When we were seated, the menu we were offered was entirely for Restaurant Week as opposed to just an insert. My friend asked the waiter if they had been busy since Restaurant Week started and it was fairly obvious he was slightly jaded. He told us about working 14 hour days due to the high volume but also not making quite the same amount of money since Oval Room is "not a $20 lunch establishment." He also implied the clientele was also not use to going out to nice meals. He said one lady complained that the chilled pea soup was served cold. We assured him we wouldn't make the same mistake.
After perusing the menu I decided on the duck confit tater tots served with a tamarind dip to start and my friend ordered the truffle pasta. We both ordered the braised pork shoulder with cornbread gnocchi in a kimchee sauce for the entree. For dessert, we picked out the peach cobbler with blackberry jam ice cream and the triple chocolate brownie torte with vanilla ice cream.
The tater tots were perfectly fried and not greasy at all. I wasn't blown away by the flavor but the duck and tamarind sauce paired nicely together. The truffle pasta was amazing. It was perfectly al dente and the hazelnuts in the sauce added a lovely flavor. Our pork shoulder was nicely cooked but a little dry. The kimchee sauce was great but if it was a blind tasting I wouldn't have guessed kimchee at all. The corn bread gnocchi was delicious and inventive.
We finished our meal by sharing the desserts. I thought for sure I would prefer the chocolate cake but I found I wanted my last bite to be the peach cobbler and homemade blackberry jam ice cream. The peaches were bright and the pastry was buttery and delicious. Overall, the meal was an excellent value and I would definitely go back to the Oval Room and pay full price!
Tater tots:
Truffle pasta:
Pork shoulder:
Peach cobbler and chocolate cake:
The long running issue in NYC with restaurant week is the small menu selection (seems like you weren't faced with that problem) and the service. How was the service at The Oval Room and do you find restaurant week in DC to be worthwhile?
ReplyDeleteWe've eaten at the Oval Room full price, and were very impressed. The menu is fantastic, the food expertly cooked, and the service was wonderful. It's one of my favorite restaurants in DC--a place I intend to frequent many times in the years to come.
ReplyDelete