A summer night at minibar

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I will never forget my first time at minibar by José Andrés… or my second… or my third (still to come), fourth (if I am so privileged), or my 19th (may the Lord continue to bless me)…

The Overview

• Minibar  minibarbyjoseandres.com
• Downtown [Penn Quarter], Washington, D.C.
• My rating: ★★★★★ [5 Stars]
  • Hours: Dinner is Tuesday-Saturday in two small seatings, 6:00pm and 8:30pm
  • Price: $$$$$/$$$$$ [very expensive]
  • Reservation Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
  • Dress Code: Upscale Casual.
  • Scene: “Who’s Who”, extremely exclusive
  • Perfect For: An unforgettably impressive date night or very special occasions

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The Prelude

Everything about the restaurant, as you will soon see, makes a discreet demand for your reverence. Even the process of securing a reservation here requires personal humility and capitulation – Bon Appetit previously listed minibar as one of the 11 toughest restaurant reservations in the U.S.A. “Booking a reservation is harder than rescheduling a flight during a hurricane,” Washington City Paper once said.

Seats at the Chef’s Counter are $275 per person on a regular night, for dinner only (beverage pairings are an entirely separate matter). Alternatively, you can sit at the Chef’s Table for $565 per person. minibar hosts special events throughout the year where the tickets can easily go for $595 or more. This is a reservation for which you give the utmost priority – your reservation must be prepaid and there is no opportunity for refunding or rescheduling if you cannot make your scheduled date.

Of course, no one expects a three-time two Michelin star award winner, with consistent acclaim from Tom Sietsema, and the current #1 Restaurant in D.C. by Washingtonian Magazine, to be an easy reservation to get. Tickets are released at 10 am EST on the first Monday of every month for the following month. I recommend being online at the exact moment tickets are released and not having your heart set on any one particular date, especially if you need to go on a weekend.

Within minutes of releasing the batch of tickets for July, the Friday and Saturday seatings at the Chef’s Counter were sold out. By the evening, only a few weekday seatings remained. My [incredibly kind, exceptionally generous] date was eagle eyed and swift in securing our Saturday evening dinner reservation.

Let me tell you… it feels like a distinct privilege to be privy as to why an inconspicuously well dressed person might be standing in the middle of E Street at an equally inconspicuous door. S/he of course knows every reservation for the evening, and they’ve been anticipating your arrival. Once it’s clear you’re one of the few who has secured the most coveted reservation in all of D.C., you are ushered into the small, but comfortable, waiting room.

Plush pillows, a cozy fire, and sleek, white surfaces abound- the decor of minibar is as virtuous and immaculate as the food you will be soon consume. While the dining room was prepared, someone came out and explained the beverage options to us.

Minibar, a two Michelin-starred restaurant, is a study in avant-garde cooking where each bite is designed to thrill the senses by pushing the limits of what we have come to expect – and what is possible – from food. The creations combine art and science, as well as tradition and technique, to deliver an imaginative and progressive tasting menu, offered at a communal setting. 

the minibar website

The Experience

Our welcome drinks were a glass of champagne and cider (for the non-alcoholic option) before someone came to escort us to the kitchen counter for our meal to begin. Although the decor is still a heavenly white, the kitchen is, literally and figuratively, a laboratory of sorts. I imagine God, a scientist, and a cook could all happily coexist in this space.

Upon taking your seat, the deference you have shown so far is rewarded and reciprocated: the service here is unparalleled in regards to anticipation and attentiveness, without being invasive. At the exact moment my date’s handkerchief dropped to the floor, a fresh one appeared in its place; when our utensils were brought out, the place settings were adjusted for his left-handedness without his disclosure. Wine glasses are imperceptibly removed at the very moment your emptied glass is set down.

Of course, there are many opportune times to discreetly remove drink ware when the food and the presentation are distressingly amazing. The cooks present dishes with the sort of precise coordination and synchrony that is characteristic of a theater performance. The seamlessness of it all is an awe-inspiring testament to the passion and knowledge of the staff here, all of whom are more than willing to discuss the technical aspects of the creation process. At one point, when I turned to quietly comment, wondrously, on why it might be necessary to burn the rosemary that decorated the plate of our snail caviar, one of the cooks promptly and politely offered an incredibly detailed explanation.

The conductor of this entire culinary symphony, on the evening we went, was a woman named Dawn. I was initially (secretly) bummed at being placed in the last two seats of the kitchen counter, but it turned out to be such a treat to observe the inner workings of this entire operation. We overhead tidbits of the secret restaurant language, chuckling at coded directives that she gave like “reggae, reggae, all day”. Our position gave us a unique line of sight at both the front, where dishes were being presented, and the back area of the kitchen, to see the preparations for things to follow.

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The Main Event

The team here is a step above innovative, as the best restaurants in the world tend to be. On the night we dined, the menu consisted of 21 creations, with one of the dessert components featuring 8 candies. I will spare you the details of how amazing basically every single one of the 29 creations we tried were, opting instead to discuss some of the highlights, but just know that it was an elaborate journey in scientific and culinary experimentation that resulted in all hits and no misses.

One creation that amused me at the start of our meal the soy chicharrón, a freeze dried soy caramel puff topped with guacamole and wasabi root. I immediately thought of the scene from the late Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Washington D.C. in No Reservations, where he tries another guacamole dish by José Andrés and immediately expresses his disproval because the dish reminded him of making out with a girl who has Frito breath. I am inclined to believe this dish has been completely redefined since then.

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The parmesan danish topped with black truffles imported from New South Wales, Australia was obviously a favorite for me because I love anything with truffles. However, my favorite dish was probably the morel and peas. This dish creates an intriguing juxtaposition of modern and traditional interpretations of what may have been the most hated vegetable of everyone’s adolescence. The earthy flavor of the morel serves as the perfect complement!

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What is ordinary becomes exciting here – the Banh Mi, with its bun made of meringue, is a riff on a traditional sandwich; at dessert, a fried donut with ice cream inside is a contradiction in itself.

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Of course, there were a couple of things I would have opted out of if I saw them on paper only and was given the choice. While I generally enjoyed the turbot rib and chestnut honey, I am not fond of eating fish unless it is a filet (minor culinary pet peeve). Nonetheless, I found it was my first time eating turbot and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and meatiness. The turbot cappuccino was probably the only thing I disliked in terms of flavor – it was interesting, but the frothy, fishiness was one I just couldn’t take!

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The Spirits

• “Virtue” pairing ($75) – non-alcoholic drinks
• “José” pairing ($195) – a curated selection of wines and champagnes that are perfect complements, like Ruinart Rose and
• “Bespoke” pairing ($500) – a selection of rarer and more luxurious wines and champagnes from across the world, like Dom Perignon
• Cocktails – there is no formal cocktail pairing, like the cocktail flight offered at barmini, but you can select any of the cocktails from that menu a la carte

As one would expect, the restaurant uses an assortment of the most refined glassware for its wine pairing: Riedel, Zalto, and MARKTHOMAS double-bend series.

If you are a wine and champagne aficionado, I am sure you would love the very pricey Bespoke pairing. At $500, it features vintages and very exclusive pours, like Dom Pérignon champagne and a tasting of Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select. If you email them ahead of time with this pairing in mind, the selections can be customized to your personal preferences.

I am still a student of spirits, so the José pairing was more than sufficient for me. The pours from this series ranged from Ruinart Rosé, a favorite of mine, to a Rioja wine from Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva.

If you do not drink alcohol, there’s no need to feel left out. minibar is one of the few restaurants with a tasting menu that I’ve encountered to have a non-alcoholic drink pairing. With the “Virtue” pairing, far more eccentric drinkware was used to accentuate different qualities of the drinks. Of the few sips that I tried as a courtesy of my date, I enjoyed the Beet and Elderflower soda and the Dulce de Leche Milk Tea the most.

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The Finale

At the close of dinner, we were directed into the sprightly (but still sparkling white) lounge area of barmini and given a crystallized ball of Café con Leche, to accompany our coffee and post dinner Port wine.

I could not resist the invitation to order at least on cocktail from barmini, which is my favorite cocktail bar in the city. My favorite drink is the Gin & Juice, which comes in an adorable milk carton with a gilded straw. This time, though, I opted to try something new and went for the Floral Cloud. An incredible liquid nitrogen cloud poured out as the purple potion was transferred from the flask into my wine glass, eliciting many oohs, aahs, and queries.

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We were still processing and reflecting the entirety of the experience with other members of the evening’s audience – thinking it was over – when an extravagant dessert came out for us to enjoy. Perched within a tree, the likes of which must have been transported from Willy Wonka, were different candies. There were eight amusing edibles in all, including a coconut wheel, passionfruit caterpillars, yogurt leaves, and key lime bon bons. As a last, departing gift, a cute little rooster was set before us. Inside, we found two golden eggs outfitted in a layer of chocolate with a little surprise inside – a miniature LEGO figure to keep as a memento.

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This is more than a meal; I would call it a show, but even that does not seem to capture the essence of it all. Perhaps the most appropriate way to describe it is indeed an experience, as the minibar ticketing portal so says. At nearly $500-1000 per person, it is meant to be exceptional. If you’re lucky enough to visit, prepare to be amused, bemused, amazed, and entertained!