KATA DC

Chinatown’s Fusiony New Supper Club Hits All the Senses | Eater DC

"Opening Friday, March 14 at 600 F Street NW, this historic Chinatown corner structure — built in 1906 for the Oriental Building Association (an Asian community center still advertised on its limestone facade) — has been reinvented by a partnership between hospitality powerhouses Mike and John Burns (Burns Brothers), vet restaurateur Tim Ma (Lucky Danger, Any Day Now), and commercial real estate broker LaMean Koroma. "There are so many Michelin-starred places here, but what is missing from a nightlife standpoint? The need for more of a dinner-party vibe," says John Burns, and guests entering will find a reinvented ground floor of bright, LED-lit lines, mesmerizing mirrored accents, textured walls, rows of crimson-colored booths laid out like a catwalk, and blacked-out velvet curtains that seem to blur the concept of space and time — plus sensory touches such as lavender water poured over your hands before dining; as Burns promises, "No matter where you’re sitting, you’re gonna get a one-of-a-kind experience. Everything will hit on all the emotions, from smell to touch." From a glass-enclosed exhibition kitchen in the back, chef Brian Dunbar (whose resume includes Ram’s Head Tavern in Savage, Maryland) executes an artistically plated dinner menu of tapas for two, sushi and sashimi, ramen, dumplings, soups, and salads: "I like to incorporate a lot of different backgrounds into my food," says Dunbar, and "This is definitely our special take on Asian fusion," exemplified by a creamy risotto infused with Thai basil pesto and topped with grilled prawns and a shower of toasted sesame seeds. The theatrical program extends to entertainment and service: house DJs until 2 a.m. on weekends, high-end Yamaha, JBL, and Rockville speakers for powerful, crystal-clear audio, fire dancers performing atop the bar, flambeed filet, showy sushi torched tableside off rolling carts, and a smoky Old Fashioned starring Suntory Japanese whisky. Opening cocktails include a timely "Cherry Blossom" made with ruby-red Empress Rose Elderflower Gin, cherry puree, and rosé Champagne, while a savory "Last Dragon" showcases a shrimp skewer swimming in Belvedere vodka. The name nods to the building’s original terracotta surroundings and "translates to a special form of movement in martial arts," a word Mike Burns notes "is one of the few words that shares the same meaning in Chinese and Japanese": "We wanted to stay true to the genesis of what this building really represents, of bringing people together," he says. With a dress code described as "elevated casual" (explicitly not aimed at jersey-wearing arena crowds) and a VIP private back entrance along Sixth Street NW, the venue debuts with an upstairs lounge to wait and additional concepts: "Nohmad at Sunset" — a "wanderlust, nomadic experience" filled with greenery and its own bar manned by staff in flight-attendant–themed outfits — and daytime "Nohmad at Sunrise" serving coffees and teas from around the world on roving carts; a flashy penthouse level opens only on Saturday nights where waiters will sport tuxedos and white gloves to pour exclusively top-shelf spirits. "In trying times like these, especially with what’s going on in the government, people need to have an escape from their daily reality," says John Burns, adding that "What are the great unifiers? Music and food." The dramatic overhaul was led by Drummond Projects’ Jimmie Drummond, transforming the former Fuel Pizza location into a trippy, luxe space (he also designed the striking-blue Elmina), and the project sits directly across from Capital One Arena amid an $800 million modernization; the upper-level extensions share space with the Burns Brothers’ two-year-old membership club HQ House, which is simultaneously expanding to Tatu City, Kenya." - Tierney Plumb