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A 30-minute walk away from campus rests the intimate oasis that is a.kitchen+bar, which opened its doors in Foggy Bottom this September. Restaurateur Ellen Yin, winner of a James Beard Award, through her High Street Hospitality Group partnered with Hotel AKA Washington Circle to open the restaurant — an offshoot of Yin’s original a.kitchen in Philadelphia. Yin aimed to make the eatery not just a hotel restaurant but a part of the neighborhood. With the restaurant’s delicious — albeit expensive — food, cozy environment and impeccable service, Yin has clearly succeeded.
As I passed the grand portico entryway to Hotel AKA, complete with large black Chevrolet Silverados, the DC politician’s car of choice, I noticed a small walkway off the sidewalk leading to a nondescript black door with the letters “a.kitchen+bar” illuminated above it. Besides the name, the only indicator that it is not a speakeasy but a restaurant is the menu posted outside the door.
The space — designed by the D.C.-based architecture firm Gensler — is tucked almost underground, with windows peeking out behind the benches that line the wall. The design maximizes light but is still fairly dark, making the ceilings seem low as your tall server bends down to take your order. Still, there’s not one chandelier in the place, which, along with the choice of wood and soundproof glass, gives the restaurant a cozy feel despite its minimalist furniture design and the scent of new paint.
As luck would have it, our incredible server, Fahad Abdul (COL ’14), was a Georgetown University graduate and self-proclaimed “Corpie” who raved about his time as a barista and how it helped him excel in hospitality. Fahad was incredibly knowledgeable without making us feel unsophisticated. His vocabulary ranged from that of a seasoned professional to more playful words like “groovy.” His excitement over the food was effervescent, yet it was his fastidious service that made the experience excellent.
I began with a.kitchen’s potato rösti, which included crab rillettes and radish salad; the creamy crab melted in my mouth as I crunched on the perfectly crisp potato rösti, which resembles a pseudo-elevated hashbrown. The marinated radish salad along with the lemon that topped the dish beautifully balanced out the potato’s heaviness.
The staff also brought out bluefin tuna paired with badger flame beets, rose harissa and taggiasca olives. The whole dish was incredibly fresh yet evaded the fishiness of seafood. The ratio of the tuna’s supple interior to its seared periphery was wonderfully proportional. While the bluefin tuna brought the salt, the beets brought a moist, earthy aspect to the dish, satisfying the thirst that tuna inevitably induces.
The appetizer that took the cake was the gougères, a savory pastry filled with warm comté cheese and black pepper. The sweet, flaky crust encapsulates a warm, sharp, peppery explosion reminiscent of a Thanksgiving feast. When I bit into one, I immediately melted: my tastebuds shut down my ears, allowing me to fully enjoy the delicious appetizer.
After the gougères, the littleneck clam entrée — laid on a bed of spaghetti nero, tomato confit and angry crab broth — didn’t quite measure up. While the clams were a little on the chewier side, they did not let much of the fishiness escape — a taste that reminded me of Seattle’s Pacific sea air. The black spaghetti was extremely flavorful — perhaps too much so, with its pepperiness overpowering the dish. However, the crab broth and the tangy bursts of the tomatoes sprinkled throughout the pasta saved the dish if you were lucky enough to get one in a bite.
The rockfish main course shares the wonderfully fruity tomatoes but adds braised white beans and hakurei turnips to the mix. The turnips were sweet and punchy next to the savory soft greens and butter beans at the base of the dish. The fish managed to have both perfectly crispy skin and the flaky, buttery texture of a successful filet.
The staff also brought out sourdough bread from one of Yin’s widely successful restaurants, High Street Bakery, based back in the City of Brotherly Love. The bread was perfectly succulent and not too chewy.
Sourdough is not the only thing Yin’s restaurant empire knows how to bake. The hazelnut Paris-Brest — a sweet that is structured like a bagel with cream cheese — was incredibly light and airy, with the perfect crunch to match the cloud of buttercream in the middle of the dessert. While the textures were perfect, the dessert seemed inconsistent with the rest of the menu, as its simple and pared-down taste contrasted with the nuance of the other dishes — but it was nonetheless delicious.
Though the restaurant offers an impressive wine list, I am unfortunately only 20 years of age; Fahad asked if I would be interested in their mocktails instead. First came out the Read the Room, a spicy Shirley Temple with a cinnamon and ginger scent. While the base is cranberry juice, the mocktail somehow circumvents the inevitable, terrible dryness that often comes with it. The drink was by far the best mocktail I have ever had in the D.C-Maryland-Virginia area.
The next mocktail — New Kids on the Block — is a twist on root beer with ginger and mushrooms. While slightly watery, the taste was incredibly fresh like wild sassafras — the root in root beer, which took me back to my childhood backpacking trips and elicited an overall nostalgia within the flavor interplay.
Full disclosure, a.kitchen+bar invited The Guide and comped our meal so as I feasted, I had no idea about the pricing. a.kitchen+bar is perfect for a special occasion, especially for celebrating only with drinks and an appetizer, as the food tends to lean on the expensive side. The portion sizes of the entrées were not skimpy, however, so expect to pay about $36. The appetizers were also relatively expensive, but the $14 gougères were well worth it.
Fahad, along with the rest of the staff, was incredibly attentive, gushing over the culture Yin has created and the joy of working for a brilliant restaurateur with a grounded approach to culinary arts. Yin’s eye for ambiance, incredible hospitality and delicious food is clear throughout a.kitchen+bar.