So apparently, my hood is home to the best Korean food in DC. As DC is hardly a haven of Asian cuisine, this isn’t necessarily saying much…but the food at Adams Express is definitely worth the hype. First of all, the place itself is absolutely adorable. Well, adorable in that hole-in-the-wall, slightly dingy, feels-like-you’re-actually-in-the-owners’-kitchen kind of way that only a neighborhood joint can be. The place is owned and run by an elderly Korean couple that is so sweet that you can’t help but want to put them in your pocket and take them home with you. The night I visited, the husband was busy at the stove while the wife was hand-rolling another patron’s sushi order. I sat on one of the 5 stools (it’s not the sort of place you should plan to actually sit and eat at, unless you want to sit at the bar by the window and watch world go by on Mt. Pleasant Street) and watched the two cooks hard at work, both of whom never failed to smile at me every time they caught my eye. The kitchen is entirely open, so you can see their every move. And it really did feel like I was being given a glimpse into their home kitchen…it was such a great, cozy experience, one that I’ve been hard-pressed to find in DC.
I took home an order of their beef bulgogi. I’m no expert on Korean cuisine, but I have to say…this stuff was fan-friggin-tastic. The ingredients all tasted fresh, the entire dish was super-flavorful…well, I’ll let the picture speak for itself!
