Ingle Korean Steakhouse
Korean restaurant · U Street ·
Upscale Korean steakhouse with tender meats, seafood, and prix fixe options
Upscale Korean steakhouse with tender meats, seafood, and prix fixe options
"The upscale steakhouse born in Northern Virginia expanded to D.C. in early December, taking over the old Nama Ko space on upper 14th Street NW; dinner ($80) includes starters like wok-charred asparagus and luxe egg-yolk-topped steak tartare, plus mains (warm soups, chilled noodles, or fried rice) served with the restaurant’s starring American wagyu cuts, which will change with availability from the Midwest ranches it sources from." - Tierney Plumb
"Marbled cuts of American wagyu now sizzle on sleek marble tabletops in an expansive, elegant room at the northern tip of the U Street NW corridor, where trained servers handle the grilling so I can focus on the show and the artfully arranged panchan—kimchi, pickled veggies, and sweet-spicy ssamjang—hugging the grill’s glossy edges. Dinner centers on an $80 prix fixe (with lunch only on weekends) that starts with a seasonal welcome bite—currently a warm pumpkin porridge that shifts to New Year’s rice cakes—followed by one shared side per two (think wok-charred asparagus or mushrooms with garlic chips) and one shared appetizer per two (like egg-yolk-topped steak tartare or a thick scallion pancake with shrimp and greens under panko). Mains span warm soups, chilled noodles, or fried rice, paired with Midwest-sourced wagyu served in traditional order from leanest to richest—tri-tip, hanger, shortrib (galbi), and marinated zabuton—with cool fermented panchan to reset the palate between bites. Conceived as a special-occasion spot, hospitality is meticulous and intentional, bolstered by tight supplier relationships for better control of quality and aging, and beef whose characteristics are said to be closest to Hanwoo (Korean beef). The cool, minimalist design favors brass, walnut, granite, and marble, highlighted by a panoramic inlaid mother-of-pearl serpentine pine behind the bar—repurposed from the owner’s late grandmother’s armoire—while a larger 14th Street bar program leans into Korean-made gin and ingredients like jujube and yuzu. Not AYCE and decidedly less-is-more, it aims to elevate Korean steakhouse traditions and energize the neighborhood." - Evan Caplan
"The upscale steakhouse born in Northern Virginia expands to D.C. inside the former Nama Ko space on 14th Street NW; while the Vienna original offers a la carte seafood like steamed mussels and salmon sashimi, those desiring a full experience can opt for prix fixe lunch and dinner options." - Tierney Plumb
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