Award-winning Vietnamese chef Kevin Tien's modern eatery reimagines classics





![Moon Rabbit by Kevin Tien by Moon Rabbit [official] Moon Rabbit by Kevin Tien by Moon Rabbit [official]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70157234/Tien.0.jpg)


![Moon Rabbit by Kevin Tien by Moon Rabbit [official] Moon Rabbit by Kevin Tien by Moon Rabbit [official]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70983681/Tien.0.jpg)























"Chef Kevin Tien brings his Vietnamese American Thanksgiving memories to your table with a take-home tasting menu ($296, feeds four). Enjoy bold dishes like turkey with gumbo gravy, miso mashed potatoes, crawfish cornbread stuffing, and green beans with sausage XO – plus pastry chef Susan Bae’s sweet potato pie with tamarind dulce de leche. Orders are open." - Vinciane Ngomsi

"Characterized as Washington D.C.’s modern Vietnamese specialist, Moon Rabbit was singled out as an example of the regionally diverse immigrant-rooted cuisines represented on the list." - Matthew Kang

"The cocktail “Ant, Are You Okay?” pairs Siete Misterios mezcal with pink peppercorn and a lychee shrub, with the option to add ant salt, creating a smoky, peppery, and tang-forward play on the fruit." - Lulu Chang

"After closing at the Wharf, James Beard-nominated chef Kevin Tien’s fine dining Vietnamese gem made a triumphant comeback to D.C. in January 2024. With fresh Penn Quarter digs comes all-new dishes filled with his familiar contemporary touches. Highlights include koji-marinated cumin lamb, aromatic perilla leaves stuffed with beef wagyu, and impossibly soft dinner rolls from pastry chef and two-time James Beard Award finalist Susan Bae. Bar manager Thi Nguyen, a 2024 Punch bartender of the year, whips up a savory Out Of Dipping Sauce cocktail that makes creative use of Tien’s fermented fish sauce. Moon Rabbit 2.0 isn’t done yet, with plans to add a next-door cocktail room and Vietnamese bakery at a TBA location. Best for: Post-work camaraderie and impressing out-of-town guests" - Tierney Plumb


"Detail-oriented pastry chef and 2025 James Beard Award finalist Susan Bae finds room for fish sauce caramel in her green curry sponge cake infused with pandan leaves and layered with whipped white chocolate, plum jam, fresh white peach, and lychee." - Tierney Plumb