No. 10: The Source
Cuisine: A Wolfgang Puck–inspired take on Asian fusion, which means bigger, bolder flavors than you’d expect to find in Asian cooking, executed with a deftness that could convince you the master chef himself was in the kitchen.
Mood: From the hostesses in short black cocktail dresses to the rock soundtrack—a blast of Steppenwolf with your shu mai?—the airy space may convince you that you’ve wandered into a stylish LA party.
Best for: A no-expenses-spared night of glamour or a comparatively simple meal of dumplings, crispy whole fish, and other Chinese treats—the best Chinese cooking in Washington.
Best dishes: Dumplings stuffed with braised pork belly and swabbed with black vinegar; potstickers of mushroom and chicken; crispy suckling pig with plum purée; shrimp-and-scallop shu mai with lobster sauce; Indian-style Arctic char with cardamom raita; the best lamb chop in the area, double-cut, expertly seared with an Asian glaze, and sauced with a chili-mint vinaigrette; wok-fried whole sea bass, crisp on the outside, creamy within; chocolate truffle cake with masala-spiced chai ice cream; apple-almond crumble.
Insider tips: You can order from both the upstairs menu and the bar menu in the downstairs lounge, which means you can fashion a meal from exquisite pan-Asian cooking and elegant junk food. The bar menu is a little cheaper.
Service: *** (three stars).
Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner.
See all of 2009's 100 Best Restaurants
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
