Go Home Already: Shouts and Murmurs
Man Stops Traffic at 17th and K to Demand $200 Million
Morning Roundup: Goodbye, Abe Edition
Judge Throws Out WTU Suit Over Teacher Layoffs
Vegetate to Close at the End of the Month
Dish of the Week: Curry laksa
Where: Spices/Nooshi, Malaysia Kopitiam
The first time I tasted curry laksa, it was prepared by a Singaporean friend, who I watched cleave piles of dark meat into an enormous stew pot before putting in a number of different spices. What came out was a questionable, murky soup with spicy red oil floating on top. But wow, was it delicious.
Curry laksa is one of those beautiful fusion children of Malaysian cuisine with Thai coconut milk, Indian curry and Chinese-style egg noodles. It is finished with different types of meat, seafood, fried tofu, and vegetables. It sometimes has a gritty texture from belacan, a dried shrimp and chili paste, but the redolence of cinnamon, galangal, and lemongrass, plus the slight burn of chilies, make it worth overlooking.
My personal favorite is the curry laksa at Spices/Nooshi that allows you a choice between chicken or shrimp and includes both egg and vermicelli style noodles. This lighter version is topped off with fried tofu puffs, still-crisp green beans, and bean sprouts. Meanwhile, the Malaysia Kopitiam versions are nothing to balk at. Select from three types of noodles - egg, rice or vermicelli (get the egg). The flavorings are slightly more traditional with a muskier, denser flavor, but lacking the additional tofu and green beans accoutrements. You may also choose a variation that includes just those items, as well as selections that include pork rib and beef.
Small Bites
Sippin' on Gin and Juice
Chef John Wabeck previously announced he would be leaving New Heights to serve as a sommelier at Inox. According to one of New Heights' owners, Kavita Singh, they will be hosting a night to celebrate Wabeck's career change and to introduce their new chef. Though she would not disclose the name of the new chef, she mentioned that he had previously worked in D.C. and is now returning. The event will take place on August 9, starting at 6:30 p.m., and will feature a four-course menu paired with gin-based cocktails from current Komi general manager and Wabeck's former Firefly co-worker Derek Brown. The first two courses will be cooked by Wabeck, and the last two by the new chef. The cost is $85.
Also confirmed: the Heights' popular Gin Joint, whose collection was amassed under Wabeck, will continue to operate after his departure.
Bourdain D.C. Tour Roundup
Reports on local food blogs and boards have been accumulating Anthony Bourdain spottings across town over the past week. It appears that Bourdain packed in a tight schedule last weekend filming for his show. He was confirmed to have visited the Eamonn's A Dublin Chipper, Penn Quarter's farmers market, Cafe Atlantico and Jose Andres' other restaurants. Unconfirmed sightings include: Ben's Chili Bowl, Busboys and Poets, D.C. Central Kitchen, Chadwicks, PX (just above Eamonn's), Four Sisters (Eden Center, Falls Church) and El Pollo Rico (Arlington).
Bethesda Restaurant Week
Bethesda Restaurant Week runs during the week of July 28 - August 3. Check out DC Foodies for a compiled list of menus.
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Chadwicks has to be a BS spotting. Otherwise, that should lead to a surprised and impressed review from Bourdain.
The first place in/around DC to serve Singapore Chili Crab will make bank. The real deal uses dungeoness-style crabs flown in from the Ganges. A steady diet of immolated corpses makes for some sweet, sweet flesh; the perfect foil for spicy chilis.
Holy crap, that looks amazing. I'm getting this next week for sure.
Is so yummy!
While there a lot options for good laksa in the area (I also think the Penang restaurant location in Bethesda has decent ones as well), my absolute favorite kind is Assam Laksa.
That's the one using fish broth and more tamarind as the base and typically has mackerel as the protein. It's still a curry soup/stew, essentially, but with a stronger taste and aroma, and spice. So tasty. The Malaysian Kopitiam version is what I have most often and is quite good.
Yum, Nanther, I am always craving the tamarind Assam style laksa after having it in Penang. But the only place I have seen it in DC is at Malaysia Kopitiam and the last time I was there, the whole restaurant had a weird poo/vomit smell and I haven't felt like going back. Where else do you get it?
that's odd. i wonder what malaysia kopitiam did to their normal vomit/poo smell.