RW Madness: TenPenh
The Washington dining scene is known more for its glut of tapas than its pan Asian cuisine. But tapas and pan Asian restaurants are similar in some ways: The best examples are inventive and exciting, and the worst are watered down and overpriced. If you tend to be a purist, pan Asian cuisine can seem rather unnecessary. Why pay more to have all your favorite Japanese, Thai, and Chinese flavors muddled together on a plate? In the wrong hands, it can be a disaster. But, in the spirit of Restaurant Week adventure, I decided to give pan Asian a chance and booked dinner at TenPenh.
For Restaurant Week, TenPenh is offering a choice of six appetizers, any entree on the regular menu, and three desserts. The only upcharge is on the smoked Chinese lobster, which is an additional $9. TenPenh is owned by the same folks who run DC Coast, so it's not surprising that seafood features prominently on the menu: Eight of the 12 entrees are either fish or shellfish.
For our first course, we ordered the Filipino lumpia spring rolls and chicken roti canai. Like many Americans, I've met very few fried foods that I didn't like, and in this sense the spring rolls did not disappoint. Though a little greasy, the ground meat was just salty enough, and the skin was golden and crunchy. The rolls were served with three dipping sauces -- a sweet chili sauce, Chinese black vinegar, and a toasted sesame aioli. The sweet chili sauce was reminiscent of your typical spring roll dipping sauce, but the nutty, creamy sesame aioli made a delightful pairing with the meat filling.
While TenPenh's spring rolls were a definite improvement over the original, the same cannot be said for the roti canai. Roti canai, a slightly sweet, chewy, crispy Malaysian flatbread, is typically served with a side of chicken curry dipping sauce. TenPenh's version is sort of like a Malaysian quesadilla; the chicken and curry are stuffed between two pieces of griddled roti and served with a spiced apple dipping sauce. I found the sauce overwhelmed the delicate curry flavors in the chicken, making everything taste like cinnamon and apples. I opted to eat my portion without it. That said, the roti "quesadilla" was still enjoyable because the flavors and textures evoked the original dish. However, the best part of roti canai --the light, flaky layers of dough and the rich coconut curry--did not carry over to this version. As a new dish in its own right, it's not bad, but it doesn't top the original.
Our entrees, seared scallops and Chilean sea bass, were also very successful. The scallops were properly seared, with a caramelized crust and moist center. But the real star of the dish was the whipped sweet potatoes studded with bits of braised pork belly. The saltiness of the tender pork heightened the sweetness of the potatoes, making for an intense mouthful when combined with a bite of scallop. The sea bass was also pan seared, creating a rich crust enveloping a juicy, flaky center. According to the menu, the bass was served with a black bean garlic sauce. I immediately thought of Chinese black bean sauce, which is intensely garlicky and has a salty bite from fermented soybeans. I was concerned that this would completely overwhelm the mild fish, but TenPenh's sauce was not what I had envisioned. Instead, the sauce was more like a garlic sweet chili sauce, scattered with a handful of black beans. The sweetness was countered by bitter rapini and deep fried carrot strings added a final touch of vegetable crunch.
Unfortunately, dessert was fairly forgettable. Selections included five-spice chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, a mango and coconut "blondie" cake, and passionfruit cheesecake. The high note was a creamy coconut panna cotta, but the accompanying cake was dense and dry. Desserts on the regular menu look much more promising. The best dessert was actually not part of our order. Our waiter brought out a complimentary sample of soft, sugary tamarind blondie bars. The unusual combination of brown sugar, butter, and tamarind tasted a bit like ripe dates.
The strength of our first two courses was enough to leave me feeling very satisfied with the meal overall. TenPenh is worth a visit during Restaurant Week or any time you want pan Asian food done well.
TenPenh
1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW # 4
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 393-4500
Metro: Federal Triangle
Hours
Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: Monday - Thursday, 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., Friday - Saturday, 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m., Sunday, 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.