Lineage

Lineage is a dining experience in Wailea, Maui where you can "eat, drink, and talk story". Built around family get togethers, celebrating the diversity of natural ingredients and a cooking style that embodies Maui cuisine, the impressive culinary duo of Chefs Emmanuel Eng and Nelson Simpliciano bring creativity and family traditions to the restaurant with innovative Asian-American cuisine. 

Star Noodle

Star Noodle offers fresh noodles, sake cocktails, and Asian-inspired share plates with amazing ocean views at its new Front Street location in Lahaina, Maui. 

Succotash

Succotash located in Penn Quarter is named after the classic dish that has been a longstanding staple of the Southern table. While many know "succotash" when they see it, the dish has been interpreted, modified and passed from generation to generation for centuries. Here, James Beard Award nominee Edward Lee brings his Korean roots and Southern repertoire to a soulful Southern menu, which gives a progressive perspective of classic Southern favorites to downtown DC. Closest Metro is Metro Center or Gallery Place.

Momofuku CCDC

Momofuku CCDC is the first Momofuku restaurant in DC, located in the new trendy City Center area. Meaning "lucky peach", the large restaurant serves a roster of dishes that change with the seasons. Momofuku has a bar, noodle bar, main dining room, and private dining room. The popular sweet shop, Milk Bar, is attached next door. Closest Metro is Metro Center.

Zentan

Zentan, located in Donovan House – a Thompson Hotel, specializes in contemporary Japanese comfort food with influences from Chef Yo Matsuzaki’s childhood in Shikoku, Japan. Prominently situated along the 14th street corridor, Zentan is all about presenting quality ingredients in an approachable manner. Closest Metro is McPherson Square.

The Source by Wolfgang Puck

The Source is the first fine dining restaurant in the nation’s capital headlined by Chef Wolfgang Puck. Designed by EDG, the three-level restaurant is the signature dining experience at the Newseum. The ground floor bar and lounge where guests enter offers approachable dining in a casual setting with a traditional Japanese Izakaya menu. Upstairs, guests can enjoy a menu with contemporary interpretations of Asian dishes. Closest Metro is Archives - Navy Memorial.

DC Noodles

*Sponsored Post
Originally designed to offer an Asian fusion menu, DC Noodles is an authentic Thai restaurant that blends a sophisticated menu with a neighborhood attitude and a community spirit.  The menu offers noodles in a variety of ways: as part of a sizzling stir-fry, a spicy soup, or in a zesty salad.  After a year and a half of being closing for construction, the restaurant re-opened in December 2013, and we were invited to check out the new menu by Chef Zatang.  Closest Metro is U Street.

Momofuku Noodle Bar

Located in the East Village of NYC, Momofuku Noodle Bar is the first Momofuku restaurant and serves ramen and a roster of dishes that changes with the seasons. Reservations are only taken for the fried chicken meal for 4-8 people, otherwise, the noodle bar is a walk-in only restaurant.

Toki Underground

Toki Underground is a hip new ramen noodle shop in the consistently growing Atlas District of H St. NE.  Featuring a fun and casual menu of Taiwanese-Korean-Japanese fusion noodle dishes and dumplings, Toki Underground also boasts some great music and art work, as well as nods to Japanese anime and games. Closest Metro is Union Station.

qui

It's no surprise that I am a Top Chef fan, as we have dined at many of the cheftestant's restaurants before.  Hence, it was clear that I had to eat at Chef Paul Qui's newly opened restaurant while we were in Austin, TX.  qui  has been open just over 3 months now and only accepts walk-ins. We researched ahead of time and learned wait times range from 1 hour and 45 minutes on a Wednesday to 3 hours on Friday and Saturday.  But luck was on our side this Thursday night, as we were able to be seated right away.

East Side King

***Special Post by Keith***
Being in Austin for only a short time I wanted to eat as much of Chef Paul Qui's food as possible.  I went on an adventure to find his food truck, East Side King. My hotel didn't seem too far away from where this food truck camps out at Liberty Bar, so I decided to take a walk on over. The walk was a bit more adventurous than I expected. Dodged a few vagrants and navigated a highway underpass on the way from downtown to the east side. Doesn't seem the two areas of development have quite connected yet, but I managed to find the Liberty Bar without too much issue.

Maketto: A Residency

Being huge fans of Chef Erik Bruner-Yang and Toki Underground, we've been eagerly waiting for the opening of Maketto on H St NE.  We even considered participating in the fundrise to own the building that the market would be a tenant in - crazy, right?  Maketto is a joint venture between Chef Erik and Will Sharp of DURKL and will offer an indoor-outdoor environment combining fashion and food inspired by international night markets and global street culture.

Zengo

Zengo is a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant with trendy, hip, and colorful decor located conveniently off the Chinatown Metro stop. They have a split dining room and a small bar area. I have heard that the cocktails are superb, but have not tried one myself yet. The service is friendly yet can be a bit rushed to keep up with the busy flow of patrons. Closest Metro is Gallery Place-Chinatown.

TALDE

TALDE is a casual Asian-American restaurant and bar brought to you by Chef Dale Talde (of Top Chef fame), punk rock photographer and bartender John Bush, and restaurateur David Massoni.  Located in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn, NY we had the pleasure of dining at TALDE for our last meal during our weekend trip.

Beach House

Gracious Hawaiian service and innovative Pacific Rim cuisine are complimented by breathtaking oceanfront views at the Beach House Restaurant in Kauai. Owners Roy Dunn and Mike Hooks work closely with Executive Chef Marshall Blanchard and General Manager Tim Obert to insure that their vision for the Beach House is reflected in every aspect of the restaurant.

Dragonfly

Dragonfly is Old San Juan's most hip, ground-breaking, and talked about restaurant.  Featuring cutting edge Latin-Asian Fusion cuisine and sushi, Chef Severo Duran mingles exotic spices and ingredients with creative twists.  Designed to resemble an old opium den in tropical Asia, Dragonfly's sexy gold and red interior is the perfect place to go for parties and special occasions.

Asian Spice

Last date I was here: 10/2/2009

Restaurant: Asian Spice (http://www.asianspice.us/)

Location: Chinatown

Total Rating: 4.05
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 5, Accessibility: 5

Summary: This Asian fusion restaurant in Chinatown is fairly new and offers delicious spicy twists on classic Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai dishes. Very clean and modern décor, the large dining area is split on two levels. A great spot for groups and happy hour gatherings. Closest Metro is Gallery Place-Chinatown.

Went for dinner on a Friday night and the restaurant was already buzzing. Service was a little slow and confusing since there were several waiters just standing on the sidelines chatting while there were several tables sitting for a while with their menus down. We saw several items that looked interesting and I was very excited to see some authentic Asian dishes that you don’t normally see at trendy restaurants. They also had some interesting selections of sake and other fun cocktails. Our food was very fresh and tasty – a little on the tame side in terms but nevertheless very good. I would eat at Asian Spice again.

What I ate:

Roll Combination
Spicy tuna roll, Crunchy Shrimp roll, California roll

Drunken Noodles
Soba noodles with clams, tomatoes, basil, red bell peppers and a spicy sake sauce

Plus Keith ate:

Tom Ka Gai
Spicy Thai coconut soup with lemon grass, chicken, mushrooms

Asia Nine

Last date I was here: 09/02/2009

Restaurant: Asia Nine (http://www.asianine.com/)

Location: Penn Quarter

Total Rating: 4.05
Food: 4, Price: 4 Service: 4, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5

Summary: Asia Nine's design draws inspiration from different Asian cultures. Jewel tones and rich woods envelop guests with a warm and exotic atmosphere. Elements of Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, and Vietnamese including a full service sushi bar, bar & lounge. Closest Metro is Gallery Place or Metro Center.

Went to Asia Nine for a co-worker’s farewell luncheon. The staff reserved a long table towards the back for our group and provided a two-course selective menu including drinks. I tried one of the specialty drinks – pomegranate lemonade. Served in a cute mason jar, it was sweet, tangy and refreshing. My appetizer and entrée were fresh and delicious. The portion was very generous and satisfying. Everyone seemed pleased with their choices and the servers were very friendly and attentive. I think I would try dinner or sushi at this place again.

What I ate:

Spring Rolls

three crispy rolls filled with stir-fried vegetables and served with sweet and sour sauce

Shrimp Pad Thai

thai rice noodle stir fried with a three flavored tamarind sauce and tossed

with shrimp, egg, peanuts spring onion, bean sprouts

Aqua Blu

Last date I was here: 03/19/2009

Restaurant: Aqua Blu (http://www.aquablu-sandiego.com/)

Location: San Diego, CA – Gaslamp

Total Rating: 3.8
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 4

Summary: Aqua Blu is one of the newest hot spots to hit San Diego’s Gaslamp District. Featuring seafood and Pacific Rim cuisine, the bold fusion flavors are fresh, interesting and tasty.Stopped by for appetizers and drinks – they had ½ off martini specials – with a friend, before meeting our larger group of friends. I had the pineapple lychee martini, delicious and strong! We sat outside, so we could people watch under the warmth of the heated lamps. Service was great and many items looked good on the menu, including the 3 course prix fixe menu. A little pricey, but I may try this spot again for the full dining experience next time I am in San Diego.

What I ate:

Shrimp Tempura

TenPenh

Last date I was here: 1/9/2009

Restaurant: TenPenh (http://www.tenpenh.com/)

Location: Federal Triangle/Navy Archives

Total Rating: 4.5Food: 5, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 5, Accessibility: 5

Summary: Located in the heart of the city at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, the upscale southeast-Asian-inspired restaurant features Feng Shui design to follow Asian customs and guidelines. Closest Metro is Federal Triangle or Navy Archives.
I had lunch here and at first impression, the atmosphere was warm, chic, and elegant with classic Asian inspired designs and colors. The décor of TenPenh fuses contemporary American styling with Asian accents. The windowed façade that faces both 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue displays the restaurant's stylized logo resembling an Emperor's seal. The view from the entrance only slightly prepares the guest for what's inside. Guests are greeted by a hostess dressed in a long, distinctly Asian, silk tunic. Custom-made teak chairs and tables fill the space with warm dark woods. A short incline made up of large sand colored stones leads guests past a long curved cabinet, encasing an extensive collection of wines coming from all parts of the world. A few steps further, on your way into the bar and main dining room, there is a semi-private dining room discretely situated in enclosed glass. The wait service was excellent and we were provided with complimentary edamame and warm wet towels to freshen our hands. The lunch portion was surprisingly large and very flavorful. The menu features items from Thailand, Philippines, Korea, and Japan. I would definitely come again for dinner.

What I ate:

Pan Seared Tilapia

With Chorizo Fried Rice, Pineapple Coconut Curry, Togarashi Shrimp