Kith and Kin (Washington, D.C.)

Hey!  It’s two days after Thanksgiving.  Put the food in the garbage can or freeze it so you can make it at a later date.  If you continue to eat Thanksgiving food, then your taste buds will be bland for the next month, I guarantee it.  No, I’m joking.  I remember growing up, eating ‘chitlins’ the next day, drowning them in hot sauce, and f***ing it up!  I can only eat chitterlings if my grandmother makes them.  They have to be properly cleaned, rinsed, and cooked.  Some foods you should stick with what you know.  Well, I know that bland ass Thanksgiving food you’re eating should be thrown away by now.

Now that you’ve thrown away your food, we can finally return your taste buds to normal with an awesome meal led by Chef Kwame Onwuachi.  Kith and Kin is a Afro-Caribbean restaurant that specializes in Goat, Oxtail, and Seafood with a beautifully decorated interior designed located in the new Gentrified area of D.C.  Well, it’s not new per se’ it’s just… Gentrified.  The Gentrified area is the Wharf located in SW D.C. that now has “fine dining” restaurants, a beautiful hotel, and newly built condos.  What once costs $2 to park now costs $20 if you decide to spend more than 2 hours in the area.  I suggest you take the metro to this area to spare you the extra $15.  (It all adds up).

The interior of this restaurant is one of the best I’ve seen in the area.  I expected it to look amazing because it’s a new restaurant located in a newly designed area.  I was referred to this restaurant by one of my favorite foodies in the area Leandro.

I was able to order three items off of the menu which were all pretty good.  I started with a Meat and Cheese Board, Mushroom Forest, and the Stewed Oxtails.  I’ll actually start off with the Mushroom Forest.  If you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, than this is the perfect dish for you.  It consisted of a mushroom spread, charred eggplant dip, roasted mushrooms, and crispy msmen.  The eggplant dip stole the show on this dish.  It was so creamy, moist, and delicate and worked well with the earthy flavor of the mushrooms.  This was one of the best vegetarian dishes I’ve had.  Considering I’m a huge fan of mushrooms, this dish was a no-brainer.

The next item that was ordered was their version of a charcuterie board.  I ordered their Jerk Duck Proscuitto Cheese Board which definitely had some interesting flavors attached to it.  The dish came with Nduja Spiced Chicken Liver Pate’, House Cured Jerk Duck Proscuitto, Ashen & Drunken Chevre, Quince and Thyme Jam, and Roasted Pineapple Pickle.  I literally just named several things that I’ve never tasted all at once.  The Chicken Liver Pate’ and Jerk Duck Proscuitto were a little salty but still good.  I wanted to order this dish because I rarely if ever order a cheese board when dining out.  The Quince and Thyme Jam were sweet and it did help even out the saltiness of the Proscuitto.  What stood out to me was that the dish was $29, and I’m not too sure if the dish is even worth $16.  The flavors were good, but it wasn’t my favorite dish.

The last dish that was ordered were the Stewed Oxtails.  The Stewed Oxtails consisted of Jasmine Rice, Pigeon Peas, and thumbelina carrots.  I’m pretty sure the Oxtails were simmered for more than 12 hours because the meat fell right off the bones.  I’ve had Oxtails from Caribbean restaurants before but none like this.  I’m not sure if I ever want to have Oxtails from a regular restaurant anymore after having these.  The Jasmine Rice was sweet, so I can debate on if it was cooked with some kind of almond milk.  The vegetables were really good as well, as the spices that were provided with them were amazing, too.  This dish was mouth watering and the presentation was even better.  It’s something about that presentations of dishes that make them taste better.  Well, not really, but at least it looks nice.

Overall, this restaurant is definitely a go to.  If you’re looking for a date night spot, than this is the perfect place for you.  It helps that no item was priced unreasonably, but I’d stay away from the cheese board if you’ll have a problem paying as much as I did.

OVERALL RATING : BUSINESS CLASS