Asia 9 (Or Nine) Impressions

I hope Asia 9 does stick around. It is a beautiful restaurant, but I agree that the menu leaves something to be desired. I recently went to an Asian Bistro in Cleveland (of all places), and was reminded of how I wished Asia 9 was more interesting. Like the food editor wrote, the fries were AMAZING..yes, fries at an Asian bistro..

Asia 9, if you are reading, check out this menu http://www.sasamatsu.com/sasamenu.pdf and the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s review: http://blog.cleveland.com/lifestyles/2008/04/sasa_matsu_gives_unique_twists.html

Has the tapas craze gone so far that now Asian restaurants are calling their appetizers tapas? Come on Asia9! Don’t be that restaurant. Leave the tapas for the Spanish type restaurants.

I agree, there are way too many tapas restaurants in PQ now.

Asia 9 is closer to Spices than Yanyu in Cleveland Park. So far, Asia 9 is a notch below Spices in quality (or my memory of it from when I lived in CP), but hopefully they’ll get better as they settle into their still-new restaurant.

I’ve been getting takeout from there very frequently now. In particular, I like the crab stick nigiri sushi and have been happy with all the rolls I’ve had. Their tom yum soup (vegetable version) is SO good. And they package their carryout sushi very nicely. Eventually, I’ll put up a real review on my blog.

The quality of their actual sushi isn’t top notch, but just average (similar quality to sushi go around). Their sushi menu is also very basic with not a lot of fun, larger, creative multiple ingredient roles. I found their unagi and tuna to be too chewy on my last visit.

I have high hopes for that other sushi place opening on 7th street near Booknotes.

We tried Sunday for dinner for the first time. I was very concerned that at 7:00 pm, even on a Sunday, there were only four other couples in the restaurant.

Because of this we stuck to the basics – i had dumplings (could have been hotter, temperature, not spice) and a VERY spicy and enjoyable thai basil (green beens with shrimp). The green beans were very crispy which was perfect and the quality of the shrimp was above average. My husband had edamame and pad thai.

Next time we’ll probably try and branch out a bit more, their menu does have a lot of options even for non-sushi-eaters.

I would rate it as good but not great … but with potential to improve which I sincerely hope they will!

i was at rosa mexicano last night. Good news: They now deliver to mostly all of PQ, with a $20 minimum between Penn Ave and H street, and from 12th street to 3rd or 4th street i think, all NW.

I noticed last night that they’ve slightly updated their sign (photo on post above). It now has smaller white letters saying something like “Restaurant, Bar & Lounge” under the larger “Asia Nine” yellow letters.

I walk by Asia 9 every night on the way home from work. Rarely have I seen the restaurant full with more than 50% of capacity.

Based on my dining experiences, I can see why it hasn’t taken off. I’ve been there twice now and both times left unimpressed. I found the sushi to be decent quality but overpriced. The main dishes are more reasonably priced but lack any flavor or character. IMO, the decor is also cheesy and tacky — it looks like the owners went to home depot to pick up a bunch of light fixtures and other items and threw them all together. It’s a shame because I had such high hopes for this restaurant. I wish they did a couple of dishes really well instead of trying to capture every popular Asian dish. For me, there was nothing memorable about the restaurant that will draw me back.

Not only is the food quality disappointing, but for a pan-Asian restaurant, the menu is remarkably vegetarian-unfriendly, also.

Also, they have served me sake at room temperature. It definitely needed to be chilled.

Just noticed this on the Washingtonian food blog:

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/restaurants/bestbites/7620.html

It sounds like there will be new additions to the menu soon.

We have eaten in and gotten take out multiple times (it is just too handy for us in the Artisan!)

I agree with Columbo that the menu is not as unusual as anticipated. But the food and service have been consistently good for us, although the woman that stands outside on the weekends guiding pedestrians and cars out of the Artisan garage is a tad annoying! Love the Hana Awaka sparkling sake though.

Thanks #12!

Bento Boxes (mentioned in the Waashingtonian link) might be fun, it’s hard to say. I hope they’ll try to specialize more and not cover every pan-Asian dish as I feel they’re doing now.

I am not surprised at what Asia 9 is. A big place where you can either people watch or take a large group to eat without much notice. Plus, the prices don’t seem that high. Basically your run-of-the-mill “reasonably priced” restaurant that makes their food on-site. Nothing wrong with that, and is conveniently located next to the biggest touristy corner in the city.

Like other places closer to 7th, I think sidewalk seating would be nice. They must have a reason for not having it.

Asia Nine management did say they have plans for outdoor seating. don’t remember the timetable, though. good point, Evroult. forgot to mention that in the post.

Although this may come across the wrong way, I really have nothing against Asia9, I actually like the fact that there is an ok restaurant that you can pretty much always count on not having to wait. Its a good backup.

I know a fair amount about Asia9 and spoke to the owners several times during the construction and design process. They seem very nice, but they seem a little bit out of their league.

I think this is a typical example of the herd / bubble mentality. It is in some ways similar to the internet and real estate bubbles. Something is hot so everyone thinks they should get in on it and you can’t lose money.

In this case, virtually everyone who has opened a restaurant in this area has been successful and presumably made money. So, someone who owned a small strip-mall restaurant

http://www.chow.com/assets/2006/09/12_17_500x362.jpg

decided that they should invest several million dollars (they bought the store-front that the restaurant is in) and open an upscale restaurant. It seems that they just assumed that “If you build it they will come”. I don’t think they thought through the location – sort of a dead block – and the food is average.

Average food is fine in a strip mall for $6.95, but people want a little bit more than average when they sit down and pay $20-25 per person (or more for sushi and drinks)

However, if they succeed, it is the great american dream of course.

I should note that I have eaten there 4 or 5 times. I have nothing against them and like them in the neighborhood, it just never struck me as such a great idea or a guaranteed success.

I think $20-$25 per person is extremely average for a spartan dinner in DC. I don’t expect much for that. Rule of thumb of costs, including tip and tax:

$10 appetizer
$10 cocktail or wine glass
$7 beer
$20 entree (for pasta, chicken, and some seafod)
$10 dessert

That may be low, especially for appetizers that are entree-sized.

#17, local – I think your retail analysis about it being a relatively dead block is right on. the FBI building gets much of the responsibility on all four sides of its edifice deadening 50% of the E Street block. it’s such a shame that the FBI is locked up tight like a bunker on Penn Ave, DC’s Champs Elysees. oh to want for sidewalk cafes…welcome to the age of security.

in the context of the above comments, it is interesting to see that Asia 9 and The Source are more or less dead even in our PQ Living poll along the top right of the home page. not sure what that says about either restaurant!

keep on voting!