W
ashington is not San Francisco, with its variety of Asian restaurants. But the Washington area can hold its own with Asian tastes and flavors.
China is the queen of Asian cuisine. Its influence appears in dishes throughout the continent.
The recently opened Asian Origin (1753 Pinnacle Drive, McLean) offers some authentic Szechuan dishes. In this, his fifth local restaurant, Master Chef Liu Chaosheng prepares such dishes as Chairman Mao’s braised pork and Chengdu chicken with preserved red and green chilies. Chive dumplings are made to order at a station in the dining room.
Larry La, the Chinese-American owner of Meiwah Restaurant (1200 New Hampshire Ave. NW; 4457 Willard Ave., Chevy Chase) came to this country as a young man, one of the “boat people” fleeing Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. His restaurants serve consistently well-prepared, fine dishes from all over China.
Some of the best steamed or fried dumplings in Washington are served at Shanghai Lounge (1734 Wisconsin Ave. NW).
Dolan Uyghur Restaurant (3518 Connecticut Ave. NW) dishes resemble Chinese cuisine but use different spices. Lagman, a signature Uyghur dish, is made with long, handmade noodles topped with a combination of stir-fried vegetables and bits of meat. The variety, amount and heat change with the type of lagman ordered.
The latest trend in Asian cooking is Filipino cuisine.
The tiny Bad Saint (3226 11th St. NW) has seating for 24 and takes no reservations. It was rated the No. 2 best new restaurant in America in 2016 by Bon Appetit magazine. The food is unusual and highly rated. Ukoy is a signature dish — a deep-fried combination of shredded carrots, sweet potatoes, cilantro and spices, topped with shrimp. Yellow chicken adobo includes cauliflower, squash and pumpkin seeds. A pork, vegetable and tamarind stew incorporates eggplant, radishes and bok choy.
Purple Patch (3155 Mount Pleasant St. NW) prepares American and Filipino dishes, including excellent crispy lumpia (the Filipino version of egg rolls) and marinated pork skewers. Its version of chicken adobo comes in a rich, dark sauce without vegetables. Reservations are accepted.
The cuisine of Laos is presented at Thip Khao (3462 14th St. NW). Chef/owner Seng Luangrath was born in Laos, fled during the Vietnam War and learned to cook in a Thai refugee camp. Her cooking reflects Thai influences but remains Laotian in essence with dishes such as naem khao, a salad of coconut rice balls, a bit of sour ham, cilantro, mint and scallions; and mieng viengchanh, which combines grilled fish with vermicelli, pineapple-chili sauce, peanuts and herbs in lettuce leaves.
Among the best Thai restaurants is Little Serow (1511 17th St. NW), a sophisticated eatery offering family-style dinners of northern and northeastern Thai dishes for $49 per person. The meals are spicy and almost always include pork, seafood and nuts. The menu is updated weekly, and the restaurant takes no reservations.
A good place for Vietnamese cuisine is in the Eden Center near Seven Corners:
⦁ Huong Viet Restaurant (6785 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church) has an extensive menu, including classic cha gio (crispy spring rolls), a half-dozen variations of pho (noodle soup), dozens of noodle dishes, mussels, caramel shrimp with lemon grass, and many regional dishes. The restaurant does not take reservations or accept credit cards.
⦁ At Huong Binh Bakery & Deli (6781 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church), you can get a banh mi sandwich on French bread for $2.50 or $3.
⦁ Good Fortune Supermarket (6751 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church) offers a wide selection of Asian vegetables, fruits, frozen items, canned and bottled goods, spices, meats and a fine selection of fresh fish.
Penang Malaysian & Thai Cuisine (4933 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda) boasts more than 100 authentic Malaysian, Thai, Indian and Chinese dishes, including Malaysian roti canai (crispy Indian-style pancakes with chicken curry), curries and coconut rice with chili anchovy fish.
Myanmar Restaurant (7810-C Lee Highway, Falls Church) is the place to go for Burmese food.
Zannchi (1529 Wisconsin Ave. NW) in Georgetown, serves good, simple Korean dishes such as large mandu dumplings filled with ground beef and scallions, bulgogi (marinated strips of beef), and classic bibimbap — hot stone bowls of rice, beef and vegetables topped with a fried egg.
Four of Ashok Bajaj’s restaurants offer excellent Indian cuisine: the elegant Bombay Club (815 Connecticut Ave. NW), where piano music accompanies diners nightly; Rasika (633 D St. NW) and Rasika West End (1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW), which both offer innovative, outstanding Indian cuisine; and Bindaas (3309 Connecticut Ave. NW), which prepares sophisticated, unusual and delicious versions of Indian street food.
Daikaya (705 Sixth St. NW) is a Japanese-style ramen shop. Upstairs, Izakaya prepares Japanese comfort food such as grilled oysters, sweet miso-marinated salmon and a variety of noodle dishes.
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