Kyirisan + A Year of Ladies' Night Dinners

Last October, a group of five friends got together for drinks and dinner in DC. We didn’t all know each other that well yet. The evening was orchestrated by my friend Unmani who is an excellent friend matchmaker and planner. By the end of the evening, it was as if we’d all been friends for years. We had such a good time that we were determined to get together every month from then on. And, miracle of miracles we actually did it.
Aside from one month off due to Unmani having an adorable baby girl over the summer, we met up all over the district to eat delicious food and laugh incessantly over inappropriate chatter. We’ve been to Poste (RIP), NOPA, Zaytinya, Filomena, Lady Camelia for tea, Casa Luca, Espita, Bar Deco, Takoda, Requin, 801, and Tail Up Goat in addition to a Paint Nite and maaaaybe a couple jumbo slices here and there. That’s a lot of fun and deliciousness packed into 12 short months.
Sadly, one friend recently relocated to Las Vegas and Unmani is moving back to California at the end of the month, so the ladies’ nights we once knew are coming to an end. Happily, Lindsay flew in to DC earlier this month so we could have one proper last hurrah. Of course, we had to check one more bucket list restaurant off the list in the process, this time at Kyirisan in Shaw. The Chinese-French fusion restaurant from Tim Ma has long been on our list. They were also recently featured in the Inaugural Michelin Guide’s DC Bib Gourmand, meaning that we could have a delicious gourmet meal together without breaking the bank.
Another thing I love about this group of girls (besides their badassness, their lack of drama and the genuine support we provide each other) is that they’re always game to try pretty much an entire restaurant menu if we can get away with it. Kyirisan’s menu is small but focused, which made for far less decision-making. We started with both of the “in the ground” dishes. First up, the foraged mushrooms with tomato concasse, basil puree and chevre mousse.
This was one of my favorite dishes of the night. I loved the simplicity of the flavors and the presentation was delightful as well. I still can’t believe I hated mushrooms for so long. How many delicious fungi did I miss out on due to stubbornness?
Up next, the deep-fried tofu with black pepper sauce, scallion and pickled carrot.
Of all the menu items, this was the one I was most excited to try after reading rave reviews about it. However, the dish didn’t quite come together for me. I thought the black pepper sauce was excellent, but the tofu didn’t seem fully fried and didn’t soak up the sauce very well. I still enjoyed the flavors (although several of my dining companions noted that it tasted bland to them) but wished for a little more cohesiveness to the dish.
I couldn’t focus on my disappointment for too long, however, as the food just kept on coming. From the “on the ground” section, we ordered the sous vide duck confit with caramelized brussels, apple cider gastrique and burnt blood orange.
I am not always a big fan of duck, but cooking it sous vide instantly won me over. The flavors were concentrated and bold and the texture (which is often my issue with duck) was somehow both juicy and crispy at the same time. This had the comfort level of a “meat and potatoes” dish, without any potatoes – if that makes any sense at all.
Also from the “on the ground” menu, we had two orders of the wings with creme fraiche, oyster sauce and chili paste. I didn’t snap a picture, but these are the same wings that are on the menu at Water & Wall if you want a visual image.
Next, we turned to the “under the water” selections with two very strong recommendations from our server.
The red snapper with pickled lime and crispy green onions was quickly devoured but not as memorable as some of the other dishes of the evening. Similar to the tofu, I preferred the sauce and garnishes over the actual fish.
The star of the night, at least to my palate, was the pan-seared scallop dish with coconut risotto, basil ice cream and scallions.
Perfectly cooked, tender scallops, perfectly cooked coconut risotto and the surprising twist of cool, basil ice cream made for one of my favorite dishes in recent memory. Unmani ordered this as well and actually thought it was too sweet for her taste, but I couldn’t stop eating it. I do agree that it was much sweeter than you’d expect from a seafood dish, but that was part of the appeal for me. As a person who usually is too full to eat dessert after a meal, I quite enjoyed the ability to combine my entrée with my dessert.
That’s not to say we didn’t also order dessert. In fact, we had two. The cheesecake with hazelnut dust was the crowd favorite, but didn’t speak to me quite as loudly as the warm flourless almond cake.
The dense, not-too-sweet cake was topped with candy-like vanilla poached peaches and served with a Thai basil gel and ginger ice cream. My favorite part was the basil gel, which I could put on pretty much everything I eat for the rest of my life and be happy. I guess the moral of the story is that I really like basil, in all its forms. Also, having had my fill of sweetness from the scallop dish, the subtler and more vegetal elements of this dessert were a perfect finish to my meal.
Kyirisan’s menu changes often, so even though not all of these dishes captivated our entire audience it was clear to me that the cooking and imagination coming out of the kitchen is something that will continue to surprise and delight diners for years to come.
As sad as it was to be saying goodbye to two friends, I was grateful to have these beautiful bites of food in which to drown my sorrows. And while our ladies’ nights may not continue in quite the same capacity as they have for the past year, I am certain that we’ll all continue to find ways to get together to share stories and savor dishes together as often as possible.