DC Restaurant Week was like forever ago, so forgive me, but life gets in the way. The bf and I decided to only check out one place since we did 2 restaurants for Bethesda Restaurant Week. We agreed on trying out Zengo because of my friends' recommendations, and the cuisine. It's a Chinese and Latin fusion restaurant, so it was something different that we haven't had before.
Located in the heart of Chinatown, street parking is limited, but there is garage parking. The closest metro stop is Gallery Place-Chinatown on the red/green line (its literally next to the main metro entrance at 7th & H St).

There are 2 levels to the restaurant. The 1st level is where the main bar/lounge is.

The main floor upstairs is huge! Nice high ceilings and comfy, yet modern decor. They did have these "potato-like" items hanging from the ceiling, which the bf and I found funny.

Isn't it cute? I love the soft lighting and simplicity.

They had a great restaurant week deal ($35, 3-courses). You could choose your 1st and 2nd meal off the menu, minus a few options. Then the dessert was on a separate menu. The prices listed below are the regular a la carte prices for reference.

One of my friends that recommended the restaurant raved about the 'Charred Tuna Wonton Tacos (Sushi Rice, Mango Salsa, Guacamole) for $10. I was in love! The flavors melded together so well, and I ate every little thing off that plate.

The bf and I love duck so he ordered the 'Peking Duck Daikon Tacos (Duck confit, curried apple, orange-coriander sauce) for $10. You have to assemble the tacos yourself and the "tortillas" are slices of radish. Everything together was good, but I would've liked it better if they were already assembled.

For my entree I ordered the 'Roasted Scallops Al Mojo de Ajo (Bacon, corn, sushi rice, yuzu-sriracha aioli) for $22. The scallops were seared perfectly, but the sauce was spicy! I ate 3/4 of it and gave the rest to the bf. He didn't like the bacon in it at all. Overall I thought it was good.

Our server recommended the bf order the 'Beef Tenderloin Palomilla (Sauteed chile pablano-onion, fingerling potato, ginger-serrano sauce) for $26. The meat had a more acidic sauce on it, which I liked but the bf was not a fan. The fries looked like yucca to me, even though it says fingerling potatoes on it. Perhaps I'm mistaken?

For dessert, they had this special item, 'Ancho Chocolate Cake (Hibiscus-sake cherries, milk chocolate mousse) for $6. We did not like it very much because it was a very "musky" flavor. I've had chocolate with chipotles, but the ancho chiles tasted different. The mousse was very mediocre, but the cherries were my favorite part.

The bf got the 'Blackberry & Cream sorbet', which I found to be very mediocre, but he liked it.

Our server was awesome and very knowledgeable of the menu. Our food came out quickly and water glasses constantly refilled. I liked the space of the restaurant and the variety of food. We were about to order sushi (love the stuff) but decided to try something else. The prices are expensive with the entrees being in the $20's. It's a nice place to go on a date or with friends because they have larger tables made for groups.

781 Seventh Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
Tel. 202.393.2929
http://www.richardsandoval.com/zengodc/

Lunch
Monday - Friday 11:30am - 2:30pm
Dinner
Sunday - Thursday 5pm - 10pm
Friday & Saturday 5pm - 11:30pm
Bar & Lounge
Monday - Thursday 5pm - 11pm
Friday 5pm - 1:30am
Saturday 5pm - 1:30am
Sunday Closed
Happy Hour
Monday – Saturday 5pm - 7:30pm

Recently the bf and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary. I can't even believe it's been so long! We met in college during our junior year and now live together with our dog Riley. For our anniversary dinner I decided to go to Mie N Yu because all of my friends raved about how cute the place was.

Once again, let me apologize in advance for the blinding use of flash on the food because it was so dim in there. The mood lighting is great for dates but not blogs!

Mie N Yu's theme is the the Silk Road (historic trade route), so the rooms and cuisine reflect Asian, Middle Eastern, North African and Mediterranean traditions. It is located on M Street in the heart of Georgetown. Similar to Paolo's in Georgetown, one would either have to drive or take the metro to Foggy Bottom on the Blue/Orange line and take a bus. Parking can be a bit difficult to find especially on the weekends, but as long as you don't mind parallel parking or walking a couple blocks, then you should be fine.

The restaurant is right next door to Urban Outfitters.

Let me focus on the ambiance for a second. It's so cool in there! It's funny because I've passed by the restaurant so many times before and didn't realize what it was because you can't see past the waterfall-filled windows. The first/main room you hit is 'Moroccan Bazaar'. Everything is made of wood, and there are drapes covering some tables, and pillows adorning others. What I thought was unique was that some of the tables were elevated like a few feet above the floor. So it gave the place a cool feel. It also helps with privacy because essentially they're fancy booths.

This is a view from our high table which the bf reserved for our special occasion (aww how thoughtful, haha). It has comfortable pillows and the drapes make you feel like you're outside.

I know you all might think this is strange, but I tried to take a picture of the bathroom because it was cool. There are around 8 stalls that have doors from floor to ceiling and men and women share them. Then in the center of the room there are a couple Zen-looking sinks with rocks in them. The wall has floor to ceiling mirrors that make the room look huge. There is also a bathroom attendant that turns the water on for you, puts soap in your hand and gives you a towel. It was really nice, however that kind of prevented me from taking a ton of pictures since he was kind of always next to me.

This was our table! The chairs were comfy, I liked the drapes because it felt like we were eating outside. I thought it was a nice size for 2 people, but it might be a bit cramped for 4.

Alright onto the food! For our starter we ordered the 'Smoked Salmon Bruschetta - pastrami rubbed smoked salmon, Vermont goat feta, bell pepper, tomato, onion, toasted baguette' for $7. I loved it. They gave us so much salmon and the balance of flavors with the veggies was great. It tasted very fresh.

For my main course I ordered the 'Miso Hanger Steak - American natural beef, Japanese ratatouille, ginger teriyaki glaze' for $26. The beef was very flavorful and salty. It was tender and was a good portion for me. The ratatouille part (underneath the steak) was a bit oily.

The bf ordered the 'Miso Pekin Duck - Pennsylvania natural duck breast, yuzu braised bok choy, organic bamboo fried rice' for $24. We both wanted to get this dish since we love duck, but decided that one of us should get something different so we could try different dishes. I loved his dish. The duck wasn't gamey and was cooked perfectly. The bamboo fried rice complemented the saltiness of the duck.

Onto dessert! We decided on the 'Buddha’s Delight - chocolate lava cake, chai latte creme, crispy strawberry ravioli' for $16. It was so good! Very rich chocolate cake with melted fudge in the center. The Chai latte creme was a great dipping sauce for the ravioli and cake. We finished the entire thing even after being stuffed from the other food.

Sorry the pic isn't so great but we didn't really get around to asking the waiter for a picture.

Our server was really nice and told us to check out the rest of the place when we got a chance. They have around 8 themed rooms on 2 floors. The other ones are opened on the weekends though. This is the 1st room up the stairs called the 'Venetian Room.' It's mainly a bar with small tables.

This is the only one is the restaurant and its called the 'Bird Cage.' It is hovering over the room below, and is reserved especially for the Chef's Tasting Menu. It can accommodate up to 7 people for a 4-6 course tasting for $95 per person.

This is the 'Baroque Room' and it is also on the 2nd floor. The chairs are made of strange pieces of wood and makes me feel like a Viking feast should be taking place in there.

Back downstairs is the 'Hong Kong Bar.' They have a SUPER EXTENSIVE alcohol list. They really have everything you could possibly want. I just liked the cool lighting.

Right next to it was the 'Turkish Tent' which was a bright and comfy-looking room. Right next to it was the 'Tibetan Lounge' which was roped off so I couldn't really see it.

Overall I thought the place was cute, and romantic for an anniversary dinner because you do have a bit more privacy to talk and the lighting is low. The themed rooms really makes this place stand out if you want to experience something unique. The wait staff is friendly, but beware that they can be slow. Dinner took 2.5 hours of mostly waiting around. The meals are delicious, but expensive. The most expensive thing on the menu other than the Chef Tasting would be the 'Wild “Inside - Out” Flounder' for two people to share at $69. 3125 M Street, NW. Washington, DC 20007 202-333-6122 Website