• 28Oct

    Side-by-Side Sister Restaurants, Karizma & Karma Deliver Modern Indian Fare

    Silk Route
    Nirvana 37
    A Moment
    Tellicherry Pepper Crab
    Coconut Avocado Tikki
    Saffron Duck
    Dal Lentil Halwa
    Dodha Burfi

    Side-by-side sister restaurants, Karizma and Karma Modern Indian are a block from Chinatown and have some very interesting dishes. Karma has transitioned to a reservation-only tasting menu concept, with a selection of 4, 6, and 9-course menus show casing a rich culinary journey across the Indian subcontinent. We were lucky enough to try a few of these modern Indian dishes and a couple of cocktails and a small media dinner. Karizma is more casual and features an ala carte menu.

    The cocktails we tried at Karizma were the Silk Route, featuring Tequila, Pineapple, Turmeric, Basil and A Moment, featuring Vodka, Beetroot Shrub, Aperol, Falernum. I preferred Silke Route since A Moment was a little sweet for me, but both were well-crafted cocktails.

    Karizma’s signature dish, Nirvana 37 includes 37 carefully-selected ingredients: mango, fennel root, turnip, watermelon radish, lotus root, edamame, affila cress, micro cilantro, basil leaves, Aji Amarillo peppers, onion, garlic, Kashmiri chilies, dates, ginger, spinach, potatoes, lemon, beetroot, sorrel, frisée lettuce, radish daikon, jaggery, tamarind, asafoetida, mustard oil, chickpea flour, rice flour, black rice, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, onion seeds, fennel seeds, black salt, fenugreek seeds, turmeric powder, and black pepper. This vegan dish is a tasty collection of flavors and textures. The crispy noodles are made from chickpeas and rice, giving them a different texture than heavier traditional chickpea only versions.

    We moved next door to Karma where we tried the Tellicherry Pepper Crab (roasted garlic cremeaux, jakhiya, and yellow chili powder; region: Kerala), Coconut Avocado Tikki (red peppers, shallots, and spearmint; region: Tamil Nadu) and Saffron Duck (fennel, broccoli rice, watermelon radish; region: Himachal Pradesh). All three of these dishes were excellent, but I found the avocado dish to be the most surprising, since I have not tried similar cooked avocado dishes.

    Desserts were the Dal Lentil Halwa with Pat De Fruit and Dodha Burfi with Rabri Mousse. Both desserts were both creatively presented and tasty.

    Pricing at Karma: 4 course menu – $95, 6 course menu – $125, 9 course menu – $165. 

    It is great having these restaurant concepts side-by-side in the area. Give them a try if you’re an Indian food fan.

    -JAY

    Disclaimer: From time to time, we are given free meals, but out opinions are our own.

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  • 16Dec

    Kabul Castle Kabob in Georgetown, the Review!

    Several of us were hangry in Georgetown when I remember that there was a relatively new (1 year old) Afghani kabob place I’ve been meaning to try, Kabul Castle Kabob. It is on the divey side — you order at the register, hold on to your numbered receipt, and grab a table. When they yell out your order, you go and pick your tray up.

    Sambosa, Spinach, & Lamb Chops.
    Lamb Kabob, Spinach, & Bread.
    Grilling the Kabobs!
    Salmon, Eggplant, & Manto.

    We tried the Lamb Kabob, Lamb Chops, Salmon, Manto (Afghani dumplings), Sambosas, Spinach, and Eggplant. The food was very good, with the salmon being the favorite of the table, and the manto coming in second. The platters came with salad, bread (which was extremely good in texture and flavor), lots of rice, and a choice of vegetable, so were a great value. Some people at the table asked for no or less rice, but the lamb kabob image has the full portion. The veggies (spinach and eggplant) could have used more salt, but were still good.

    Next time, we want to order the lamb shank (Qabili Pallow, which a neighboring table was digging into). It looked really good.

    The kabobs run from $15 to $20, while the lamb chops are $27, and the Qabili Pallow is $20.

    The address is 2801 M St NW, but the entrance is actually on 28th Street, not M Street.

    -JAY

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  • 14Dec

    Ala’s take on Modern Mediterranean in DuPont

    Adana Kebab
    Even the bar garnishes look great!
    Pirzola
    Jewels Pilaf
    Antep Baklava
    Octopus & Baba Ganoush
    Mocktails
    What the table across from us ordered.

    We recently tried the (soon to be seasonally updated for winter) dinner menu at the upscale Mediterranean restaurant, Ala, in DuPont Circle. The menu features updated versions of Mediterranean dishes (not including hummus). We ordered from the soon to be updated for the winter season dinner menu:

    Rumaan Nana (pomegranate & mint iced tea) and Levantine Wonderland (orange, cherry, rose, lemon, baharat) mocktails: They were refreshing and not too sweet (although you have to stir one of them prior to drinking).

    Baba Ganoush (charred eggplant puree, dill & pumpkin seed pesto, pomegranate
    seeds): This was probably our favorite dish that evening. The pomegranate seeds and fresh dill worked well in this creamy and delicious dish. Wonderful Za’atar Pita arrived with the baba — you should definitely expect the green seasoning to coat your fingers. This appetizer is vegan and gluten free.

    Akhtubut (grilled octopus, white beans, saffron, harissa, lemon foam): We enjoyed this dish, but the octopus could have been more tender and while it is possible the intent was for the beans to be a little crunchy, some were more undercooked than others. Management said they would work on the consistency issue with the beans.

    Pirzola (grilled lamb chops (3 pieces) spice marinated, braised napa cabbage, herb salad, nigella seeds): The lamb chops were cut to different thicknesses so were also different levels of doneness (medium rare at best, Medium Well, Well). The last cooked chop was a little tough but the other two were amazing. I would order this again. Management said they will work on the consistency issue on the chops. My guest and I practically fought over the tasty cabbage and refreshing herb salad.

    Adana Kebab (minced rib eye, maras pepper, bell pepper, sumac, onion,
    harissa, labneh, grilled long chili pepper): My guest (who has visited Turkey) said this was her favorite version of Adana Kebab. The grilled long Italian chilli pepper was definitely spicy.

    Jewels Pilaf (rice, sundried apricots, almonds, parsley, dill): We enjoyed the sweet and starchy pilaf, but it might have been to close after Thanksgiving for me, because I was getting stuffing vives from this one. This side dish is vegan and gluten free.

    Antep Baklava (pistachio baklava, dark cherry kaymak): We both enjoyed this extremely rich and decedent take on baklava. Neither of us has tried a baklava quite like this one before, and I’ve probably eaten half my weight in baklava in that particular dessert in my lifetime. I’m glad we shared it because a whole order may have been a bit much for me after such a large meal.

    The service was excellent (thanks Yulia!) and food restrictions were handled well. Both floors of the restaurant were very loud (you could hear everyone talking) but it was also a Saturday evening, which is probably their busiest night.

    You can tell we were impressed with Ala because my guest is already planning a lunch at the DuPont location, and I am planning a brunch at the upcoming Bethesda location, which should be opening in late January or so.

    -JAY

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  • 11Nov

    Mercy Me Has Relaunched in West End!

    Upscale lounge/restaurant Mercy Me relaunched in West End last week, featuring the cuisine of various regions of South America. Mercy Me is under new ownership, with a new chef, Executive Chef Robert Curtis, who is supported by Brazilian Chef and consultant Giancarlo Junyent.

    Mercy Me has a nice upscale lounge kind of vibe and decor, with a good amount of space between tables. We enjoyed the music played in the restaurant, which interestingly enough, Shazam (a music identification app), was unable to identify. The restaurant features curated music through weekly analog DJ sets (Thursday and Friday evenings), although we were not present during a performance. Mercy me also features a new private dining listening room.

    We started with cocktails, a Tropicalia Spritz (Vodka, Lilet Blanc, Alphonso Mango, Passion Fruit, Vanilla, Ripe Pineapple, Pet Nat), and Passion Marg (Habanero, Lime, Passion fruit, Pineapple, Mezcal, Tequila Blanco). Both drinks were tasty well-made cocktails. I didn’t taste habanero in the margarita, but that is probably a good thing.

    The menu has a variety of good options, but we had to decide, so we ordered the Ceviche (Hamachi, Purple Sweet Potato, Passion Fruit, Leech de Tigre), Chorizo Mussels
    (Honey Chorizo, Coconut Milk, Fennel, White Wine), Chaufa (Braised Pork Belly, Fried Rice, Piperade), and Whole Roasted Bass (Shaved Fennel and Orange Salad, Ahi Amarillo, Naam Prik). We enjoyed all four dishes, but we were probably most surprised by the Chaufa; the pork belly was executed wonderfully, with the perfect texture, and was served on very garlicky fried rice. The sauce on the mussels was savory, with the chorizo really enhancing the flavor of the dish; this preparation is easily as good as some of the best mussel dishes we have had in DC. They also did a great job with the texture and flavor of the sea bass, and we enjoyed the fennel salad, although the blood orange flavor seemed to get lost in the dish. The ceviche was a light and flavorful way to start the meal.

    The waiter recommended the Gnocchi (Braised Short Rib, Poblano Mole Sauce, Salsa Criolla, Cotija Cheese), so maybe we should try that dish next visit. Truth be told, we ordered mostly seafood because I had eaten at a kabob house for lunch.

    For dessert, we had the Chocolate Tres Leches (White Chocolate Cream, Citrus Jam, Banana Rum Sauce) and Pavlova (Coconut cream, Cherimoya Sorbet, Caipirinha Strawberries). We both enjoyed the light, creamy, and fruity Pavlova dish, but admittedly, neither of us had tried one before.

    My dining partner from that evening is already planning to bring his girlfriend to Mercy Me for date night, since the restaurant has a great vibe and wonderful food. You should check Mercy Me out too!

    -JAY

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  • 25Jun

    Brand New Thai Restaurant on P Street in DuPont Circle

    This is a shoutout to Sampannee at 2122 P Street NW (the old Asia 54 space)! They just opened 3 days ago. I stopped by yesterday and tried thePad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice, and Coconut Ice Cream (which has jackfruit inside). Definitely a place to try some authentic Thai cuisine. Next month they will open the counter next door for breakfast/brunch. The owner and staff are really sweet people — I’m so happy I met them.

    -JAY

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  • 30Jan

    Bacchus of Lebanon Has a New Enclosed Heated Patio

    We recently attended an event to showcase the new enclosed heated patio at Bacchus of Lebanon in Bethesda. The patio is nice and toasty! Here is a video of Zaid (the owner) talking about the new patio.

    Below are some photos from the event. We definitely need to go back soon for more of the yummy fresh hummus and baba ganouj.

    Chicken, Mushrooms, and Rice
    Felafel, Kalage Bel-Jebne, and Stuffed Grape Leaves
    Zaid is on the left or the right!
    Tabbouleh on the Left
    Baba Ganouj
    Hummus
    Baklava

    -Jason

    Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events. Our words are still our own.

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  • 29Dec

    May Your New Year Be Filled with New Menu Items from ChiKo

    Smashed Cucumber Salad, Umami Nosh, Warm Walnut Potato Salad
    Egg Drop Hot Sour Wonton Soup
    Dry Spiced Double-Fried Chicken Wings
    Xo Shrimp Lo Mein
    Wok Stir Fried Sea Bass
    Sesame Custard (Has no Eggs)
    Chinese Style 5 Spice Donuts

    We were happy to try the new menu items at the DuPont location of ChiKo, a group of Chinese/Korean fusion restaurants. I can’t eat egg yolks, so brought a plus one (“C”) to try the dishes I could not. We enjoyed all the new menu items; my guest vouched for the dishes I could not try).

    C’s favorite dishes of the visit were the Umami Nosh (soft-cooked egg, salmon caviar, seaweed) and Egg Drop Hot Sour Wonton Soup, two dishes I could not try. He attacked the Chinese Style 5 Spice Donuts. When he brought home the leftover soup, his partner proclaimed it “sex in a bowl.” I asked no further questions at that point.

    My favorite dishes of the evening were the Wok Stir Fried Sea Bass (which I LOVED) ordered without the oyster mushrooms and Dry Spiced Double-Fried Chicken Wings (wonderful savory flavor and perfectly crunchy), although the latter isn’t a new dish. I attacked the Sesame Custard, which does not contain eggs and features a perfect combination of flavors and textures (coconut, caramel, almonds, basil seeds).

    The new dishes are available at all ChiKo locations. Scroll down to see the menu.

    -JAY

    Disclosure: From time to time, we are given free items, meals, or entry to events. Our words are still our own.

    Standard menu. They also have a vegetarian and a GF menu.

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  • 24Jan

    Clarity’s Beef Chili is a Spicy Treat

    Clarity in Vienna, Virginia has specials that change throughout the week. Tomorrow evening, there will be a guest chef cooking the food of Ghana, but the event is already sold out. This Thursday’s specials will be Dry-Rubbed Cherry Wood Smoked Barbecue Grass-Fed Brisket and Heritage Pork Ribs; Balsamic Pineapple Barbeque sauce comes on the side with either dish. I’m keeping an eye out for when Chef Jonathan Krinn makes pho again, since we missed it last time.

    Clarity’s Smoked Beef Brisket Chili

    We were happy to pick up Chef Krinn’s Smoked brisket Chili special today. It came with sun-dried tomato corn bread. We also got to try three mini breads: baguette, garlic, and herbs de Provence. We didn’t take the sour cream of cheddar cheese, since we don’t use them.

    The chili was very good but a bit spicier than we generally eat. We did add onions, scallions, and rice (with garlic) at home, which helped a bit with the spice level, as did the corn bread. I had planned on adding chopped tomatoes, but figured there was already enough going on the plate.

    Sun-Dried Tomato Cornbread

    Chef Krinn’s father does the baking, and he is extremely skilled. Herbs de Provence was our favorite of the 3 mini breads, although all of them were quite good. The corn bread was tasty too. You should pre-order dad’s baguettes or gluten-free bread (for Thursday pickup), or his stuffed crust pizza when it comes up as a special again. This week’s baguette flavor will be “everything.”

    Three Mini Breads

    My dining partner pickup up the food, and said Clarity has a great upscale NYC restaurant type of vibe. She was impressed.

    -JAY

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  • 24Jan

    How you can contribute to DCFüd…

    We need a few writers!

    Do you have some new recipes to share?
    Have you discovered the best restaurants in the DC area?
    Do you want to write a comparison article for a particular item or dish (such as best BLTs)?
    Need some foodie cred? (Good, since that is how we are compensated. )
    Then we want you for DCFUD!  Send a writing sample to
    jay (at) dcfud (dot) com, along with a couple ideas you’d like to write
    about. 

    -JAY


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  • 08Dec

    Organic Thai Curry Kits Spice up Your Kitchen

    Thai is one of our favorite cuisines, so we jumped at the chance to review Verve Culture’s Thai for Two Organic Curry Kits. The curry kits are imported from Thailand, gluten-free, and vegan, and come in Penang, green, and red varieties.

    • Red Curry with Broccoli & Bell Peppers.
    • Green Curry with Wild Salmon, Zucchini & Bell Peppers

    Included in each are the following organic packets: curry paste, curry seasonings, coconut milk, and dried herbs. You follow step-by-step directions, which include adding 7-10 ounces of uncooked protein and 7-10 ounces of uncooked vegetables. The recipes were well described and not difficult. You are told to use 50 to 100% of the curry paste packet depending on desired spice level, and that the dried herbs (kaffir lime leaves, chili peppers, etc.) are not meant to be consumed directly (since they just flavor the sauce).

    We made the green curry with wild salmon, a small zucchini, and a small orange bell pepper. The curry went extremely well with the wild salmon. We used 100% of the curry paste packet for this dish, which turned out to be around medium spice level (high for my dining partner).

    For the Penang, we went with organic chicken breast from the Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op, an orange bell pepper, and fresh carrots. Visually, it contained orange vegetables with an orange sauce, so a different color bell pepper may have been a better idea. Scallions were added for a bit of color. 75% of the curry paste packet was used for this dish, which turned out to be around medium spice level (ok for me, but still a little high for my dining partner).

    • Penang Curry with Carrots & Bell Peppers.
    • Thai 4 TWO
      Thai Curry Kits.

    We used a small red bell pepper, and Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op broccoli and chicken breast with the red curry kit. 50% of the curry paste packet was used for this dish, which turned out to be around medium spice level (about right for my dining partner).

    We definitely enjoyed all three curry varieties, since the direct from Thailand ingredients give them an authentic flavor, but our favorite was the green curry (with wild salmon), even at the 100% spice level. The kits are good for two people, but we had some leftovers of the Pinang and red varieties since we used an extra 1/4 cup of water and a pound of chicken each.

    Verve Culture makes two other Thai kits: Tom Kha Soup and Pad Thai. For a limited time, there is a coupon code for your holiday gift-giving needs. Order 5 flavors of Thai for Two Cooking Kits with the code THAI4TWO.

    Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op‘s CSA boxes can be picked up at various sites in the DC area, including the Mosaic District’s MOM’s Organic Market.

    -JAY

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