The Donovan House, the sleek boutique hotel on DC’s Thomas Circle, hasn’t had the easiest go of things in the dining department. Originally, its in-house restaurant was to be a Todd English-helmed modern-Asian place called Cha. A few months ago, after repeatedly delayed openings, English pulled out of the project and in came Susur Lee, the chef behind Shang in the Thompson Hotel, the Donovan’s sister property in Manhattan. The candlelit restaurant and lounge—now called Zentan (1155 14th St. NW; 202-379-4366)—opened Monday. The menu offers small plates, sushi, and pan-Asian entrées, including a few hits from Shang such as five-spice slaw and quick-sauté wild garlic shrimp.
Read on for a look at the dining room and lounge plus the dinner menu.
Sushi and Sashimi
Cooked shrimp $3
Smoked salmon $3
Yellowtail $3
Tuna $3
Spicy lobster $5
Japanese snapper $3
Scallop $3
Salmon $3
Sea urchin $5
Freshwater eel $3
Cooked lobster $6
Albacore $3
Octopus $4
Daily Market Selections
Sushi plate—7-piece sushi and spicy tuna roll $18
Sashimi plate—12-piece sashimi $25
Sushi and sashimi platter—5-piece sushi, 9-piece sashimi, and tuna roll $28
Sushi platter—15-piece sushi and 2 signature rolls $48
Zentan platter—18-piece sushi, 15-piece sashimi, and 2 signature rolls $85
Zentan platter deluxe—2 whole fish, 18-piece sushi, 15-piece sashimi, and 2 signature rolls $120
Asian Crudo
Bigeye Tuna $15
Preserved lemon, jalapeño, and soya
Freshly Shucked Oysters $16
Ponzu, shallot, Spanish chili, and basil
Salmon $12
Cilantro, chives, sea salt, shiso, and lime-ponzu sauce
Tuna Tartare $13
Crispy Asian pear, avocado, fried shallots, and micro-greens
Charred Scallops $14
Almond, sundried-tomato vinaigrette, and salmon caviar
Yellowtail $14
Black bean, yuzu, and radish salad
Crudo Platter $24
Bigeye tuna, salmon, charred scallop, yellowtail, and Singapore slaw
Signature Rolls
Spicy—salmon, tuna, yellowtail, or scallop $8
California—jumbo lump crab $9
Philadelphia—smoked salmon, cream cheese $7
Avocado—tuna, salmon, yellowtail, shrimp, or freshwater eel $7
Ever Green—vegetables wrapped with cucumber skin $7
Natoro—riceless roll, tuna, salmon, yellowtail $9
Salmon Lover—salmon, avocado, spicy salmon, tobiko $10
Snow—tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado with kelp seaweed $10
Fire Dragon—spicy tuna, barbecued eel, avocado, tobiko $11
Fire Cracker—shrimp tempura, spicy lump crab salad $11
Rainbow—jumbo lump crab, tuna, salmon, yellowtail $12
Lobster—Maine lobster, shiso leaf, caviar $18
Soup
Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup $6
Chicken and shredded vegetable
Coconut Shrimp $7
Thai chili and fresh lime
Starters
Singapore Slaw $16
16 ingredients, hazelnuts, and salted-plum dressing
Edamame with sea salt $5
Chinoise Salad $10
Avocado, mango, kumquats, snowpeas, cashews
Grilled chicken/shrimp, add $5
Beijing Cucumber Salad $10
Roasted peppers, barley miso, and avocado
Yukon Matchstick Potatoes $8
Spiced mayo
Chickpea Onion Rings $8
Mango chutney and minted yogurt
Almond-Crusted Vegetable Dumplings $9
Swatow chili dipping sauce
Lobster and Shrimp Dumpling Lettuce Wrap $10
Mandarin-orange/chili/soya dip
Tempura Rock Shrimp $9
Citrus/smoked-chili mayo
Pulled Duck Roll $10
Spiced nuts, oven-dried pineapple, and goat cheese
Satay Beef/Chicken/Shrimp Trio $9
Penang peanut sauce, tamarind glaze, and mint chutney
Donovan Platter $22
Almond-crusted vegetable dumpling
Tempura rock shrimp
Pulled duck roll
Satay trio
Entrées
Caramelized Black Cod $24
Cantonese preserved vegetable/mustard-green relish
Quick-Sauté Wild Garlic Shrimp $22
Cantonese XO sauce, roasted tomato, and Thai basil
Spicy Stir-Fried Pearl Noodles $18
Scallops, shrimp, and fresh vegetables
Hong Kong-Style Steamed Fish Market Price
Chili/black-bean sauce, green onion, and ginger
Stir-Fried Boneless Jerk Chicken $16
Ginger-and-mango purée
Shang’s Crispy Garlic Chicken $18
Sweet-and-sour sauce, shrimp chips
Hunan-Style Pork Loin Ribs $21
Tomatillo/mango salsa
Cantonese Marinated Skirt Steak $23
Shallot brown butter, chili ponzu, and crunchy hazelnut
Mongolian Lamb Chops $34
Chili, mint, carrot, cardamom, peanut chutneys, and glazed bananas
Grilled Sirloin Steak $37
Teriyaki butter sauce and tempura vegetables
Roasted Salmon $24
Yuzu/tarragon hollandaise and wasabi mashed potatoes
Sauteed Scallops $22
Spicy black-bean sauce, vegetables, and sushi rice cakes
Szechuan-Style Half Duck $28
Bean djan and lotus pancake
Crispy Vegetable Fried Rice With Roasted Almonds $13
Chicken/beef/shrimp add $5
Sides
Miso roasted sweet potato with caramelized nuts $5
Wasabi mashed potatoes $6
Roasted soya asparagus $6
Stir-fried garlic Chinese long beans $5
Jasmine steamed rice $3
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.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
