Corduroy

One of the tastiest meals I’ve had in DC. The panko crusted pork was the best I’ve ever had. The salmon dish we had at the time (this was awhile ago) was cooked flawlessly and mouthwateringly seasoned. Service was a little slow but at least they kept bringing us bread for free while we waited. Very elegant interior, very hushed atmosphere, beautiful decor. I’m going to go back to try the chefs menu soon!

The $85 chef's menu recently at Corduroy was the perfect choice for a special occasion dinner with friends. The menu includes an amuse bouche, fish courses, meat courses and dessert. Each presentation had finesse but two standouts were the pan seared ocean trout that was brackish, sweet and buttery and the crispy panko pork that was delicate and juicy, simply seasoned to allow the meat to be the star. A variety of flawless desserts which ranged from sorbets to a chocolate torte, was the perfect end to a birthday celebration. The dining room was quiet and modern and the service was professional and unobtrusive. The wine list is outstanding with ample wines by the glass to match the menu. Chef Power's accomplished cuisine reminded me of what fine dining used to be before the DC takeover of celebrity chefs and fast casual establishments, masquerading as fine dining!

They are usually not open on Sundays, but fortunately there was a private party going on and they accepted other customers like myself for a Sunday dinner. As is clear from the menu, there is a Japanese influence like sushi rice, hijiki, tonkatsu, and kombu. Before the appetizer, they gave me a complementary corn soup. I could taste a delicate amount of spice, which made the corn soup quite refreshing but not spicy. I had Local Heirloom Tomato Salad for the appetizer. It consisted of soft peeled tomatoes, arugula, and Italian dressing. All ingredients were very fresh and tasty. Then I had Pepperred Rare Tuna with Hijiki and Sushi Rice for the entree. The outside of tuna was seared like tataki. It came with a ceviche-like sauce and the hijiki veggie that made it feel like a rightful translation of Japanese maguro don (tuna on rice) into a creative new American dish. The seasoning could have been slightly blander for me, but I would still be happy to recommend it to anybody. The dessert was the Baked Chocolate “Sabayon”. It is an Italian dessert and is like a chocolate soufflé topped with chocolate ice cream and caramel cookies. It takes 20 min to cook but it’s worth it for anyone who loves chocolate. The check comes with an automatic 23% gratuity on the before-tax bill (with the 10% DC food and beverage tax, it’s 1.33 times the listed price). I would totally come back to try more items on the menu.

Terrible execution. Some dishes were conceptually bad, whereas some were just overly salted. Seems like the kind of place that caters to diplomats and bureaucrats just looking for quaint digs. But for a foodie or a former industry professional- this probably isn't the place to go. We tried half the menu - only the tuna tar tar was decent.