Anju
Korean restaurant · Dupont Circle
1805 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
![Anju by Anju’s fried chicken [Photo: Facebook]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67031477/anju.0.jpg "Anju by Anju’s fried chicken [Photo: Facebook]")
Highlights
Homey joint with brick walls & outdoor seating serving contemporary Korean eats
Homey joint with brick walls & outdoor seating serving contemporary Korean eats
"This contemporary Korean restaurant by the owners of Chiko has great food and a chic atmosphere—the exposed wood beams and vintage apricot wallpaper give the whole thing a contemporary, barn-inspired feel. The Korean fried chicken is glazed in a spicy gochujang and barbeque sauce and is pretty darn good, even if it isn't the best thing on the menu. Get the jjamppong, a thick noodle soup made with a rich and spicy seafood broth and roasted clams that will have you slurping at the table without shame. Tables here are usually booked about a week out, so plan accordingly." - tristiana hinton, omnia saed, allison robicelli
"Situated between Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan, Anju, which is from the 2025 James Beard Award-nominated restaurant group behind casual hit Chiko, serves Korean bar food with a refined touch. James Beard Award-nominated chef Angel Barreto leads a kitchen that plates up standouts ranging from pork and kimchi mandu (dumplings) and smoky gochujang-glazed fried chicken with white barbecue sauce to a seafood fried rice (bokkeumbap) and seared rib-eye galbi boards. Weekend brunches brings on a smash galbi burger with caramelized onions and pickled gochu peppers (plus an impossible version), the gochujang chicken with corn cheese waffle, and a juk (rice porridge) topped with kimchi, lamb sausage, and a poached egg. Meanwhile, Chiko’s Capitol Hill flagship that started it all revived its experimental tasting menu a few nights a week ($75 or $105). Best for: Happy hour down in the bar from 5 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, where you can sample the flavorful mandu ($6 for 3) or a honey barbecue chicken sandwich ($10) before committing to a full meal." - Tierney Plumb
"One of the concepts led by Danny Lee, whose collective work across multiple restaurants earned him a finalist nod for Outstanding Restaurateur." - Missy Frederick
"There is a reason that this is the first cocktail the wait staff at Korean hit Anju will tell you to order. Taking the light and gentle flavor of Japanese Iwai whiskey and washing it in sesame oil gives the drink a rounded nutty flavor with a creamy mouthfeel. This melts together perfectly with black tea-infused tart cherry juice and rhubarb bitters which makes the whole concoction very refreshing and just a little bit too easy to drink. If you’re looking for something a little more classic, the Seoul Fashioned is also available but this one is just too special not to highlight." - Graham Steinberg
"Recommended for refined Korean bar food from a rising, James Beard Award–nominated chef; located between Dupont and Adams Morgan and noted for contemporary Korean flavors in a bar-food format." - Eater Staff
