“Dryuary” be damned! There’s no better riposte than a good happy hour to chase away the post-holiday blues….the DC Happy Hour Sleuths are back on the prowl!
A chilly late afternoon, with the January sun quickly fading, finds us at Anju, 1805 18th Street, NW.
Yes, we know Washington Post restaurant critic, Tom Sietsma, loves the place for its increasingly buzz-worthy takes on Korean-inspired fare, but we’re all about business and the downstairs bar area is a perfect spot to start an evening of serious happy hour contemplation.
An authentic, pan-East Asian vibe of low ceilings, wood lattice work, and flocks of delicate cranes flying along the wall paper transports us to someplace special.
Drinks! Kirin Ichiban draft beer was offered at $5. The wines — a CK Mondavi red blend and a Matua Sauvignon Blanc — were on for $6 a glass. A couple of Korean specialty drinks were offered, including an infused Makkoli (a Korean-type whiskey/bourbon made in-house and infused with vanilla) for $4 shot and Soju, a Korean-type vodka, arriving in a cheeky little 375 ml. bottle for $15. Our very affable server, Vanessa, provided each of us with a shot glass for tasting (this spirit’s a winner for saké lovers). No proffered bourbon goes untested by our in-house expert, but he found the Makkoli overly redolent of vanilla and the rail bourbon, Larceny, too harsh for further exploration. (Other rail options priced at $5 for HH.)
Vanessa guided us through the HH food choices, a couple of which are also standouts on the regular menu: Spicy Korean Fried Chicken (a high-priced HH choice, at $12, but worth it) and Tornado Potatoes.
The Kimchi Slaw Dog was fought over and the Spicy Brisket Ramen was appropriately slurped (although the singular, paper-thin shaving of brisket seemed like nothing more than a garnish: the perfectly cooked pickled egg atop the ramen is what you really want). The standard issue slender metal chopsticks and spoon may not be enough hardware for the uninitiated to tackle any of the food choices, but requests for additional cutlery are cheerily accommodated. The spice level of all the choices seemed just right – and appropriately debatable for those on the spice-challenged spectrum.
All and all, a very solid Happy Hour choice and we’re all planning a repeat visit for dinner upstairs in the dining room.
The nitty gritty:
Happy Hours: Everyday, 5 – 7 p.m. Also, late night Happy Hours, Sunday – Thursday, 10 p.m. – 12 a.m; Friday and Saturday, 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Bathrooms: Clean, uni-sex.
Transportation: Closest Metro stop: Dupont Circle (Red Line).
Accessibility: While technically accessible (ask the management for the ramp to navigate the steep front step), very little actual seating for a companion and wheeled vehicle. Bathroom is accessible, but very tight quarters. (And thank you, Tom S., for now including accessibility information in your reviews….reviewing accessibility has always been a founding principle for the DC Happy Hour Sleuths!)
DC Happy Hour Sleuths 