Adam Express, a tiny Korean take out joint in Mount Pleasant, is not much to look at. The green brick exterior has traces of graffiti; the rickety bar stools are being held together with chicken wire; and the tired air conditioning unit can barely keep up with the heat emanating from the open kitchen. Write ups from the Washington Post and Washingtonian are proudly displayed on the walls, along with a giant thank you card from a local elementary school, and a primitive drawing of a fish that advertises the day’s special as “Fish Soup Cod Fish.” Next to the fish sign, a laminated maroon poster proclaims that the Washington City Paper has named Adam Express Best Korean Food in D.C. this year. You would never guess it from looking at the outside.
Still, what Adam Express lacks in ambiance, it makes up for in the quality of food and the great care with which it is prepared. As the neon sign in the window indicates, Adam Express serves Korean, Japanese, and Chinese food. This is enough to make one wary, as it seems to echo the nasty pizza/subs/Chinese food/wings/seafood joints littering Georgia Avenue. But the owners of Adam Express are Korean and excel at both Korean and Japanese fare. I cannot vouch for the Chinese food; in the two years I’ve frequented Adam Express, I have never seen anyone order it.
The Japanese menu consists primarily of familiar sushi rolls – California, spicy tuna/salmon, unagi, shrimp, avocado, tempura shrimp and tempura soft shell crab. A particular standout is the bulgogi roll, a huge disc of marinated Korean beef, crab, water cress, lettuce, carrots, and pickled daikon. The rolls are made to order using fresh ingredients and are very reasonably priced, ranging from $3 to $8 for six or eight pieces. There is also miso soup, seaweed salad, edamame, and chicken and salmon teriyaki.
While the sushi is just fine, you should really be going to Adam Express for the Korean food. If you want a little bit of everything, try the bibim bap. It’s a mix of bulgogi beef, sauteed eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, lettuce, watercress, pickled daikon, and bean sprouts, topped with a fried egg. You mix the veggies and meat with gochujuang — a Korean hot sauce — and rice to create an incredibly fresh and hearty meal. The bulgogi is tender and flavorful from bathing in a sweet sesame and soy-based marinade. It can also be ordered by itself and comes with rice and steamed vegetables.
