The smoked salmon is the heart of the Salmon BLT, flaked generously over earthy flaxseed bread and layered with salty bacon, tart mustard-dill aioli, tomato and bitter greens. www.wapo.st/40eats
The pork sausage, habanero and litchi salad delivers nirvana in a mix of mint, cilantro and Thai basil, a broth scented with biting habanero and a jumble of textures. Read more.
The wings from this Korean fried chicken chain are double-fried and have the right amount of sauce. Read more.
The Gaeng par hed, or wild mushroom curry, is a vegan dish with tender chunks of lemongrass and fresh green peppercorns. Read more.
Taramosalata, with steamed cauliflower, raw onion, kicky chives and an artful dab of caviar is great served with perfectly chewy flatbread. Read more.
The duck confit is made with a contemporary twist on the classic French preparation. The bird is cured for a day with floral juniper berries. Read more.
The Burger Americain is made with two slim, seared patties tucked into a golden bun baked in-house, draped with American cheese and topped with a few tart pickles, plus its own mystery sauce. Read more.
The anchovies in green sauce are cured rather than cooked, are set off by a generous helping of a tart green sauce redolent of parsely, lemon and capers and half of a soft-cooked egg. Read more.
Nguyen’s Reuben sandwich swaps duck (“my favorite protein,” says the chef) and kimchi for corned beef and sauerkraut. Sweetly seasoned duck + the fiery slaw mixes pleasure with pain. Hotheads rejoice. Read more.
The creme brulee doughnut gets a blast from a kitchen torch, a fiery moment that yields a crackled, sugary, just-shy-of-burned glaze. Read more.
The lamb with cumin is dry-fried and served under a forest of cilantro, chilis, fat slices of garlic and bell pepper. Read more.
The New England-inspired grinder is a monster among sandwiches, a foot-long stacked so high with salami, coppa, mortadella and soppressata that it clocks in at more than two pounds. Read more.
The balanced, sweet, salty and briny quality of the oysters are a big draw to this mainstay D.C. restaurant. Read more.
Ramen purists might blanch at the thought of a noodle bowl without pork, but they've probably never had chef Katsuya Fukushima's vegan ramen Read more.
Camarones a la diabla was inspiration for the Camaron diabla taco, with corn-spiked rice made green with cilantro, and a daisy chain of saffron-hued shrimp drizzled with jalapeno crema. Read more.
The platter of Thai-style pork ribs marinated in a sugarcane-based Mekhong whiskey, caramelized and stacked with crisp shallots and dill is a highlight at the restaurant. Read more.
Try the roasted cauliflower sandwich, with topped with salty, fried shishito peppers, blackened whole scallion stalks, mouth-puckering pickled shallots and of fresh herbs. Read more.
The bisque-like peanut soup is a nod to Southern cuisine. Sour cream, a bit of sherry vinegar and an artful sprinkle of greens finish the vegetarian soup. Read more.
The Doissant, pronounced DWA-sant, is less doughnut than dessert-worthy pastry. Try it. Read more.
The Luther: Fried chicken, bacon and a doughnut. Try it with fries if you're feeling daring. Read more.
A pupusa (the Salvadoran stuffed corn cake) at this spot come with a broad array of fillings. Read more.
Could we do a roundup of must-eat dishes without a kale salad? Try Range's, which comes with pecorino and olive oil slow-cooked with egg yolk. Read more.
The Fire & Smoke is one of the city's spiciest. Roasted red peppers and chewy smoked gouda are nice, but the chipotle-spiked sauce is the essence of this pizza. Read more.
Fried artichokes arrive at your table as a mountain of crisp, flower-like buds, brightened with fresh sprigs of dill and a tart lemon aioli with capers and anchovy. Read more.
The crunchy chicken liver pieces go through a bath of buttermilk and a re tossed in flour for a thick coat of crunch. Built for the adventurous, they're served with house-made mumbo sauce. Read more.
For the mac and cheese, Woodlands chef Chef Mickiyah Woodland emulsifies fresh soy milk with olive oil, garlic and nutritional yeast, which turns it into a heavenly cream with a cheesy flavor. Read more.
Try yum watercress is a salad that's fried and woven through with shrimp, squid, cashews, lime and a generous sprinkle of fried shallots. Read more.
The brick Lane salt-beef sarnie has beef brined for two weeks in a bath of brown sugar and 20 spices; simmered for hours and stacked on rye with house-made pickles and mustard. Read more.
