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 - B+
The service at Little Saigon was pretty good - despite there being somewhat of a language barrier everything went smoothly and our waitress had an extremely pleasant and cheerful disposition.

Food - A
Just mouth-watering.  I started out with some of the best fried chicken wings I’ve ever had in my entire life that were spiced to perfection.  That was followed up with bo nhung dam (beef dipped in vinegar), which was also delicious (to the point that I didn’t even want to douse it in sriracha because I didn’t want to cover its natural flavor).  For a main course I had bo luc lac (beef cut into cubes and marinated) - again, prepared to perfection.

Decor - C
As I’m sure you can well imagine you don’t come to Little Saigon for the decor or the ambiance.  You come to eat food.  I don’t have to tell you that the decor is really nothing to write home about.

Feel - B
The feel of the place is great because of the quality of the food.  The only reason you would make the trip to Little Saigon is for one of the best Vietnamese culinary experiences in the DC-area - but I can assure you if you are a fan of food in general it is definitely worth the trip.

Little Saigon Restaurant is located at 6218 Wilson Boulevard.  They can be reached at (703) 536-2633.

Cost - $

Service - A-
I’ve been to Pho Bistro about ten times and have always been helped by the same server - a middle-aged Vietnamese woman who is literally the friendliest and happiest person I have ever met in my entire life.  I went back a few weeks ago and was helped by someone who explained she was her daughter and she ended up being the second-most friendly and happy person I have ever met in my entire life.

Food - A-
It is probably one of the best places to get pho in Virginia. The ingredients are fresh and high-quality.

Decor - C-
It isn’t really a place you go to enjoy the aesthetics, just the food. That being said, the decor does provide a decent amount of privacy and also a clean, sterile environment.

Feel - B-
It is pretty utilitarian: you go and eat and leave. Basically, the main attraction is the pho but that is sufficient.

Pho Bistro is located at at 44260 Ice Rink Plaza in Asburn, Virginia

Cost - $$

Service - C
I used to have great experience with the service at the Cleveland Park location but it seems to have dropped off in the past year or so.  Now when I go there is rarely a word muttered by the server and they seem surly the whole time.  I can’t quite figure it out.

Food - B+
I’ve only ever ordered the pho at Nam-Viet and that is sufficient for me. Actually, while I’m writing this I’m sort of getting hungry for Pho. The stuff is addictive.

Decor - D
There are certain rules to Vietnamese pho places: good service/good pho/no investment whatsoever in decor.

Feel - C-
If you go here it is only for the pho. Definitely not a great ambiance, just really good food.

What’s the Buzz:

April 13, 2007 - Nam-Viet (Drift Reality) - Nam-Viet is a great Vietnamese place in Cleveland Park with really tasty pho (if anyone knows the accurate pronunciation of this word please let me know), good prices, and friendly service. I ordered a beef dish once and regretted it when it came drenched in a slimy glaze that reminded me of cheap Chinese food. I often go with a friend who lives in Cleveland Park and she normally orders the grilled shrimp and scallops on skewers and although I have never tried them, they look pretty delicious. Full Article…