A Night In Chinatown

            As DC students one of our favorite things to do is act classy and go to a museum. Although the phrase is most commonly "Dinner and a movie", we are more fond of "Dinner and a Gallery". Last night Alex and I took a quick 30 minute tour of the National Portrait Gallery right outside the Chinatown metro stop before heading across the street to Zengo for our 730 dinner reservation.

         It was nice to get out of the cold and be warmly welcomed by Zengo's Friday night host. From what we surmised the bottom floor of Zengo is where happy hour is held (Mon-Fri 5:00-8:00) while everyone who is there for dinner is ushered upstairs for a quieter and more meal friendly atmosphere.
        TO THE FOOD: Zengo has a Latin-Asian inspired menu and is one of the only places in DC where you can get sushi for your main course and then get a churro for dessert. After a few glances at the menue and a helpful tip from our waitress we decided on the Spicy Jumbo Crab Guacamole (pictured below) and the Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps. Both were delicious and are highly recommended. The lightness of the guacamole and the spiciness of the crab complemented each other perfectly and kept you dipping for more. But beware of the shrimp lettuce wraps, there was a surprising heat to it that had us reaching for a sip of our waters.
       The dessert like the rest of the food is made for sharing (especially this dish). We ordered the Asian Pear Empanadas (pictured below) and thoroughly enjoyed them. The fried warm cajetas might have been a little heavy if both were ingested by the same person, but we are big advocates of reaching across the table and having a bit of another's dish or simply sharing from the middle of the table.

     Overall Zengo gets our approval and will be added to DC Dishes places to visit list. So if you find yourself in or close to Chinatown swing by Zengo and enjoy the atmosphere and the great food. And if your not in Chinatown, make sure to get a reservation (202.393.2929) and take a pilgrimage with some friends to this fantastic spot.

    -Eat up,
       Chris and Alex