Maketto
“Your new go to Southeast Asian spot with an edge...and so much more!”
The Lowdown: Walking into H-street’s Maketto, and you’ll understand what all the hype is about. You think you’re walking into a restaurant, but you’re met with so much more: A retail area featuring urban wear; a floating cafe; an outdoor forum to drink amazing cocktails under the stars; and the restaurant experience you’ve come out to H-Street for. The aesthetic details are on point, featuring an asian inspired, modern, minimalist look. And the food? Let’s just say that Toki Underground’s Erik Bruner Yang has done it again with fresh ingredients, and unreal flavors that will transport you to Southeast Asia in one bite.
The food: It’s rare that I eat at a place and I want to stand up and applaud the chef for nailing an experience so well.
I started with the Leek Buns, which were sweet, light and fluffy - it’s like eating clouds stuffed with savory, and tangy veggies.
The Tamarind Salad. Get it. Not only is it beautifully presented as a work of art; the freshness, crunchy textures of lotus root, carrots, and crispy greens drizzled with a light and tangy tamarind dressing are a feast for so many different senses, I lost count.
The vegan Fried Noodles. Holy moly - if you can find a noodle dish that’s more scrumptious than this, then dinner is on me. What makes these noodles so unique is the ratio of noodles to greens, which makes each bite a soft and chewy, crisp and refreshing flavor bomb.
So, it was after one bite of the Whole Fried Fish that I had the urge to get out of my seat and give a standing ovation to Erik. It was so good that I wrote the word “brilliant” three times in my tasting notes. Just look at the luxurious heaping of herbs - basil, cilantro, mint, capers, poured high like an unstoppable forrest of flavor. The fish itself is plump and sweet, swimming atop a spicy sauce with complex flavors of peanut, coconut, and God knows what else to create a Cambodian symphony dish fit for Poseidon himself.
It was with the Wagu Bao Platter that I entered food paradise. The meat was tender and marinated to perfection. The platter is meant to be eaten with the beef and pickled veggies stuffed into the pillowy boa; but the ingredients were so good on their own that it almost seemed sacrilege to mix up the flavors.
If there was one miss, it was the dessert. The orange chcocolate tart looks great, but it was a bit dry and stale. A scoop of vanilla ice-cream (rather than the whipped cream) would have been great to break up the denseness. Since this was the first week of opening, and they were trying out different desserts, I’ll chalk it up as a one-time experimental flop.
The Best Part: The cocktails, the food, and environment, and service were truly on-point. The fact that the head chef and owner was manning the front lines (see him in all black, below), earns him and his inspired establishment much respect. I could (and did) give him my positive feedback as I ate!
The Worst Part: The dessert. It was meh. And beware of the wait - like Toki Underground, this is already an extremely popular spot that you might find yourself waiting an hour or more for. So, plan accordingly as I predict its popularity will only increase with time.
Good for: Cocktails, a fun outing with friends, a date spot with lots of energy and trendy vibe for a pre-night-out meal.
My take: Food 9/10; Ambience 8/10; Service: 8.5/10
Location: 1351 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
