ANJU

Tom Sietsema Gives Anju Korean Restaurant a 3-Star Review | Eater DC

"I gave Anju a rare three-star (excellent) review yesterday, saying it has only gotten better since its impressive August opening that landed it at No. 9 in my fall dining guide. I often restrain myself from eating large portions to keep restaurants guessing, but I couldn't hold back in the face of steamed, "surprisingly light" pork dumplings and a kimchi pancake that was "thinner than most, crisp throughout and red with kimchi brine." Roasted sweet potatoes topped with honey butter, mint, basil, and a sesame oil foam are a "bliss dish," and the tornado potato doused with furikake is more than a visual trick — "picture a Slinky on your plate, dip clinging to chips, a marvelous mess." My only minor issues were run-ins with less attentive servers and food that sometimes comes out surprisingly fast. Earlier, Washingtonian critic Ann Limpert gave Anju 3.5 stars and labeled it her "restaurant of the year" for 2019." - Gabe Hiatt