‘Merica ‘25: Washington DC
It’s been a while since I’ve seen charming northeastern trees that bloom striking hues to capture one’s attention. Yellow, orange and red foliage compliment the warm and captivating brick masonry that occupies this city, such a fitting partnership if you ask me. My fascination may seem to be shallow and silly on the surface, but I really admire the transformations that each season endows a region. Aside from the extreme changes in weather and drastic shift in scenery, the welcoming of the seasons bring to mind a musical show, divided into four presentations, each worthy of a standing ovation for the splendor that they bring. Washington, and its neighboring states, are a traveler’s paradise.
I got sent to DC to provide support for a restaurant that is under our management portfolio. Task forcing is a means of providing aid or support to a property that is in need of temporary managers. When the talent pool is scarce, experienced managers are sent to take over operations of a hotel.
Since there have been delays with the construction of our restaurant in Miami that I was hired to open, ownership thought of task forcing the current management employees as a means to control the hemorrhaging opening budget. The chef of the restaurant in DC decided to part ways with the company during the most crucial time of the year (December) and had us bracing for impact as we were all on edge. And the month did prove to be a busy, chaotic yet fruitful time for everyone. It is my first time traveling for work. Being sent to different properties give me a sense of pride to represent our company’s name, knowing that they have empowered me to do what I do best—and that is, to provide amazing meals and to nurture people.
Exploring the history, local culture and food scene of a foreign city is the most surreal experience that you can ever have when traveling… and you can’t really ask for more—especially when the company is paying for your plane ticket, lodging and meals!
At the time of publishing this article, I’ve been sent here again for the fourth time to a different property. It’s been six months and I’ve gone through winter and now, admiring spring. We’re are currently at the end of April 2025. Cherry blossom season has ended and foliation have taken over the entire city. From what was once an arid town, has now become a green-budding, nature-friendly hot spot visited by tourists around the nation.
Washington D.C.
View of the winter market from one of our hotels | Mid November 2025
Washington, District of Columbia, or better known as DC, is a district sandwiched by the states of Maryland and Virginia. The town is defined by its amazing museums, historic landmarks and monuments, and of course, the politics. Politics is so good here that it serves as the wheels that drive the business of our hotel. We also host plenty of corporate business events for there’s no shortage of big companies that have nestled in this region.
Of course, I cannot forget to mention that DC is a restaurant city—dining here is amazing. The talent is strong, especially for those chefs who are paving the way for Washington to be on the map. James Beard Awards and glowing Michelin Starred establishments are waiting for you to be discovered. Just by opening the app on your phone, you can navigate your way to a nice, tasty meal, depending on your budget. The variety of cuisines done impeccably varies from African, Caribbean, Asian, American Contemporary, Italian, French and many more. You will not run out of places to sample.
Ok, so let’s talk about when and where to visit…
March snowfall about 8-15 inches
Winter is harsh and masks the beauty of the city. It can become a ghost town closer towards the new year too. There’s a winter market in front of the National Portrait Gallery on F St. NW that runs from the entirety of November all the way to the twenty third of December, which I find cool. At least forty or fifty vendors selling all sorts of things like food, beverage, merchandise and other novelties that one can think of, will surely scratch off your Christmas itch. We participated as a beverage vendor and there was always a line for hot chocolate and apple cider with booze. On my spare time, when the kitchen is down, I would always help out the team. It was pretty cool to talk to different sorts of people.
January and early February are the slowest time of the year as snowfall can be pretty harsh and hinders any potential opportunity to have fun. March is still a bit harsh, as you can see from the photo above, but only during the first week. Restaurants will close down early, depending on business. During winter, sunset falls around four-thirty or five in the afternoon, super depressing! The worst part? Fireworks are scarce on NYE.
Learn from my mistake of heading down to the National Mall Park strip on NYE. You’ll see nothing. The best chances for a nice NYE fireworks display is either at the Wharf/ Navy Yard or Oldtown Alexandria, Virginia.
Winter Market from November to December | A Perfect, Picturesque Day
The view from the Lincoln Memorial in December
DC unfolds its beauty after the first week of March. It has been amazing days lately, as the sun bids farewell at around seven thirty or eight in the evening. There’s so much more to do outdoors! Towards the end of March, all the way to the second of April is when DC is at its most exquisite because of the much-anticipated Cherry Blossom Season. Be sure to book your plane tickets and hotel reservations in advance as it can get really crowded. The views will be worth it though. I’m glad to be staying near the main Cherry Blossom area, which is called the Tidal Basin.
Early budding stage, around the second to third week of March | White House Area
Where To Go
Georgetown
Aside from being a college / university town, Georgetown is teeming with vibrancy and charm. Historic brick-walled buildings surround you with tons of quaint stores, adorable restaurants and other novelties. How about a cat cafe? Start from the corner of Reservoir Rd and Wisconsin Ave and head your way down to the water park. My tip is to only head down to the park next to the Potomac River in the afternoon, right before sunset and enjoy watching it.
Sit down by one of the waterfront restaurants at the Washington Harbour, have a drink and charcuterie board while people watching. The park is the perfect set up to end the day. But don’t get me wrong, there’s not a shortage of brunch spots here! Georgetown is synonymous to brunch. Sundays are busy and you will have to make reservations in advance just to get in the best places to eat.
Aside from Wisconsin Ave, you can discover hidden gems at the Foundry. Follow the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath and let the magic unfold to you. It’s a recreation area where you can just hide away from the hustle and bustle of the city and chat with good friends.
I can see myself living in one Georgetown’s charming houses. When I’m done with my day, I will just head down to the park and enjoy the sunset and relax. That’s a good life, right? Unfortunately, you need to either pay a hefty rent or have at least five million dollars to even afford a decent home, yikes!
Georgetown Waterfront Park
Restaurant recommendations in Georgetown
Lutèce
A modern contemporary eatery that has won the eyes of the locals. Reservations a must! Lutèce is a tiny restaurant that serves almost tapas-like modern and exciting inventions. My chef friend and I had an amazing time here on a lazy Sunday along with Hank, the chick-magnet wing man (you’ll meet him later). Amazing hospitality, amazing food—just pay attention to the bill if you’re on a budget. When you dine here, allow yourself to enjoy every bite—the scallops, beef tartare and cod stood out the most. But then again, everything was amazing! By the time you read this, their menu might have changed already. Our server, William was welcoming and had plenty of chat with us saying how proud he is working for this company. This type of restaurant is what I want to support because they are bringing something different to the table. The talent, passion and drive—I mean, unrivaled. This is definitely a Stanley-Must-Visit Recommendation! $100+/ Person.
Hank, the chic-magnet frenchie
Liberté
Liberté is your French brasserie / bistro type of spot. Think Pastis. Simple French faire served in the most honest presentation. Good interiors but a bit cold on the hospitality. Still a good place to pay a visit to. We had a glass of rosé and some small bites while we were here. Aside from that, I wasn’t able to try out other dishes. But hey, cheers!
This is how sundays should be spent.
Osteria Mozza
Osteria Mozza is an Italian Mercado that has a built-in restaurant. It’s a big space that’s always busy. Reservations is a must. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming and elegant. Italian tapestry visible to every angle with mid-century fixtures that screams, “Calm down, take your time and most of all, enjoy!” Upon entering, you will be greeted by the open kitchen and bar, and impeccable service. The food? Can’t even explain it. I didn’t find any fault with the timing and quality of food. A moderate spend that will cost you about $50-75 / person on food only, plus about $30-40 if you’re drinking. Highlights are the caprese, focaccia with ham and everything else. Yes, it’s really good. REALLY. REALLY.GOOD. I had a nice glass of their house Italian white wine that went well with what we ordered. The wine was, bright, crisp and leaves a wonderful finish at the end. The boys and I enjoyed every minute of the experience. The only thing I frown about this place and other DC restaurants is that they will tell you that they are fully booked for the day despite having multiple bar counters and couple of tables empty. DC hospitality is afraid to accept walk-ins in the fear of running out of tables by the time the reservations show up. They’re better than that! $60-80 / Person, $100+ With Drinks
Reren Georgetown
Multiple locations within the DC area, this Taiwanese / Chinese Noodle joint is a budget-friendly spot for casual dining. Each location will have a slightly different menu. When in Reren Georgetown, get the roasted duck noodles soup. Thank me later. $25-45/ Person
Yellow
Yellow is a mediterranean spot that I’ve given up trying to get in since it’s just so busy all the time. I was lucky to get in Lutèce (after three failed attempts). But with Yellow, I didn’t even bother. A lot of my colleagues have mentioned good things about this place and I believe them because of the foot traffic. They should just get rid of the door because it’s just useless. hahahaha. I will make it my life mission to visit this in the future. Budget Unknown, Assuming $35-60 / Person
Blue Bottle Coffee Company
You can’t go wrong with asian coffee spots. Thanks to my wife for introducing me to this coffee company that’s so zen and amazing. The quality of the beans and execution is worth the three-hour afternoon coffee session. $9 for a cuppa? Take my money! $10-15 / Person
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National Mall Park-All Museums, Monuments and Memorials
Taking advantage of the free museums and monuments
Back in December, my wife and I visited the National Gallery of Art. I must say… I was impressed by the free admission and how much amazing, valuable pieces they’re housing. The gallery was showcasing 1970’s French Impressionist Exhibit as their main attraction for that month. We had to fall in line for an hour and a half for that. Looking back, I still asking myself why I did such a thing. Plenty of Flemish, Italian and even American masterworks that you must witness before you die. Like my wife said, “America is pissing on the French because of the free admission and access to an amazing art museum while the Louvre is charging you a ton of money to get in. That’s the biggest flex of being in the US!”
Other notable places to visit is the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and The Smithsonian. These are your usual tourist spots that are worth the trip.
Smithsonian by the National Mall park
A gem one can find by visiting the Museum of Natural History
Capitol Hill on a cloudy day
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Union Station
Union Station is the baby sister to New York’s Grand Central Station. It tries to capture the same feeling on a lesser scale. Here, you have shops and other things to find. This is a place where you won’t spend too much time. Just a couple of photos and you’re out.
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The National Arboretum
This was a cool find. My wife is into bonsai’s and I was able to find this on Maps. What are the odds!? Unfortunately, when we visited, the weather was too harsh for the all the bonsai’s to be exhibited. Albeit, it was still a pretty unique experience, especially when you can see tiny trees training since the eighteen hundreds! In order to produce a beautiful bonsai, you must train the tree to grow in a certain way. This process takes a lot of time to fully reach a tree’s full potential. The process involves wrapping copper and rubber cables around the stems and vines of the trees. Purposely cutting the leaves, with the right experience, promotes budding to make your plant look fuller! We saw at least thirty displays that had unique characteristics to each one of them. They all stood out and you just can’t pick which one is better than the other.
Outside the main nursery, there’s a vast park that you can discover.
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Tidal Basin
Tidal Basin is the most beautiful spot in DC. This place is recognized as an indicator whether the Cherry Blossom Season has started. Walking around this scenic jewel transports you to the most romantic destination that you can ever think of in Washington. When the trees are fully bloomed, they’re just breathtaking and nothing short of spectacular. Very touristy from the last week of March all the way to the first week of April. Get ready and brace yourself for $10-15 ice cream cones from food trucks and a truck-load of social media enthusiasts trying to snag the perfect photo under the infamous trees.
Well, if you’re not into the cherry blossoms, there’s a lake in the middle of the park, rent a pedal boat and just enjoy going in circles.
Mid of April | View from Roosevelt Memorial, Tidal Basin
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Old Town Alexandria-Virginia
Old Town Alexandria is like a sister town to Georgetown with narrower roads and more upbeat atmosphere. Take the yellow metro line and head to King St. Old Town Station. Walk east along King St. all the way to the end where you’ll see a waterfront view of Maryland. Plenty of stores, restaurants and coffee shops.
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Wharf/ Navy Yard
This place is full of restaurants and a fun place to walk around. Since you have the view of the marina, you’ve got to see this place during a sunny day! There’s an amazing seafood market close by where they sell both raw seafood at amazing prices and cooked crab, lobsters and etc. During January to March, they set up a skating rink next to the water.
Wharf in December | Smores
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Chinatown
When I arrived, I was flabbergasted to find out that DC has a chinatown! Don’t expect too much though, aside from the oriental archway and a couple of american establishments with assigned chinese characters (like Chic-Fil-A and Capital One Cafe), there’s not much to see. Well, at least, there are a couple of decent asian restaurants that serves a variety of asian fare—and that was enough for me. My favorites are:
Reren La Mien Bar
No frills Taiwanese spot that serves amazing noodles, fried rice and other favorites. Try their La Chiang Fried Rice and the Reren Original La Mien Noodles. I eat here at least once a week to satisfy my asian food fix. You can never go wrong and they’re always consistent. $25-30 / Person
Wasai
Wasai is your boba spot that serves hand-pulled noodles and other chinese staples like dumplings. I’ve tried their beef tendon and noodle soup and it captured the authentic essence of the real thing. $25-30 / Person
Pho 88
No music, small restaurant and semi-rude servers—that’s how you know it’s authentic. Try their spicy pho noodles when the out temperature drops and just nod in silence while you sip each and every ounce of that amazing broth. Warning, food may take a bit of time since they’re understaffed and busy with to-go orders. $25-30 / Person
Daikaya Ramen
Good luck snagging a seat within 10 minutes or less. There’s always a waitlist and it can be irritating. Open kitchen concept that serves semi-authentic ramen and other Japanese staples. Communal tables encourage you to meet and converse to new people. If you’ve had a long day and don’t have the mood to speak to anybody, the bar counter will work just fine, only for you. $25-30 / Person
Chinatown Express
Reminds me of your usual Hong Kong Style “tiny upfront restaurant that leads you a to a multi-level labyrinth” with ten million tables hidden from plain sight. Amazing food, fast service and reasonable prices. $25-30 / Person
Luna Food Hall
Haven’t tried any savory food here but the bakery is worth taking an interest.
Capital One Arena
DC is a huge hockey town, more than basketball. But The Capital One Arena does a lot of events from concerts, sports and other performances you can think of. I’m not going to lie though, watching a basketball game between Celtics and Wizards was boring.
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14th St NW Starting From Thomas Circle Park
Logan Circle | Afternoon
This street is one of the busiest restaurant areas in town. You have amazing well-known institutions here, namely: Jont, the only two Michelin Star restaurant, Bresca, the sister restaurant downstairs that carries a star and Doi Moi, a very well-recognized Vietnamese street shop.
Doi Moi
Doi Moi is a Vietnamese street food kitchen that carries influences from Thailand and other neighboring South East Asian country. Food is good but not wow and it’s always packed. Make a reservation in advance to save you from the wait. $55-70 / Person
Scallop carpaccio with nuoc cham
Crispy duck, Massaman curry
Le Diplomate
My favorite hang out spot while sipping a nice glass of rosé and enjoying some French classics like steak tartare, foie mousse and crispy duck leg confit. Le diplomate is a Parisian style bistro that is a favorite amongst locals. Try to catch a table outside when the weather permits and thank me later. It’s really a treat visiting this place. $65 / Person For Food, $80-$100 With Drinks

Da Hong Pao
Your dim sum spot in DC. The best part about this place is that it serves dim sum the entire day! No frills, fast and very kind servers. $25-35 / Person
Jinya Ramen
Multiple locations. Jinya ramen serves Japanese ramen staples. Can get crowded so reservations might be necessary. Try their spicy level five and tell me if it makes you sweat. I did, and it was embarrassing. Who sweats while eating ramen on a 64 F day? $40-50 / Person
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
Think Salt and Straw. My mango sticky rice ice cream still tops everything and the pistachio comes close second. Multiple locations within the DC area. $10 / Person
Pappe


Pappe is an indian kitchen that serves amazing staples. Pappe is amazing because you have good food and very friendly bartenders. Quinn and Victor took care of me while sitting by the bar. I ordered the naan and chutney flight and the buttered chicken (didn’t really wanted to order a basic dish, but that’s what my stipend can get me). Good portions and good flavors. $55-70 / Person, $80++ With Drinks
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Noma & H Street Corridor Area
Noma area is like the neighborhood town where everything is hanging on a life line. On one end, you have newly built high-rise buildings and apartments and on the other, a place that needs gentrification—a diamond in the rough type of place. But nonetheless, I’ve enjoyed my time here. There’s a very quiet, secret spanish bar spot that only has 8-10 counter seats, serving amazing drinks.
Union Market and surrounding stores
Kayu
If you need to know anything about DC, it is that there’s a very strong, tight-knit Filipino community living in this tiny city. These people help each other out to promote the culture. This is how Kayu came about.
Kayu is a modern Filipino restaurant in the H Street Corridor area and is about one to one-and-a-half miles from Union Market. I had the chance to dine here back in December. Aside from the warm interiors that showcase true-to-heritage pieces, the modern approach to Filipino food brings a lot of pride to my heart! Filipino food has come a long way and is slowly being recognized as an international cuisine enjoyed by many. From the time of writing, I’ve heard that they got a James Beard award or nomination?
Downstairs, a cafe called HIRAYA awaits you to classic Filipino breakfast and lunch staples like the silog meals—a meal that consists of a choice of viand, garlic rice and eggs. Halo Halo, our most famous dessert made out of crushed ice, evaporated milk and ten million different toppings will help you cool down on a warm and humid DC day.
Let’s talk about what we had. There were three of us and decided to go for the three-course set menu so we can try as much as we can.
Beef Tartare sandwiched between two buttery brioche bread slices. Pickled onions. Puffed Beef Tendons
Cassava cake (a classic dessert), topped with crab fat and trout roe. Pretty amazing bite! I just never expected that you can pair Cassava cake and turn it into a savory item.
This stole my attention. As a nineties Filipino kid, we were fed with Chiz Wiz and bread in the afternoon. This brought back a lot of memories. Life was simple back then…
Arroz Caldo, or porridge, served with scallops. Nice approach to a very meat-dominant lunch / afternoon meal.
Kinilaw or ceviche made out of hamachi, green apples and coconut milk.
Lumpiang Ubod is basically our version of French crepes. Here, crab meat was paired with gribiche sauce and the idea is to take a piece of the lumpia, wrap it with the lettuce along with the atchara, picked onions and sauce, and eat it like a wrap/ taco. This was one of the best bites.
Blurry sisig photo. sisig is life.
Tinapa of trout. Basically a salted and smoked fish.
Ribeye steak with rice
Desserts
When you come, try their cocktails and explore amazing Filipino flavors that will excite your taste buds. I suggest doing the pre-fix menu. $75-100/ Person
Providencia
Providencia felt like a hide-out place where you can just relax and feel the exclusivity surround you. It is a tiny bar that has a solid and amazing beverage program. They also serve some bites, but the highlight comes from whatever the bartenders do behind the bar counter. Make a reservation for there’s only about 12-15 seats!
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Visit The Lobby of The Waldorf Astoria DC
This lobby is truly spectacular. The building of The Waldorf used to be a postal building for the government. There’s a lot of stories behind the building, but one thing to admire is how they transformed the lobby into something that truly speaks elegance with history. Waldorf’s lobby is one of the most beautiful lobbies I’ve seen in my life. I’m not the person who will spoil you the story but you can always ask somebody who works there the history of the building. For now, here’s a photo of it.
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Other Restaurants That I’ve Been To In DC
Now that we’re done talking about the places where you can visit for a dose of sight-seeing, history, culture and amazing cuisine, let’s now focus only on the dining scene. Below, I have highlighted all the places that I’ve been to that are worth remembering in their own respective ways. Food doesn’t have to always be extravagant, pushing to the limits or avant garde. Chances are, you just want to go out and have simple food done right, priced accordingly. Like I said, I did a lot of research and having modest budget had me scouring the map for the best valued restaurants that I can find. But I’m not going to lie, every once in a while, you’ll have that restaurant where you don’t expecting anything but delivers an experience that will make you say, “It was worth it.”
Tiger Fork
Tiger Fork is a hidden Hong-Kong Style restaurant located in the Mount Vernon Square area. It’s been on the Michelin radar for quite some time now. The energy here is high and alive. Pretty cool spot that can serve as a hangout place with friends after a busy day.
I really admire the chinese characters on neon lights. Since I lived in Hong Kong for two years, it reminds me of how the city gives you a visual overload everywhere you go. There’s no shortage of advertisement screens, neon signages and blinking lights. Tiger Fork paid their homage really well. $60-75 / Person
Zha Leung
Cantonese Style BBQ Pork
Thip Khao
Tip Khao is one of my favorite restaurants in DC. It might be my favorite, actually. You can find this well-loved local gem in the Columbia Heights area. A word of caution, taking the train or bus going here from the south area can be a bit dangerous in the evening (around nine in the evening or later). Book an early dinner so you can avoid the peril that I’m talking about.
The reason why I love this place is because this place is not your typical American-Thai restaurant where the flavors are muted to cater to Americans. Shrimp Paste? Check. Fish Sauce? Check. Birdseye Chili? Double Check! This place just does it the way they’ve been doing it back in their homeland. The flavors are spot on and they serve unusual things that you can’t find in your regular pad-thai / fried rice oriented thai restaurant!
Sitting at the bar is a cool experience because you get to see the things that they ferment in-house with weird names like Horse Stomped Barn or 11 Tigers and Falls Out Of Bed. I mean, how can you know what’s inside each urn!? Come during happy hour time and enjoy cheap bites and drinks. I’ve been here multiple times and I just want to say that I’ve never been disappointed. $40-50 / Person during happy hour, $75-100 / Person regular dinner
I sent this photo to my friends and they all agree to the statement
Anju
Is a Korean eatery located close to the Dupont Circle. Book a reservation as the place is always packed! It’s a hip and cool neighborhood spots that serves amazing Korean food. I’ve tried their dumplings and they were juicy, meaty and just soooooo good! I couldn’t even finish the Bibimbap and had to take it to-go. Amazing meal.
Sakana Japanese Restaurant
Sakana is a tiny, unassuming and humble restaurant just west off of Dupont Circle. I discovered this by accident as the entrance was very Japanese-like. The amazing thing about this place is the prices. They might be the cheapest Japanese restaurant in all of the DC area and the food is very decent. This place is where you go to if you’re on a budget of $50 or less but want to be stuffed like a turkey. Nothing out of the ordinary, but just a good place in general. $25-40/ Person
The way I look at it, a $30 meal here in Sakana is like a $150 meal of equal or less calibre in Miami. Plus tax and 20% automatic rubbish gratuity, then you’re going to end up somewhere around $200. The only thing you’re missing are the tits and asses from the servers. And oh, I forgot about the quart of spicy mayo and eel sauce that come with the sushi roll, and of course, the reggaeton music. I apologize for my love-hate relationship with Miami.
Sushi Aoi
Sushi Aoi is your typical Japanese /Thai restaurant. Nothing fancy, but they deliver good food. I always do a grubhub order from them when I know that I’m about to finish work and won’t have enough time to head to this place. They always deliver good quality.
I am a sucker for good katsu curry, which is very rare in Miami. Guess what I would always get from this place for the past six months? $25-$45 / Person
China Chilcano
This is just one out of many Jose Andres restaurants that dominate the city. The food here is a combination of Japanese, Chinese and Peruvian. NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING. Close to the Capital One Area by Chinatown, make sure to book a reservation. The main highlight here is the Dorade dumplings with quail egg on top. It’s sooooo gooooood!!!! It doesn’t even taste fishy. When I took my first bite, I thought it was made out of pork. The quail egg on top adds that needed creaminess that is not too overpowering. As always, Jose Andres and his team deliver amazing experiences. Pisco sours are spot on, can’t complain. It was so good that we all had two. The bartenders were attentive and extremely hospitable. Everything we had was truly unique and showcases the best of each cuisine’s techniques. $80-$120 / Person
Octopus
Szechuan spicy dumplings
The highlight dish. Just amazing
Japong Bakery-Rockville, Maryland
Japong Bakery produces their goods fresh, everyday. I was so happy to discover this place since it has been a while that I’ve had really good asian baked goods. From downtown DC, you need to travel for about an hour on the Metro via red line. If driving, it takes about 30-35 minutes north to get to this spot. Come here in the morning when they’re just about to open and you can see the employees still wrapping every item, a true sign of freshly baked goods. This is a place where you will find staples such as pork floss bread, coffee bun and portuguese egg tarts. But if those items don’t work for you anymore and you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, then by all means, try the hundred other things that are ready to be grabbed from the shelves.
Kajiken-Rockville, Maryland
The shopping mall where Kajiken is situated at is a small asian compound housing multiple stores and restaurants. There’s a hotpot next door, a revolving sushi place, a grocery and I can’t even remember anymore. Kajiken serves Japanese street food and noodle dishes. The quality is descent and their noodles are amazing! $25-40 / Person
Old Ebbitt Grill
The oldest restaurant in America and one of the busiest. Founded in 1856, this saloon has created a very, very strong following from both locals and tourists alike. At $44 Million a year, this place is pumping food from the minute it opens all the way to closing time. You will never find an empty table, so make sure you book a reservation in advance. Old Ebbitt serves classic American cuisine but done properly. No frills, no drama. They have an amazing crab cake, fresh oysters, delectable anchovies and other well-loved classics. It’s always fun to sit by the bar and admire all the taxidermy displays hanging on the back wall. The bartenders are forever entertaining and there’s always a conversation to be picked up on the bar counter with other patrons. $50-$75 / Person
Classic pastrami on rye
Ottoman Taverna
Ottoman Taverna is a bib gourmand restaurant. It serves Turkish cuisine. I had a good meal when I went here for lunch. Unfortunately, there were only a few occupied tables. $50-$75 / Person
Central by Michel Richard
Michel Richard is one of the first french chefs who came to America back in the 80’s or 90’s. Central is a french-american restaurant that has been known by the locals for a very long time. Try his most famous chicken nuggets dish and other bistro classics. This is a place where you just relax and unwind. Their profiteroles dessert is one of a kind and just hits the spot! Be generous with the warm chocolate sauce. $50-$75 / Person
Allegory, The Speakeasy bar inside the Eaton Hotel
This hidden bar makes amazing cocktails. A must for a casual nights with friends! It was fun reading through the whole entire book.
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Well, there you have it.
DC is vibrant, alive and kickin! Meeting new people and experiencing new things have been fun and refreshing. Living here gave me a sense of relief, a nice break from the tropical Miami. I always have a yen to visit places that speaks so much culture and history. Hoping to visit this town again during autumn. Thank you for the good food, hospitality and the sights!
Travel while you can and explore!
Until the next one.