August 2007
Washington, D.C. '07
by Celia Cheng
Komi
1509 17th St, NW
(P & Q St)
202-322-9200
I was sold on Komi as soon as I visited the website and downloaded the menu. The homepage is simply a pristine black and white photo of chef-owner Johnny Monis at work in the kitchen. I know I’m not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but the photo itself gave me the sense that Komi was going to be exceptional. Then, the menu sold me for two reasons: first, it was handwritten, and second, the food made my eyes drool. In the photo, the cuisine looked modern, but on the menu, it seemed rustic — that’s always a good sign because it means that the focus is not only on the pure goodness of the ingredients, but also in the artistry of composition and presentation.
Komi offers two different types of prix-fixe menus. The dinner menu includes seven to eight chef’s selections of mezzethakia (small appetizers), and a three-course (appetizer, entrée and dessert) choice from the daily menu. The degustazione menu includes twelve mezzathakia, the three-course selection and wine pairing. It is requested that the entire table choose the same menu so that the kitchen can properly pace the meal.
On this particular Saturday evening, we had eight mezzethakia: fresh olives with sea salt and olive oil; halved radish with fish roe and fresh whipped butter; mascarpone-stuffed date with Greek yogurt; Muscat gazpacho with Padrón peppers; octopus with avocado and quail egg; oxtail gyro; watermelon with feta fritter, heirloom cherry tomato and corn vinaigrette; and lastly, three types of homemade crackers: asiago cheese with thyme flour dough, sesame with wheat dough, and smoked paprika with corn dough. Wow! What a line up. And these were all pre-appetizer courses. Everything was fantastic! All the delicate pairings of flavors for these tiny dishes worked so well, I could hardly suppress all the “mmm’s” coming out of my mouth. Particularly remarkable were the sweetness of the gazpacho countered by the slightly bitter and sometimes spicy Padrón peppers and the refreshing taste of watermelon and heirloom tomato with a lightly breaded and frittered feta in corn vinaigrette. Delicious!
For appetizers, we shared the local corn ravioli with summer truffle and langoustine, and the tagliatelle with local blueberries and guanciale. Both were very good except I found the guanciale too salty, overpowering any sweetness from the blueberries. For main, the suckling pig was prepared three ways: suckling pig confit, black truffle moussaka and a trotter croquette. It was amazing! The turbot alla plancha with panzanella was actually the most disappointing dish as it was lackluster and forgettable.
For dessert, the four of us shared a coconut panna cotta with apricot sorbet, honey-dipped Greek doughnuts with chocolate, flourless chocolate cake with olive oil ice cream, and yuzu cream with blueberries and pistachio. All were good but not the highlight of the evening.
After the meal, I learned that Johnny Monis was voted one of 2007’s seven Best New Chefs from around the country by Food and Wine. On the magazine’s website, there are accompanying videos of each Best New Chef cooking a recipe in his/her kitchen. The video interviews may focus on the recipe prepared, but they really reveal the personalities of these chefs. At the young age of twenty-eight, Monis is self-assured but not cocky. He seems like a an easy-going hipster. His philosophy is solid: Komi doesn’t open unless he is there, and based on his Greek heritage, fresh ingredients are key, not playful science experiments. He opened Komi four years ago when he was twenty-four, which, in my book, makes him a prodigy!
The restaurant is located in Dupont Circle and it’s small and cozy with no more than twelve tables. The meal is elaborate, not in a stuffy sense, but in a Slow Food, “enjoy your meal leisurely” type of way. Our dinner for four spanned three and a half hours. I’ve never felt so comfortable at a restaurant before. It was the last night before their two-week summer vacation, too. We were the last party seated, and the last party to leave, yet not once were we rushed.
The staff is professional and accommodating but not overbearing. They are happy to explain every aspect of the menu, food and wine, making diners feel like top priority — Komi’s service rivals any Danny Meyer restaurant. I was also pleasantly surprised when they took the initiative to ask about any food allergies. Many restaurants don’t even pay attention when customers specifically voice concerns due to allergies. I enjoyed my experience so much, I must have asked a million questions, yet each response from the waiter and sommelier was patient and thorough. My request for a list of everything we had eaten that evening was met with a handwritten menu of the mezzethakia on Komi stationery — which like all other aspects of the restaurant is simple yet elegant.
After our long and excellent meal, we were sent off with one last treat — passion fruit and saffron lollipops. Yet another original and wonderful combination of flavors — the clarity and tartness of passion fruit with the rich, full flavor of saffron. The lollipop itself is like a beautiful sculpture with strands of spice visible through the translucent candy (pictured above).
At Komi, one consistent theme carries through to the food, service and atmosphere: they love what they do and they hope you do, too! Like my meal at the speakeasy, Xi Yan, in Hong Kong, my dinner at Komi will be an unforgettable memory that I will continue to relive and cherish.
