ANJU

I was in town for a couple of days for work, and as a foodie, I was looking up some local eats that strayed away from the big, well-known spots. This came up on an EaterDC list, and the pic of the Palace Ddukbokgi caught my eye. I've been craving rice cakes for a while, and I knew I had to make a trip here just for it.

I took Metro to get here, and it's only a 10 min walk from DuPont Circle. I arrived at ~7 on a Wednesday night and it was about a 15-20 min wait. Luckily as a part of 1, once a bar seat became available, I was seated promptly!

Their cocktail menu looked intriguing and I was drawn to the Forbidden Fruit 2.0 as someone who enjoys fruity cocktails. I ordered it and it was very creamy and smooth! The alcohol is masked by all the fruity flavors mixed in and the coconut milk, which is a plus in my book. They also had a delicious sounding assortment of appetizers to choose from, but I didn't have much stomach room to spare, especially if I was going to order Ddukbokgi.

The Palace Ddukbokgi was absolutely delicious! The dish is naturally vegetarian, but you can add bulgogi to the dish for $7 more (which I did). It feels weird to say, but I wish I didn't add bulgogi in the end! The rice cakes had the absolute best chew (light to the bite!) and the sauce was in had was slightly sweet but perfect for the rice cakes! The veggies complemented the dish very well and there was a nice assortment throughout. The bulgogi was good but for me, it felt like one item too much (now I see why the dish is made the way it is!) Can't wait to come back here when I'm next in DC!

finally got to try ANJU!

Anju has a very nice interior, and I could see everyone that I've passed by enjoying their time there. My table ordered 3 things:

Mandu (5/5): we're both a big fan of dumplings and wow did these not disappoint! Had such a great filling and crisp to it. I think this and the chikin are their popular appetizers and I can see why!

Palace Ddukbokgi (4/5): to me this felt like a light dish and if it was something I got alone, I might've felt hungry afterwards. Great dish however! This is vegetarian, but you can add meat if you'd like. I think the sweet soy sauce brought the dish together, though I wish there was more cauliflower.

Dak Jjim (4/5): I am a huge fan of braised chicken, especially Dak Jjim! It was good overall, we were told it would be spicy, but it was surprisingly on the sweet side? I'm glad they gave us rice because otherwise I wouldn't have had more than a bowl or two.

I would definitely recommend this place to try, the prices are a bit high for what it is, but don't let it stop you from coming here!

Went for a Sunday brunch on a nice day and sat out on the patio. It was a great spot for people watching and the service was also really good despite not being inside. The server and all support staff were great!

I was a bit torn between the KFC and waffle or the kalbi and eggs. They were sadly out of the KFC and waffle so I got the kalbi and eggs. It was delicious! The Kalbi was perfectly marinated and cooked with a definite open fired flavor. The seaweed butter on rice was delicious and the perfect complement to the meat and salad. Overall very filling and would definitely order again.

Excited to try out Anju! Started off with two of the most popular apps, the mandu and fried chicken. The mandu are big and has a delicious savory pork filling. I wish they were a tad bit hotter but understandable since it was busy during dinner and one of their popular items. We really enjoyed the fried chicken as well. The white bbq sauce mixed with the gochuchang well. I also liked how several of the breast and thigh pieces were also taken off the bone so it was easy to eat. Apps are generously portioned especially the chicken, we were kinda full already but we rallied!

The Galbi is good for sharing. The meat was smoky and flavorful.

Cocktails are fun and seem to be rotating frequently. We will def save room for their sticky toffee pudding next time.

Been eager to try this restaurant if I ever had the chance to go to DC and let me tell you, it was worth all the hype. As an avid foodie, I've known about Anju pre-"somebody feed Phil" episode. We went to DC for a weekend with only a weeks notice, so the only reservation I could get was lunch, but I'm so glad we went! We ordered the Steak & Eggs, Black Garlic Caesar Salad and the Pork k Kimchi Mandu. Jaw-drop. The steak was so perfectly cooked with a great crust, and even the little salad on the side, was amazing. The black garlic Caesar was such a fun twist on your traditional Caesar salad with some add bacon, YUM. And the mandu dumplings...can I have some more to-go? Definitely will be going back at some point for dinner to try the rest of the menu!

Quality food and service! A bit hard to get a seat most nights, but thank you Eric who saved us a seat when we called on our way there!

Best Korean food in the city hands down! Don't expect Annandale or Centreville prices, but they make sure to make up for it with interesting twists and portions.

Servers were super friendly and atmosphere was busy on a Thursday night. I definitely recommend making reservations as walking in might be a miss.

Great food, good service, intimate space. We had a group of 6 for happy hour and then dinner. We made reservations and ate all of the food family style. The drink menu has something for everyone and the food menu is such an adventure.

Highly recommend and will definitely bring my foodie friends back!

WOW did I leave so satisfied. Might be one of my favorite restaurants in DC. Mandu, bone marrow, and Jjajangbap. Everything was extremely delicious.. especially the bone marrow. Service was not slow despite how busy it was. Servers were very attentive and kind. The music was good. Tables were spread out. Loved everything. About this place..

I was excited to visit Anju in NW DC and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. The food is delicious and the ambiance is beautiful! It can get a little loud with voices, music and other noises bouncing off the walls, but that adds to the experience. You can tell that people are genuinely enjoying themselves. I have to admit that the music was entertaining and nostalgic.

The portion sizes are large, so be sure to come hungry. Each menu item is moderately priced and so flavorful! I recommend securing a reservation because of the restaurant's popularity and small dining area.

The restaurant is two stories and located in a cute DC neighborhood. Came by for brunch and ordered the Hwe Dup Bap and smash galbi burger. The Hwe Dup Bap was very refreshing and light! The burger was on the heavier side, but the meat had a lot of flavor. Service was a bit slow.