly ready, but I had to flag down the host to retrieve it while a staff member stood just a few steps away. It would take less than a minute for the takeout staff to greet guests, confirm a name or order number, ask if anything else is needed, and hand over the order. The food at Hawkers is good--that's why I keep coming back--but the consistency of the takeout service needs work. Reading orders carefully and giving a little more attention to customers picking up their food would go a long way. Great food, but the execution and service didn't match.

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    Hawkers Asian Street Food
    Hawkers Asian Street Food
    Hawkers Asian Street Food

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    Pow Pow - vegan - Updated July 2026

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