This meal was absolutely delicious! While in DC for a nearby convention, my friends and I were…read morecraving Thai food and came across this restaurant, and I'm so glad we did! The service was great, and the restaurant itself was really pretty and had such a nice atmosphere. We all got the mango frozen cocktails, and they were AMAZING; so refreshing, and honestly the perfect pairing with the food. Everyone in our group ordered something different, and everything we tried was so good. I got the Thai vermicelli, and it was absolutely delicious! I also got to try some of my friends' dishes, and everything was flavorful and really well done. I'm usually pretty nitpicky when it comes to coconut curry sauces, but it was so perfectly balanced and flavorful. It was easily some of the best Thai food I've had in the DMV (honestly!). No complaints whatsoever. I'll definitely be returning next time I'm in the area! :)

Solid restaurant. Went on Tuesday before the Rush concert. Was a little welt but that wasn't a…read moreproblem (they weren't busy early). Had a resy res though. Anyway seated quickly, service was good (see later). Had the coconut soup with chicken and the tom yum chili paste egg noodles with chicken & shrimp. Food was excellent. Soup was very flavorful and delicious. First other: main course came out before I was done with my soup. I'd expect better timing when it's not busy. Second other: the noodles have 2 chilis on the menu meaning "medium spicy." I get it, spicy is subjective, but they weren't spicy at all. Tasted great, just not spicy. Ambiance was nice, kind of dark and very Asian themed. Comfortable seating. I'd go back; the food was good!

Baan Mae is the sister restaurant to Thip Khao in Columbia Heights, and the same great qualities…read morerun through both of them. The ambiance is cozy, and the menus don't seem to have a bad option. It's great for solo dining, as well as sharing with a group of people. I've been a couple of times and I'll always recommend the #EatMoreInvasive section because I love the transparency and that this restaurant is taling advantage of this protein source (I like catfish!). I usually go with the gaeng dang catfish, which is flavorful, creamy, and filling. I really think you can't go wrong with anything on the menu and it's a great place if you like SEA food.

Oh salmon belly coconut curry, I need more of you in my life!!! I was at a table of four, and we…read moresplit tapioca pearl dumplings & spring rolls... The dumplings by far were my favorite, I could've had a whole tray! And then we got our entrees, and seriously, that curry... *Cries* it was SO. GOOD. I'm not sure what else I can say. The tight layout of this restaurant made me feel like I was in NYC haha. Staff were great... Restaurant week situation was a little odd, but outside of that I'd return without a doubt.

Very nice space, small so best for groups of 2-4. I'm sure they accommodate larger groups though!…read moreWent on a Monday evening and wasn't busy. -- The service was great, friendly staff. Never ran out of water. The food is delicious and items on the menu do change so depending on how often you come, you'll be able to try something new. The Shrimp Cakes, Salmon Crudo, and Beef Horapa were the favorites of the night. The shrimp cakes were fried perfectly, not greasy, only crunchy. While the inside shrimp cake would just melt in your mouth. The sauce was a great addition. The salmon crisp was fresh and the green sauce had a nice spice kick to it that really enhanced the dish. The beef horapa is a must try. Great flavors, even the fatty parts of the meat would soft and melty, not chewy. Would return.

9.5/10 food 10/10 service…read more5/10 ambiance This was one of those dinners where the food was so good and came out so incredibly quickly that we completely forgot to take pictures. Sura is interesting in that they won't have your typical pad Thai, drunken noodles, pineapple rice etc on the menu. However, every single thing we tried was so so tasty and different. You can't go wrong. Standouts were the shrimp rice dish with crab meat, the chili noodle dish, the lychee crem brûlée, and the drinks (both mocktails and cocktails). The drink with the earl grey foam was especially delicious, innovative, and refreshing. Can't speak to the secret menu because they didn't have it as an option the night we went, but I hope to try it next time! The service was so great. Everything they recommended was perfect, they were so kind, and food came out fast. The only thing I would knock them for is the ambiance. The decor is not very intentional or cohesive. I felt it wasn't reflective of the level of food or service.

It was a very rainy and chilly fall day and all I wanted was something warm and cozy for lunch…read more I'd walked by Onggi a million times, but never checked it out. I remembered a review in the WaPo when it opened said that Onggi had a spa like atmosphere -- I was in! Onggi provided the exact amount of cozy I was looking for, the pink salt slab seat was heated (I'll be back in January!). The lunch menu has several options, but it appeared everyone in the dining room had the lunch combo for $38. I was craving soup, so I got the short rib soup, but my dining partner got the combo. Both were large portions served with rice, and given the neighborhood, I felt they were worth the price. If you use inKind they are currently listed there. Onggi is a great neighborhood Korean restaurant for when you want something slightly more upscale. I'll return!

**GLUTEN-FREE REVIEW** Onggi has these marvelous heated salt benches that glow and warm you…read morethroughout dinner. I've never seen anything like it! However, dinner caused me some issues: I got glutened. My partner and I went for my birthday dinner. I had been wanting to try Onggi because I love Korean food and their menu says that it's been crafted to avoid gluten. They say that only the asterisked dishes are not gluten free. But I got glutened. Even though we didn't order anything asterisked and I let the server know that I have celiac. My partner has been trying to reach the manager to find out what had gluten in it. But even with multiple calls, he can't reach them. (Not a good sign.) We wanted to be able to say in the review which dish had hidden gluten, but since we can't have a conversation with anyone there, all I can say is stay away. If you do try it- and I understand why you'd want to- avoid the vegan bulgogi. I just have a sneaking suspicion that's what did me in. But the menu said it was gluten free, so--?? Also, go sometime when they aren't too busy. We were there on a Saturday night and I think they might have only had two servers on (with multiple table support staff). There was at least one large party, plus the regular tables, and two servers were not enough. It was very difficult to flag someone down and double check our meals or ask our server anything after they started to get busy.

Dania did an amazing job. Celebrated anniversary/birthday here Tuesday…read more I would say the atmosphere is more suitable for hanging out with group of friends

The staff is really nice. I ordered pick up and they weren't ready so they gave me a glass of water…read moreas I sat at the bar to wait for my order. Concolon: came with the chicharron which was crispy and came with a slightly spicy sauce. The fried rice was very oily due to the lap cheong and the dish overall was a bit too oily for my liking. Lomo Saltado: the medium rare beef filet was tough and chewy. The tomatoes were bursting with juice and the onions still had a bit to them. I will say the vegetables were good but the beef was too tough for me, unfortunately. Also there were only like 4 pieces of beef. Well, I think the food was all right. I think it relies on a bit too much oil for flavor. I would say it is filling but mostly on carbs. It's cool to go once because it is a part of the José Andres restaurants and the fusion is a cool concept.

Had lunch with a friend, and now I completely understand why this place was recommended…read more I ordered the Tocino Entree which came with grilled sweet pork, atchara papaya salad, a house salad, and garlic fried rice. It was SOOO good! The pork was flavorful with the perfect balance of sweetness, and the garlic fried rice paired wonderfully with it. Everything on the plate worked so well together. My friend ordered the Ube Waffle & Filipino Fried Chicken with Ube Ice Cream. I loved the waffle and the ice cream, but unfortunately, the fried chicken was a bit too dry for my taste. It wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't the highlight of the meal for me. Of course, we had to save room for dessert, and I'm so glad we did. The Ube Bread Pudding with Ube Ice Cream was AMAZING. The bread pudding was warm, rich, and comforting, while the ice cream balanced the sweetness. If you are an ube fan, this place is a must-visit. There are other ube-inspired menu items. Will definitely be coming back. Hubby will love it! There are so many other dishes on the menu that I'd love to try and Tocino Entree alone is worth another visit.

I love Filipino food and I was so happy that Mount Pleasant has this little gem situated there…read more I've been to Purple Patch twice now, once for dinner and once for weekend brunch. It's a bit of a small space, but they have packed as much seating as physically possible in there. There's small tables and a bar seating area as well. Reservations are highly recommended because it can get extremely busy. In this review, I'll share about my weekend brunch experience. We came on a rainy day not expecting too many people so we didn't make a reservation beforehand. Turns out, everyone was hiding from the rain in here and it was quite lively inside. The host still graciously sat my friend and I at the bar, and we could still order from the same food menu. I love a savory brunch so I ordered the classic Filipino breakfast with Tocilog. We also got a side of their crispy pork. The breakfast was good, but I honestly feel like it could have been better. The tocilog itself and the egg were a bit cold. The flavor still tasted good, but I'm sure the whole dish would have been even better if everything was warm/hot. The crispy pork was unfortunately dry. It was difficult for me to want to finish it, and I love crispy pork! The ube cheesecake and ice cream was the perfect dessert for sharing and to end the brunch on a sweet note. Would definitely want to come back just for that.

This place is an absolute gem. The Lamen was incredible with chewy noodles, meaty mushrooms, and…read moredelicious broth. This feels like an authentic spot rather than a "designed" restaurant. The ambiance is chill and cozy. Of all the amazing places we tried on this trip, this is top of my list to return to.

Nestled in the upstairs space of a building shared with a desserts shop, Reren was a great lunch…read moredestination for Chinese cuisine. Their menu features lamen and noodles, dumplings, and an assortment of soups. The space feels very open upon entry at the top of the stairs, and has a semi-open kitchen in the back of the dining area. My friend and I were seated immediately at a table next to the windows overlooking Wisconsin Ave, and our waitress provided great service throughout our meal. There were only a few other tables dining, so we had plenty of time to enjoy the dishes ordered. The Food Breakdown: Grandma's Style Pancake (4/5) - I was admittedly skeptical at first about the item, as the beef was presented wrap-style within the scallion pancake. However, it was actually a refreshing bite with a slight kick from the red pepper. It made for a filling starter. Pork Xiao Long Bao (5/5) - Very delicious and flavorful. There was a good amount of soup in each dumpling as well, properly wrapped so it was easy to pick up and add in the complimenting sauces. Steamed Vegetable Dumplings (4.5/5) - Unpictured, but I was pleasantly surprised by the seasoning in the veggies. They come with six per order, and I enjoyed alternatively between them with the soup dumplings. This was a great lunch stop in the heart of Georgetown, with a second, equally convenient location in Chinatown. The menu offers plenty of selections, and I'd be likely to revisit for its noodles and broth next.

We came here for restaurant week, good deal. The restaurant is pretty new and the decor very nice…read moreand clean. Most tables were big enough to set 4 people. It's a set menu where you get the 4 types of meat: hanging tender, galbi, marinated galbi, and outside skirt (all American wagyu) that are cooked for you at the table. The welcome dish "moo ssam" was a nice clean bite, with the crunchy radish. For our side we selected the ssam, which included an assortment of leaves (perilla leaves, mustard greens, red lettuce) and scallion salad. We got the hwa moo chim as our appetizer, which was a salmon sashimi salad. For savory meal, we got the mul mak guksu and the galbi fried rice. We enjoyed all parts of the meal and our favorite was the beautiful ssam bowl, because the leaves were huge and very pretty. To this meal was more about the variety of the types of dishes rather than just the meat, though the meat cuts were good. They also provided multiple bonchon and sauces/topping (sea salt, chimichurri, sweet soy) and gave recommendations when to use what. For dessert we did pick the iced sujeon gwa and paid the extra for the bingsoo. Both were refreshing but I could enjoy the iced sujeon gwa without paying the extra, it was a cinnamony ice dish with jujubes. The bingsoo was ok, a little basic, with the shaved milk, red beans and rice cakes. The food was great but our server was so sweet and passionate about the food and her role. Lizeth was easy to talk to while she cooked the meat, which could've easily been awkward if she stood there and cooked the food. I would come back just for her!

Great interior design (miami-esque). It's clean and spacious…read more The meats are tender, well marinated, and great quality. However, what distinguishes a good KBBQ spot among all the other high-end ones? They offer similar meats. So what stands out is the side dishes and the service. We ordered a la carte, and got two sides (galbi fried rice -- average, I'd skip; and the sashimi salad -- very refreshing, I enjoyed). I'm sure this place would be better with their Prix Fixe menu and the ability to try more shared dishes. But a big part of a Korean experience is the banchan. There were only TWO banchan... and none of them were traditional kimchi. The servers were not Korean, which is a picky comment but I'd rather go to Annandale or even NYC for premium KBBQ where I'm served by people familiar with the cuisine. I'd come again but get the prix fixe. But please add more banchan!