TenPenh

Description:

• The atmosphere is lively, and the food here stellar. TenPenh has a separate, loungey, hard-to-leave bar; but the dining room itself is inviting, with soft lighting, comfortable booths, and an open kitchen. Jeff Tunks, the man also behind DC Coast, Ceiba, and Acadiana, presents translations of dishes he's discovered in travels throughout Asia: crispy whole fish; five-spice-chili-tea-rubbed beef tenderloin; Chinese-style smoked lobster (also available at DC Coast); wok-seared calamari; and dumplings filled with steamed shrimp and chives. In spring, look for soft-shell crab on the menu. Spring is when the sidewalk tables open up, too; and you can sit outside on a warm day and take in the sights of the capital as you finish your meal with ginger citrus crème brûlée.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2009