Last month, my wife Jun and I revisited Queen’s English, a popular restaurant in Columbia Heights featuring Hong Kong cuisine. We have been to the restaurant a few times already, and it just felt like another visit was long overdue. We’ve never had bad meals at Queen’s English with its well-executed modern take on Hong Kong dishes, but this visit was even more memorable than the previous ones. After this visit, Jun and I agreed Queen’s English deserves a slight upgrade in the KenScale score from 8.25 (in Jun’s case, from 8.0). Each dish (including one that we have ordered every time we come to the restaurant) really stood out on its own.

As we were browsing through the menu, the bartender at the counter (which is where we always sit) offered an off-menu special dish. Good thing we listened to her, as the scallop crudo in red vinegar foam and tobiko fish roe on top was quite delicious. The scallop was very fresh (Jun, who is more sensitive to shellfish freshness than I am, had no issue with enjoying the crudo) and the addition of red vinegar was spot on to give refreshingly sour flavor. Another standout dish from our dinner was a new one from the menu, a plate of chili crunch squash with pumpkin seed-chili crunch and candied walnut. The contrast of texture between the soft squash and crunchy walnut was quite memorable, and enhanced even more from the wonderfully spicy kick from the chili crunch. Each time we have come to Queen’s English, Jun insists on ordering the daikon fritters and baby shrimp and shiitake, and it was just as delicious this time. For the large dish, we tried the crispy whole branzino with napa cabbage. It was one of the best dishes we’ve had this year, with the fish showing lovely texture and the combination of chili sauce and crab butter displaying an incredibly delicious mix of spicy and sweet flavor that was quite unlike anything I had tasted before. I hope the restaurant keeps this dish on the menu permanently. For dessert, we split toasted sesame ice cream with peanut crumble; the delightfully nutty flavor from the ice cream and crumble was an icing on the cake for a wonderful dinner.

Getting a reservation at Queen’s English is still not overly challenging but I would still book in advance if you are looking for prime time slots; the restaurant was fairly quiet when we showed up for early dinner but was almost packed by the time we were finished. The beverage list at Queen’s English on our visit was just as interesting as the previous ones, with an eclectic mix of cocktails and natural wines designed to work together with food well. After our dinner, Jun said we should visit the restaurant more often. I will certainly monitor how the menu at the restaurant changes over time and make a repeat visit soon, perhaps with a friend or two so we can share more dishes together.  

KenScale: 8.5/10 (Jun’s Score: 8.5/10)

Address: 3410 11th Street NW, Washington, DC 20010

Website: https://www.queensenglishdc.com/

Reservation via Tock