TenPenh

An incredible place, now gone.
Is there any asian fusion in the area which comes even close?

Heartbroken that this place closed… it was one of DC’s finest dining establishments!

06-​30-​2011 TenPenh’s last day. My last time tasting this delicious food. I was lunching with Awww Trouble for the first time in a long time. We were at once sad and excited to be there. Sad because well, it was closing. Excited because of the $ 5 cocktail options and delicious food. Yesss! We even scored seats on the tony patio. Yessss!
But first, my lunch, eventhough I did start with a canton martini. I needed it to wash down the shrimp and scallion dumplings Awww Trouble and I shared. Those steamed soy sauce dipped shrimp stuffed pockets were outstanding. The smoked lobster wasn’t available at lunch so I ordered the salmon this time. Yum. The filet was perfectly seasoned and seared. Hints of 5-​spice powder and just enough heat to let me know I was alive. The wasabi mash: how can I put this? OMG? Superdelicious? Wowie wow wow? These were some of the best even on a 90° DC day. The asparagus? Meh. A glass of riesling provided the perfect balance to douse the heat and temper the savory. Ahhhh.
Awww Trouble had the beef chow foon noodles and a glass of the champpers. I tasted the noodle and the rabe. Tasty!
Of course we were stuffed to the gills. But of course we had to have the donuts. The chocolate dipping sauce was (as usual) fantastic. Creamy, smooth, sweet, the perfect foil for the steaming hot sugar coated donuts. OMG hog heaven.
I thoroughly enjoyed my last TenPenh lunch on its last day. Especially when we returned later (after a bout with downtown retail therapy… dam you Ann Taylor) for a round of cocktails with Awww Trouble’s husband. The canton tini again!
Sayonara TenPehn. That was as good as it gets.

Oh nooooo! They are closing at the end of June! Get in there before it’s all gone. Ten Penh had a good run, but lease negotiations were not in their favor, so bu bye.
Make sure to follow Caitlin from behind the bar over to Acadiana — she’s a sweetie and can shake a cocktail!

I just learned that TenPenh is slated to close on June 30^th of this year. This restaurant has quickly become one of my faves in DC and I’m sad to see it go. I’ll miss the miso glazed Chilean sea bass dish and the beautiful Southeast Asian décor inside the restaurant. I’m glad I got a chance to eat here before the final swan song.

Went there with my bf in early April on a trip to the DC Cherry Blossom festive.
We ordered the special Sakura cocktail – really nothing special. The Asian majito tastes much better.
My bf had the duck. and it was OK. pretty Asian. but overpriced.we think this is some typical «Asian fusion» restaurant – they change things a little bit so that they can charge you more. much more than normal Asian food.

Asian fusion — another way of saying «we’re aiming for asian food, but in case it doesnt taste that way — it’s FUSION, so it’s not supposed to!»
We started out with the springrolls with the trio of dipping sauces. They were okay, but really small. I also wasn’t expecting them to be crispy for some reason. I got the duck, was pretty good. My buddies got the curry and fish. It was decent for a fusion place but a little too pricey for me (but I’m from LA where cheap asian food is as abundant as pollution in the air). Service was pretty good.
For dessert, I had the lemon crème brûlée with almond cookies. Cookies were definitely not the kind you get from the store (you know which ones I’m talking about, with the dragons on the pink box!). They was slightly crunchier but pretty good.
Would I recommend this place? Maybe if it were a little cheaper…

A nice Asian bistro… I don’t have much to say about it

3.5 Stars
I went here for lunch with some coworkers for Restaurant Week and while it was good, I feel like we definitely could have gotten better value for Restaurant Week from somewhere else.
My wonton soup was good but a little on the bland side. It definitely could have used some pepper. I would definitely recommend the American Kobe Hamburger «Banh Mi». I definitely expected this to be more like a burger, but instead it was on a banh mi roll with pickled veggies and srirachi mayo with a side of tempura battered onion rings. Let me just say that this sandwich was quite tasty. You really can’t go wrong with Kobe beef, but this combination of ingredients really hit the spot. For dessert, I had the Bananas Foster spring rolls. If you enjoy banana foster, I highly recommend this dessert.
The service here was pretty impeccable too. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and professional, the kind of service and treatment I would expect at a restaurant of a higher quality.

(Of course we ordered the Filipino lumpia spring rolls. Of course! *points to Philippine flag emblem on t-​shirt*)
Our birthday party almost devoured the entire dinner menu:
Peking Style Duck Roll
Wasabi Marinated Strip Loin
Miso Lacquered Chilean Sea Bass
Chinese Style Smoked Lobster
Crispy Whole Fish
Two orders of each of the above. And not one loser in the bunch. They were all very good. Now, it’s Asian fusion, so one may be compelled immediately to a PF Chang’s comparo. While I love PFC, TenPenh is the Lexus of Asian fusion – rich, reliable and consistent. This is great stuff, folks.
Well done, TenPenh. Well done.

I was a bit scared of the idea of any Asian-​Pacific restaurants. It’s like declaring: by the way, we are not authentic here!
But this place was alright. I came in with an open mind and left with
mostly good thoughts and just some minor grieves.
FOOD
–Roti Canai (appetizer)
This was quite different from the traditional Indian bread and chicken curry dip combo. It came with a quesadilla-​like presentation with chicken wrapped in the bread and caramel apple dip as the side.
It was interesting overall but a little bit greasy to my taste.
–Honey & Soy Lacquered Duck (entrée)
This was no doubt the best dish we ordered. The portion was huge and the duck was tender. I just wished I had more honey and soy sauce!
–Miso Lacquered Chilean Sea Bass (entrée)
Fresh fish decorated with colorful vegetables = a pleasantly light meal.
–Sticky rice cakes (their version of fortune cookies)
You know how you get fortune cookies after your meal at Chinese restaurants? This place gives you little sticky rice cakes that look like tiny muffins. I thought it was kind of creative.
PRICE
I don’t want to sound cheap, but I do think this place is overpriced. While the food was decent, I still felt like I was paying extra for the ambiance and some other things I don’t know about.
SERVICE
Everything was cool until we asked our waiter for our check before he had a chance to present his dessert menu.
It seemed as though he was peeved from then on. It was actually funny. We didn’t take it too seriously but he could have hid his discontent better.

Service? Pretty impressed. Our waitress was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients, able to effortlessly provide different recommendations to satisfy individual preferences.
Drinks? Delicious. The asian mojito, what a creative name (–_​-​), was a nice mix of flavors, not sweet or syrupy but well mixed. However, note that the drink is not strong at all. Considering that I’m usually a one shot gal, I was able to down (ok maybe quickly sip) the entire cocktail without feeling anything, which is saying a lot. Colleague had the pomerasian martini, even more creative name, but was a sizable serving .
Appetizers? Portion size was actually pretty large and definitely can be ordered to share. Much more than the typical 3 paltry morsels arranged artistically on a well-​garnished plate. Colleague raved about the steamed shrimp-​chive dumplings, which looked delectable in an authentic bamboo basket. The tuna tartare was also a hit, the wasabi guacamole won quite a few smiles. I had the pork ribs which was well cooked with the meat just easily peeling off the bone, though it was just a tinge too slathered in sauce for my taste. However, the pairing with the cucumber salad was fantastic. The lightness and crispness of the cucumbers was a delightful balance to the rich smokey flavors of the ribs.
Entrees? Mixed reviews. Portion size was a just a little small for the sea bass. However, it was cooked to pure perfection and tenderness. I would have preferred it a little more seasoned, but considering it was miso-​lacquered, I guess I should have known. Appreicated the creative flourish to add the golden raisins and pine nuts, interesting mix of textures, but didn’t feel like the combination really enhanced the dish. New phrase learned– the biggest bang for the duck. It was a huge plate with rice and a very very generous portion of duck, to the point where neither coworker finished the meal and had leftovers for lunch. It was like a sprawling army compared to my one man horse carriage sea bass. The scallops apparently weren’t phenomenal, and the potstickers that came with did not impress anyone.
Desserts? Ahh quite a few choices– crème brûlée, cheesecake, donuts. I always have the most difficult time with desserts. It doesn’t help that everything was presented so nicely either. Colleague convinced me to get the cinnamon donuts due to the dipping sauce. Sounded interesting as the other choices were just an «asian» flair on the typical. Definitely appreciated the creative combinations however. The donuts were huge, definitely not the bite-​size little Entenmann pop-​ems I had envisioned. It also didn’t ignite any fireworks for me, though the dipping is quite a lot of fun, which probably just means I should make a reservation at the melting pot.
Over all, for the price of the dishes, I was definitely expecting a bit more than the than just a ho-​hum culinary experience.

Until my most recent visit, I had always rejected TenPenh as the province of the overpriced and underinspired. Even the famous donuts, one of the better things on the menu, are «just» fresh donuts– remarkably tasty, but no tastier than the ones that come out of 2Amy’s, Birch and Barley, or my wife’s skilled hands.
But a good friend convinced me to give the bar a shot, and it was remarkably passable. I had a lovely, pristine cocktail of ice wine and vodka, which was definitely better than it sounds, but you’ll be bored of it after you have it once. And the shrimp dumplings, while «just» shrimp dumplings, reminded me of how great shrimp dumplings can be. Don’t get your hopes up, and you just might be pleasantly surprised.

I am going to give this a slightly positive review, but I think in reality I’d give the place a very neutral rating. I’d go for 2.5 stars actually with service and décor and settings that are very good, with the food being well… wildly inconsistent. I wont bore you about the restaurant you can get the idea of what this place is like from other reviewers. This is not, I repeat, NOT a classic Thai place.
So let’s get to the menu items. An amuse bouche was presented that was actually very good. A butternut squash style soup but consisting of a good amount of lemongrass flavor. This was actually very nice, it seemed as things would start off well. But then on to the starters.
Seems like starting with a standard is a no brainer. The Tom Yum soup, a classic staple of any Thai menu was fine. A little overbearing in its presentation though poured into a coconut husk. However, it was alright, not great or to die for, but good. The Peking Duck roll… boring… bland… dry. although for a roll it was quite substantial, but it had no flavor even with the hosin like sauce that was provided. Duck needs to be moist, this was also mostly roll…
Grilled octopus salad. I am reserved about ordering octopus because most places give you something the consistency of a rubber ball. This however was cooked correctly. But it also was filled with a stupid amount of wasabi (I love heat but this was really unexcpected, ecspecially coupled with fresh pepper), and had all these other items and flavors that just didn’t go well together. Grapefruit with this? no doesn’t work… I couldn’t even taste it. Nothing blended right, and even finishing it, there were sweetened dusted walnuts on the bottom. What the heck was that doing there? I went from eating hot seafood, to warm grapefruit I couldn’t taste, to suddenly eating a bowl of sweetned nuts. Wrong… what a mess this dish was. It’s TOO busy, and nothing compliments itself.
In contrast the TenPenh salad had the right balance and wasn’t overbearing.
The main courses were a bit better but also continued the theme of trying too hard. The rib eye and wasabi mashed potatoes is a good combination not bad. I am sure it’s also the powdered wasabi and not the real thing but that’s ok. However, the top was covered also with spiced red bell peppers that just once again made eveything too busy, and not contrast and work well together. The Arctic Char is kind of bland, but easier to handle with the sweet pairings of ginger and sweet potato.
It became apparant to me that this was a fusion restaurant gone a little overboard. It’s as if they are trying too hard. The most simplest and non threatning items are the desserts which fit in with the ideas of combining obvious wacky flavors together but nothing extreme.
However, the Kafir Lime Brulee while prepared well, had no essence of the Lime in it, but had the gelatinized taste of it smeared on the plate. However, that mixture was also incredibly tart and sour. The macaroons on the plate were not even soft they were hard and stale tasting. Once again a food item with an identity crisis. The Spiced pudding cake though is a better option and almgamation of flavors.
So to conclude. TenPenh just tries too hard, and makes some real head scratching mistakes. The items aren’t really that great, and I wasn’t really impressed. The dishes have TOO many flavors in them, and many that don’t work well with each other. However, the place isn’t full of itself or pretentious. It’s just that my rib eye should have told the peppers… HEY get off my back!

Overpriced Asian fusion but hey — it is goooood.
First — wasabi mashed potatoes to start. I had never heard of such a thing! The waitress insisted our party try them, and we relented — ohhhhh so good. My dad, a wasabi fiend if ever there was one, tried to greedily hoard the entire dish. yum yum yum.
Entrees — my dad and I both thoroughly enjoyed the peanut-​shallot crusted Ahi tuna. A symphony for our tastebuds! My mom had the scallops, which were divine — HOWEVER, there was some kind of nuclear hot pepper mixed in with the side of veggies. This was NOT advertised (perhaps because the main dish itself didn’t contain the spice) but it made my mom writhe in agony until the waitstaff could locate some bread to neutralize her scorching mouth. The waiter said, «Ohhhh, you must have had one of the hot chillis» — ya think?! That would be a good side note to put in the menu.
Moving on — my fiancé had the phở — which was different than any phở he’d ever had before (crazy big chunks of stuff, and a ridiculous amount of broth) but he enjoyed it. His mom had the salmon — five stars all around.
For dessert we all split a few orders of the house-​made sorbets. Wow. Incredibly, incredibly delicious. A wonderful light way to end a culinary delight.

We were a group of 4 who dined on a rainy Saturday night. I’m not sure if it was the rain or the recession or the fact that this is no longer a new restaurant, but they weren’t very busy. Since we arrived before 6:30 we ordered from the Pre-​Event menu which was $ 29 and included a choice of appetizer, any entrée from the menu, and a choice of dessert.
Tenh Penh is in a very beautiful and elegant space at the corner of Pennsylvania and 10^th. The service was efficient and friendly without being intrusive.
If I rating the restaurant on just the appetizers and the dessert, I would give it 6 stars (of 5), but I’m deducting a star for the entrees. The lumpia with 3 dipping sauces was excellent with the chili dipping sauce getting rave reviews. The spicy calamari salad was perfectly cooked and the dressing was spicy and flavorful. The short ribs were also excellent.
We had 4 different entrees and everyone said they were good, but didn’t meet the standard set by the appetizers. The lobster was nicely cooked and presented, but the sauce didn’t taste anything like the description the waitress gave. The deconstructed bibimbop was very light on the gochujang so it was really a steak and vegetables served with rice and a fried egg. The yuzu in the balsamic sauce with the scallops gave the sauce an aftertaste. The best entrée was the red curry shrimp. The entrees all had potential, but then they seemed to shy away from the spice and flavor.
We all had the chocolate torte with soy ice cream and candied nuts. It was fantastic.
When compared to Asia Nine which is within 2 blocks, I would say Asia Nine had bolder, more flavorful entrees, but more ordinary appetizers and desserts. The crowd at Asia Nine was also much younger. I would return to Tenh Penh, but would order appetizers and desserts only.

Restaurant Week is typically not the best time to review a «fancy» restaurant. The service is so different than usual, the food so off-​course, that it’s never reflective of the place’s typical experience. But I;m reviewing TenPenh anyway, precisely because my RW experience there was so good, where at many it’s exactly the opposite.
I like that TenPenh (extra points for a witty name that feels both practical & asian-​fusiony!) gives you the option to order ANY of their usual entrees instead of severely limiting their menu like so many places do during RW. I ordered the chicken roti appetizer, which I now see in other reviews was the right choice! The sauce was weird (I still can’t figure out what the taste was), but the appetizer (like a quesadilla made with a fried pancake) was great, & surprisingly light for being so fried.
My entrée was a real accomplishment. Why the hell did I order halibut? I hate fish. After the great app, I started to freak about the entrée, sure I was going to hate it. But in a major entrée victory, it was AMAZING, & I ate the whole thing, impressed with myself all the way (& bragging to my mother afterward). I had the halibut with Thai basil chili glaze and… some other stuff. The cold noodle salad it came with wans’t my bag, but the fish was so good that I overlooked it — & stole a friend’s lo mein instead.
Dessert was a coconut pastry with banana chantilly. Both were sticky — but delicious.
Oh, & bonus — literally! Before out appetizers came out, our waitress brought us an amuse-​bouche of Asian gazpacho. It was really good, smooth & spicy. Didn’t match any of the other food we ate, but I don’t critique free stuff. When our check came, she brought us each a little square of some sort of fudge that tasted like a cross between fruit & a blondie.
And did I mention my drink? The Tomo-​Jito was the best drink I’ve ever had the pleasure of imbibing.
Seriously. $ 50, total.
Restaurant Week win, TenPenh!

After my first visit to Ten Penh this past weekend, I have nothing but superlative reviews. We started with the tempura tuna sushi appetizer, which, though small (only 5 pieces) were fantastic. They had no rice, just pure tuna filling out large rounds. Also, I appreciate the roll being served with ponzu sauce instead of just plain soy.
We split two entrees — the five spice chili tea rubbed beef tenderloin was perfectly cooked, delightfully rare, and had just enough kick without being overpowering. Our second dish was the night’s special, a seared chilean sea bass with bacon, bok choi and a black bean mix underneath. Phenomenal. The bass took on the smokiness of the bacon, had a slight crispiness on the exterior and was sheer deliciousness.
A huge plus: both of our entrees were served already split with adequate sides on each plate, avoiding all the mess and hassle of self-​splitting, at no extra cost.
Overall — I can’t wait to go back. Pricey? Yes. Worth it for a great meal? Aboslutely.

I love this place — for lunch and dinner. Appetizer Chicken Roti is to die for and so is lamb entre!
Service is excellent and so is wine selection…

Came here during Restaurant Week and had a good meal. I’ve been flip-​flopping whether to give this a 3 or 4. Ultimately I decided 4 stars for Restaurant Week and probably 3 if I had to pay full prices. Here’s the breakdown:
Food: The best part of TenPenh’s restaurant week menu is that they offer all entrees with only an upcharge for the lobster. That means even the whole fried fish of the day is available. I liked the variety of choices.
–Appetizers: I had the salmon tartar which was good, especially because it came with wonton chips and I love wontons. My boyfriend was not a big fan of his spicy calamari salad, which looked very watery.
–Entrees: The seared scallops were great– very juicy and perfect with the cilantro sauce. I also loved the soy-​glazed pork belly on mashed potatoes that it came with. There were a lot of different flavors but they came together well. The lobster was good, but not mindblowing. As my boyfriend said «if this is their signature dish, I wonder.» It was a good size with a fair amount of lobster meat and came on a bed of fried spinach and vegetables, but I think he was hoping for a little more flavor.
–Dessert: The blondie we had was very dry, but was not so bad when you ate it with the delicious kona coffee icecream that came on top. (Interestingly, the bites of persimmon blondies that they gave with our check were super moist). The brownie with the panna cotta was much better, and probably my favorite part of the meal. There was a hint of spice in either of those, and it worked perfectly with the rich chocolaty flavors and the lightness of the panna cotta.
Service: Very good service. From the moment I walked in I was kindly greeted and they showed me all the way to the bathroom when I was waiting for my boyfriend. Our server was also extremely knowledgeable and attentive. This is an area that often shuts down during Restaurant Week but they did not slack.
Atmosphere: I loved the interior. Asian-​fusion décor can often come off as cheesy but this was done perfectly. I especially loved the big silk laterns in the middle which reminded me of my trip to Vietnam. It would be a good place to take a date, but it is also casual enough to go with a big group of friends.