Restaurant Week at Westend Bistro

The week of August 16th marks the summer Restaurant Week here in Washington, DC. Despite the gloomy economy and bipolar weather, reservations were filled up weeks in advance in the most sought after restaurants. I only had a few that I really wanted to try, Westend Bistro being one of them. I have recently become a big fan of Eric Ripert, whose restaurant "Le Bernadin" earned 3 stars from the Michelin guide, the highest honor that any chef in the world can get. Naturally, one would expect similar quality of food in his DC restaurant.

Unlike other restaurants, Westend Bistro did not post their RW menu on the web, so I assumed that I could pick off their normal menu.

I arrived at the restaurant, which was right next door to the Ritz-Carlton. The decor was very impressive, modern but not overdone.

I was handed the menu and was immediately disappointed by what was offered. There were only 2 options to pick from for each course. For the appetizer there was a house salad and a heirloom tomato consomme. Entree: Fish burger with mesclun salad and Grilled Chicken with Isreali couscous. Dessert: Creme Brulee and profiterole, which is a creme puff served with a chocolate sauce.
My friend and I both opted for the tomato consomme to start. The presentation was beautiful, with the server pouring over the cold soup in front of you.


The consomme was very refreshing, especially on a hot day. The heirloom tomatoes were flavorful, and the basil and cheese added the perfect touch to the dish. My only complaint would be that it left me wanting more!

For my entree, I ordered the fish burger. I have to say I was a bit disappointed to see that it was fried. The fish patty was flavorful, but the big chunk of tomato and loose slices of fennel seem really out of place in the burger. I had to pull them out and eat them separately. The bun was buttery flavored, however, the grease of the fish soaked into the bottom of them bun which made it a little unpleasant. I did like the addition of the mesclun salad and the dressing that was served.

My friend ordered the grilled chicken, which seemed like a very tasty dish (I didn't taste it). Butthe chicken looked perfectly cooked. This would have been the dish to go for if you decided to go to Westend Bistro for RW.

The dessert was my favorite part of this meal, and usually I'm not a very big dessert person. The puffs were filled with a delicious cream that wasn't overpowering in sweetness. The chocolate added the extra kick to make the dish even more flavorful. My friend and I were both tempted to lick our plates clean in the end.

Overall, I wouldn't say this was a disappointing dining experience had I not had so much expectations out of it. But I just didn't feel like what was offered in their RW menu really reflected Eric Ripert's forte. He is known for his seafood, however, the only seafood item on the menu was a fish burger, which can scarecely reflect on a chef's usage on the "fruits de mer."
The service wasn't all that great either. I felt very rushed to order, and the waiter dropped off the check before we finished our dessert.
I wouldn't say I won't return, because there are other dishes that I want to try out. However, for restaurant week, I would suggest you look elsewhere. And if you're ever in New York, go to Le Bernadin!!

An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert

Being a food fanatic, travel freak, and a cultural explorer, it is only natural that I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdain (ok, and maybe even a bit of a crush!) I watch his show "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel religiously, and never get sick of the re-runs. I love his no bullshit attitude, and his willingness to try everything. Great food isn't just about gourmet cooking. Sometimes, a street cart stand or a night market stand can dish out better cooking than 5 star hotels. And I completely agree with him when he says that sometimes the best cuisine is just a nice home cooked meal. Man do I get jealous when I see that he gets invited to families in Sardinia, Turkey, Vietname, etc. If I had access to home cooking like that, I would never even think about dining out!

When I saw that "Tony" was coming to the Warner Theatre here in Washington, DC, I got tickets without hesitation. However, after I septn my $50, I really had no idea what exactly he would be doing during this "evening" event. Will he be cooking? Is like like a stand up comedy show? Will it be a show down between Bourdain and Ripert?

The evening turned out to be kind of a interact with the audience type of event. Bourdain and Ripert were on the stage on a couch along with a host. The first hour consist of the host asking both of them a series of questions., and the second half was a Q and A sesion with the audience. I knew what to expect out of Tony, he's a guy who speaks his mind and isn't afraid of offending anybody. He is very opinionated and has a great sense of humor. Now before this, I am ashamed to admit, I had no idea who Eric Ripert was. "He's going to be a judge on Top Chef!" one of my friends told me. OK great, but who is he? Turns out he's a seafood master who has a cooking show on PBS. Throughout the show you get a sense that he is a very diplomatic guy who doesn't like to criticize other people in font of the audience. Which is kind of ironic given that you kind of have to be critical to be a judge on Top Chef!

Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain are like day and night, and maybe that's why they had the two of them on stage at the same time. I can't really imagine 2 Tony's up there.

One thing I do have to note that from all of the talks that I been to with famous chefs, there was always an emphasis on the American farming industry. Of all people, top chefs in the world knows what quality ingredients are. Whether they agree with the practice itself is another story, but the taste of the meat, produce or whatever will always speak for itself.

Was the night worth $50? Probably not, but I had my laugh, and learned a great deal.

I am now currently reading Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential", which I highly recommend. It will change your perspective on dining out. A lot of stories I can actually relate to given that I currently work in a restaurant myself!