Asia Nine is the latest endeavor by Boonrod Yotmanee and Nuthinepan Tantivejakul, the couple that runs Rice and Spice Thai Cuisine in Alexandria. As a person who spends most of their life in Penn Quarter, I was looking forward to the opening of a convenient restaurant with a selection of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Thai cuisines. I had read that Asia Nine was going to be mid-priced and casual so on my first visit with Jiyan, I was a little surprised on how expansive and well put together the place was. Truth be told, the hooks for me here are the flat screen televisions at the bar, sushi and the extensive sake list.

Cost - $$

Service - B+
I have eaten here a number of times since the doors opened in March and the service has been consistently good. Like most new establishments, there are kinks that will have to be worked out but the attentive and friendly attitude of the staff as a whole makes up for it. Expect the grade for service to improve once the sushi chefs start taking sake bombs with me.

Food - C+
The drawback of restaurants, especially Asian ones, with menus that span a variety of cuisines (fusion aside). Although the food in general can be good, the offerings tend to be the more popular safe dishes. Asia Nine fits into that mold and the dishes and sushi range from pretty good to average. Some may find the number of salads on the menu a plus.

Decor - B
As I alluded to above, I have come to expect most casual Asian restaurants to be a little thrown together including decor that falls along those lines but Asia Nine differs here. The space is open with high ceilings but the use of red, gold and orange color palette helps maintain a comfortable feel. Overall, I would say it’s a stylish restaurant.

Feel - B
I recently had dinner on a weekend and the place was full with a good buzz. It was nice to see a diverse crowd of people that seem to range from people on a date to casual diners to those who looked like they were warming up for a night on the town. A consistent solid experience be it happy hour or a Saturday night dinner.

Asia Nine is located at 915 E Street NW. They can be reached at (202) 629-4355.

What’s the Buzz:

March 26, 2008 - Asia Nine (Washington Post) - “I haven’t seen cocktails in these colors since spring break!” A buddy makes a nostalgic, and accurate, point as three of us ease into dinner at the sweeping Asia Nine Bar and Lounge in Penn Quarter: Our spirit-laced drinks form a Day-Glo rainbow of pink, yellow and blue on the tabletop, which is all but hidden by multiple menus that have been distributed to each of us. Full article…

March 18, 2008 - Asia Nine (DCfabulous) - Penn Quarter location. Check. Sushi menu. Check. Looks of what can be a trendy place to have sushi. Check. Tables full of children and tourists…ummmmm. I have been waiting for Asia Nine to open for a long time. And I was excited when I stopped by last Wednesday for the soft opening. Full article…

Cost - $$$

Service - C
The service at Korean restaurants is never that great unless you are Korean. That’s the cold, hard truth. At the same time if you can say a few words in Korean when you get there, it makes all the difference in the world no matter how poorly it comes out. Seriously - try saying “annyong haseyo” (greetings) to your waiter or waitress when yous it down and I guarantee they will laugh and warm up to you. When they are finished taking your order, try saying “kamsa hamnida” (thank you) and that will score even more points. All in all though, the service at Woo Lae Oak is pretty mediocre.

Food - C
The food isn’t as good as a place like Han Sung Oak and is as pricey as it gets in the DC area. In fact, the prices are more than what I paid at most Korean restaurants in London and that is factoring in the pound. For all the money you pay, you would expect to get mouth watering meal but the food is pretty run-of-the mill. The banchan is pretty puny and I had the doenjang jigge and wasn’t terribly impressed. I’ve also tried the kalbi here and it is good but nothing to write home about.

Decor - B+
Most Korean places are spartan so the fact that they make an effort at Woo Lae Oak to provide a great decor is even more evident. The place feels like a nice restaurant and there is plenty of privacy to be had throughout the large venue.

Feel - B+
As I mentioned in the preface, it is hard to really lambaste the place because they do a good job making a Korean restaurant appealing for western aesthetics. Woo Lae Oak is definitely a place you would want to take your family or go for a business lunch (if not for the smell of meat that will inevitably pervade your clothes and the gas that will pervade your stomach). There is also a bar area where you can go to grab a few drinks while you wait. Overall, it is definitely a place I would go with a group of people or if I were in the area, but if you are seeking top-notch Korean food there are other venues in Northern Virginia to hit up.

What’s the Buzz:

October 25, 2007 - Woo Lae Oak (Korean) Tysons Corner (WhereInDC) - I haven’t had Korean in many (many) years so I didn’t remember if I liked it or not. So when I went to Woo Lae Oak, based on the recommendation of a friend, I thought it was truly outstanding. However, I went to the one in Pentagon City, not Tysons. Unfortunately, I heard from a friend that the one in Pentagon City closed down. So I’m going to recommend Tysons. Full article…

February 18, 2006 - Woo Lae Oak (Tarting It Up) - I don’t want to appear tacky by name-dropping my professional successes, but well, maybe just this once. I was once a cashier at Bed Bath and Beyond. Twice, actually. Don’t believe me? Lemme rock a little Bed, Bath and Beyond harmony for you. Full article…

Cost - $$$

Service - C+
The service is efficient and utilitarian. Korean servers are never the most friendly in the world. That being said, if you drop some rough Korean on them they will always laugh and start making jokes with you. Try saying “Ahhhh! Nomu Mashitsayo,” when they come by after you’ve tried the food. I guarantee they will warm right up to you.

Food - A
This is the reason you would make the trip out to Falls Church. Han Sung Oak has the best Korean food in the DC-area in my humble opinion and I have tried most of the main Korean restaurants out here. The mandu is terrific, the banchan fresh and the barbecue really well prepared (especially the kalbi). I’ve also tried the pajun and the various rice dishes (dolsot bimbimap) and they are quite good as well.

Decor - C
After all, it is a Korean restaurant. I can’t think of one truly Korean restaurant in this area that actually has what I would consider a stylish decor.

Feel - C
Eating out a Korean restaurant is basically admitting that you aren’t going to make it a late night. You go, stuff yourself silly, then walk out feeling drunk, tired and gassy. What’s more, your skin will smell like meat and your breath smells like kim-chi. In other words it is probably time to go home. Actually, if you have a large group, Han Sung Oak would be a fun place to go and have a huge meal before finding a karaoke room down in Annandale.

What’s the Buzz:

June 1, 2005 - Han Sung Oak (DC Food Blog) - I’ve been meaning to get the review of Han Sung Oak up for a while, so here we go. Our first shared Korean food experience was on our honeymoon in Toronto. I had never had it before and he hadn’t had it in a long time. Turns out our B&B was right by Koreatown so one night we ventured out to a place called Joon’s. Honestly it rocked. Full Article…

August 1, 2004 - Han Sung Oak Restaurant Review (Washingtonian) - Korean cooking hasn’t made it big in Washington. Although some preparations might give non-Korean diners pause, many should appeal to the moderately adventurous diner. This restaurant is a good place to try them. Full Article…

Cost - $$

Service - A-
The service is top-notch. The wait staff, hosts, and bartenders are all cool and friendly. Every time I have gone, I’ve become engaged in a conversation with someone who works there.

Food - C+
I hate to give this place a rating like this because I do in fact, like it quite a bit. However, when it comes to Korean food I’m picky and I simply haven’t been impressed with the dishes I’ve had at Mandu. I’ve tried the kimchi jigge, dwengjang jigge, kalbi and dak gui and I haven’t really enjoyed any of them. The kimchi jigge and dak gui were too bland, the dwengjang in the jigge tasted cheap, and the kalbi was too greasy. That being said, I have a feeling they may be tailoring the food to meet Western taste buds so keep that in mind.

Decor - B+
Its nicely decorated. Definitely a refined, contemporary feel.

Feel - A-
It is just a cool place to get dinner. They do a good job creating privacy in a relatively small space and there is just a cool vibe. When it is nice outside there isn’t anywhere better to sit outside and enjoy dinner.

What’s the Buzz:

Cost - $$

Service - B
Korean restaurants aren’t normally known for their service…until you try to say a few words in Korean! Then they’ll warm up to you and start joking around with you. Ha Dong is no different. If you’re a Miguk then pick up a few words before you go and it will change the dynamics of your service there.

Food - B+
Although the food isn’t out of this world, it is pretty solid by DC-area standards. I’ve had the Kim Chi Jigge, the Kalbi, Bulgogi and it is all quite good.

Decor - C
Remember - we are talking about Rockville. It is a pretty Korean-style place, which means fairly basic but clean.

Feel
Ha Dong is a fun place to go, especially if you are in a large group and plan on drinking a great deal of soju.

What’s the Buzz:

August 25, 2004 - Ha Dong (Drift Reality) - Ha Dong, located at 2104 Viers Mill Rd, is a great Korean barbacue house in Rockville, MD. For Mother’s Day, I wanted to take my parents out for a good Korean dinner, but was shocked and disturbed by the absolute dearth of Korean restaurants in the city of DC. I guess Rockville is something like Korea town in Maryland though, because they all seemed to be consolidated in this area. Full Article…