COAT, PLEASE!

‘Tis the season… for a good coat! Now that I’m back on the East Coast, I’m kind of excited to go through a real, full-blown winter. I know that many people consider a SoCal ‘winter’ a joke. And I don’t really blame anyone for thinking so. But you have to understand that when you’ve acclimated to the weather of Southern California, where sun and warmth are the norm, 49-degree mornings in the winter can be painstakingly frigid. On the other hand, a 49-degree day during a DC winter is actually a blessing, especially if the sun is out. But now I’m back in the land where winter weather is the real deal, and that means that it’s time for me to invest in a brand new coat.

If you know me well, I’m pretty picky when it comes to clothing. Coats are no exception to my utter pickiness. I’m not one for “ordinary” looking outerwear, and the “mass-produced” look of those box-shaped black wool jackets (You know you’ve seen them. Banana Republic and Kenneth Cole are big culprits.) are bo-RING. (Sorry to those who actually like them.) I’ve spent the last couple of weeks actually scoping out the “coat scene” here in the DC area. So far, I’ve had no luck finding anything outstanding. Every store from Banana to J. Crew, H&M to French Connection, and even Sisley to Zara have been disappointments. I remember being wowed by the coats I saw at the new Zara in L.A.’s Farmer’s Market on 3rd this past September. I expected to be equally impressed by the Zara’s here (if not more so), but that didn’t happen. This just goes to confirm that DC-area style can be nothing short of boring. It’s “uniform city” here in Our Nation’s Capital, but I am not discouraged.

If only I were friends with Jil Sander, or whoever is designing for the brand these days. (Ha!) I’ve always been allured by the silhouettes of Jil Sander outerwear. The brand knows how to craft a well-worn coat; one that fits a person in a way that compliments them, rather than merely covering them up. The functionality of keeping warm is still there, despite the fact that you won’t drown in their coats and jackets. So the hunt continues.

L-R: Rudolf Dassler Wool Long Jacket (Puma.com), Mackage 3/4 Trench (revolveclothing.com)

L-R: Mackage grey wool "Neil" cable knit collar coat (bluefly.com), Jil Sander Fall 2009 Collection

I wonder how long it’ll take me to find the “perfect” winter coat?

MOVE OVER FLANK STEAK, PORK BELLY HAS ARRIVED

If “30s” is the new “20s,” then “pork belly” has got to be the hot, new thing in the foodie world (at least). Sure -- pork belly has been around for as long as men have been eating swine. It’s a staple in my native Philippine cuisine, as it is in other Asian and Latin fare. And popular “bad yet yum” food items, such as bacon and pancetta, are usually made from pork bellies. In essence, however, it seems that in recent years pork belly has become a popular part of the Western world’s high-end dining culture.

One of DC’s newest additions to the restaurant landscape, Masa 14, embraces the pork belly like no other. Two of the most sensuous dishes in their tapas-style line-up features pork belly as the star ingredient: Pork Belly Al Pastor Tacos (melt-in-your-mouth pork belly with pineapple preserve, red Fresno, lime, cilantro & pickled onion served on a steamed bun) & Pork Belly Carnitas (smooth-as-butter pork belly with kabocha squash, adobo bbq sauce, and blood orange). The tacos brilliantly illustrates Masa 14’s Latin/Asian fusion, meshing together the flavors of the two regional cuisines and serving it not in a corn or flour tortilla, but on a steamed bun. (Filipinos, think “siopao-esque” flat bread in lieu of the usual tortilla.) The soft, fluffy, and somewhat doughy texture of the bun envelopes the pork belly, absorbing its juices (and fat, I’m sure) in a way that makes the dish even more delicate than its arrival to the table. And carnitas will do as only carnitas can do, but pork belly carnitas out-does them all. The blood orange adds a zing in contrast to the adobo flavor’s zang, offering the dish “superstar” status.

Pork Belly Al Pastor Taco

The pork belly actually doesn’t hog (no pun intended) the limelight, however, and Masa 14’s surplus of flavors transcends an illustrious list of culinary dignitaries: crunchy shrimp & barbecued eel temaki hand rolls, tuna ceviche & Hijiki seaweed-jicama salad, Thai chicken flatbread, grilled baby octopus, fried oysters served in bibb lettuce cups, Kobe beef brisket, yucca fries (served with chimichurri and garlic/lime aioli), and shrimp and pork fried rice just to name a few.

Crispy Shrimp

If you’re looking for a meal that will fill you up, be warned. Masa 14 specializes in tapas-style dishes, so it’s best to know that before entering. The new dining space is the project of Chef Richard Sandoval, who is credited with “marrying” Latin and Asian cuisines by way of Zengo (in Chinatown), and Chef Kazuhiro “Kaz” Okochi, of Kaz Sushi Bistro fame. Their dining area evokes a sense of urban chic with wood-planked floors, brick walls, and reddish and brownish hues emphasized with metallic accents. The open space, which boasts a 65-foot long bar along one of its sides, gives off a vibe that rivals any power-restaurant in the city. However, the space isn’t packed with stuffy suits and made-for-the-office stilettos. Instead, you’ll find hip, trendy, yet very casual diners in for both food and scene. The restaurant is loud, but not to the point of obnoxiousness. And for a more private experience, a separate dining room can accommodate up to 18 guests.

Masa 14's bustling dining room

View of Masa 14 from 14th Street NW

For the late night set, Masa 14 is a perfect addition to the 14th & U Street corridor. With other spots like Marvin, Bar Pilar, and Sainte Ex just a walk away, Masa 14’s bar area will surely become a destination for Friday and Saturday night loungers. Couple that scene with their late-night bar menu of tapas and creative drink concoctions, draught beers, wine, sake, and tequila… and ultimately, you have a winner.

Pork belly fans, welcome home.



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Masa 14, 1825 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, 202.328.1414

(Photos courtesy of the restaurant's website.)

STAYING CURRENT

In no way, shape or form am I a sushi snob. Although I must admit that during my stint in L.A., I had some of the best sushi experiences there. And I’m not only talking about the ultra-glam sushi experiences that you’d expect to have at Matsuhisa, Nobu, or even Mori Sushi in West L.A. Even in the most obscure places in the L.A. area you are bound to find a sushi spot that is pretty excellent (Except, of course, Creative Sushi in Santa Monica… Uh, hi. I don’t like my sushi warm, thanks.). I owe the excellent sushi “culture” of L.A. to the fact that they are a coastal city, and the Pacific is the gateway to some of the best fish (…and sharks, and octopus, and moray eels. I’ll save this info for a future post on my biggest fears.).

Since I’ve been back in the DC area, I haven’t had a serious hankering for sushi. I think part of it is that I have never known my city to be a haven for sashimi, nigiri, or maki (rolls). The sushi experience in DC, for me at least, has always been just OK, unless you’ve got a soft spot for rolls that are named after U.S. states or cities. I’ve had some of the best California and Philadelphia rolls ever here in DC, but I would never base a real sushi experience after those. (Cream cheese in a maki roll? Not exactly the 'E True Hollywood Story' according to my Japanese friends – AKA ‘Sushi Police.’)

Case in point: Current. Current is the reincarnation of the once-very-popular Dragonfly. Located on Connecticut Avenue, smack in the center of the Golden Triangle’s bar/club corridor, Current is nestled in a comfortable nook that’s just a stones throw away from the somewhat iconic Julia’s Empanadas and the now-defunct MCCXXII (1223). With new kids on the block like Steve’s Bar Room and the re-furbished Public Bar (formerly Club Five), Current somehow still manages to be … current. While the place still attracts a crowd (an albeit random one), the sushi can only be described as OK at best.

Their menu isn’t super impressive, but it is full of the standards: toro (fatty tuna), sake (Scottish salmon, in this case), aji (mackerel), unagi (eel), and uni (urchin) to name a few. And their maki rolls are also pretty typical: Dragon (eel, avocado, roe, and shrimp tempura), crunchy roll, and soft shell crab. The biggest plus for me is that the rolls are not the Stay-puff Marshmallow Man-sized craziness that you’ll find at your average glamorized “pan-Asian bistro.” Current deals out normal-sized rolls; pieces that are easily consumed without having to attempt to bite them in half. And while the sushi tastes decent, it isn’t really mind-blowing. While it’s definitely better than grocery store or food court sushi, it isn’t the melt-in-your-mouth kind that would make you want to run back for more. Not that I expect all sushi to be done a la Hiroyuki Urasawa, either.

The gleam of light from my experience at Current was definitely the hotate (scallop) kushi (skewer), which easily reminded me of some of the L.A. area’s robata and kushi spots, or izakaya. The scallop was perfectly grilled, and not over-cooked. And it was bursting with flavor.

Current’s décor is interesting, for lack of a better term. However it is miles away better than it was before. As Dragonfly, the soft glow of the interior colored lighting of the lounge would sexily emanate from the frosted main window. Couple that with the ultra-mod (and stark white) tables and chairs, and you had one of DC’s first ventures into the trendy Euro-chic style of the late 90s. But Dragonfly was always so cramped, and the use of the space was poor. With Current comes a much better use of the space, with the elongated bar giving way to a bevy of tables in front of, and to the side of it. Now patrons can comfortably lounge around the space without feeling confined. But while the use of space comes as a much-needed improvement, the décor is not as likable. It is surely a breath of fresh of air from ye ole Dragonfly days. And while the upstairs lounge area is typically lush as any trendy spot can be nowadays, the dining room’s use of aluminum-looking strips across the main and sushi bars (which I imagine to represent electric currents) made me think of tin-foil the whole time I was there.


Given the opportunity to go back with friends for a few rounds of drinks, or to commiserate in the lounge –I’d go again. The service was friendly enough to warrant a return visit, but I could easily skip the food. In the meantime, I'm on the hunt for a better sushi spot in the city.
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Current, 1215 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036, 202.955.5525

(Photos courtesy of the restaurant's website.)