Living in the capital city of Washington D.C., the nation’s capital, is a thrill for a variety of reasons. Aside from the fact that you live at the forefront of every major decision that impacts the whole country, you also live in one of the most exciting places in the world.
Located at the border between Maryland and Virginia, the city of Washington D.C. is located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River. This makes both the mountains and the seashore viable weekend excursions, aside from all the endearing options you can find within the city’s limits. The number of cultural options should be plenty enough as museums and entertainment venues have a higher density than the nation’s average.
But you’re not here to read about museums or outdoor recreational options around Washington D.C. You came here hoping to find out more about the culinary diversity available in the US capital, which is exactly what you’ll be getting from us. If you keep reading, you’ll find out that Washington isn’t only diverse in demographics and politics but dining options as well.
Anafre DC
Located north of Columbia Heights, Anafre DC is a hip seafood-heavy Mexican restaurant that gives anyone a taste of traditional Mexican food and atmosphere. If you are an American seafood lover, the generous servings of delicately prepared and cooked seafood by Anafre’s chef Alfredo Solis will exceed your expectations by a landslide. Try the ring-molded Los Cabos guacamole that is swimming with lobster and other interesting ingredients just waiting for you to have a taste. If you are in another US city like Portland, you can get the best maine lobster by ordering online. The menu is purely divine, from tacos to pizzas and drinks, while the oysters will become a favorite even for non-seafood fans. Browse their specialty cocktail menu for some incredible drinks as well.
Thip Khao
If you’ve ever wondered what Lao cuisine tastes like, Thip Khao is the standard in D.C. for this kind of culinary experience. Located in Columbia Heights as well, this restaurant will satisfy any heat-seeker through the fermented fish sauce, cured meats, chiles, and offal. Lao cuisine manages to reinvent glazed wings by including a crispy chili taste to it. Pairing the grilled pork neck with an incendiary Lao papaya salad will add new flavor and heat levels to your senses. Both owners are Lao natives and the chef and co-owner Seng Luangrath is upheld as the godmother of Laotian cuisine in the US, having founded the Lao Food Movement to encourage Laotian-American citizens to preserve and be proud of their culture.
Makan
By combining the rustic wooden elements with strong industrial influences, Makan manages to satisfy their clients’ appetites and combine two opposing interior design styles in a fascinating way. This Malaysian restaurant will send your senses on a rollercoaster as chef James Wozniuk does not shy away from pungent, spicy-sweet, or funky umami flavors. The combinations of flavors here might border on extreme but there is always a balance between them, the chef never allowing them to veer out of control. While you might be ordering a serving of rice or noodles, don’t overlook the sauces and condiments used in them. Sambal includes bird’s eye chiles, tamarind, palm sugar, and fried anchovies. Here you will also get the chance to try some complex tropical cocktails created for the customers’ delight. So get ready to be pampered.
Zenebech
As you enter this restaurant, you will be mesmerized by the Ethiopian art hung on the establishment’s walls, making it impossible for you not to know the type of cuisine you will be sampling next. Located in Adams Morgan, Zenebech is renowned for its Ethiopian cuisine because of the shard and fresh flavors that leave Zenebech Dessu’s kitchen, the matriarch of the establishment. Do be careful when ordering food at this establishment because spicy food is burning hot. Ethiopian food does not follow the same serving protocol as American food. Plates are meant to be shared and the sour injera you receive is meant to be used as a spoon to help you pick the curry up and eat it. So, cutlery is optional but do enjoy the finger exercise you’ll be getting.
Shibuya Eatery
This authentic Japanese restaurant, also located in Adams Morgan, was created by the chef responsible for the first Izakaya in Washington DC, Darren Norris. At Shibuya Eatery you won’t only find a restaurant, but also the Death Punch Bar, both located in the same building. So if you want to try some Sushi, you won’t be disappointed, but why stop there? Try the grilled mushroom noodle soup to nourish your soul, but the Lacquered Duck will be beyond incredible and might just become the best duck you’ve ever had. The succulent short rib skewers are even tastier than they appear to be and the chopstick-thick udon or the delicious bites grilled over binchotan charcoal will give you a better understanding of what Japanese food can actually be.
Seven Reasons
This incredible-looking Latin American restaurant takes restaurant design to a whole new level with the infusion of nature in an industrial space. Chef Enrique Limardo prepares art with every dish served and the whole dining experience is amazingly entertaining. With each dish, you’ll get printed instructions and several containers of brightly colored sauces that will treat your taste buds to the best Latin flavor available in Washington D.C. The burnt orange puree of roasted squash, as well as the hearts of palm, are meant to finely coat slices of duck breast. The yin and yang of flavor can be found in the combination of sweet black garlic sauce and the off-white coconut sauce spread on top of mashed plantain disks trickled with macerated strawberries. If you’re not drooling already, you should get your taste buds checked.
Conclusion
When you live in the most powerful city on the globe, you should learn to expect power in everything you do, see, smell or taste. The taste part is thoroughly delivered through all the mouth-watering restaurants that can be found on the streets of Washington D.C. The saying “with great power comes great responsibility” applies to the city’s food scene as well as the power of flavor you receive in every plate is a testament to what living in Washington D.C. is all about.
If you are debating whether such a city would fit your lifestyle, contact the local real estate agents in Washington D.C. and start your power search for your power home. Not saying that a home should consume a lot of power, but give you and your family all the ability necessary to keep up with this mighty city.
