Priya Konings

The Dish: Original Mac n Cheese     Where to Get It: Everlasting Life inside the Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE; (301) 324-6900; eliferestaurant.com Price: $4.50 for an entrée-sized portion What It Is: Elbow macaroni tossed in a smooth sauce made of chickpea milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and other seasonings, […]

The Dish: Lebanese Fried Rice    Where to Get It: Unconventional Diner; 1207 9th St. NW; (202) 847-0122; unconventionaldiner.com Price: $17 What It Is: To make a multi-textured dish, Chef David Deshaies combines two sets of rice. He sautés one batch with carrots, onions, and a bevy of spices and fries the other to a […]

The Dish: Kale and Squash Enchiladas  Where To Get It: Brookland Pint, 716 Monroe St. NE Price: $15 What It Is: Four corn tortillas stuffed with chewy oyster mushrooms, shredded butternut squash, and kale on top of black bean puree drizzled with a duo of sauces—mole and a bold and herbaceous vegan cilantro sour cream. […]

The Dish: Sweet and sour grilled eggplant with fried garlic and mint    Where to Get It: Mola, 3155 Mount Pleasant St. NW Price: $12 What It Is: Shards of eggplant drenched in a heady sweet and sour sauce, topped with a smattering of fried garlic petals and chopped mint. The kitchen grills the eggplant […]

The Dish: Fried cauliflower buns with Japanese mayo, sweet chilli sauce, seasonal pickles, cilantro, and Thai basil Where to Get It: The Pug, 1234 H St. NE Price: $7.00 What It Is: A fried cauliflower bao bun where the crispy cauliflower miraculously mimics karaage—Japanese fried chicken. The dish features bouncy bao buns served with chopped […]

The Dish: Vegan Hearts of Palm Cakes       Where to Get It: Equinox Restaurant   Price: $33 What It Is: The Mid-Atlantic is famous for having the best crab cakes in the country. Chef Todd Gray of Equinox Restaurant, known for his vegan culinary creations, is now serving a version of this regional […]

The Dish: Vegan Shrimp Where to Get It: Smoke and Barrel, 2471 18th St. NW Price: $9 What It Is: A vegan version of popcorn shrimp. Instead of using actual crustaceans, Chef Logan McGear blends cooked root vegetables like parsnips and sweet potatoes with sea kelp, and binds the ingredients together with vegan mayonnaise. He […]

Veggie burgers often get a bad reputation for being bland. But with more people going vegetarian (have you seen What the Health?), many local chefs have risen to the challenge of creating veggie burgers that satiate all. A taste test reveals the best vegetarian patties in D.C. proper. Fare Well Bakery, Diner, and Bar’s Burger […]

Sachin Mahajan and Ricky Singh will open Karma Modern Indian off Mount Vernon Square at 611 I St. NW this fall. The addition will help combat the dearth of modern, upscale Indian dining options in the District. To date restaurateur Ashok Bajaj has held a monopoly on the dining category with his restaurants Rasika, Rasika West […]

The Dish: Gujarati Lasagne Where to Get It: Rasika West End Price: $18 What It Is: Gujarati lasagne is an Indian take on the traditional baked pasta dish from Italy. Instead of long, flat noodles, Chef Vikram Sunderam uses khandvi—thin rolls made of gram flour, buttermilk, and turmeric, among other ingredients. Khandvi is a traditional […]

The Dish: Crispy Green Lentil Rolls    Where to Get It: Etete, 1942 9th St. NW Price: $10.00 What It Is: The appetizer features three fried spring rolls, each stuffed with a mix of whole and blended green lentils, jalapeños, garlic, and onion. The cooked lentils are rolled up inside thin pastry sheets and then […]

Hawaiian doughnuts? They’re called “malasadas,” and it’s easy to become a fan. Malasadas originated in Portugal, but laborers brought them to Hawaii in the 1800s. They became, and remain, a popular treat in the tropical state. Enter Brian and Pin Chanthapanya, who grew up in Hawaii and decided to bring the sweet confection to the East […]

The Dish: Morel Vegetable Stew Where to Get It: Indique, 3512-14 Connecticut Ave. NW Price: $18.00 What It Is: The dish is a South Indian curry made by first soaking morel mushrooms in water to create a mushroom stock. Sautéed onions, ginger, carrots, and green chilies are then combined with coconut curry, hunks of potato, […]

The Dish: The Eggless Omelet Breakfast Pita Where to Get It: Shouk, 655 K St. NW Price: $9.75 What It Is: A breakfast sandwich that comes with an omelet stuffed inside a warm pita and topped with mashed avocado and a chopped salad of roasted red pepper, tomato, cucumber, and onion. But this is no […]

Launching this week in print, the Veg Diner Monologues is a monthly column celebrating the best vegetarian dishes in D.C.  Where to Get It: Woodward Table, 1426 H St. NW Price: $22.50 What It Is: This dish is a twist on a classic French bourguignon stew, except beets replace beef as the star ingredient. The […]