Dish of the Week: Kataifi Prawns
Where: Crossroads
“Anyway, like I was saying, shrimp is the food of the sea,” Bubba explains to Forrest Gump as the two head off to basic training. Bubba famously goes on to list pretty much all the ways there are to prepare the crustaceans, several involving a date with hot oil. “Pan fried, deep fried, stir fried.”
But there’s one Bubba surely missed: kataifi prawns.
Kataifi is shredded phyllo dough, most commonly used in pastries in Greek, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern dessert preparations. The thin strands of dough, which look a bit like vermicelli, are more often seen wrapped around fillings of chopped nuts and drenched in syrup. But the stuff also makes a great wrapper for fried foods.
Prawn kataifi, served with a smoked paprika aioli, comes from the Europe section of the menu at the new global cuisine restaurant Crossroads (1901 Pennsylvania Avenue NW), appropriately situated near the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Kataifi is a popular method of preparing shrimp in Greece. As anyone who has ever looked for it in a Hellenic grocery, if a box of the dough doesn’t feature a sweet, it’s likely to be marked by a wrapped piece of shrimp. Here, jumbo is an understatement for the size of the shrimp which from a passing glance could be a concoction Bubba surely knows about—coconut shrimp. But shavings of coconut fried around a prawn give the seafood a shredded texture that’s often way too heavy thanks to the coconut’s high fat content. The kataifi has a lassoing effect on its subject, is lighter, and still manages to hold its crispiness when bitten.
Sound Bites DC
The 9:30 Club is getting up early this Sunday, for a night venue anyway. The music hall plays host to the Sound Bites, pairing food, music, and a bartender competition in a street festival outside of the club. For the price of a $40 ticket, attendees get tastes from an array of eateries including Buffalo and Bergen, Fat Shorty’s, and Del Campo. Drink slingers from The Gibson, Birch & Barley, Black Jack, and Bar Pilar will compete in a cocktail competition. Bands and DJs perform starting at 1 p.m.
Adams Morgan Taste Festival
Next week sees a uniquely timed weeknight neighborhood “taste of” festival. One dozen bars and restaurants will participate in Taste of Adams Morgan on Tuesday night. Revelers will buy tasting tickets redeemable for tastes up and down 18th Street with ticket sale proceeds benefiting Mary’s Center, a non-profit organization providing community services. A list of participating restaurants can be seen on the Center’s website. Most dishes are still TBD. Mellow Mushroom knows it will be serving its bruschetta and sweet or savory pretzels. Rumba Café will allow for the ordering of any happy hour appetizer the pan-Latin eatery serves.
New Brunch at Ripple
Ripple gives Cleveland Park residents a new solid brunch option begins offering a Sunday brunch menu with some inventive options. Chicken fried pork belly with sausage gravy and a fried egg, a pastrami smoked hash, pupusas rancheros, and oatmeal brancakes jump out from an “eggs and such” main portion of the menu. Goodies like skillet cinnamon rolls, housemade gravlax, smoked whitefish rillettes, and three bloody mary’s including chipotle-orange are also enticing.
Sietsema’s Spring Dining Guide
Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema released his 2013 Spring Dining Guide this week with a focus on revisiting dining rooms he’s been in the past. Sietsema heads to Lauriol Plaza to repeat his message that it’s great for people watching, lousy for eating. Half a star for a place where “inattention is a prime seasoning” and the single best…is the something-for-everyone clientele.” He’s still got love for Corduroy, Makoto, Ripple, and Siroc.
Coffee Pop Up
The Wydon will open in the Louis on 14th condo building when it’s completed. For now, its popped up at 1320 U Street, open seven days a week until 2 p.m.
Zaytinya Patio
Zaytinya has long been counted as one of DC’s most popular restaurants with its food from the kitchen and a great place to watch the world go by outside through expansive glass windows. José Andrés’ mezze spot is debuting a new patio just in time for summer with room for 70 including a communal table in the center that can fit parties as large as 16.
