A Korean restaurant specializing in royal court cuisine opens in Dupont Circle
A Korean restaurant specializing in royal court cuisine just opened in Dupont Circle.
Why it matters: Onggi highlights hanjeongsik (multi-course meals) and courtly dining traditions that are rare among restaurants in the D.C. area.
Dig in: Owner and culinary director Tanya Kim teamed up with chef Geewon Kim, transforming the former Duck Duck Goose space into a serene P Street destination.
The kitchen serves an a la carte all-day menu of favorites like kimbap rolls, mandu dumplings and grilled meats, plus lunch sets and elaborate multi-course dinners.
Three multi-course meals include two "Land & Sea" options ($85 and $115) or an "Earth" vegan offering ($105).
The vibe: Soothing. Ask for the best seat — a spa-like heated banquette fashioned out of Himalayan salt slabs — and sip complimentary flower tea. "Onggi" ("earthenware") vessels and tableware from Korean artisans flow throughout the meal.
The intrigue: Kim, formerly a language professor in Korea, studied the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled for centuries until around 1900 and whose prosperity influenced Korean cuisine today.
Set menus at Onggi take cues from royal tables, including a colorful variety of items (rice, soups, kimchis, seasonal vegetables), prized ingredients like abalone and specialty beef, and dishes like a platter of "seven delicacies" with thin crepes for wrapping.
Zoom in: Dishes in the hanjeongsik appear in a holistic order — tea and kabocha squash porridge come first to ease digestion and warm the body for the meal.
They're followed by delicate white pear kimchi and a seasonal salad with ginger and Jeju Island citrus to awaken the palate for heartier dishes like butter-grilled abalone and seared beef galbi.
Zoom out: Modernized takes on Korean court cuisine are gaining popularity in the United States, like in New York City, where Korean fine dining has taken off. Last year, Jungsik became the first Korean restaurant in the U.S. to earn three Michelin stars. In D.C., chef Ed Lee recently opened Shia, a fine dining Korean tasting room near Union Market.
"I thought it was nice to have something I experienced in Korea to bring here and introduce a part of the culture," says Kim.
What's next: Onggi is soft-opening with limited hours and menus, and will fully open April 1. Diners can order a la carte in the bar and covered patio, and reserve set menus in the dining room.
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