doi moi — Restaurant in Washington

We recently visited the 'Doi Moi' restaurant in Washington DC.

Beyond the entrance, there's a small grocery area if you feel like buying Vietnamese products.

Let's start with the ambiance: It's very clean, colorful and well decorated, designed to make the customers feel comfortable.

Nice seating areas with space in between, love the crisp and clean napkins, even the linen cabinet was arranged neatly.

The whole restaurant is spacious and clean, with a lovely bar for cocktails. When we looked at the menu, to us the drinks are pretty expensive, even for happy hour not much discount.

My husband and I had the 'Pho' braised beef broth, shaved beef slices, pho noodles, onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, Thai basil, jalapenos, lime, served with house-made housin and Sriracha sauce.

The flavor is incredible. Usually, all the Vietnamese restaurants that we've been to served raw green vegetables on the side, then we add these as desired to our pho.

In this case, our pho bowl was already complete with all sprouts and peppers and such in the soup.

I think I prefer bean sprouts, basil, jalapeños and lime to be served separately.

Usually I test if the Vietnamese food is good by ordering the 'Pho'. In this case, it was tasty. Since they got this right, now I can try their other dishes.

By the way, I like the the extra broth served in a tea kettle. It's not only very cute, but your soup is always warm and tasty.

The portions are small but full flavored. However, if you're a big eater in terms of quantity, your meal may end up being more costly ...

Our waitress 'Janeth' was great, cordial and friendly, even her uniform was clean.

By the way the restrooms are unisex. I kinda prefer when these are separate. It's all black and kinda clean, depending on who went before ...

I expected a hostess to dress more appropriately but saw something more akin to a casual at home appearance. A little makeup wouldn't hurt either for even a fast-food worker, where we eat at a fraction of the price, adds a little color.

I didn't see any Asians working there, I'm not sure why. It's my first time going to a Vietnamese restaurant without its ethnic foundation.

Anyway we plan to go back to try other dishes and see...

CHICKEN SUCHI OR WHAT???

Time of visit: Around 9pm on Friday, March 17 of 2023.

AMBIANCE: It was what is expected for an establishment in that location, the stools at the bar are not comfortable enough to stay for happy hour, but overall nice décor. The patio was overheated, we were seated under the heat lamps. OMG.

HOST: The host greeted us as soon as we stepped in; however, he looked upset. Not much to say here. We sat at the bar because the only table they had available was a high-top counter in a small, crowded area.

BAR, BARTENDER, AND DRINKS: The drinks were good, we tried the Pineapple Express and the Doctor’s Orders, both were very refreshing, the Doctor’s is strong!!! Good to sip. The staff at the bar was very nice, professional, and seemed intermingled, they were dancing and chatting with customers, it was very entertaining…most importantly, they seemed like a good team. We certainly liked the bar.

SERVER: We started at the bar and moved to a table, our server waited 15 or more minutes to acknowledge us, we waived a few times to get his attention, but he ignored us, said nothing, and came over when he wanted to. Once he delivered the food, he disappeared. He was basically missing in action, until we called him to show him the raw chicken.

FOOD: We ordered the following appetizers: Steamed dumplings: Highly recommended, rich flavor and perfect consistency, topped with a spicy peanut sauce that will leave you wanting more.

Five Spice Frites: Super crisp and yummy, the Sriracha mayo needs some work. It’s basically regular mayo with Sriracha on top.

Crispy Chicken Wings: The wings were raw. They looked like Chicken Sushi. We called the server and showed him the raw wings and he completely ignored us and stepped away. He didn’t inform the manager, no one came over and apologized for the dangerous incident. They could’ve exposed us to Salmonella. Where is the Department of Health when needed? ENTRÉE: We all ordered the same item, Basil Fried Rice with chicken. The chicken again was freezing cold while the rice was hot. Is my fault for reordering chicken after the “Chicken Sushi” fiasco.

I would rate this place 1 star. (The Bar staffers...

Fun, vibey spot with great drinks and lively ambiance! Doi Moi blends right in with the vibrant energy of the 14th Street / Logan Circle area, with their energetic pop music, super colorful and bright decor, and fun vibes. It's the perfect spot for a happy hour or casual drink and/or dinner with a few friends. I first visited Doi Moi with an old friend for a Friday evening dinner, and we had a great time. They were really busy and crowded, so it was a little loud, but I appreciate that the service was incredibly efficient and speedy, but they also didn't make us feel rushed or unwelcome as we continued to chat after finishing our meals.

They bring out the food as it's prepared, so there aren't any established "starters" or "mains"; even so, we started off our meal with a shared appetizer-esque plate of the crispy marinated tofu bao buns. Redundant name aside, the bao were fantastic -- the buns were perfectly soft, fluffy, and pillowy, which perfectly contrasted against the crispy tofu. The tofu wasn't particularly flavorful inside, but the gochujang aioli offered a great hit of tanginess and slight spice, which paired wonderfully with the slightly sweet bun. The bao were a lovely way to whet our appetites ahead of the mains -- we were both feeling noodle dishes, so I got the drunken noodles and my friend ordered the viet-lo. Both were solid, but, admittedly, not the best Vietnamese / Thai / Southeast Asian food I've had in DC. The drunken noodles had a nice texture, with a good bite and slight springiness to the noodles, but they were both quite bland and overly sweet. They were missing the signature spice that I normally expect from drunken noodles, and there wasn't quite enough savoriness or umami to balance out the sugar. I loved the addition of a bunch of fresh veggies, which really helped to lighten up the dish, and the veggies had a great level of crunch.

It was a good experience, but I think the food was a bit overpriced and quite average. I would love to come back because the ambiance is so fun and energetic, but I'll probably just stick to the drink menu and some of their smaller...