Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Tasting tea and ethnic delicacies

Teaism at Penn Quarter
400 8th St. NW

Teaism offers real ethnic food, real fast, for a price that won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

With a casual dining atmosphere, the restaurant welcomes you to the cashier first. Place your order, and then find your table. Within minutes, your number is called and you are enjoying a warm bowl of Thai chicken curry or udon noodle soup.

For a price similar to Panera’s, you can expect to find much more than a sandwich or a cup of soup. From bento boxes to various hot and cold noodle dishes, to sandwiches and kebabs, this restaurant has all things Asian inspired, including the afternoon tea menu.

I sampled three very different dishes and the famous Thai style bubble tea, for $3.15, sweetened with milk. I ordered the salmon bento box for $9.25, complete with chilled teriyaki salmon, a cucumber-ginger salad, edamame and steamed rice. The salmon, while very flavorful, was a little too chilled for my liking. It wasn’t as soft and buttery as a traditional salmon dish, and I could tell it had been sitting in a fridge for quite some time. The cucumber salad was light and refreshing, and the rice was topped with a flavorful combination of seaweed, sesame seeds and powdered ginger.

Next, I tried my friend’s Korean barbeque beef with spicy cabbage and brown rice, for $11. The beef was especially tender and juicy, as if it had been braised all day. The spicy cabbage tasted very authentic. It was crisp yet soft, sweet yet acidic. I also tasted the Thai chicken curry, $9, and was impressed that, despite having been sitting out on our table while we sampled other dishes, it was still at the perfect temperature. Tender chicken floated in a bath of coconut milk-based yellow curry, crunchy jicama, carrots and green beans. The combination of flavor and texture was exceptional. The sticky rice was more of an afterthought, but I didn’t think the dish needed anything to supplement. I definitely enjoyed the curry the most, and I wish I had ordered it as my main course.

The calm atmosphere and dim lighting mixed with the sweet smell of a variety of freshly baked oat cookies is welcoming no matter the time of day, and the array of meal options is sure to satisfy any customer.

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