Girl Meets Food

Wow.  What a phenomenal meal.  What I thought would be a casual lunch with Angus and Tofutti Cutie turned out to be a magical afternoon of sights and flavors at Zengo in Penn Quarter.

Photo: Bryan Applegate

Zengo, which means to give and take in Japanese, gives so much more than a colorful culinary feast, in which sharing is encouraged.

Angus’ grilled Kobe beef burger was a great value, with lettuce, tomato, and an earthy, curd-like cotija cheese that soaked up all the flavor of the meat.  Yum.

And the Kobe beef deserves a paragraph all by itself–clean, fresh, juicy, incredible.  So good, Cutie—a vegetarian of ten years—felt compelled to try it.  She loved it.  It’s served on a shiny, toasty bun and also comes with some very flavorful, crispy togarashi fries.

The beautifully-presented crispy tofu had the most delicate, crispy crunch, giving way to a smooth, silky center.  With a drizzle of tangy sesame chile sauce, on a bed of baby bok choy, it was almost too beautiful to eat.  But eat it, we did.

Photo: Bryan Applegate

Despite rave reviews around the table, I was puzzled at its $14 price tag.  It is listed as a large plate, though it was more like a small appetizer.  You get four pieces of tofu, and no side of rice.  That costs $4 more.

Really?  How could it cost more than the Kobe beef burger?  If the tofu was all I ordered, I’d still be hungry, and very cranky.

Despite the strange discrepancy, what impressed me most about Zengo was the three-page gluten-free and vegetarian menu, which won’t make those with special dietary needs feel like second-class citizens.  It’s a separate menu filled with creative, exciting options that makes dining out fun for everyone!

Zengo
Reserve now
781 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 393-2929

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