Komi

I would love to eat here over and over again, but I would go completely broke. In the past few years, Komi has gotten so much acclaim that their dinner tasting menu jumped from $56 to $84! Of course, I didn’t join the bandwagon till it hit the $84 mark. Hopefully, the prices don’t keep creeping up, b/c I would like to go at least once a year.

Neil took me to Komi for our anniversary in September, 2007. It was a truly amazing 3+ hour experience. So much food, wine, food, etc. It was the absolute perfect night, and I really didn’t want it to end. Chef and oner Johnny Monis has made greek food so exciting, and far better than any greek food I had in Greece. Every dish he makes has at least some greek influence. The menu gives you the option to have the prix fix dinner or degustazione. The dinner includes a variety of surprise mezzathakia (starters/mezzes), an appetizer, dinner entrée, and dessert that you choose from the menu. For the degustazione, your fate is left in the hands of the chef all evening. You also get a larger variety mezzathakia (if that’s even possible), more appetizers, a cheese course and dessert. Wine pairings exist too, but, at an additional cost. The current breakdown of the costs are:

• Dinner $84
• Degustazione $104
• 3 glass wine pairing $36
• 6 glass wine pairing $61

Based on reviews on the amount of food they give for the “dinner” option, we decided to stick with that. The sommelier suggested the 3 glass wine pairing for this option. I was hesitant, b/c being a “wino” myself, I thought I would run out. However, the pours were very generous, and it took me all the way to the end. The sommelier was exceptionally attentive and friendly. He explained each wine to us thoroughly and the pairings went great with the food. The pairings included both red and white wines. Neil wasn’t really in the mood for white that night, so, the sommelier gave him a small glass of red along with the white pairing. Along with the sommelier, the entire staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. I think there were at least 3 staff members that came to attend to us constantly throughout the night. They weren’t stuffy or pretentious at all. This was the by far the best service I’ve ever had at any restaurant, let alone a high end restaurant!

Ok, now onto the most important part…The Food.. I read a lot of reviews about Komi, so, I knew what to expect. I was so excited about the mezzathakia. It definitely met my expectations. The mezzes almost seemed endless, and we were anxiously awaiting each one. Each mezze was presented beautifully, and was so different from the previous. I think there were a total of 9 different mezzes. From what I remember, we had the following:

• House cured olive- This was a bright green olive, and perfectly salted.
• Feta fritter skewers- crunchy and warm, soft on the inside.
• Roasted Red Pepper Gazpacho- This was the one mezze that I didn’t really care for.
• Mascarpone Stuffed Dates- This is a staple; I read so much about this one mezze in particular, and it definitely lived up to the hype. It is a caramelized, salted medjool date, and once you bite into the warm exterior, you get creamy cheese oozing out. It’s total bliss! I think he stuffs it with a combination of mascarpone and greek yogurt. I just haven’t figured out the perfect proportion yet. My version at home is not nearly as creamy. I’ll just have to keep trying.
• Radish piped with a soft butter, and topped off with a sliver of fish
• Amberjack coated with oil and lemon- so simple, yet so refreshing.
• Octopus topped with slices of avocado and a beautiful quail egg- There was something else on top to complement it, but I can’t remember now. Anyways, the presentation was gorgeous, and I loved every bite.
• Mini Gyros!!!!!- I think this was mine and Neil’s favorite mezze. It is a soft pita, tzatiziki, tender marinated meat, and some tangy reduction glaze inside. It was the most flavorful gyro ever made. I would have loved to have eaten a whole plate of these. WOW!!

On to the appetizers and dinner: I ordered the pappardelle with baby goat ragu and Neil ordered the corn ravioli. Both were excellent, but I preferred the pappardelle. The housemade pasta was cooked perfectly, and the baby goat was so soft, creamy, and tender. The texture was so comforting. The chef actually posted the recipe online, and as soon as I can find a good cut of goat, I’m making it! You can see the recipe here. For dinner, I chose the hen stuffed with fois gras and Neil chose the beef entrée. The hen entrée even had a little serving of moussaka on the side. I’m not sure if it went with the hen, but it was incredibly tasty on it’s own. Neil’s beef was equally good. It was yummy, b/c my fork kept going back and forth between my hen and his beef. He also had flash fried brussel sprout leaves with his dish We loved both of our dishes, but at that point were still reflecting on the mezzes :)We were in a serious food coma.

But, wait...there’s still dessert!! Yes, I forced myself to eat dessert. I ordered the greek donuts with chocolate mascarpone pudding on the side. The velvety, warm pudding is what made this dessert so fabulous. I finished every drop of it and the donuts :)

The dining room itself is small, warm, cozy, and quiet. In no way does that mean you can’t make some noise. We saw a group of 10 having a very joyful gathering. The décor is very simple, yet elegant and the lights are softly dimmed. It’s just a very intimate, lovely environment, perfect for a special occasion with one or with family and friends. The vibe of the restaurant is simply comfort.

The menu has completely changed since I went. So, I think I’m due for another visit. I noticed a tagliatelle with veal sweetbreads, lobster and hedgehogs on the menu! Make reservations well in advance, as it books up fast. Oh, I almost forget, they gave us an orange lollipop at the end, that had a bit of a spicy kick. I was sad to leave.

Komi

1509 17th St NW

Washington, DC 20036

202.332.9200