Chef Jonathan Seningen

Earlier this week, Y&H did something he hadn’t done in nearly a year: hit the gym. Summoning up whatever athlete’s pride I have left, this former cross country runner went 30 minutes on the elliptical without stopping, a solid 2.50 miles. (Don’t figure out the time per mile, I’ll just be embarrassed.)

I then went to Hook and downed a three-course lunch. I didn’t even feel bad about it.

How could I? Despite one glaring technical error, this was a solid lunch, top to bottom, all for $24 for those three courses.  I instantly put Hook and executive chef Jonathan Seningen, former chef de cuisine at Oya, on my watch list for next year’s Young & Hungry Dining Guide.

I started with the heirloom tomato gazpacho, a rather unusual take on the cold soup. Seningen’s version doesn’t try for an opaque, uniform texture. The look and texture of his gazpacho, I swear, reminded me of tomato placenta, the gelatinous interior of the summer fruit. It’s not a turn-off, I promise. It looks light, even refreshing. The orange-colored liquid is dappled with lump crab meat, corn kernels, and pine nuts, which provide a crunchy element here or a sweet hit there. The most pleasant spoonfuls, though, were those loaded down with lump meat, whose sweetness seemed to multiple by a factor of 20 when surrounded by that ever-so-acidic soup.

Read More “My Three-Course Indulgence at Hook” »

It’s been slim pickings for restaurant openings in the last few months, for the obvious reason, but Penn Quarter Living is reporting that the Asian-themed SEI Restaurant and Lounge will debut on Monday, Jan. 12, at 444 Seventh St. NW. It’s owned by the same folks who brought us the fire-and-ice opulence of Oya on Ninth Street NW, just a few blocks away.

PQ Living describes the new menu as “Modern Asian cuisine,” as created by “Noriaki Yasutake (sushi master) and Avinesh Ranav (chef), both formerly from Perry’s in Adams Morgan.” The site further explains:

Read More “SEI Restaurant and Lounge Set to Open Next Week” »