Ethnic Food

Submitted by puregoldenhoney t3_zonpm9 in washingtondc

I’m a tiny bit of a picky eater but really want to expand my horizons and try some new things. Very willing to try just about anything but my hard and fast rules are no seafood and nothing spicy (sucks but I have an embarrassingly low tolerance for spice 🥴). Spice tends to be the thing that holds me back the most in being able to enjoy a dish fully, unfortunately. Also not super big on meat in general, but will definitely eat it! Are there any suggestions that fit that criteria?

I’m in the Logan Circle/Shaw area so anything nearby would be nice but willing to travel and make a solo date out of the occasion if needed! Or if anyone needs a friend to go out with (: Thank you so much in advance!

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__electricSheep__94 t1_j0nzpot wrote

Why not try Ethiopian food! My vegetarian friends are huge fans and always find lots to enjoy, many of the dishes were mild to no spiciness at all. There's also Ethiopian honey wine which is really unique, I do eat meat but rarely order it at Ethiopian restaurants.

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Yaratam t1_j0olgdu wrote

Family Ethiopian Restaurant in Logan Circle is a family owned authentic Ethiopian restaurant with great veggie, meat & fish plates, plus Ethiopian beer & coffee.

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puregoldenhoney OP t1_j0q848n wrote

Thank you! I didn’t even think about trying new drinks so that will be fun to try, too!

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puregoldenhoney OP t1_j0o0cns wrote

Ooh perfect! Thank you so much!

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ephemeralarteries t1_j0q4w0j wrote

can't recommend Family enough- aside from the food their prices are decent, it's women/ family owned and the atmosphere is welcoming and quiet.

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FancyRatFridays t1_j0oaspd wrote

If you find yourself in Cleveland Park, try Dolan Uygher! There aren't many Uygher restaurants here in the US, so it's certainly unique. There are plenty of minimally-spicy dishes on the menu, and you may find that it hits the sweet spot between familiar (they have meat pies and fried rice) and novel (the black fungus salad, hand-pulled noodles and pumpkin buns are all delicious.)

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puregoldenhoney OP t1_j0obebo wrote

Amazing suggestion! Never heard of this culture before so even more exciting to learn something completely new! Thank you so, so much!

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webbmoncure t1_j0ogr5q wrote

I'm a big fan of Wasai in Gallery Place. It's not too far away. It's "real" Chinese with hand-pulled noodles. I enjoy the beef tendon soup with the thick, hand-pulled noodles, and they have both spicy and non spicy broth options. It's basically a quick-noodle shop, and reasonably priced for DC. They also have plenty of non-meaty options.

On the flipside of things, any decent pupuseria in the DC area will have Salvadoran pupusas, and they're a real treat in the area with the central American diaspora overrepresented in the DC metro area.

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Texas_Rockets t1_j0po5fg wrote

Have you tried Benito’s place? Heard amazing things but was kinda disappointed. They’re good, but I felt the papusas were just very average and nothing special.

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rachs1988 t1_j0nxwy4 wrote

With any new ethnic restaurant, I like to look up the menu online to get a general sense of what to expect. If things are difficult to decipher, I can Google search certain dishes and see the ingredients and photos. But the most important part is talking to your server. Ask what they recommend and what their most popular dishes are. Tell them your preferences and ask if they can adjust the spice level. Servers will make great recommendations and will steer you in the right direction.

That said, your question is way too broad given ALL the ethnic cuisines that exist in this city. There are too many great restaurants to list. Can you at least narrow it to a continent?

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puregoldenhoney OP t1_j0nyh9s wrote

Thank you for this advice! I always felt too nervous to ask for things to not be made spicy or like it was a faux pas of some sort haha As for specific continent, I’ll have to give that more thought because I’m kind of interested in just diving right in and trying anything! Thanks again and I’ll update with any preferences I may come across!

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rachs1988 t1_j0o1qpb wrote

You’re welcome! And to add… It’s ok to go in and say, “This all is new to me and I have no clue what I’m doing. Can you help me navigate this menu?” Just be honest and they’ll take care of you. Ask follow up questions to learn more about the dish, like “Is that fried?” Or “It sounds like that’s more of a broth-based dish, right?” That way, you’ll have fewer surprises. And remember to tip generously for those who help you on your culinary journey!

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chrisk018 t1_j0pzpzj wrote

Supra serves Georgian (as in the country) food. Ethnic and lots of non-spicy options.

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Texas_Rockets t1_j0pnn0h wrote

Astoria DC. Schezuan, amazing, but very accessible.

Some have suggested Ethiopian. Personally I’ve found that you either love or hate it. I love trying new foods and Ethiopian is genuinely the one cuisine I just categorically don’t like, which I think is fairly common regarding Ethiopian (e.g. is the other side of the ‘I love it’ crowd). Would not suggest that as a first foray into exotic foods. But I’d you wanted to try African, Swahili village is amazing and is also very accessible.

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pillowbedfan t1_j0qn580 wrote

Ethiopian was an acquired taste for me. But once I acquired it, damn. Took me maybe 2-3 tries for it to click, but I can see it never clicking for others.

OP, if you're going to try Ethiopian I strongly suggest getting a mixed plate/platter of some kind, it'll increase the odds that you'll find something you like.

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Texas_Rockets t1_j0quxlm wrote

Yeah I’m not gonna act like any cuisine is objectively bad. It’s all subjective. I’ve tried it at maybe 4 different places, 2 of which were based on glowing reviews and a recommendation from an Ethiopian guy on restaurant and dish. But Ethiopian is strangely divisive which is why I say it’s probably not the ideal intro to more exotic foods.

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puregoldenhoney OP t1_j0q7md8 wrote

Thank you! Noted and I’ll put it towards the end of the list just in case haha

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samthehaggis t1_j0rsmjc wrote

I'm loving this thread for new spots to explore! I'm surprised not to see Ambar mentioned, as it's so delicious and a great intro to Balkan cuisine. The vibe is great and the small plates mean you can experiment and try a variety of new things. There are locations in Clarendon and Barracks Row, but I think there's a new branch coming to Shaw very soon.

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puregoldenhoney OP t1_j0s2ay5 wrote

Same! So cool getting such a wide range of options! Thank you!

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djslarge t1_j0qix3e wrote

BUL Korean in Adams Morgan is really good for Korean street food like Ttekbokki, potato pancakes, bibimbap, and seven kinds of kimchi

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puregoldenhoney OP t1_j0rbo3q wrote

I’ve seen lots of these dishes on social media and they always look good so this seems right up my alley to finally try! Thank you!

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bananasandsanity t1_j0ql6yx wrote

A lot of people have said Ethiopian already (which is great, IMO), but Africa is a big continent with a lot of food. Bukom Cafe in AdMo has west African that I really like. There are a few Moroccan places, and I think sometime else already said Swahili Village.

Keren has good Eritrean food, very similar to Ethiopian, and offers a brunch!

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cpuid_ t1_j0qrhys wrote

Karma Modern Indian, they can make food mild. The daal makhani and pindi chickpeas are amazing, especially with a lachha paratha or garlic naan 👌🏽

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puregoldenhoney OP t1_j0rbx5l wrote

Absolutely love naan so very excited to try new things to pair with it! Thank you so much!

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old_bay_usa t1_j0rghla wrote

That’s awesome, trying cuisine from around the world is not only fun and delicious, it’s a great way to learn about culture and history. We’re fortunate to live in an area with tons of options. It’s a big world out there, so I’d suggest deciding on a region or country and searching “best middle eastern restaurant Dc” or something similar. Check out Tim Carman’s column in the Washington Post. He mostly reviews restaurants serving food other than the standard American diet, or other well known cuisines like Italian or French.

A few of my thoughts:

  • Middle Eastern Cuisine in Takoma Park is great
  • Purple Patch for Filipino
  • Pho 14 or Pho USA for Vietnamese pho noodle soup
  • Cher Cher vegetarian combo
  • Compass Rose has a fun world travel theme and dishes from around the world.

One possible theme - many cultures have dough stuffed with delicious filling as a popular dish. As your entry into various cuisines, you could try gyoza from Japan, empanadas from Argentina, Samosas from India, Chinese dumplings, pupusas from El Salvador, Polish pierogis, Jamaican beef patties, etc.

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beetnemesis t1_j0sjkmi wrote

Thai is food is delicious, and absolutely doesn't have to be spicy. Pad Thai or green curry are both great starter dishes. Just say "not spicy at all" and you should be fine.

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