Mie N Yu "Social Underground" Blind Tiger Prix Fixed Menu

UPDATE: Mie N Yu is no longer open for business. it has been replaced by Ri Ra Irish Pub

I've done a write up on Mie N Yu, however it's been quite some time since I've revisited the restaurant. I recently got an invitation to try out the new "Social Underground" Blind Tiger Prix Fixed Menu. For $25 whopping dollars you get 3 courses. If you've ever been to Mie N Yu, you know the concept and theme of the restaurant is the Silk Road. It is amazing because they have trained and educated their staff extensively because they are quite knowledgeable about the topic, the restaurant and the menu. Despite the fact that I was invited to try the menu I will still give you my review the good with the bad.



When I walked in and checked in with the host she seated me and gave me a forewarning that I was going to have a waitress that had just started. (I believe her name was Karya). Despite the fact that she was new, she was knowledge, quick, efficient, and a pleasure to chat with. There is quite an extensive wine menu and I tried two cocktails on the cocktail menu. I didn't quite like the first one (Pink Pagoda) because it was just too sweet, but the second one (White Tiger) rectified their mixed cocktail menu.

The first course was an option of Zataar Hummus with Ful and the Sonomono Blue Crab Salad. My fiancee was with me so we tried both. We weren't fans of the Zataar Hummus with Ful. It was just a bit overwhelming and the spices actually took away from the Hummus. It was almost as if someone took all the powdered spices that are used in a curry, pan fried them in olive oil and just tossed it on top of the Hummus. The Sonomono Blue Crab Salad however, was AWESOME. The vinaigrette complimented the soba noodle salad quite well. The edamame, green veggies, soba noodles, and vinaigrette was well thought out, and a great cooling dish in these hot hellish weather days.


First course =)

Second Course Options - Char Masala Lamb Kabob and Beijing Style Lacquered Duck. Once again me and the fiancee tried both. The lamb and duck are both locally farm raised (in Virginia and Pennsylvania). The lamb kabobs were served with a roasted coriander yogurt sauce which went well with the gamey lamb. The duck had a sweet and spicy taste that had me craving for more. The flavor was really infused in the meat.


The Beijing Style Lacquered Duck

By the third course we were almost completely stuffed but we kept going. There are four options on the menu Pakistani Cinnamon & Ginger Striped Bass, Indonesian Scallop "Kare", Lamb Wild Mushroom & Tofu Fried Rice, and Indonesian Chicken "Rica Rica". We decided to go with the striped bass and the scallops. The striped bass is a MUST. The sauce was creamy, complimenting the spiced bass. I was in heaven with each bite. The scallops were surprisingly not as good as I expected them to be. I wasn't thrilled. The scallops seemed a bit over carmelized. I reiterate I HIGHLY RECOMMEND trying the bass dish.


Third Course

All in all the Blind Tiger Prix Fixed menu is not a bad inexpensive dinner option. The cost is recession friendly and dishes are palate worthy (plus or minus a few items). It's definitely a nice option to have, heck this is a great option for a large dinner party. With a few tweaks to the menu it could be superior. The decor, and options of seating on the Silk Road are a nice touch as well.

Bodega Spanish Tapas & Lounge

Location: Georgetown 3116 M St. NW
Cuisine: Spanish Tapas
Website: http://www.bodegadc.com/

So one of my best friends decided to randomly tell me he was in town and we couldn't find anywhere to eat because it was Friday around 11ish or midnight. Everywhere else had pretty much stopped serving food for the night. But we were fortunate enough to happen upon this lovely little Spanish masterpiece. The walls were decorated with bold red and black designs and bullhorns on the wall. Lo and Behold! The kitchen was still open and our stomaches could calm their cries for nourishment. We were quickly greeted (there were a few couples and bar patrons present). The waiter was very very welcoming and seemed to be intuitive to our needs. He quickly filled our glasses with water and gave us a plate full of lemons upon our request (I only asked for one, but hey the more the merrier, I like when they give more for my refills).

After several attempts to get our order, because of course me and my best friend needed time to catch up, or shall I say he needed to brief me on his crazy love life status and all the players involved, we finally glanced at the menus. For our appetizers we ordered the Calamares Fritos con Ali-Oli (Calamari), Pulpitos a la Plancha (octopus fried and sprinkled with paprika). Both were really good, especially the Pulpitos a la Plancha. The presentation wasn't super amazing but it was literally piping hot when it was served and the waiter and busboy were very accomadating. They also served us some really good bread with an aioli sauce. For the entree we both split a Paella Marinera (seafood paella). I was happy because they didn't put chorizo in the paella! Woohoo! The appetizers were pretty great, the entree was a bit bland, but wasn't bad.

Definitely recommend this spot for a date if your on the way to the last movie in Georgetown.

Tony & Joe's

I went to Tony & Joe's on a date after work one day. I was kinda scared when I first walked in because there were tons of men sitting at the bar, and everyone turned towards the door, and I felt like I just interupted a boys club meeting or something. But we were seated in the dining area and it was very nice. The waiters brought out bread while we waited for our food. Both of us ordered the Cream of Crab soup, which was delish. For an appetizers we had the Spinach Crab dip and we DEVOURED it, it was soooo good and it was such a large portion that we couldn't even finish it. I had to force myself to stop eating it so that I would have room for my entree. For the entree I ordered the Tony & Joe's Broiled platter. YUM! Unfortunately I ate too much dip so I couldn't finish the entire thing. But I tried to stuff as much as I could into my mouth that my little tummy would allow. I was very impressed with the food. The wait staff was very helpful and were like on cue with everything! It was like they had secret cameras that alerted them when we were done with our plates. I highly suggest this place if you enjoy seafood. There is a patio area that overlooks the waterfront, unfortunately it was too chilly to sit outside and enjoy the view.

Location: Georgetown Waterfront
Price Range $30-up
http://www.dcseafood.com/taj/index.htm

Mie-N-Yu

I have always walked past this place and was intrigued by the waterfall theme in the window with a golden Buddha in the window and beautiful drapery. Finally some kind soul took me here for dinner. The decor is so ecclectic and pretty that its art for the eyes decorated with pieces from different ethnic cultures and countries from around the world. What stood out to me is the intimate seating arrangments, it makes it a nice place to go on a first date or with your beau. It would even be a good place to gather for an event such as a birthday. I strongly suggest making reservations before just stopping in.

They have a very extensive wine and cheese menu and they also have a menu and cheese sample specials that allow you to order a few cheeses and wines for your own pairing and tastings of your choosing. The menu is really diverse and would appeal to a variety of palates. We ate the smoked salmon bruschetta (AMAZING), Grilled Calamari Salad, and the Chili Infused Crab Cakes. It was so good! I was very impressed and left extremely full! The portions are filling but not large. However they will hook your wine glass up if you order a glass. After wanting to try everything on the menu it can begin to get a bit pricey, but it's well worth it. Another great place to impress a date.

Location: Georgetown
Price range $12-25

https://www.mienyu.com/

Aditi

Aditi is decorated really nice and has a spiral staircase to the upstairs dining area. The waiters and waitresses are all very nice and helpful. It is an Indian restaurant and is decorated with the Gods and Goddesses and lots of elephants, but only slightly, and still looks classy.

The dishes are absolutely amazing. I went with a couple of friends during Ramadan, and we were trying to find something to break our fast after a long day of running errands and shopping in Georgetown. I can't remember the names of all the dishes we ordered (we ordered a lot), but it HIT the SPOT! I think our bill was like $50 for 3 hungry little Muslim girls who wanted to fill their tummies. The portions are just the right size, not ginormous, but enough to satisfy. We pretty much devoured everything we ordered. I think we had 2 appetizers and like 4 main dishes. Everything was devoured and we had NO leftovers or anything to take home. The garlic naan was REALLY good. I was happy with the food & the prices. I wouldn't have been upset if our bill was high, it would have been well worth it. Of course this place is also very friendly for Vegetarians.

Location: Indian
Price range $6-20

http://www.image-in-asian.com/aditi/

Bistro Francais

After the 2007 CBC Gala and partying, a group of us were seeking an alternative for the Diner since we didn't feel like going to Adams Morgan to grab something to eat. I was referenced to the restaurant prior to and knew it stayed open until about 4 A.M. so I figured I would suggest it and try it out. WELL, that was a waste, I ordered the Oeufs Norvegienne (Poached eggs with smoked salmon hollandaise sauce on an English muffin), being that they didn't really have a breakfast menu, I was limited in what I wanted to order because I was already in the mood for breakfast food. I thought maybe it was only me being finicky about my food because I was disappointed because there wasn't anything on the menu that I really wanted but the rest of the group also complained about their food. One person even complained that their chicken Cesar salad wasn't even that great (I really don't know how you mess that one up). It's not a place I would try to visit again.

Prices range $15-30

http://www.bistrofrancaisdc.com/index.htm

Mate

Sunday night with a taste for sushi and some tasty drinks, a friend suggested Mates. Mates (pronounced Mah-tay's) is apart of the Latin Concepts chain of restaurants. As soon as I walked in I had a strong feeling I wouldn't be disappointed. The menu had the usual maki rolls, nigiri and sashimi but also has a nice amount of creative latin inspired maki rolls that are quite delectible. (Mmmmm my mouth is actually salivating thinking about their rolls, especially the Bamboo roll) The different flavored mojitos and pomegrante inspired drinks are to die for. The bartenders are pretty good and timely unfortunately the waitresses can sometimes be slow, but after getting your food it's well worth the wait. The calamari salad is interesting, the seaweed salad is VERY good. I've never had the ceviches, but I'm sure they are just as good as the sushi!

There is a happy hour during the week, and MAN, me, my cousin and a friend of mine went one day for their happy hour and ate sooooo much, had a few drinks and our tab only came up to about $80 for the three of us (we ordered about a million rolls and a couple of drinks) and we had SO much food leftover. The happy hour menu can be found on their website. http://www.latinconcepts.com/mate

Don't let the ambiance and setting fool you, it's not as expensive as it looks ;)

Location: Georgetown (K & 31st St.)
Cuisine: Latin, Sushi
Price Range: $10-$20

http://www.latinconcepts.com/mate