Ethnic Dining in DC

By Nadine Szablya

Wednesday night, seven-thirty, we met in the courtyard. Ten students, who largely had never met, piled into two cars and ventured out together to the Palisades, seeking the adventure of unknown cuisine. We were united by a love for food, and not only did we leave the library for an entire evening to have all our desires for fantastic Japanese cuisine fulfilled, we met amazing classmates who we perhaps otherwise would not have had occasion to meet.

The Ethnic Dining Club is new to SAIS this year, and after thoroughly enjoying my evening, I decided to sit down with the Club leaders and find out more.

Maany Peyvan, a 2^nd Year IP student, and Don Morton a 2^nd Year ILaw concentrator started the Ethnic Dining club with one thing in mind – their love for food. Maany, who lived in DC for a year before coming to SAIS, and Don, who grew up in the area, both knew of great dining locales, but they noticed students were always eating at the same boring places around Dupont. Hindered by a lack of time, transportation, and money, it is hard for students to get out and experience all of the culture that DC has to offer and consequently sometimes people view DC as kind of a void – Don wasn’t standing for this.

At the start, the club was about eating good food with friends, which is not something that sounds like it could be a school sanctioned club, but as the idea developed, the possibilities unfolded. Don and Maany started thinking about lectures on food policy, sustainable fishing, molecular gastronomy, resource management, agflation, and what it means to be a good and responsible eater. They also noticed that there are coverage gaps in the Regional SAIS clubs, where Ethnic Dining could fill in.

There is an intrinsic value to sitting and sharing a meal with people. Food has such a broad appeal and the act of sharing food in itself is a bonding experience. A cross-concentration dinner with people you don’t know, where everyone is hungry – sounds like the perfect recipe for new friends.

Initially the club had a signup of over 100 members and for each dinner, there is space for only 8-10. The club is structured so that everyone gets a chance to attend a dinner, and there has been great turnover in the dinner attendees. The target cost is $20-30 per person including alcohol, and everyone is encouraged to bring cash for ease of settling the bill. Allergies and preference for a particular cuisine are taken into consideration and, if upon signing up, you let Maany and Don know what kind of food you like to eat, they will send you the event announcement for that cuisine before everyone else.

It takes all the hassle out of trying a new restaurant. When dining with the Ethnic Dining Club, you know the cost, you know the transportation will be organized, you know the food will be good, and you know the conversation will be kept to a minimal number of econ jokes. (Ok, that’s not one of the guarantees.)

What’s on the menu for the rest of the semester? The club wants to venture into some Thai, Soul, BBQ, Vietnamese, and Lebanese, but also wants to expand the idea of “ethnic” dining to include as many cuisines as possible. As Don put it, “The great thing about ‘ethnic’ dining is that it’s a catchall phrase in the food world. Everything is technically ethnic, so (the club) places no boundaries on the cuisines we will explore.” Especially with the huge number of international students at SAIS, “ethnic” will prove a hugely inclusive and highly interpretable qualifier.

After sharing some sake, kamameshi, maguro, unagi, and the most amazing red bean ice cream mochi ever, we were all a bit wiser in our knowledge of Japanese cuisine, a bit more developed in our palates, a bit more impressed with DC, and enriched with 9 new dining partners.

I asked Maany and Don what are their Top 10 ethnic dining restaurants in DC.

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Korean Bulgogi Cart – 14 & L at lunch time, great bibimbap
2. Great Wall – 1527 14th St, Chinese takeout, with an incredible Szechuan menu
3. Loeb’s Deli – 832 15th St,  The only good Jewish deli in DC
4. World Bank Cafeteria – Get a SAIS alum to take you to lunch, you’ll be amazed by the prices and the selection
5. Oohhs and Aahhs – 1005 U St, Great soul food, mac and cheese to change your life
6. Tackle Box – 3245 M St, Sustainable fish, grilled or fried, tasty and good sides too
7. National Museum of the American Indian – at 4th and Independence, Maany would “rather eat at their cafe than some of the best DC restaurants.”
8. Thai X-ing – 515 Florida Ave, Best Thai in DC, hands down, but expect a long wait. Only one chef who cooks everything himself!
9. Vace Italian Delicatessen – 3315 Connecticut Ave, Unbeatable pizza and sandwiches, takeout only.
10. Taqueria Distrito Federal – 3463 14th St., The only great, authentic Mexican place in DC

Oh, and Kotobuki – 4822 MacArthur Blvd NW, the Ethnic Dining Club’s favorite so far.

Hungry yet? You can join the SAIS Ethnic Dining club by emailing sais.ethnicdining@gmail.com and letting them know what you like to eat!

Nadine Szablya is a second year MA candidate in Russian and Eurasian Studies.