Finding good 
Asian food in DC that is both metro-accessible and reasonably-priced is an unusually hard task. On one hand, you have the Wolfgang Puck’s The Source; on the other you have the little Chinese carryout shops where they specialize in Americanized menu items like kung pao chicken. Now, don’t get me wrong, both types of places serve their purpose, but sometimes all I want is something in the middle. Thankfully Spices in Cleveland Park fits the bill.
I first found out about this little gem when I was interning in Woodley Park. On nice days I would sometimes walk the 5 or so blocks to pick up food for the office. Then I found out that they deliver (!) within a 2 mile radius. That was mighty helpful when I went to American because there were absolutely nights where studying came before cooking. The other night Spices once again came to the rescue when I needed a place between Tenleytown and Dupont on the red line to meet a friend.
Spices is nestled in the grouping of stores and restaurants on the east side of Connecticut Avenue. The décor is nothing to write home about, but it doesn't take away from the overall dining experience, either. What’s on the plate is far more important. There is a long wooden bar offering sushi as well as some traditional Asian-fusion dishes including crab-meat wantons, pad-thai and chicken teriyaki. Their sushi is clearly fresh and is easily the best you can find in the immediate area. Without a doubt you can find better in the city, but I would venture to guess that this is the best that can be delivered.
On the side of the menu that includes the appetizers and the main entrée, I am a big fan of Spices’ chicken fried rice. Not only does it taste fresh, it lacks the insane amounts of oil that you tend to find in most renditions. Although it isn’t in the menu the vegetable tempura is worth asking about and ordering. Yes, it’s fried making it slightly unhealthy, but it is wonderfully crispy, something that most tempura lacks. One night my friend ordered the Vietnamese grilled shrimp that was served over vermicelli. The bowl that it came in was presented beautifully and the flavors complemented each other to create a refreshing and filling meal.
Although we opted out (it was a Sunday night after all), Spices does offer ½ price drinks Sunday – Thursday nights (5 – 7pm). If you are one who likes to have a cocktail with your dinner, this is a great deal especially because few if any of the mixed drinks are over $8.
Is Spices going to win any “best of” awards? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a well-priced, local restaurant that can fulfill your needs for a good meal at a good price.
Turkey, stuffing and cranberry salad are great, but they can get kind of old after eating them a few days in a row. As much as I love corn casserole, there is only so much that can be eaten at a time. There just comes a moment when you need a change of pace, and this year that change of pace came in the form Uncle Liu’s Hot Pot, a traditional Chinese restaurant located out in Falls Church.
Elliot originally heard about Uncle Liu’s while fact checking an article during his internship at the Washingtonian. There must have been something intriguing to him about cooking your own meat and veggies while out to dinner, because he came home and said that we should put it on our “to-try” list. Falls Church is not exactly around the corner, so when Abby called and said she wanted “an adventure,” Uncle Liu’s seemed to fit the bill.
Before we go any further, you probably want to know what the heck a hot pot is. It’s essentially the Chinese version of fondue, and really, who doesn’t like fondue? A portable propane burner is placed in the middle of the table and a large pot filled with broth is placed on it so it can be kept simmering throughout the meal. Ingredients are placed in the pot and cooked table side, then can be fished out with a spoon and eaten with traditional dipping sauces. Although it takes a bit of elbow grease to prepare your food it’s tons of fun and a nice change of scenery from your average “sit down and be served” restaurant or cooking. Not cleaning up in your own kitchen is pretty appealing, too.
Uncle Liu’s looks like your average Chinese restaurant with its high-backed chairs, Chinese symbols and abundant bottles of soy sauce, but it is so much more. Although the staff doesn’t speak that much English, they are able to point you in the right direction. Our waiter suggested that we do pot that allows you to have both a mild and spicy broth. The mild broth was perfectly flavored with chicken broth, bits of green onion and gogi berries. The other broth was deemed spicy by our waiter, but it was so much more than that. Elliot called it “pure unadulterated heat,” and I believe it was the perfect description considering I could barely feel my tongue after trying the tiniest bit of broccoli. After coming home, I found out that its name in Chinese can actually be translated as “numb and spicy.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Once you choose your broth, there's the matter of which ingredients to cook in it. The perishable choices, such as meats, seafood and dumplings, come out of the kitchen cold or even frozen, but they still cook relatively quickly in the boiling broth. We found that the thin slices of tender beef take mere seconds, while the dumplings took more than 5 minutes to cook all the way through and bubble to the surface. The lobster balls (which had the consistency of matzo balls) were good, but we had trouble dealing with the odd texture. The noodles were perfect in the broth and the vegetable cooked easily and were fantastic dipped in a mixture of garlic, peanut sauce and soy sauce.
Even though it posed various sets of challenges, Uncle Liu's provided a tremendous eating experience. We had absolutely no idea what we were doing, and thus were completely free to go crazy and experiment. This means it became an experience, and one we won't soon forget. After all, our mouths are still recovering from the third-degree burns.
Since I moved to DC about 5 years ago I have affectionately called Chinatown "China-block." The area doesn't really deserve to be called a "town." The streets are overrun with American shops and restaurants that have little to do with the name except for the Chinese characters that show up on signage. Of course there are Chinese restaurants, but for the most part they are mediocre and not worth your time or money.
Yet, there is a little shop on the corner of 6th and H that deserves your attention. Look for the green awning that showcases a chef making homemade noodles. Take a moment and watch the skill and mastery. It's as if the motions are second nature.
The tiny space is sparsely furnished with linoleum tables and some fish tanks (but those aren't for decoration - you can choose your fish and have it cooked). The waitresses seem to be running every which way trying to juggle their tables.
If the man in the window wasn't a giveaway, I'm going to tell you now that the thing to order at Chinatown Express is the noodles. My preference is to have them fried with chicken or beef. The best part of this whole thing is that the noodles (which are good sized portion) are less than $7 with tax! You can't get much better than that, especially if you carry out and go sit on the steps of the Portrait Gallery and take in the sights and sounds of China-block.
image: tripadvisor.com
Asian food in DC that is both metro-accessible and reasonably-priced is an unusually hard task. On one hand, you have the Wolfgang Puck’s The Source; on the other you have the little Chinese carryout shops where they specialize in Americanized menu items like kung pao chicken. Now, don’t get me wrong, both types of places serve their purpose, but sometimes all I want is something in the middle. Thankfully Spices in Cleveland Park fits the bill.
I first found out about this little gem when I was interning in Woodley Park. On nice days I would sometimes walk the 5 or so blocks to pick up food for the office. Then I found out that they deliver (!) within a 2 mile radius. That was mighty helpful when I went to American because there were absolutely nights where studying came before cooking. The other night Spices once again came to the rescue when I needed a place between Tenleytown and Dupont on the red line to meet a friend.
Spices is nestled in the grouping of stores and restaurants on the east side of Connecticut Avenue. The décor is nothing to write home about, but it doesn't take away from the overall dining experience, either. What’s on the plate is far more important. There is a long wooden bar offering sushi as well as some traditional Asian-fusion dishes including crab-meat wantons, pad-thai and chicken teriyaki. Their sushi is clearly fresh and is easily the best you can find in the immediate area. Without a doubt you can find better in the city, but I would venture to guess that this is the best that can be delivered.
On the side of the menu that includes the appetizers and the main entrée, I am a big fan of Spices’ chicken fried rice. Not only does it taste fresh, it lacks the insane amounts of oil that you tend to find in most renditions. Although it isn’t in the menu the vegetable tempura is worth asking about and ordering. Yes, it’s fried making it slightly unhealthy, but it is wonderfully crispy, something that most tempura lacks. One night my friend ordered the Vietnamese grilled shrimp that was served over vermicelli. The bowl that it came in was presented beautifully and the flavors complemented each other to create a refreshing and filling meal.
