I'm not one to rush out to a new restaurant the day it opens as it is so often a bit crazy, but when I heard earlier last week that Chef Kevin Tien(of Top Chef/multiple awards/Emilie and more) in Dc was opening a new restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel on Washington's Wharf, I thought it would be a wonderful chance to get out on Hallowe'en as Will was out of town to visit friends for the weekend.
We have often spent Hallowe'en with our friends Mel & Juan who celebrated their anniversary on this date, and since Mel had lost his wonderful husband several years earlier, I invited him to join me. I arrived early to find the huge ground floor space where Kith & Kin previously was completely redesigned to allow for maximum distancing. The tables and booths were oh so comfortable and lined opposites of the long rectangular space with a large bar at one one, but with no bar seating anymore. The floor-to-ceiling windows had the option of sliding away, but not one what was one of the coldest nights of the year so far. Oddly, there were a good number of folks dining outside in the 40 degree temps with the heat lamps turned up high. Of course, the harbor-view at the wharf makes this a great destination as well, save for the crazy parking costs!!
I eased into my comfy leather chair and ordered a bottle of Beronia Tempranillo 2013 Reserva(95%Tempranillo/4% Graciano/1% Mazuelo) which I loved. Oddly, it was a 2014 which arrived(and was fine by me) on the first night of the new menu. It seems the small wine list is inherited from Kith & Kin and will be replaced with new selections in the coming weeks; I told Chef that a great intense Zinfandel would work so fine with his spices!
When Mel arrived we decided to split 2 appetizers and main courses and our server Daniel was extremely helpful in guiding us, despite the fact that the menu was not that large. I chose the Bai Tai Chanh or Venison Carpaccio with Watercress and Nuoc Cham. The salad was large and the meat was so tender and tasty with the fish sauce dressing and there was a crunchy element that was fabulous. The Grilled Prawns with garlic & Thai Baisl Butter, Muoi ot xanh sau dac and lime was suggested by Daniel and was a dream dish indeed with the grilled shrimp grilled to perfection and two sauces to dip in, both with amazing flavors.
We moved on to another red, this time an Essay Syrah from South Africa's Western Cape 2018 which was great with our main courses. The Lemongrass Pork Blade Steak came sliced with lettuce, Coconut Rice, fish oil and herb bouquet which was an adorable vase filled with fresh mint and basil to add for taste. The portions here are quite large and of all the dishes this was the least satisfying, not due to flavor, which was fab, but due to a tad too much fat on the meat. Chim Chut Bien Ho was the winner dish of Fried Quail with magnificent Biscuits and Fermented Chili Honey. I am a quail addict and these little birds were juicy but crispy and the biscuits would win any Southern competition!
We decided to split the one dessert on the menu and it is a winner: Banh Flan Ca Phe is a Condensed Milk Flan with Coffee Caramel and Chocolate Pearls (incidentally all the photos are on FaceBook) and we went home full and satisfied knowing that MOON RABBIT will indeed make it and hopefully survive this most difficult times for restaurants. While the room was not full, there were a good number of diners, many just friends of Chef Kevin(like us) who heard the news and I assume a number of guests from the hotel. We look forward to returning, especially when the weather warms up and we can sit outside on the beautiful waterfront.
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