Rooster & Owl is inspired by its co-founders, husband and wife team Yuan and Carey Tang who had opposite work schedules but always came together around food and dining adventures. Rooster & Owl brings a social, shared dining experience, and is dedicated to the craft of the culinary arts and market-driven cuisine. Experience the thrill of fine dining in a comfortable, customizable environment with a build-your-own 4-course meal for $65 per person, to be enjoyed with the table. Each course is conceptualized, tested, and tasted before it goes on the menu, which means options will change often, seasonally, and on a rolling basis. An additional beverage pairing for $35 is also available, or one can order wine and cocktails a la carte. Closest Metro is U Street-Cardozo.
First we started with complimentary
Pineapple Rolls. There is no actual pineapple in these Hong Kong-style milk buns, but the crust crackles and looks like the outside of a pineapple.
Then we shared the
Carrots in a Carolina-style BBQ with cornbread ice cream. This dish was sweet and smoky and full of flavor.
The
Burrata was classic yet refreshing with green strawberry, basil, balsamic, and pistachio. These two dishes were enjoyed with a glass of blanc de blancs, which was delightful.
Second we shared the
Hush Puppies with Maryland blue crab, Old Bay, and a cool yogurt sauce. These little bites were light and fluffy.
The
Scallops were cooked perfectly and served with a Singaporean chili sauce, edamame, and mint. The sauce was not as spicy as I expected, and paired nicely with a French white wine that was a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and dry Riesling -
Clos Guirouilh, Jurancon Sec.
For a 'main' course, Keith enjoyed the
Quail with cheddar grits and a pepper relish with miso honey. The quail was tender and had a wonderful thick crunchy skin. He loved it so much he jokingly said he could order 5 more.
I ate the
Cobia with King Trumpet mushrooms, pearl onions, and mint. The fish was solid and married with a Californian Pinot Noir made in a French style. The rhubarb notes of the wine added a tartness to the palate that was intriguing.
For dessert, we shared the
Chocolate Cake with peanut butter, pretzel, and cream cheese ice cream. This was Keith's favorite.
I preferred the
Posset - a key lime custard topped with blackberry, mango sorbet, and macadamia nuts. It was beautifully plated, and had almost a cream cheesy texture and flavor. It was not that sweet which countered the sweet blueberry rum cocktail that ended our beverage pairing.
Overall, we had a lovely meal and enjoyed the sharable tasting menu experience. Service was top notch and we were sent home with
Sparkling Strawberry Robot Gummies. Too cute! Given that the menu is meant to change with the seasons, I could see us returning again.
Total Rating:
4.63
Food: 5, Price: 4, Service: 5, Ambience: 3.5, Accessibility: 4.5
