Raku, Washington, D.C......Magic Mushrooms and More
Written: Feb 01 '05 (Updated Nov 20 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great noodles, mostly inexpensive, but be careful with those small plates....
Cons: Can be crowded and noisy at times, we wish they were open later, no reservations
The Bottom Line: Raku is a fun place to go to catch a quick bite before doing something else. Agreeable atmosphere and a capable kitchen.
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| tombarnes's Full Review: Raku |
When celebrity chef Mark Miller (Red Sage, D.C., the Coyote Cafe, Santa Fe) opened Raku in 1997, the Asian diner concept was relatively unknown, at least in Washington, a city heretofore below the curve in dining trends. The place was an instant hit, if only with the general public, if not the critics.
Location
Just off busy Connecticut Avenue on 19th Street, Raku is only a block from Dupont Circle. It would be a great place to go for late-night dining if they would keep their doors open after 11:00 PM. Even with the early closing, it fills its niche well. Miller has opened a branch on Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda's restaurant row. We haven't tried the satellite location yet, but most reports are good.
The Interior
The look is light and clean, or at least as light and clean a place this small could possibly be. Forget table linens or other such fripperies. This is a busy little place, but the interior is well designed, with pale wood, slate floors and handsome fixtures. You might not even notice that your elbow is almost in your neighbor's big bowl of noodles.
The Menu
First Course
There's no rule here to dictate that one must have one's dinner in courses. It might be easier to organize your choices that way, however. Choose from their long list of "Pan Asian Tapas" and you can dine quite happily. As at any tapas restaurant, the portions served aren't large (at least in this section of the menu), but you might be tempted to order too much food. I have enjoyed most of their offerings, from the Chicken Yakitori ($5.50) to the Agedashi Tofu ($4.75). The former are just bits of chicken on skewers, rather like satay except for the lack of peanut sauce. The soy glaze is not offensive, though. Tofu doesn't normally send me into ecstasy, so the lightly fried tofu with ginger, daikon and bonito flakes was pleasing, if not anything to cause great excitement. Calamari ($5.95) makes an appearance here too, this time dressed up in a Thai chili sauce. Be sure not to overlook the edamame ($3.50) either. Their tiny bowls of poached soybeans are a pleasing antidote to any fiery paste you might encounter in the tapas.
The Vegetable Tempura Plate ($4.95) is so good you might want to order two. Maybe I should say that you will need to order two. Generous Doc is suddenly unwilling to share when these golden slices of eggplant, string beans, broccoli and other vegetables (and a nicely astringent soy-citrus sauce) come to the table. "Mine, mine, mine- ALL mine" she cries. I learned quickly to order my own plate. The Grilled Portabello ($4.50) was one thing I barely got to try. I was allowed one bite, if I recall correctly. Marinated in soy and a clever mix of spices, the big mushroom slices are sauteed and served with crisped garlic. I'll have to order my own next time.
Salads
IF you are so inclined, they do have a few on offer. The Hunan Chicken Salad ($8.95) is almost spicy enough for me, and the Grilled Thai Beef salad ($8.95) sports generous slices of rare beef with lots of fresh greens and chili peppers to liven things up a bit.
Noodles
Possibly my favorite part of the menu, their noodles can hold their own against most of the noodle shops in town. I particularly like the Dan Dan noodles ($7.95), spicy Szechuan pork in a sesame and peanut sauce... Do get this as a soup, as they will add poultry broth for an extra dollar. Tart mustard greens, chili peppers and bean sprouts round out this dish, easily one of my favorites here.
The Chiang Mai noodles ($8.50), are another safe bet. These thick noodles come swaddled in a thick yellow coconut curry. Pea shoots. spinach, cabbage and bean sprouts finish it off. Of course, the Korean Chili Beef noodles ($8.75) are excellent as well. These rare slices of beef are also served in a thick poultry broth (I'd think it's chicken, but sometimes it's best just not to ask) with spinach, more bean sprouts and kicked up a few notches with kimchee.
They offer a number of larger dishes as well. The Singapore Noodles ($9.50) are very good indeed. Singapore noodles can often be almost dry and a chore to wade through. Their version is the usual, chicken, rice noodles, bean sprouts, eggs, carrots and so on, but the curry sauce is just enough to make the whole a success. Perhaps the slices of omelet are a bit, well...odd, but they don't offend. You can get this one with shrimp as well for an extra $2.00.
Sushi
I haven't tried their sushi, but the plates of it I have seen there look as good as everyone else's. It's not a great specialty of the house, as they inly have four varieties ($4.50- $5.50).
A Word About Seasoning
If you don't want things too hot, you are in luck. The concept here is to allow each diner to season his or her own dishes with whatever one likes. Hot ground chili flakes, sweet and sour sauce, Chinese black vinegar and many more will be cheerfully supplied in little dishes for you to season your own plates. Do be careful, as a few of the peppers are extremely hot. If in doubt, ask your waiter.
Wine
Though they have a wine list, you would be better off ordering sake, tea or beer.
Service
We have never had a problem with the service. If you remember that this is a busy place you should be fine. The staff are a friendly and enthusiastic lot. That said, this isn't the place to linger for hours over a three saketini lunch. Of course you could try, but you might get the same evil eye Doc got from the sushi chef when she appeared to show too much interest. Who knew restaurant reviewing could be a dangerous occupation? Never agitate a man who wields a meat cleaver.
Reservations Etc.
A place as small as this one really would have a hard time juggling reservations. They don't do that here, so get here early and wait in line if you must. Everyone seems to love this fast and reliable place. Parking? Not on your life- this is Dupont Circle. Take the Metro to Dupont Circle. They take most major credit cards. Open as follows:
Friday- Saturday 11:30 AM- 11:00 PM
Sunday- Thursday 11:30 AM- 10:00 PM
Raku- An Asian Diner
1900 Q Street
Washington, D.C. 20009-1008
Tel. 202-265-7258
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tombarnes
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Thomas Barnes
Location: Fort Lauderdale & Washington, DC
Reviews written: 688
Trusted by: 444 members
About Me:
With Barbara in Miami, 2004
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