Kotobuki DC

Probably one of the best sushi places in the district, especially for the price. This place is tiny and not easily visible - it fits the description of a spectacular hole in the wall that people love to find. Kotobuki comes from numerous recommendations by friends and thank goodness, it did not disappoint. The fish was fresh and inexpensive - 2 rolls and 2 sushi pieces for $12. It was nothing compared to sushi i've had in Sunnyvale or Oakland, but for this side of the country - I was impressed. If you're tired of bad sushi in the district, try this place out.

3/5

Birk's Restaurant Santa Clara

While I was at home, I had a friend treat me to the most amazing restaurant. Birk's is a place you can't see from a big street, but its size and crowd proves its success. Trust me, if you've been there, you will go back. I ordered the Colorado Lamb Chops while my friend had the Steak and Shrimp. We accompanied the plates with glasses of Pinot Noir and Merlot respectively. We decided against starters and salads, which ended up being the best decision ever because there was more than enough on the plates alone. To start, the bread was perfect - you know the taste of amazing bread fresh out of the oven and still warm on the table? Yea, that was it. Our entrees arrived and my lamb chops were perfectly cooked - they melted in my mouth and were not overly seasoned or covered in pesto. My only criticism was that the pieces had a fair amount of fat on them. The roma tomatoes were --- there is no word. Honestly, I never imagined plain tomatoes to taste so good. The polenta was not my favorite due to its butter coating, but nonetheless, the entree was stunning. My friend's steak and shrimp also surpassed the norm. The steak was cooked flawlessly and the shrimp was incredible - its crunchiness and texture denoted its freshness. We both had trouble finishing our plates - we were stuffed to our limits, but could not bear wasting anything. Our stomachs had no room for dessert, which was a real shame because I know that would have been amazing as well. I have every intention of returning to Birk's and trying their pasta paella or famous pork chops. Next time, I will be sure to get dessert as well. This is a must restaurant for anyone in the area.

4.25/5
http://www.birksrestaurant.com/

Matchbox DC

Matchbox was not everything it's made up to be. We ordered the house specialties - miniburgers and pizza. The miniburgers were great in size and looked incredible. They were pretty good with the fried onions, but what got me was the salt. You could taste the salt on the patties and the fried onions did not help to cut the flavor. It was like the beef was rolled in salt, seriously. The pizza arrived and my first few bites of the Q special were fantastic - the crust, sauce, and perfectly melted cheese were amazing. But then I got to a burnt slice, which I suppose is a risk you take with a wood fired oven. Things got worse when I tried my friend's Prosciutto White which was overwhelmed by powerful olives and white wine. It sounded so good on paper! We finished the night with the chocolate molten cake, which was good, but nothing special. Overall, Matchbox was a pretty good DC restaurant for the money. You definitely pay for the atmosphere and crowd, but the food - eh, you can do a lot better.

2.5/5
http://www.matchboxdc.com/

An Introduction

If the title doesn't give it away, I like food, A LOT. This blog is about the restaurants I try out, wherever they may be - DC, CA, NY, etc. I keep it diverse and am up to just about everything, except heavy creamy/cheesy stuff. Sorry, I know that's a big one; but what can I say - we all have our aversions. I'm a fan of fusion and mixing cultures and flavors. I try to eat out regularly, trying out someplace new about twice a month. And for me, it's about the food. Good service or not, if the food is good, it's worth it. So here we go.