Asian Spice opened about a year ago right in the heart of Chinatown on H St NW between 7th St & 8th St. I've heard a lot about the restaurant from friends but never got a chance to try them out since most of the comments about the restaurant was that it was overpriced.
So, on New Years Eve I decided to take my parents to lunch and my sister suggested Asian Spice. I was a bit hesitant at first but the decor looked pretty interesting (Cafe Asia like) and the employees were friendly.
Usually I like to get a good sample of the menu by ordering a few appetizers, entrees, and desserts but since this was a late lunch and had to meet friends for NYE plans we only had entrees.We at family style and shared all the entrees. It was a bit unfortunate that two of the dishes ordered were the same since I like to try as many different flavors as possible. To the left is a Teryaki Bento Box. Everything in the Bento Box was pretty standard. The one thing worth noting was the Teryaki chicken. The Teryaki sauce was not too sweet (a common problem at many places) and the thinly sliced chicken breast was moist, tender, and not over cooked. This is definitely a great item if you need to have a quick lunch with all your food groups.
The second dish is a Malaysian Curry Noodle. None of use were very impressed with this dish. It had large chunks of chicken breast that were over cooked and extremely dry. It also had an assortment of vegetables such as potatoes, fried shallots, onions, mushrooms, and green onions. The curry was a cross between a Panang and Red Thai curry. It was overly sweet and you could really taste the coconut. In the menu description the noodles are described as rice noodles but from what I could tell they were Udon noodles. When eaten with rice it wasn't as sweet but you definitely had to be very conservative with the curry sauce.
Per my sister's recommendation the Thai Spicy Seafood Fried Rice is so good that we had to have two orders worth. She was right, this dish was indeed very good but not the best Thai fried rice I've had. This dish had a great smokey flavor in the rice as if it had been cooked on a wood grill. The shrimp, scallops, and calamari were fresh and decently sized. The only criticism I do have of the dish is that I wish the basil were chopped and sprinkled on the dish or at least removed from the stem. The fried rice tastes a lot better with the fresh basil but is a bit of a hassle since you have to remove them from the stem yourself and spread them on the rice.The decor of Asian Spice is a contemporary Asian style that reminds me of Cafe Asia in Arlington. The lighting creates a great date like ambiance and the tables are sectioned off in small groups to offer some privacy. I'm pretty sure that the service I received is not common as the waitress we had reminded me of how servers are in high-end restaurants in Asia (at least that's what my parents said). We had a lovely waitress that would stand right behind us and rush to us whenever she saw that our water cups were half empty or if we needed sauces or napkins. It was nice having someone magically appear nowhere with what you need without having to ask but I don't think it's typical of this type of restaurant (she was probably new).
Asian Spice is a bit pricey. Lunch for four with only entrees and two drinks (hot tea) came up to be almost $85. It's a nice restaurant and the service and food was good but I wouldn't recommend Asian Spice if you are looking for authentic Asian cuisine. The location is great as you're in the heart of Chinatown and right off the Gallery Place metro station. I could see a nice dinner for two being around $100 including appetizers, dessert, and drinks. I think this place would make a great happy hour or b-day gathering though.
Rundown:
Price: Moderate
Service: Great
Food: Good
Restaurant Decor/Setting: Casual/Business Casual
717 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 589-0900
http://www.asianspice.us
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