What I ate around D.C. this week

In this recurring series, we’ll tap a plugged-in local to take us on a D.C. tour de food (or arts). This week, food writer and content creator Cornelia Poku went high and low — with a fine dining experience and a nostalgic chicken sandwich.

I took it easy at the top of this week because I was mentally preparing for Thursday. As a content creator, sometimes I get the gift of having two events in one day. On Thursday, I was invited to meet up with Lydia Chang — the daughter of restaurateur and chef Peter Chang — at their Dupont restaurant, Chang Chang. We talked about her father’s immigration story and tasted some new menu items, including the mala beef tendons, which were spicy and tender, and the pickled chili wood ear mushroom, which had a pleasantly chewy texture.

After an hour or so, I hopped on the Metro and headed to Wharf for dinner at Hell’s Kitchen, a two-story fine-dining concept from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Along with some other food journalists, we enjoyed a multi-course meal of oysters on a half shell ($54 per dozen), a $38 lobster risotto, and Ramsay’s iconic beef Wellington ($74). We capped the evening with the $17 sticky toffee pudding. This was my second Hell’s Kitchen visit since it opened in January 2023 (I consider it a special occasion restaurant since it’s a bit pricey) and I’ve enjoyed every menu item I’ve tried. Plus, the interior is beautiful, especially if you can snag a seat overlooking the Potomac. 

On Saturday, the sun finally made an appearance after a dreary week. It was the perfect weather for spending money. My friend and I took a trip to URBNmarket, a pop-up marketplace featuring craft and food vendors. This weekend, it was happening in the Mosaic District in Falls Church. After picking out a new pair of earrings from Lena Ynez Jewelry and some cold-weather candles from Smell of Love, I snacked on a $7 Ghanaian-style meat pie from the vendor, Welle Made. The one I got was warm, flaky, and stuffed with spicy, perfectly salty beef.

On Sunday, I met up with a friend to gab over sandwiches at Your Only Friend, a new-ish sandwich and cocktail spot in Shaw, which started as a pop-up in the erstwhile Columbia Room. I ordered the Hot Nug ($16), a chicken sandwich that draws its inspiration from a traditional fast food nugget. Light frying gives the patty a perfect level of crispiness (really, just like a chicken nugget), before it's smothered in Nashville hot sauce and topped with a few pickles. After a long week, there was nothing I wanted more than the nostalgia of a fast food nug and the company of a good friend.