Special K

I didn’t know what I was getting into for lunch today. I really didn’t want to eat the same deli sandwich as I do, or the same pizza, or the same bag of chips and Snickers…. I was craving Chinese so I went to a restaurant just around the corner from my office. We don’t have many quick places, so I figured this would be a full hour lunch…that’s ok. It’s officially summer and going out for an hour lunch is ok. I didn’t want to go to far, as I suspected it would be hot and nasty humid. A side note on the weather, it is hot, but not nasty humid, just barely humid. I liked it.

So I went to Mr. K’s.

They are at 2121 K Street NW, Washington DC. I would recommend this for more of a special occasion, not so much with the quick sit down lunch.

It’s very swank, as far as Chinese restaurants go. Sort of lush and dimly lit, but not dank in anyway. Big squishy chairs, “gold” plated flatware, rimmed plates and serving dishes. Tables that are lit from underneath. Servers and staff are in tuxes. Certainly not your friendly neighborhood Szechwan House!!!

I got my diet Coke and water and ordered Sesame Beef, strips of beef, lightly floured, lightly fried and in a sauce. I was expecting sort of chewy, skinny strips of beef in an oily, salty, heavy sauce….it really what I was craving. What I got were these large, tender, slightly crisp pieces of beef in this rich, tasty sauce, without the typical oily-ness that accompanies so much Chinese food. It was really tasty. The rice came in a “gold” serving dish, a miniature of round chaffing dish, without the fire, but same style.

I ate up my dish and throughout; the staff was very attentive, without being intrusive. Here’s a hot towel to wash your hands, here’s this, here’s that.

When I finished, they whisked away the plate and flatware and here came this giant two tiered dessert cart, fresh fruit on top with a few liqueurs and some lovely cakes below. I just asked for coffee. WELL, I didn’t know it was going to be a whole thing. I really just wanted one cup of coffee. They brought this giant apparatus to my table. Like an old chemistry set. A double balloon glass coffee maker. The bottom had water and was sitting over a flame. A tube to another balloon full of coffee grounds connected the top. As the water on the bottom heated up, it rose to the top to drench the coffee. I was mesmerized. Once all the water was on top, this contraption started shaking and spouting coffee, the waiter came over and put out the flame, the coffee flowed back into the bottom balloon and he removed the top and poured into a pot. My one-cup turned into a full pot. I only had the one-cup, but I could have certainly drunk all of it. It was a very nice cup of coffee.

All of this in 45 minute. Not bad. But it was on the pricey side. But for the service and ambiance, good food and fancy coffee, worth it. But based on price alone, I can’t go back just for lunch by myself.

Two locations:

2121 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
202.331.8868

570 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212.583.1668