Well Fed On the Town

Restaurant Week can be a bit of a hit or miss proposition. Many restaurants are capable of great things, but either the idea of bargain hunter foodies is an irritation, or they just can’t handle the extra business. A visit to a local eatery featuring American bistro cuisine turned out to be dud- the entree was delicious, but both dessert and service were nondescript and just plain awful, respectively. Not so Oyamel.

When it first moved to the area, supplanting local favorite Andale, I was under the mistaken impression that this was Chef Jose Andres and the Restaurant Group opening the second in a chain, and my intrigue turned into annoyance. There are very few really good chains around, you see. I was very pleased to be set straight by a friend who, as an Oyamel fan and Joe Raffa groupie, informed me that we were lucky to have the one and only outpost relocated to our neck of the culinary woods. I scrambled to get a reservation and was rewarded by a 1pm spot on Thursday the 9th.

What bliss- from the brightly colored artwork, to the butterfly mobiles, to the handblown glassware used for hibiscus margaritas and ceviche alike, Oyamel is a warm, lively place that is absolute paradise- even on a 100+F day in the city.

Oyamel does its new visitors (and budget-minded diners) a service by putting an estimated 90% of their regular tapas offerings on the promotional menu, which allows dinners to pick 2 small dishes, dessert and softdrinks or iced tea. (While that doesn’t sound like a lot, we found 2 dishes apiece to be quite filling.) With so much to choose from, not only the expensive dishes that catch the eye- the mind immediately goes toward future visits.

My companion for lunch was my friend Jen, a vegetarian who eats fish as well. She ordered the red snapper Veracruz (Huachinango a la Veracruzana) and mushroom enchiladas (Enchiladas con hongos y queso fresco) wrapped in beet-colored tortillas, while I indulged in the crab and shrimp ceviche (Cóctel de camarón y jaiba) followed by a stuffed ancho chili (Chile de jaral con salsa de aguacate en frio).

For starters, these may be advertised as “small plates” but that’s all relative as the servings are a bit more substantial than your average tapas. The red snapper, a generous slab of moist, flavorful fish, was served over olives, onions, capers and tomatoes. While I like to order fish in places I can actually see the ocean, it was a pleasant surprise- very tasty and well-prepared. The ceviche was just the right blend of tartness and tang, the crab meat was delicately sweet and tender and the shrimp was delicious as well. Both were served in generous proportions and it was all I could do not to pick up my glass and not toss back the last drippings of tomato in search of the last shreds of seafood. I confess that Jen’s enchiladas escaped my notice- I was too busy with my second dish: a room-temperature roasted ancho chili stuffed with shredded beef, raisins and tomatoes and topped (not drizzled- so not drizzled) with a fresh avocado sauce. It was amazing- rich and savory, and because it was served at room temp the flavors of the meat, the chili and avocado (which had a light, fluffy consistency) complemented each other perfectly. I was glad Jen was a vegetarian because if she’d tried for a taste it might have gotten ugly. We managed to resist the lure of the housemade guacamole- which your server makes at tableside with a mortar and pestle. It’s a generous dish that could easily serve more than the advertized two people. The housemade chips, with a side of ancho-redolent salsa, were a nice side.

Since the horchata and other enticing drinks were not part of the special, we still had some room for dessert. Jen chose the Cajeta tradicional y moderna- a goat’s milk caramel garnished with crumbled Mexican shortbread, fresh mango and an egg-shaped scoop each of passion fruit and coconut sorbet. The caramel was not overly buttery, but delicious nonetheless. The sorbet was creamier than what I’ve had in past, the coconut was more subtle while the passionfruit was rich and juicy. The dish was sprinkled with caramelized cinnamon and fresh lime zest.

I went for the Café de Olla. I was expecting a sort of creme brulee, but was pleasantly surprised when the flower-shaped dish in front of me contained a small puddle of chocolate custard- laced with Chiapas coffee, infused with a Kahlua gelatin. Over that was generous sprinkling of crumbled chocolate cookies and almonds and to top it all off, a scoop of anise ice cream sprinkled with and brown piloncillo sugar (which I can only describe as “sweet” and “crunchy” and “pretty”). The ice cream had the same creamy texture as the sorbet with a hint of licorice- not a slight hint, and not enough to make you think of all-sorts candies, but enough to balance out the coffee and chocolate flavors of the custard. Both desserts were as beautiful to look at as they were a pleasure to eat.

The host was friendly and our server was efficient, glad to recommend certain dishes and, though we stuck to the Restaurant Week menu, seemed genuinely pleased that we had chosen Restaurant Week to make our first trip to Oyamel. Having had a taste of the fine service and delicious food, our appetites have been sufficiently whetted and we will be sure to go back - if every customer goes away as full and happy as we were, Oyamel’s participation in the event will pay off for them in spades in the coming months. Happily they are extending the promotion another week (which means we’ll be going back for dinner for sure!) which will give us a chance to try out the ceviche bar, the aguas frescas (”natural flavored waters”) and other treats.

Welcome to DC, Oyamel! Lucky, lucky us.

Located near the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro (red line) or the Archives/Navy Memorial stop (green/yellow lines)

Oyamel
401 7th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Call (202) 628-1005 for reservations (opentable.com is another good way to go)