Nurturing my inner... dark and decorative

Online coupons are great, but there is one thing you have to remember after you buy them - to use them before they expire.  A friend was telling me about this place that she had gone to in New York and they had one in DC, but her coupon was due to expire on Monday.  This conversation took place on a Saturday, but she was booked all weekend.  Though Monday was a work night for both of us and getting into DC isn't always the easiest thing to do, I had to think about it for a minute.  Then I said, "Come on, let's go!  Heck, we're young(ish) and it's nice out."  Into the city we went to the Buddha-Bar.  And we were SO fortunate that night.  No traffic on 66 going in, easy to get to and we found a parking lot straight down the main strip and just across the street for $8.00.  No street parking stress for us!

Dark outside.

While I'm not crazy about a giant buddha (or any other statue) staring at me when I'm dining, it was quite a swanky place.  Rich Asian decor.  And about nearly pitch black.  My camera was unable to get you the real interior very well, so you'll have to check it out on the website or in person yourself.  (Where your eyes can adjust better than my camera.)

And dark inside.

The bar we passed on the way to the dining room was swanky.  Lanterns for lights.  Very high quality fixtures and accents.

Seems very NY meets Hong Kong.

Moving on from the weirdo, enormous, golden statues and on to the food.  We started off with the mini pan fried dumplings and the spring rolls.  Deliciously crispy and chewy, and the sauces were terrific.  Nice little fresh garnish as well.  Micro greens!

Mini apps to share. (Only because I was forced
to or I could have eaten them all myself.)

For the main entree, I went with sushi.  But not sushi like I've had anywhere else.  The roll with the eel on top was delicate and just a little sweet.  But in front of that was quite a unique thing.  It was rice that had been deep fried until crunchy, topped with fresh crab and edamame.  I have never had crunchy rice like that before.  (Which of course is why I had to try it!)

I often go for something that I've never seen
anywhere else.

The presentation of the food was truly artistic.  With delicious flavors to match.  And going into DC made for one super fun weekday evening.  Mondays are the way to go!  (If there is no rain, no snow, no accidents, no protesters, no construction, no special events...)

Before we departed, I hit the little girls' room.  And I took a picture of the wall inside the stall because they were covered with giant crocodile leather wallpaper.  Just had to show you or you wouldn't have believed me!

Attention to detail for sure.

Yes, I did just take you into the bathroom of this restaurant.  Wouldn't want you to miss out on every decorative detail.  Dining is of course about the food, but the ambiance of your surroundings really adds to the overall experience.  (Well, maybe not the bathroom ambiance as much, but you have to admit, that was pretty interesting.)