What We Ate in Washington DC 😋

Day 1 Dinner 🍢 Gyu Kaku Japanese BBQ This place is pretty well-known and has many chain locations. We booked a table about 20 minutes before arriving—wait times can be longer without a reservation. We went for the premium AYCE (all-you-can-eat) option and literally had to roll ourselves out after all that meat! 🥩 Everything was delicious, but the premium beef tongue was absolutely amazing 😭. For dessert, they had vanilla and matcha ice cream, plus passion fruit mochi—super refreshing! Day 2 Lunch 🦪 Del Mar Located near the museums in the city center, we walked along the river after our morning tour. We had a reservation, but it wasn’t too crowded. Their Spanish paella is a must-try! 🥘 The portion was huge, and the flavor was great (a tad salty but still enjoyable). The oysters and salad we ordered were decent, but the paella alone is almost enough for two. Day 2 Dinner 🥩 Blue Duck Tavern Apparently, this is one of Obama’s favorite spots for duck? 🦆 It’s on the first floor of a hotel and was a bit tricky to find. We ordered four popular dishes, and surprisingly, our favorite was the crispy cauliflower! 🥦 Sweet, sour, and super flavorful—so unique! Another appetizer, the bone marrow, was also fantastic—spread it on bread, and it’s pure heaven 🍞 (my friend said the bread alone was her favorite part lol). For mains, the duck and beef brisket were good but not mind-blowing. The duck was tender, and the beef was fall-apart soft. Day 3 Lunch 🍱 Rakuya Japanese Restaurant We found this place on Google after visiting the Museum of Illusions, and it turned out to be a great choice! We ordered two lunch sets—one deluxe bento box and another called "sake" (maybe?). The portions were generous, and for around $20 per person, we were stuffed! Day 3 Dinner 🥘 Hot Pot City Since it was New Year’s Eve, we craved hotpot and found this spot! It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet for about $30 per person. Some items require an extra charge, but the default selection is more than enough. Drinks and desserts are also included—great value and tasty! 🍲 Definitely recommend if you’re craving hotpot. Day 3 Late-night Snack 🍦 Dolcezza Gelato We stopped by this gelato shop near our hotel and tried pistachio and eggnog flavors. It was just okay—maybe because we were still full from hotpot? 😂 #WashingtonDC #DCfood #WashingtonDCEats #FoodDiary 🍴