We had heard great news about the Caribbean cuisine at ST JAMES located at 14th & U Street, NW and we loved the black and white decor on arrival as well with tables and booths along the right wall, a long bar with stools on the left and high tops down the center.
We decided to order just starters as we were concerned about the portion sizes and possibly ordering two much. It was wise as the two starters of PORK POW & ACCRAS were quite filling and of course, very carb-centric. (Fotos on FB)
ACCRAS are salt-fish(cod) fritters that come with a cilantro(spelled culantro on the menu, which may be a Caribbean variation)-chili aioli that is very cilantro flavored and on the milder side. The fish flavor was less apparent than the dough and I, for one, would like more cod inside. The term Accra comes from the city in Ghana where these originated as vegetable fritters in the local cuisine.
POK POW was a huge winner with a Trini-style Chine steamed Bao bun(thinner than Bao, which I preferred) filled with a deliciously spicy ground pork. We both loved these!
Our wine was a Chateaux Grand Jean 2020 Bordeaux from Entre Deux Mers that was billed on the wine list as just Sauvignon Blanc but in reality was an SB/Semillon blend.
Marlene, our most helpful server managed to break the cork opening it but was saved by one of the managers. We liked the wine but at $48 it is one of the lowest priced on the menu, which is pricey indeed.
Which brings us to the main course. We decided to split the main of DUCK & DHAL which is a 36-hour cooked leg quarter with dhal puree and coconut rice. The duck 1/4 was nice and crunchy and flavorful and the dhal was indeed completely pureed, which I did not like as much as having the whole or thicker lentils. The $36.00 price tag seemed quite high for a dish that was not that large.
We were a tad hungry and decided to split dessert and Marlene said our choice was excellent Passion Fruit-Sago Mousse with Coconut Hibiscus/Passion Fruit Coulis was a tasty dish indeed that sent us home quite happy.
