Mie N Yu. . . more like Mie N Pew

Scallops cooked Indonesian style: seared then left to cool in the kitchen

Last weekend four of us decided to make the most of the break in the weather and enjoy an outdoor happy hour at Sequoia on the Georgetown waterfront. Sequoia’s outdoor patio is quite the scene, really crowded, and all in all a good HH spot. As the evening gave way to the night we all began to get hungry. The group made the collective decision to not eat at Sequoia because the food is overpriced and underwhelming, this choice would later prove ironic.

So we walked back up to M Street and passed an assortment of restaurants (including my pick Johnny Rockets) before settling on Mie N Yu. The other blogger had been there before and was eager to share this unique restaurant with me. I had never been there, but the other three had and were aparently ‘wowed.’ Mie N Yu is a self proclaimed “Silk Road Celebration.” Well there must have been an accident on the Silk Road because our meal was as enjoyable as rush hour traffic on the beltway.

That's What She Fed goes to minbar: Part 2

"Thai Dessert"

Minibar was simply amazing. For us to attempt to describe each serving consumed, we think, would be a disservice to the minibar experience. Eating at minibar is about appreciating the whole undertaking, not simply the enjoyment of each dish. Minibar’s three chefs don’t simply cook, they execute a perfectly choreographed culinary ballet. They madly assemble plates with surgical precision using science lab instruments while engaging in a lively discussion with diners. Servings come so fast that you are unable to physically and mentally digest each dish fully. The flavor of dish A still lingers strongly on your tongue as the chefs are handing you dish B. It is impossible to fully understand the complexity of each dish in the couple of minutes between servings. At one point we asked what was in the Thai dessert (pictured above). One of the chefs asked if we really wanted to know all of the ingredients, of course we did. The peanut butter crumb that we thought was at the base of the plate actually had 4 layers of flavor beneath it. Our minds couldn’t keep up as he quickly rattled off all the other ingredients, he didn’t even bother explaining what was in the coconut ice cream.

To fully appreciate minibar we had to abandon everything we thought we knew about food. Trying to make sense of the craziness that was transpiring before us was a battle not worth fighting. As cliché as it sounds, we simply had to get lost in the moment. It reminded me of the dinner scene in Hook when Peter couldn’t see the feast before him until he abandoned his adult preconceptions and embraced the imaginative power of Neverland. Minibar was truly magical.

Central Michel Ricard

Last night we went to Central with our friends for my birthday dinner.  Of course, the real birthday dinner is tomorrow (minibar!), but Chuck wanted to do something on my actual birthday as well. We decided on Central, the sister restaurant to the famous D.C. restaurant, Citronelle.  The food is amazing at Central, and half the price of Citronelle. Considering the quality of food you get, the James Beard award winner and owner of the restaurant, and the fact that it is in D.C., this restaurant is decently priced compared to many other places in the area (although we all know NOTHING in DC is actually decently priced).

Central is a perfect place to celebrate any special occasion.