Pineapple and Pearls — Restaurant in Washington

My first Michelin experience. What a showstopper! The food, the service, the atmosphere…everything was just incredible.

I had been looking for a restaurant to go to with my friends to celebrate a recent accomplishment of mine, and had been thinking about P&P for months (after having done extensive research on DMV’s fine dining restaurants). Please note*: I actually wish I hadn’t read as many Google reviews and Reddit threads about P&P, because I knew nearly exactly how the evening would proceed. While my expectations were certainly exceeded in many ways, I do wish I had been able to experience the surprises this meal entails.

That being said, for those who also can’t commit to dining at a place (especially not one as expensive as this) before immersing themselves in reviews, I will briefly describe the evening and food.

We walked in to receive Death in the Afternoon and take some Polaroids. As someone who does NOT like black licorice, I was expecting to dislike this first welcome drink. However, it was balanced with other flavors that complemented the taste of the licorice very well, and I actually ended up enjoying the drink a ton.

The beggar’s purses were next up, and this was one heck of an introduction to caviar for me. Perhaps one of my favorites of the night.

We were in a group, so we everyone got to taste every option. The tuna and watermelon was delicious and very simplified in a beautiful way that highlighted the main stars of the dish, the tuna and watermelon. The lamb was also incredible, and that is coming from a person who does not enjoy lamb or ever order it. I’m very happy I did have it, though, and it very much lived up to its name (“Even if You Don’t Like Lamb”).

The three cheese ravioli was, quite surprisingly, my and everyone’s least favoriat. I’m not sure if it was off that evening, or intended to be this way, but it was an explosion of salt when you bit into the ravioli, with not much else to balance it out. As a huge pasta lover, this was a bit of a let down, but the texture of the pasta itself was delicious. It was just way too salty in the middle.

The bacalao, champagne, and caviar was a massive hit. Another one of my (and others’) favorites from the evening.

I think somewhere around the 3rd course, I was very pleasantly surprised with a complimentary extra cocktail (“Salad Course”) as the “guest of honor,” which was a very kind gesture! LOVED this drink.

“Parts unknown” was delicious and simple. The stuffed mushrooms were to die for (another favorite). And the Wagyu was tender beyond belief and incredible (this was my first time having wagyy and also first time enjoying a steak dish).

The jello palette cleansers were gorgeous and delicious! And the strawberries were fantastic and paired very well with what was hidden inside them.

Dessert was by far the biggest course, and either by accident or by design we ended up with an extra dessert that we did not originally order (the summer sorbet). The Manila in Vanilla was everyone’s favorite and the brightness of the lime was such a nice contrast to the heaviness I was feeling by that point in the meal.

They also treated me with a funfetti pancake stack with a butter candle, which was not the most appetizing (I’m also picky when it comes to pancakes generally), but was a fun treat to be gifted nonetheless.

The crème brûlée donut was delicious, and while I enjoyed the pear balls that accompanied it, not everyone was a huge fan of this dessert.

Finally, even though we were stuffed, we were presented with the final dishes: a uniquely flavored ice cream and truffle infused amaretto (which was brilliantly made with left over truffle they couldn’t use during pandemic). And even though we were full, this ice cream and amaretto pairing were so good, we couldn’t help but eat just a little more and savor this.

Overall, from the beginning, we were diligently taken care of, entertained, and fed like royalty. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Parking: not bad at all. If you drive down a bit earlier you’ll...

I struggle to understand how this restaurant holds two Michelin stars, especially when compared to the other spectacular offerings at the same price point and star level as this establishment.

We booked the chef's counter, which has limited set seating times through the night. We were greeted with a show of creating an amazing absinthe cocktail in the lobby along with the other couples who were booked at the counter. This sadly, was the highlight of the night. The cocktail had complex flavors and was a showcase in excellent mixology.

We were seated at the bar and expected the choreography and service that has taken place at every other 1 and 2 star restaurant we've visited in DC. We instead experienced gaps in food service AND drink service which seemed to occur because the kitchen wasn't getting courses prepared for release at the same time. What we saw was service staggered across the counter. There was no apparent method to how food came out or any attention to detail in keeping the meal moving in a thoughtful way.

I could have overlooked this as a bad night if the food was creative or inventive. There were elements of dishes that came across as having some complexity. For example, the champagne and caviar sauce accompanying the ravioli was fantastic. Sadly, the ravioli itself added no flavor to the dish.

We selected the Waygu beef as our main from the 3 options presented for dinner. When the beef came out, we were informed that it was an F1 Waygu brisket served barbecue style with a heart of palm "faux marrow" side. The beef was overcooked, slathered in a barbecue sauce which tasted as if it was from a bottle. F1 Waygu isn't what anyone expects when ordering a Waygu at a high end restaurant. This variety is actually a cheap American imitation which results from the cross breeding of an American cow and a Waygu cow. Next, the ability to completely dry out a brisket from a cow bred to be fatty is down-right impressive on its own. The fundamentals of basic culinary skill were completely absent from this dish.

Continuing on the lack of thought required to execute at the level this restaurant allegedly can - we were provided with take-away boxes that contained a "perishable treat". We got home, opened the boxes, and found what were essentially waygu big macs on a brioche bun. These were loaded with lettuce, thousand island dressing, pickles, caramelized onion, and cheese. The lack of foresight comes from the fact that as the burgers are chilled, the buns become soggy from the fat and the sauce applied. Similarly, these cannot be reheated as intended without disassembly because of the ingredients which do not hold up to heat. Nobody wants heated lettuce, sauce, or pickles. This "gift" made no sense at all.

Given the extensive options that exist at this price point in DC - I could not recommend booking a table. Go to Minibar. Go to Jǒnt. This dinner was disappointing and lackluster in every way when compared to the standard that is kept by the other restaurants who proudly maintain their Michelin...

I loved the theatrics and the ambiance of Pineapple and Pearls. We came in and were met with some pre dinner cocktails. They took our photo in the front with a charming Polaroid camera and made sure to take enough to give to both me and my mom. We came here for my birthday and there was a cute little card for me at the table. Cosmo and Aaryn were wonderful throughout the whole experience along with other staff.

Although the cocktail I ordered (Gettin' Saucy With Gianni Versace) took some time and it was a little bit before our first course, everything was pretty seamless.

We started off with the Beggers Purse, one wrapper infused with Saffron and the other with Beet. I loved both and loved the presentation, it was absolutely gorgeous and both delicious. While a little salty, I loved them both.

We chose our next 3 courses, picking the Souffle of the Year and the Pea and Pea Chawanmushi. The Souffle was absolutely amazing. I tasted a little of the Pea and Pea Chawanmishi and it was also really good. Lighter than the Souffle and refreshing. For our next courses, I had the "Three Cheese" Ravioli and my mom had "Marco's Gnocchi". The Ravioli was a play on cheez its and were also delicious. They did offer me some truffle on top which was a great addition. I loved the gnocchi and the amount of flavor that they had. For our third course, we opted for the Japanese Surf and Turf and the Eastern Shore "Crab Feast". While these were enjoyable, I think I enjoyed the previous courses more. The Crab feast was simple and the tomato sauce paired very well. I did also like the flavors of the Surf and Turf as well.

Leading into our desserts courses, we had the Epoisses Ice Cream & Hot Grayson Fondue. We had sampled a small taste before it was paired with some Dom Perignon on top. This was my least favorite course as the taste of cheese was just too overpowering for my taste. My mom had a sweet potato ice cream as substitution as she doesn't enjoy cheese and that was much more preferable. I felt as if mine was just a little too heavy.

For our desserts, we had the LA Style Mezcal Pineapple and The Thrilla in Manilla. The Pineapple was so good and we each received a slice of the Mezcal Marinated Pineapple. I loved how refreshing the Thrilla in Manilla was. The coconut and ube paired so well together and was such a great end to the courses before.

Finally, we had a lovely ending with some ice cream and Aged amaretto over flame which was amazing. They did bring me a birthday "cake" as well. The candle was butter and the cake was very similar to pancakes. I didn't really enjoy these, however, since the outer layer was just a little too tough.

Overall, I loved the ambiance and the service was amazing. I enjoyed most of the courses and it was all quite filling. They did send us home with a midnight snack and a little gift box for our journey home. I don't know if the pricing was worth it all for the quantity compared to other two star Michelin restaurants that I've been to but it was a very...