Since opening the first of his three restaurants in Virginia in 2009, chef Tim Ma has been steadily refining his technique for an appreciative following. The good news is that he’s now crossed the Potomac for his first outpost in Washington, DC’s Shaw District.
Kyirisan is a tasteful and tasty distillation of Ma’s Chinese heritage and training at The French Culinary Institute. Which is to say the menu is recognisably Chinese in its ingredients and DNA, but overlaid with mod slash Gallic touches of sous vide, concasse, and confit.
To set the stage, GrizForm Design Architects have orchestrated a 2,500 sqft space that’s bordered with stone tables, geometric installations that throw corners into unexpected three dimensional forms, oak and walnut wall panels, and bronze conical lights.
On the menu, Ma caters for the gastronomically adventurous by way of 0ffal salad comprising braised tendon, cubes of chicken heart and duck confit atop a bed of tomatoes and Thai basil swathed with a tamarind vinaigrette; and more assured crowd-pleasers like a veal short rib paired with smashed garlic confit, pepper and Chinese BBQ sauce, and an intriguing veal marrow infused with XO sauce and bay leaf crumble.
The adventurousness of the menu is rounded off with the classic sesame ball plated with honey ricotta ice cream and pineapple compote.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
1924 8th St NW
Suite 140
Washington
PHOTOGRAPHY
Amber Frederiksen
-
Year in review: top 10 audio acquisitions of 2024, as chosen by Wallpaper’s Jonathan BellThe best audio technology of 2024, from pocketable earbuds to room-filling speakers
-
Surrealism as feminist resistance: artists against fascism in Leeds‘The Traumatic Surreal’ at the Henry Moore Institute, unpacks the generational trauma left by Nazism for postwar women
-
A bold new water tower by White Arkitekter strides across the Swedish landscapeThe Våga Water Tower in Varberg is a monument to civil engineering, a functional concrete sculpture that's designed to last for centuries
-
Arlo NoMad hotel makes the American diner officially cool againThe NoMad Diner NYC’s interiors and menu offer an elevated take on an American classic
-
Los Angeles’ best fine-dining restaurantsLA boasts a creative food scene driven by some of the world’s most innovative chefs. Browse the Wallpaper* guide to the city’s best fine-dining restaurants
-
Bold maximalism engulfs The Lafayette Hotel and Club in San DiegoThe Lafayette Hotel and Club, designed by Post Company, brings together a rich tapestry of patterns, themes and colours
-
Miami Navigator: where to stay, eat, drink and shop in Florida's design-savvy maximalist metropolisWhat to do in Miami, where ivory beaches and umbrella-clad caipirinhas share the stage with discerning galleries and global art and design fairs
-
Discover South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island: food, fun and beachside blissWith natural splendour and a balmy, subtropical climate, Hilton Head Island beckons beach-goers, gourmets and golf fans alike
-
The world’s most enticing new hotel openingsExplore the best new hotels in the world, from beachfront living at Cheval Blanc Seychelles to otherworldly Zaha Hadid architecture at Me Malta
-
At The Manner, New York has a highly fashionable new living roomThe Manner, a new hospitality experience by Standard International in the heart of SoHo, combines the best elements of a hotel, private residence, and members’ club
-
An intimate spa at high-design New York country hotel Inness is now openInness brings Manhattan-calibre wellness to the rural hamlet of Accord, New York
