Ten Penh

12/6/2008

Washington, DC: 1001 Pennsylvania Ave, NW - (202) 393-4500

Price: High End

Rating (1-10): 6

Full Review:
Ten Penh is a large-scale Pan-Asian restaurant that has been playing host to power brokers of the DC downtown scene since its opening in summer 2000. The food is interesting and well-executed. But Ten Penh is more abut about the overall fun of the experience, plates, and drinks. It’s good for big group dinners or catching up with friends, or before a night on the town. It’s not DC’s best in culture, refinement, or sophistication; but it's a taste of those things, it’s satisfying, and most importantly, it’s a good time.

In my mind, the descriptor “Pan-Asian” is usually a tip-off that it's not really Asian. It’s like saying a restaurant is European: a mile wide, an inch deep. At Ten Penh, the menu is described as Pan-Asian, but it’s essentially an American style of Asian that caters to a penchant for large portions, dramatic plating, and strong flavors. Like the colorful, large décor and high ceilings of this showy restaurant, the food lacks a bit of subtlety – ironically, one of the few traits that one might correctly be able to qualify as Pan-Asian.

While the menu thankfully isn’t a regurgitation of typical Asian style dishes – chicken pad thai, drunken noodle, sukiyaki, chicken satay with peanut sauce, kobe beef, chicken and cashew, etc – it’s more about glitz than true culinary impact. Most of the plates tend to wow with presentation and size – for example, a lot of deep-fried stuff piled to impressive heights. I can appreciate the effort and the creativity in the visual, but sometimes I’m weary that it’s a substitute for the quality of the cooking itself. That said, it all came out pretty well. The lamb was cooked and seasoned/spiced well, the Chilean sea bass was light and tender, and the lobster was mostly soft accompanied by a flavorful jus.

It’s not perfection, certainly. Their Thai shrimp curry was a bit too sweet on account of over-pineappling. The duck roll appetizer was too dry all around – the wrapper and the duck – but still tasted good. The salad was passable and the short ribs were a bit on the sweet side but bold in flavor and tender, with an appetizing carmelized sheen. Overall, they're satisfying, hearty dishes, not overly heavy and pleasing to the taste buds.

But again, I believe the goal of this place centers on the experience – and to their credit, the service is friendly and accommodating. They went out of their way to make our experience fun and memorable, not only accommodating a large size table but allowing us to pull a “surprise” birthday party near our table. The restaurant made specially printed menus recognizing the birthday, and allowed us to bring our own cake and champagne (though with plating and corking fees). It’s this kind of flexibility and hospitality that leaves you walking away happy for the selection of Ten Penh for dinner.

By now, the name Ten Penh is widely recognizable to residents of DC - a downtown power lunch spot, pretty good food. That seems about right but I think there’s more to it than that - I believe the people at Ten Penh care about quality of the food and the experience. Just take a look at the wares, which are of a surprisingly nice quality (Laguiole knives, individual heavy cast iron pots, etc.). At some point, there was a conscious decision made to spend the extra cash to provide top notch stuff. That said, on second look, they’re also slightly worn, chipped, or broken from heavy usage – not quite what they once might have been. Similarly, it seems like Ten Penh may also have already seen its heyday. We’ll see if they can keep it fresh, new. As far as Pan-Asian restaurants go, it’s one that I’d root for.

Makoto

6/28/2008

Washington DC: 4822 Macarthur Blvd NW - (202) 298-6866

Price Range: High End

Rating (1-10): 5

Full Review:

My recommendation for this place is easy: pass. If you're considering going, it probably means you're willing to spend some cash, and if you're gonna do that, you can find a more enjoyable experience elsewhere. At Makoto, treating patrons with tact or a true sense of hospitality is apparently optional. The food would actually be pretty average in Japan but they seem to be pretty impressed with themselves. What concerns me is that people will walk away thinking that Makoto and its austere, cold service are characteristic of authentic Japanese; that's not how it is supposed to be done. Both the food and the service should be artful, and they only come close with the former. I don't buy the hype about Makoto; I'm convinced it gets the kind of praise that it does largely because there's just a dearth of good Japanese restaurants in Washington DC.

A while back, I stopped in for a fine lunch, but our service at dinner was strikingly bad. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were greeted with a curtain, and were unsure if we should peek in and announce our presence. When a server clad in a kimono emerged, she informed us that we would have a short wait in the shoebox sized waiting area, and gave us a wooden box to sit on. It was a few minutes before our 8 o'clock reservation (which required that we give a credit card number); we waited until 8:40 to be seated, with untruthful promises that we would be seated shortly sprinkled in periodically.

In one awkward moment during our wait, a couple entered the shoebox waiting area and two servers emerged - and then got into an uncomfortable exchange bordering on argument. After a momentary pause, the servers turned their attention back to the couple and found that their reservation was lost. The matter was sorted out and the head server then yelled (literally) that she needed to speak with her subordinate immediately in the kitchen. Once the comically uncoordinated servers left the shoebox, we looked over the at the couple and all of us acknowledged the strangeness of the exchange we had just witnessed.

It's also interesting to note the signage that greets you as you walk into the restaurant, and prepare you for the experience here. On the center of the front door is a gold plaque reading "Proper Attire Required." Then, inside the door, another plaque more specifically stating the dress code, prominently displayed on an otherwise undecorated wall. Directly below that is a sign telling you to turn off your cell piece. And finally, on the opposite wall, another sign declaring that the restaurant is not responsible if any of your stuff gets taken from the foyer area. Not exactly the most welcoming decor.

After being seated, we were hungry. We knew that we would be ordering the tasting menu, so my mother asked on her way to the bathroom if we could order as soon as possible. Before she was able to return, the head server flew over to me at the sushi counter and forcefully explained that I should order because we had asked to do so, shoving the menu in my hands and pointing vigorously at my options. There was a false friendliness that barely masked the server's overall impatient, temperamental, highly abrasive demeanor. How could a restaurant put their front of the house in the hands of such a colossally unpleasant woman?

After ordering, we were brought a kind of sake that we didn't actually want. It turns out we had ordered the wrong kind, partly because we ordered in Japanese and our server did not understand. At the risk of sounding insensitive, I found it troublesome that a server at Makoto would not speak Japanese - not only because it's a place that seems to insist so strongly on being traditional in its ways, but also because items on the menu, including the sake, are written in Japanese. What's the point of this if you have to translate it for the server anyway? In any mid to high-end French restaurant, I would expect that the server will have the training to recognize any item written on the menu in French, even if he/she doesn't actually speak fluently. So should it be anywhere where a menu item is written in a foreign language.

Before the food came out, I checked if I had any new text messages on my phone which was on silent. The head server flew at me once again yelling (again), as if I had stepped on the baby Jesus. She said that I had to turn off my phone immediately and that they would stop service if the chef saw me checking text messages. Perhaps what I did was insulting to the chef, which I take the blame for - but I cannot accept the reaction as a rational way of dealing with the situation.

And this was emblematic of the way our experience was in general: I understand why they have their rules and I understand the spirit behind it. But at almost every turn, they lack grace and tact in the way they enforce those rules. As a result, it feels contricted, stiff, and unfriendly. For example:

• I probably shouldn't even be checking my phone, but I don't need to be screamed at or told that they might not serve me. An alternative is to ask politely to refrain from using my phone in the restaurant; or better yet, if she had explained that the chef takes his craft very seriously and would like me to focus fully on the experience he is trying to deliver. Not only would I respect that, it would be a learning experience for me.
• They don't have to display prominent gold plaques that tell you all the things you're not supposed to do as you walk into the restaurant.
• They don't need to take your credit card number when you make a reservation, which comes off as some kind of veiled threat; rather, they could ask for your phone number and call to confirm your reservation prior to your arrival.

I don't find the reasons for what they do objectionable, it's the manner in which they do it.

The food is good - but as you might guess, it really was not the focal point in this atmosphere. The meal was nicely presented and sometimes quite delicious. For $60, the tasting menu is a decent deal because you get 9 courses including dessert, and the plates are probably about as good of Japanese food as you'll find in DC. Unfortunately, there isn't much drama or excitement as the dishes are brought to you. Instead, it feels like the courses are churned out in a machine-like fashion, as if there's a dish on deck for you as soon as the one you're working on can be bussed away. All the better though: with the service the way it was, I was ready to pound out the courses like a set of push-ups and get on my way. Here's a rundown:

#1: Opener of smoky, smallish green beans and conch. The conch is light, tastes nice.
#2: Nice sashimi plate was nice and came with a fresh grated wasabi which is always better. The tuna in particular was flavorful and meaty but still tender.
#3: A playful dish - salmon sashimi wrapped in a thin layer of radish in a cream sauce with a tomato, in a yellow boat-shaped dish. That was good, although somewhat unremarkable other than the visual. On the side was a piece of unagi (eel) on toasted bread sprinkled with cheese - weird and unnecessary. The other part of this dish was kombu (kelp) on a scallop which was outright disgusting. The strong kombu flavor complemented the scallop in a way that made it taste rotten.

#4: A deep-fried crab not with tempura batter or panko but with broken up osembe (rice crackers). It's a novel idea but again not necessary as the layer of osembe (though crunchy, salty, and delicious) overwhelmed the crab both in mass and in flavor. You need a big thick chunk of crab to make this work; anyting that's not the body, therefore, is more like a stick of fried osembe and a waste of crab meat. It's good with lemon and salt.

#5: Steamed fish with greens was one of the best dishes: flavorful, tender fish and vegetables in a broth of typically Japanese stock flavor.
#6: The sushi plate was disappointing considering the praise this place gets as one of the premier sushi places not only in DC but on the east coast. Not only were the sushi pieces too similar or the same as the sashimi plate, it was as small as I have ever seen. This is iSushi and unlike an iPod, smaller is not better.#7: I chose a common Japanese preparation of miso-flavored broiled orange roughy was light and nice in flavor but overcooked and surprisingly tough. Another option, the yellowtail is more tender and a meatier fish. #8: Last of the savory dishes, the soba dish, my favorite partly because of its refreshing nature but mostly because of the broth, which is made at the counter and adjusted for flavor by the chef. It's very good - the most memorable flavor of the night. The noodles are cooked to a perfect texture and there are several options for your garnish. I had the grated yam, which was nice.
#9: Dessert - a yuzu sherbet which was a nice ender to the meal: icy, not too sweet, with the yuzu flavor refreshing your mouth. If this was at an icy stand in my neighborhood, I'd probably get it 5 times a week.

Overall, I just didn't feel that the food was remarkable, certainly not enough to excuse the gruff treatment. In Japan, this place would be average, and there the top notch places may have many rules but they'll be revealed to you in far more subtle and artful ways. You'll follow them out of respect for the establishment naturally, not because they are harshly imposed upon you. And at no point would their sense of courtesy slip; for example, yelling at a customer would be inexcusable. Of course, to be fair, you'll also pay a lot more as well. But at the end of the day $60 per person warrants an enjoyable night out, and Makoto did not deliver that. If all you care about is the food, then maybe it's ok because it's as good as any Japanese food in DC and you'll get a full meal out of the tasting menu.

For me, it's a one and done.

Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant

6/21/2008
Washington DC: Adams Morgan - (202) 462-4100
Price: Mid-Range
Rating (1-10): 4

The quick and dirty:
Meskerem is decent. While it might be fun to come here and eat Ethiopian cuisine in a traditional way, sitting around a circular table and eating with hands and injera - the spongy Ethiopian bread, my recommendation is guarded: the food isn't that good, the service is mostly indifferent, and it can feel cramped and uncomfortable. The ball could roll either way - maybe good, maybe not.

To be frank, I'd forgo the authenticity of the experience for a more comfortable arrangement. It was more uncomfortable than fun, and the crowded room was noisy, making it difficult to carry on conversation across the table - which cuts down on the group experience that you're there for. The food is not bad but it all blends together - similar in flavor, color, texture, look. The menu is large but many of the selections have the same sauces only on different vegetables or meats. It's not bad but it's not somethng that I have a yearning to go back for. The service felt like they were just doing a job - seating you, getting you stuff, bringing you food, bringing you the check.

Like the food, our service was passsable but definitely unispired. If you're looking to eat Ethiopian food, I'd recommend trying some lesser priced fare elsewhere, sample around, and see what kind of Ethiopian food you like.


Full review:
Meskerem is decent. With a group of friends, it might be fun to come here and eat Ethiopian cuisine in a traditional way, sitting around a circular table and eating with hands and injera - the spongy Ethiopian bread on which the food is served. But my recommendation is guarded: the food isn't that good, the service is there but indifferent, and it can feel cramped and uncomfortable. The ball could roll either way - maybe good, maybe not.

While I appreciate an effort to create authenticity in the experience, given a choice, I'd forgo the realness of the experience for a more comfortable arrangement. I sat essentially knee to knee with the people sitting next to me, huddling over the table - on a fairly hot night with only decent air conditioning. And because I was eating with my hands, I sat unsure of what to do with them once they got messy, not wanting to touch anything. The crowded room was noisy and it was difficult to carry on conversation across the table, which cuts down on the group experience that you're there for. Call me conservative but the fun-vs-uncomfortable/inconvenient balance tipped in the direction of the latter.

The food is not bad but in my memory, it all blends together - similar in flavor, color, texture, look. The menu is large but many of the selections have the same sauces only on different vegetables or meats. We tried a sampler platter for the group and two shrimp dishes a la carte. A shrimp and vegetable dish was the best thanks to a strong shrimp flavor, but in both, the small shrimp were way overcooked. Chicken comes served on the bone - which, if shared, is a bit awkward when you go digging your fingers into the meat to rip off a chunk. But it's tasty with the sauce. At the end of the day though, it's not food that I have a yearning to go back for.

Though I found the manager of the restaurant to be friendly, his staff did not carry the same aura. Instead, it felt like they were just doing a job - seating you, getting you stuff, bringing you food, bringing you the check. While there was nothing offensive about the service, there was little done to make you feel like more than just another customer. Like the food, our service was passsable but definitely unispired.

I think people go here to eat Ethiopian food, not so much for this particular restaurant itself. If you're in that boat, then try some lesser priced fare elsewhere, sample around, and see what kind of Ethiopian food you like.