A new feel for DC dining...
DESCRIPTION: I was literally transported out of DC when I walked into Mie N Yu for the first time. It was a totally mesmerizing experience, which was complemented by an interesting menu that is geared towards sharing and really attentive service. I will always bring out-of-town guests to this place to let them know that DC has finally evolved.
DATE: 2003-09-02
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Thai Pu Pu Grill, Wasabi Crusted Salmon, Warm Calamari & Frisee Salad

What a bad place to go!!!!
DESCRIPTION: The design of this restaurant is interesting, and it makes you think for a few seconds that this is the place to be. But this is before you know that is the place of the you can t . At the bar you can t move, in the restaurant area, you can t smoke, if you don t eat, you can t sit and be aware, if you are a foreigner you can t even be here, because this restaurant has decided to only accept people with American valid ID s. So if you still want to see this nice design, don t come with your friends from abroad because they are not invited, and be prepared to pay a lot, unless you think like me that these are enough reasons not to go to this restaurant.
DATE: 2003-10-07
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 2
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Foreigners can't eat...

A totally new and wonderful experience!
DESCRIPTION: I happily came across to this restaurant when i was going into Georgetown with a few international staffers from a YMCA children's camp this summer. As a foreigner to this Country (I am Chinese born in UK) I was warmly welcomed into this restaurant. What a sight to behold! The interior is as wonderful as the experience of dining in this establishment! The service made it truly an honour to be there. And I can't stress enough that the location was perfect. This is defnitely one of the best restaurants that i have ever dined in. I shall always fondly compare any other restaurants as a "Mie N Yu experience" something that is very hard to come across. Though I'm now back in UK after finishing my work in Maryland this September, I will be hoping that in the future, I will have the pleasure of coming back to this wonderful restaurant, but for those of you thinking of going there to try the cuisine, may I say to you: "Enjoy the Mie N Yu experience!"
DATE: 2003-11-21
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Ahi Tuna Parfait- one of the best starters that i have had pleasure in tasting! deep fried soft shell crabs, Chocolate fondue with Tia Maria with mixed fruits

Escorted to the
DESCRIPTION: My friend has a very important position at GWU and I don't consider myself a schlub, but we were treated as fodder for the "Reject Room" at our first and last visit to Mie N Yu. I had called the day before, but when we arrived on a rainy Friday for our 6:00 P.M. reservations, the hostess could not locate my name. After several awkward minutes, the hostess acted like she was doing us a favor in finding us a table in an otherwise empty restaurant. We were escorted past the loitering wait staff and up one empty level after another. All the while, the hostess pointed out the decor and theme of each room, but reminded us, "But you're not sitting there." Finally, we reached what probably once served as an attic. The room was hot and stuffy and we only saw other non-wait staff when the manager brought people by on a tour of the facility. The overall decor of the restaurant was impressive but I can't say I remember the food as I was so upset at being seated in what people who have seen "Animal House" will know as the "Reject Room."
DATE: 2005-05-31
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Another Seating Location

DESCRIPTION: 7pm, Friday night, Georgetown, hungry: passed by good looking Italian restaurant, earmarked the Vietnamese for next time, and then were caught in what can only be described as a scam... the shame is, we fell for it: the allure of a 'reservations only' experience, the exotic-looking entrance, and our own inability to settle on a gastronomic region all lured us to Mie N Yu- what a HUGE MISTAKE! Quite clearly, the restaurant itself can't make up it's own mind as to what to serve- a little Oriental, a touch of Asian, or Mediterranean, or was the banana-hummus designed to attract everyone from Latin to Indian to Arab? In the end it could only attract my growing suspicion that this place was indeed a sham- the kind of place that only needs your money once to realise a profit- no need to cultivate return guests (they won't come), just charge more than the bottle per glass of wine, $10 an appetizer, and the utilities/wages to customer spending ratio will always work in your favor... the naan was store-bought, the plantain chips indeed flash-fried, but somewhere in Escondido, California, and the hummus itself, well left uneaten in the bowl; next up, the vegetarian collection- two of the minutest skewers of vegetables I ve ever seen, egg-rolls from frozen (think I passed up on the same ones in Shoppers the other day), and a red-rice mixture as bland as the overly-enthusiastic server was not- his loud remark in support of our choice of wild mushroom ragout as an accompaniment sealed the deal- he either hadn t eaten it himself or had been coached into perpetuating the myth that the chef was not mingling with diners but actually in the kitchen and was creating our repast from scratch (in fact as the waiters all wore black, his white, and obviously underused apron was very noticeable); dessert , he asked, ignoring the fact that virtually everything served remained picked at but not eaten, sure , I said to my wife, now thinking of which Ben and Jerry s flavor would somehow cleanse my already confused and now thoroughly disgusted palate, but as we got up to leave, the ransom- $75 for our coats, had to be paid in order to escape the lingering doubts about my ability to make rational decisions- if you actually paid $5/gallon for gas a few months ago, have failed to walk away from the McStarbucksing of coffee, or truly believe that chow mein is Chinese food, you should eat here.
DATE: 2006-02-11
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 4
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 2

Great!
DESCRIPTION: Inexpensive, fresh food, great appetizers. Great pasta. Live (and very good) jazz on the Saturday night we were there, no cover. Smoking in the main, smaller dining are/bar and non smoking in the adjacent dining room. Cool decor and I've had good service the last 3 times I've been. Food available at bar. No tap beer though. Decent wine list. The coolest place in U Street and one of the more civilized but laid back places I've found in DC.
DATE: 2004-03-06
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 6
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Appetizers! Good pastas

DESCRIPTION: The new menu at the restaurant is fantastic. The ambiance is great, not very noisy and has great music. Definitely a worthwhile trip to Capitol Hill!
DATE: 2004-02-20
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10

Romantic
DESCRIPTION: The new menu and chef makes Park Cafe one of the finest dining experiences in Washington. The food and presentation rivals the best Washington has to offer at a fraction of the price. Also, easy parking.
DATE: 2004-03-06
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Chef's special

Nice to treat yourself once in a while
DESCRIPTION: Unfortunately they can't seem to hold on to waitstaff for too long, but the service is always good, given the turnaround. The owner is very welcoming, the art work is a great topic of conversation, and if only there were more cafes and people around the park you could truly make belive you were in Europe. The one thing that is not left to the imagination is the food, seems to be reliable and worth exploring this hidden gem of the District!
DATE: 2005-03-25
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : all

Good food but overpriced
DESCRIPTION: The cafe has a nice ambience and the service is good, but the menu is overpriced for what you get. We ordered the green salad for $10 and got merely a small pile of mixed greens with palm and artichoke hearts. A mussels appetizer was $14 for a healthy portion of mussels but nothing special with the broth. Unfortunately, that was a reoccurring theme throughout the dinner. There was nothing special to make it worth the inflated price. The entrees, while tasty, was not entirely well prepared. I asked for medium for duck breast and it came medium rare (some parts just downright rare) while my husband's tuna steak (the special) were thin cuts of tuna. It seemd that a tuna steak had been butterflied to cut costs. I felt that for the price, everything should have been perfect but ultimately, the ambience did not make it worth the price.
DATE: 2005-08-26
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 4

Taste - Spectacular!
DESCRIPTION: Baked crab cake appetizer with no fillers - savored the aroma of crab and herbs, no sauce needed - very juicy. Finally a REAL crabcake in DC. The hangar steak special is a MUST try - tender enough to cut with a fork - I could have sworn the cut of meat was a filet, not a hangar steak. As I sat there savoring every bite, I could not help but wonder "who is this chef and where did she come from?". I am from New Orleans and finally found a fabulous restaurant to bring guests.
DATE: 2006-01-27
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Tiger Shrimp, Hangar Steak.

Horrible
DESCRIPTION: Don't go. It is a beautiful little spot on the Park, but maybe if enough people don't go, it will have to change hands. Only house wine by the glass. Waiter told us their wasn't any Pinot Noir, then we heard owner say he had a brand new one and gave next table tastings. We had to ask about our salads after they were not delivered twenty minutes after ordering. (Our waiter was no where in sight, so we had to flag down one of the other servers and this is a tiny place!!) Salads were very average. Not enough pears on pear/gorgonzola salad. After another long wait our Paella for two was served in a smallish cast iron skillet. It was not good. We each ate several very dry mussels, some very dry chicken, very dry sausage, very dry rice, you get the message. It was very dry. The shrimp were okay but not good enough to cover for the rest of the dish. The dish is $46. It should be spectacular for that price. One of the mussels was still shut. This should never happen. We told the waiter clearing the dishes (still not our waiter)that it wasn't very good. He said we should have quit eating it. Nice. We paid our bill and got as quickly as possible. Nothing like a bad expensive meal to ruin a Saturday nights.
DATE: 2006-04-24
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Do not order the paella.

Dance
DESCRIPTION: I went to the restaurant Wednesday and food was good, but the most I love was upstairs. The Latin Music (Salsa) was the best and the people are so friendly. Thank you Zanzibar to be open to all the cultures.
DATE: 2004-04-21
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10

Hot Club but a Lukewarm Restaurant
DESCRIPTION: While the club is hot, the food downstairs is, at best, luke warm. The tepid calamari is served on a bed of cold lettuce with a plastic cup of bland marinara. Island Chicken and Jambalya put tasty meats in a too much salt and tomato, too little zing sauce, that washed out their flavors. The bisque has a wonderful flavor and NO bits of seafood at all! The high prices lead one to expect higher quality. If this were a little caribbean diner serving $8-$10 entrees I'd be content. But for $16 - $30 (excluding sandwiches) it's just not good enough.
DATE: 2005-02-11
FOODRATING : 4
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 4
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Coconut Shrimp Appetizer & Curried Goat