Mie N Yu DC

There's not much to say about Mie N Yu. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous with long comfy sofas in reds, oranges, and yellows and dim lighting that complements the arab feel; but the food, well the food is less than spectacular. Like many other fusion restaurants, Mie N Yu falls short. My friend and I tried this restaurant for lunch during restaurant week after having passed its window hundreds of times and always seeing it jam-packed. I ordered the Vietnamese Bibb Salad, Falafel, and Blueberry&Lemongrass Croustade. My friend had the Berry Lassi, Peanut Chicken Salad, and Chocolate Truffle Cake. The Bibb Salad was swamped in flavor - chili pepper, mint, fish sauce... - too many flavors that really did not harmonize. The mint was overpowering in some bites, the chili pepper in others, and the only thing that took away from the power were the peanuts. The Berry Lassi was okay - a very berry smoothie without a whole lot of added sugar. The falafel was good, we loved the thick pita bread. The falafel itself was fine. The Chicken Salad was like every other oriental salad. The Croustade had a nice crust, but where was the lemongrass? The Chocolate Cake was rich, the frosting tasted bought. When executed well, fusion food is mind-blowing. However, in most cases, too many diverse flavors are just flung together, without a unifying factor. Mie N Yu is cute, it's great for a party or happy hour or chatting with a large group of friends. But for a real lunch or dinner, move on down M Street.

3.25/5
http://www.mienyu.com/

Taberna del Alabardero DC

For restaurant week this summer, my friend and I were committed to trying out Taberna del Alabardero. This restaurant has been on our list for an incredibly long time, but the menu is a bit extravagant for everyday dining, thus making it perfect for restaurant week. From the outside, Taberna does not stand out, but the inside is cute, cozy, and very Spanish. We started with a pitcher of Sangria for $28. Definitely more than you would pay for sangria in Spain or even for a decent bottle of Rioja here in the US, but it was good nonetheless. For my dinner, I had the white asparagus, rockfish, and strawberries with yogurt. The asparagus was in "pastel" form or as the waiter said "a mousse." It was very interesting - great flavor, odd consistency. In small amounts this would have been good, but with a full cake-like slice, I found myself kinda sickened by the end. As for the entree, the rockfish was perfect. The fish was fresh, tender, flaky, and with a crisp thin skin. The artichokes, tomatoes, and small pieces of chorizo definitely added depth to the plate. I absolutely loved this dish. It was light, tasty, and executed extremely well. The strawberries came in balsamic vinegar, which gave them a great tart yet sweet taste. My friends had the scallops to start, the goat and tuna for their entrees, and then the tarta and strawberries for dessert. I sampled the scallops and they had a wonderful Spanish flavor, rich yet light. The goat was tender and complex. I did not sample the tuna, but I did have a bite of the tarta. I liked the almond flavor, but felt the texture could have been more airy. Overall, it was an exceptional meal and I cannot wait for my next special occasion so I have an excuse to return to Taberna. I would love to do their Tasting of Spain menu, but I think someone else is going to have to fork over that $130 bill.

4.5/5
http://www.alabardero.com/

Bob's 88 Shabu Shabu Rockville

Authentic asian in the DC metro area, how exciting! After finding out that Rockville had shabu shabu, I had to go. Bob's was great. We were welcomed in the parking lot by asians, which was a good sign. Then we proceeded to the hostess stand, where we were greeted in Chinese - an even better sign. We ordered the combination shabu shabu with beef and pork, udon, and shrimp dumplings to share. The vegetable platter that came with the shabu shabu was more than generous for two people. The beef and pork were cut into nice, thin, slices, but smaller than I am used to. The dipping bar was great, in fact, there seemed to be too many choices so you are inclined to make yourself multiple custom sauces. The dumplings, although they came frozen, were very tasty and the wrapper was still very delicate and thin. The best thing about shabu shabu is that you leave feeling full, but good, because it's a healthy meal. For my first time having shabu shabu on this side of the country, I was very impressed.

4.25/5
No website

701 Restaurant DC

701 has marked itself as an up and coming new american restaurant in the heart of downtown DC. I loved the colors and hip atmosphere, but was slightly disappointed we missed their daily piano performance. For dinner, we started with the mussels, which were fantastic. The mussels were fresh, a decent size, and drenched in a vibrant sauce of coconut and lime. The sauce is definitely worth holding on to for bread-dipping purposes. The bread selection was also memorable, I particularly enjoyed the miniature corn muffins. For our entrees, I had the squab breasts and my date ordered the filet mignon. The pigeon was tender and very tasty. I loved the sweetbreads and fennel foam. I never had foam before or not that I can recall. My only criticism was that paired with a glass of shiraz, I found myself feeling stuffed and heavy after only a few bites. Too much wine I suppose, I'm not quite sure. The filet mignon was tender, but kind of tasteless. I didn't taste the ramps, but they looked delicious. I did, however, try the potato-bone marrow souffle and honestly, it was not my thing. I'm an adventurous eater and it wasn't the idea that threw me off, but the taste. I love mashed potatoes, why did they tamper with such a wonderful dish by mixing it with the insides of an animal bone? Just my take, my date finished it off. Once again, we were stuffed and with no room for dessert. That was okay though, it wasn't the perfect meal, but it was satisfying enough.

4/5
http://www.701restaurant.com/