About The Source
The presence of celebrity chefs in Washington has waned—we said adieu to Alain Ducasse and Eric Ripert last year—but Wolfgang Puck is going strong. His six-year-old glass box of a restaurant next to the Newseum still turns out some of the best high-end Asian in the area, thanks to longtime executive chef Scott Drewno. Start with a round of dumplings, whether delicate purses of pork belly with black vinegar or puffy chive dumplings with crab and Kurobuta pork. Then move on to a fabulous duo of Border Springs lamb, with tender chops and a stir-fry of the loin, or a whole sea bass with yuzu-ponzu sauce. A few caveats: Prices in the more formal upstairs dining room are sky-high, and the generically minimalist space doesn’t win any points for atmosphere. You can avoid the sticker shock—and eat very well—by grabbing a banquette in the lounge or taking advantage of terrific happy-hour and brunch deals.
Open: Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for brunch and dinner.
Don’t Miss: In the dining room: Scallop-and-shrimp shu mai; tuna-tartare cones; suckling pig with plum purée; chili crabcake; lacquered duck with glazed figs; crab fried rice; pork-belly bao; carrot cake; chocolate-chip cookies. In the lounge: Mini-burgers; General Tso’s chicken wings; shrimp-tempura roll.