Merkado Kitchen (DC - Logan)

Kudos to owner David Winer for luring Chef Edward Kim to DC. I was a big fan of Kim's cooking at Soigne in Baltimore and am happy to be able to sample his food a bit closer to home.

While little of Kim's menu from Soigne has survived the move, the one dish that has - and the one dish that my wife can't imagine living without - is the "Seared White Tuna Sashimi in Miso-Sake Reduction & Truffles." The delicate seared crust on the tuna yields to a melt-in-your-mouth piece of fish that you would swear was swimming while you were waiting at the bar for your table. The Miso-Sake reduction is a sweet/tart accompaniment that is reminiscent of the version that Chef Nobu Matsuhisa uses in his famous Black Cod with Miso. The truffles lie on top of the dish and hang - both in the air and on the palate - like the haze over the Potomac on a summer morning. If Michelin rated individual dishes, this one would garner three stars - well worth a trip.

A similarly stunning dish is the "Raw Ahi Tuna Crudo on Boniato Frita, Wasabi Crema & Caviar." This dish borrows a bit from the classic French steak tartare preparation, with an Asian twist. Raw bits of delightfully fresh, translucent tuna are tossed with (my best guess) capers, scallions, jalapenos, cilantro, sesame oil and a bit of ginger, before being formed into a little tower and topped with a delicate wasabi creme fraiche and a bit of bright red roe. The boniato is less of a bed for the tuna and more of a hedge around it that the uninitiated will mistake for shoestring sweet potatoes. Like the aforementioned Seared White Tuna, this dish is incredibly rich, so plan to share.

While it doesn't quite fit with the refined, exacting attention to detail of the two tuna dishes mentioned above, Kim's nachos are outstanding. I am particularly partial to the Wonton Skins with Sesame Ground Beef, Manchego Cheese and Wasabi Crema. The wontons are an admirable stand-in for the traditional corn tortillas and the marriage of the ethereal spice of the sesame beef to the tartness of the manchego and the hot/cold of the wasabi crema comes close to delivering the "nirvana" promised in the menu.

The remainder of the menu is a kaleidoscope of Latin, Asian and French influences - more often than not competing for attention within the same dish. Some of the early favorites amongst neighboring diners appear to be the nachos, big bowls of noodles, grilled fish entrees and desserts.

All-in, this is a loud, no frills dining room / bar scene that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Whether you are sampling Kim's finer plates over a nice bottle of wine before heading to a show at the Studio Theater, or downing a plate of nachos with friends over mojitos late at night, Merkado delivers.