A Long Weekend in Washington, DC: Where to Eat

Beyond the monuments and government buildings of DC is an impressive food scene. East African, Vietnamese and fresh seafood are some of the many great options in the city and surrounding areas. On a recent long weekend visit, we set out to eat as much as we could in our nation’s capital.

Eritrean Breakfast

Keren Restaurant and Coffee Shop

Famished from an early morning bus ride from NYC, we headed to our first stop, Keren Restaurant. Located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, this café/restaurant is known for its Eritrean breakfast dishes. In particular, ful is the signature dish, made of mashed fava beans and yogurt with olive oil. In addition, red onions, jalapenos and tomatoes add crunch and depth to the bowl. Also, the dish comes with the option of eggs, which makes it a light yet filling first meal of the day. Lightly sour injera is a great vessel to scoop up this earthy concoction, which goes great with the spiced chai tea.

Lao Feast

Thip Khao

If there is one place on our list that is worth ordering lots from, it is Thip Khao. In recent years, we have been introduced to the cuisine from our friends at I Eat Lao Food . In preparation, we came with an empty stomach which only continued to growl as we waited for our table. With a large menu, the hardest thing was choosing what to share between two of us.

Some of the highlights were nam khao, crispy coconut fried rice, fiery alligator laap and tender flash fried pork jerky with ginger. Accompanying all of the dishes is the namesake thip khao, a basket filled with sticky rice. Each dish was full of flavors and impressed the both of us. A refreshing bottle of Beerlao pairs nicely with the spicy fare.

A DC Classic

Ben’s Chili Bowl

Dating back to the 1950’s, Ben’s Chili Bowl is a historic eatery that comes to mind to many when people mention DC food. Housed on U Street, the original location feels like a step back into time. We ordered the classic half smoke, a sausage made with beef and pork, hence the “half” in the name. Traditionally, the sausage is topped with Ben’s signature chili, chopped raw onions and yellow mustard.

Of course, we decided to order it the classic way and we were satisfied. Regretfully, we only shared one since we had lots more eating to do. However, we will be back and recommend checking this DC staple out for the food and great vibe.

Excellent Ethiopian

Habesha Marketplace & Carry Out

The DC area has the largest Ethiopian population in the USA. Fortunately, there are plenty of great eateries of this delicious cuisine all over the city. Unfortunately, we only had so much stomach space and lots of places on our list! Enter Habesha Marketplace, an informal spot where you order at the counter and receive a plastic buzzer that goes off when your order is ready.

We went with a mixed platter with the kitfo as the star of the show. Kitfo, the Ethiopian answer to beef tartare, had a smooth texture and had a strong cardamom flavor. Accompanied by lots of injera, we couldn’t get enough of the raw beef. Interestingly, the platter arrived with each dish partitioned in ceramic bowls surrounding a small plate of awaze sauce and berbere spice for dipping. This presentation was a welcome change, as it was much easier to eat and the injera stayed firm on the side.

Market Fresh Seafood

The Wharf

After visiting the major sights and monuments, we worked up an appetite once again. Adjacent to the Potomac River, The Wharf is a local market full of fresh seafood. However, the highlight here is the live blue crabs. We chose Captain White’s, one of a handful of purveyors. On the right hand side is where we ordered two pounds of live crabs. In fact, one of the crabs pinched our fishmonger’s arm and held on for a few minutes!

Afterwards, we told him we wanted our order steamed and he handed us a ticket. To the left, there is a cooking line where we handed our bag of crabs and waited. About 40 minutes later, our number was called and we were ready to go. Unfortunately, there is no actual seating, but there is standing room with a long table to feast on. Seasoned veteran locals came prepared with folding chairs, something you may want to consider! The crabs were fresh and seasoned with Old Bay. All in all, well worth the wait and work needed to get it out of the shell.

Side-trip in Northern Virginia

Vietnamese Shopping Mall

Eden Center

Our last day in the DC area led us to Northern Virginia. We arrived in Falls Church, VA for a food crawl at the Eden Center. A shopping center dedicated to Vietnamese food and goods, we were blown away by all of the options. Fortunately, we were armed with empty stomachs and ravenous appetites!

Nhu Lan Sandwich

First, we sought out banh mi. Tucked down a long hallway at 6763, Nhu Lan Sandwich fit the bill. Rather than a traditional, we went with the xiu may, which was filled with pork meatballs. With nice flavor from the tender ground pork, this one reminded us of a similar banh mi we had in Ho Chi Minh City last year. Importantly, the bread had great consistency - soft, crisp and chewy.

Huong Viet

Our final stop was for a snack to-go. Enter Phu Quy Delight, a spot that specializes in jerky and other dried foods. Of all of the plastic containers of dried meats, one stood out. Strikingly red-colored, the lemongrass beef jerky was a must-buy. Each bite was packed with flavor - lemongrass, keffir lime, red chili flakes and a sweetness that left our hands sticky. Ultimately, our one regret was not buying more to take home!

Peruvian Roast Chicken

El Pollo Rico

After the Vietnamese crawl, our bellies were near capacity with one spot left on our list. But, it was conveniently located in Arlington where our bus was scheduled to depart soon after. Magically, the amazing aroma of roasting poultry cleared out some stomach space. El Pollo Rico, a staple for Peruvian roast chicken, already felt special once we saw the ovens. Unlike many Peruvian rotisseries we have tried in NYC, this one used charcoal!

One bite into the fragrant smoky bird was a revelation! Perfectly spiced and juicy with flavors of cumin, this chicken really blew us away. This was another dish that we regret not ordering more of. However, it was one hell of a dish to end a great food weekend in the DC area. Also, it left us wanting more and will be one of our first stops on our next visit!

All in all, DC and Northern VA really impressed us culinarily. Although we only scratched the surface, there were a lot of standout bites we ate throughout the weekend. We are looking forward to coming back for another shot at some of our favorites. However, we are also excited to try much more that we weren’t able to check out.

What are your favorite spots to eat in DC and Northern VA? We would love to hear your recommendations and comments!