Tasting Journal

Zengo
781 Seventh Street, NW
Washington, DC 2001
Tel: 202.393.2929
Fax: 202.393.2282
http://www.modernmexican.com/zengodc.htm

Open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.;
Open for dinner Sunday through Thursday, 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.;
Dinner Saturday and Sunday, 5:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

In honor of restaurant week, Katherine, Kim, Roman, I wanted to try out someplace new… someplace exciting and different! We decided on Zengo, located on 7th Street in Chinatown. Have you ever been…? Well if not, think hip atmosphere, trendy décor, and Mex-a-casian style cuisine. It was like walking into a bar scene from Sex and the City! This two-level dining establishment was quite busy when we arrived, which was to no surprise considering what a struggle it was for us to acquire reservations at a decent eating hour. (Some other restaurants participating in restaurant week were either completely booked, or only had crazy hours available – hours that were border-lining my bedtime.)

We had 9:15 reservations, and after some slight navigational confusion, the four of us finally stumbled in ready to eat. We entered the front door to the first level – the lounge/bar level, which displayed an attractive bar in the back, along with posh couches and small tables throughout the dining area. Our table, however, was located on the second level, which appeared to be the dining level.

Our dining experience began with a round on drinks – We tried a couple different specialty cocktails: the Mojito Cuzco, and the Strawberry Cocktail. I favored the Mojito more. I found the Strawberry Cocktail to be a little too sweet for my liking, however if you prefer sweet, then the Strawberry Cocktail is perfect.

Zengo’s fixed menu for Restaurant Week offered a choice of three different appetizers, three different entrees, and two different desserts. Some of the more notable items on the fixed menu included the sautéed calamari appetizer with Chinese eggplant in a chipotle-miso sauce; the Arepas de Pollo appetizer, consisting of chipotle-togarashi pulled chicken with avocado and crema fresca; and the Chipotle-Soy Glazed Short Ribs with purple potatoes in a chile mulatto-chinese mustard jus. The short ribs were soft and tender and the pureed purple potatoes were a delicious accompaniment to the dish.

The other two entrees on the fixed menu were not as spectacular. The Pan Roasted Red Snapper seemed to be a little dry and overcooked. The Rice Stick Noodles with chicken was also dry, and was lacking a little flavor.

Dessert was not a disappointment however. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, and normally I’ll just have a bite or two of someone else’s dessert just to see how it tastes, but that night I could not keep the chocolate out of my mouth! The first of the two desserts on the fixed menu was the Churros con Chocolate served with a chai tea chocolate sauce and meringue. The churros were deliciously fried and tasted similar to a funnel cake. The second dessert from the fixed menu was the Coconut Tapioca with Tropical Fruit, served with orange sorbet, shortbread cookie, and a dried pineapple-sesame tuile. I found the orange sorbet to be quite refreshing and the buttery taste of the shortbread cookie went well with the sorbet, and offered a nice contrast to the tapioca. And lastly, as if the four of us hadn’t indulged enough that night, we decided to order the Dulce de Leche Turtle Cake with cinnamon ice cream, caramel sauce and cocoa tuiles. This chocolate turtle cake was amazing. The accompanying addition of the cinnamon ice cream was a perfect compliment to the subtle and delicate taste of the chocolate. The girls and I devoured this dessert in seconds!

I’d really love to come back and try out some of Chef Richard Sandoval’s other creations. Overall we felt that Zengo’s exotic flavors, friendly service and trendy atmosphere is a great combination for a tasteful night of something different.

restaurants, Washington, DC, Tasting Journal