Menu- Market, Bistrobar, Kitchen

It was easy to get a table here and the ones upstairs are away from the bar enough that you can talk without yelling but still hear the noise downstairs so you don’t feel like you’re completely alone. The décor is modern and clean, a bit Scandinavian, where I feel like I could be sitting at one of my stylish friends dining tables. The service is nice and they do try their best to accommodate everything you ask for and recommend good substitutions when they’re out of something.
As for the food, while most of the dishes were satisfying, I did go expecting something more; nothing was horrible yet nothing left me screaming for more (except maybe the bone marrow). The bone marrow was scrumptious, best I’ve had so far in this area, and the escargot was buttery and delicious too. I thought the dressing in the nicoise salad was lacking. The sauce in the mussels and frites was an all over favorite but they didn’t give any bread with it to dip it in. The steak came out perfectly cooked (pink in the middle). And if I remember correctly, they only had bottled beer, so for those of you who like draft, beware. Oh, they had a few fruit flies upstairs that were quite bothersome. Wish they would get rid of them.
I would go back mostly because it would be a good place to get a table last minute around there (especially when the line for Daikaya is over an hour) and stay for a long time with friends.

Posh, cool, and collected (complete with minimalist hanging lightbulbs) — MBK ain’t playing with their ambiance. We dined at the semi casual bistrobar, but the bar and comfortably decorated (yet still noticeably upscale) lounge looked like a great spot for a casual hangout too. Maybe one day I’ll get around to that chef’s table (that price tag though… thanks but no thanks?).
The selection at the gourmet mini-​market felt a little underwhelming, but I’m hoping that was just because we went so late in the day/​week.
The complimentary bread with bacon bits (yep, bacon!!) looked gloriously light and fluffy and buttery… but alas, the texture was pretty not all of the above. Some of the appetizers and entrees felt underdelivered on in general too — both the calamari and crispy cod were soooooo salty (though my friends did enjoy the black lentils and the sardines). The desserts were definitely interesting to say the least — you can’t really tell what you’re eating at first, so I would say it depends on how quirky you like your desserts.
Overall, the execution of the three-​tiered concept was pretty neat, so what saddens me is the food (of the Bistrobar at least — it seems chef’s table usually garners rave reviews). MBK gets points for menu creativity and interior aesthetics, but I’d rather not have my eyes leave more satisfied than my stomach. If I come back, it’ll probably be for free wi-​fi lounge chillin’ or fancy kitchen dining (a girl can dream).

I visited MBK for a Sunday brunch for 2 after we picked up a Gilt City voucher. We made reservations in advance, though it may not have been necessary — the restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived at noon, and remained that way throughout our meal. The restaurant itself is really nice with an open design, 4 different levels including the market on the ground floor, and plenty of cool decorations.
Unfortunately, the food didn’t quite live up to the venue. The «chef’s table» had a decent selection, and I thought that the yogurt, the salmon and the danish pastries were pretty good. Our entrees of Corned Beef Hash and Pimento Benedict weren’t the best. Both dishes had a good flavor, but the corned beef was super oily and the benedict was buried under a mountain of sauce. The desserts were my favorite part of the meal — there were a chocolate tart and lemon meringue selections. The chocolate tart had plenty of cocoa flavor, the meringue had a great texture, and both had an excellent crust.
The service was excellent. Our waitress did a great job of checking up on us, making sure our food was satisfactory, and getting us more mimosas. Speaking of mimosas, those were plenty good too. I really liked the service, ambiance, and mimosas. Unfortunately, food-​wise nothing really reached the level I was expecting for a $ 35 per person ($ 50, including drinks) brunch. 4 star service and drinks paired with 2 star food and value leaves MBK with a 3.

I went here for lunch during restaurant week. I know that sometimes businesses are thrown off by the influx during restaurant week and food may suffer, and that, combined with the fact that I had a large group may have impacted the experience I had. First things first, love the décor!
All that aside, the escargot appetizer was amazing. It was a decent portion and was well seasoned (can’t go wrong with garlic butter sauce). The tomato and beet salad appetizer was OK — nothing special for a salad, really.
For entrees, I had the croque provencal. The brioche was good, the sandwich was otherwise ‘meh.’ Fellow diners seemed impressed by the truffle fries and salmon, but I didn’t try them so can’t speak to it.
The pot de crème was light and served with a raspberry sorbet that stole the show, although the madeleine left something to be desired. Beignets were fresh and crisp.
Overall, the appetizers and desserts were good, but the entrée wasn’t all that great. We waited over an hour to get an appetizer, and the meal took 2 hours total — on a weekday with a work crowd, that really negatively impacted the experience. I’d come for happy hour or try brunch, but likely would avoid dinner or lunch.

I went to MENU/​MBK for their Sunday brunch, and though I really want to like this place, I was disappointed by the service food here.
I had walked by this place before and wanted to try it, and their brunch reservations were basically wide open. It’s relatively small restaurant split up between two floors, but they apparently have enough open tables the day before. The reception area was on the ground floor in the market, which is kind of awkward. We were seated, but service throughout the meal was very slow. We even heard people next to us talking about how their server disappeared on them. That’s not a good sign.
For brunch, we started off with the «Chef selection,» which will basically some small appetizers near the chef’s area, buffet style. Because our reservations for 1:30 PM, that’s kind of late for a brunch reservation. I get it. But that’s kind of annoying when you make a reservation even though brunch goes on for another 45 minutes or an hour, but the kitchen has basically closed down. All that was in the buffet section was some leftover deviled eggs and remnants of what was there with you earlier crowd, including pastries and crepes and fruit. Why even accept a reservation when you stop making food?
The entrée selections were similarly disappointing. They sounded good on paper, but the corn beef hash was literally about seven pieces of 1-​inch cubes with a poorly-​cooked poached egg. It was not filling or satisfying at all. My friend ordered the pimento benedict, but the dish does not work without meat, so she was also disappointed
For dessert, there was either a chocolate cream pie or some French moose spongecake. But since the people next to us basically left there spongecake uneaten, we opted for the chocolate cake. It was fine, just average.
Overall, Menu/​MBK is not horrible or anything, I just definitely would not recommend it. I wanted to like this place, but it was underwhelming and just not worth it.

Menu MBK had never crossed my radar until they offered a lunch special on Gilt City, so I snatched up the voucher and decided to try it out. Let me tell you, I am so glad that I did.
I headed to Menu MBK on a Thursday afternoon right around noon and was surprised to find the place completely empty (I guess it’s not on other people’s radar yet either). I was seated immediately and had a bit of time to take in the ambiance; it’s a great space, comfortable and well decorated.
My server was amazing and attentive and had no problem reviewing the menu with me and providing me recommendations when I requested them. I was leaning towards the beet and tomato salad but was told the only salad options available that day were the Boston salad or the house salad, so I opted for the Boston salad, the soup of the day, and the salmon sandwich.
As I’m waiting for my food, a table near me is seated and one of the women proceeds to order the beet and tomato salad; Umm… I thought that wasn’t an option today? Were my selections limited because I was using the Gilt City special? I was about question this inconsistency but then my food arrived and I tasted the Boston salad and then, I really didn’t care about that beet and tomato salad anymore. It was delicious! The blue cheese crumbles were so fresh and flavorful, I contemplated asking if I could just have a side of it to go!
I’m not a fan of cold soups but this soup (which I had no clue about what ingredients it contained) was downright fabulous! And the salmon sandwich was great, though I think slightly overwhelmed by all the bread.
Overall, I truly enjoyed my experience at Menu MBK and won’t hesitate to return.

This review is for their brunch. I purchased the gilt city voucher, which included bottomless mimosas with the three course brunch (regularly priced 35 without drinks included). The first course was a buffet, with lots of pastry options, fruit, salad, crepes, and a few other items. Standard food, but not great. The main entrée was very small, and most of the options didn’t include meat. There were three dessert options. The one I tried was the berry pie, but it tasted too eggy and ended up tasting more savory than sweet.
Unless you buy the gilt city voucher, $ 35 a person without drinks seems a bit pricey for what you get.

I already loved MBK, but after a few more visits and orders of dessert, I couldn’t not bump up the rating to a sold five stars.
MBKs pastry chef is amazing… the beignets and churros (when they have them) are worth coming here alone. Take whatever conception you have of those desserts, imagine them 10x better, and then come try them at MBK and you’ll say your expectations were exceeded.

Does every place offer brunch now? Taking advantage of this seeming trend, the wife and I had a Gilt City coupon for a 3-​course brunch for two with bottomless Bloody Marys, Mimosas, and Sangria at Menu/​MBK. My first impression of the multi-​level space? I definitely liked it better than the abomination that was America Eats Tavern. Menu/MBK’s street-​level space was dedicated to its upscale/​gourmet, convenience store-​like market. We were led upstairs by the hostess and were seated in the fourth floor dining room of the BistroBar overlooking the lounge and bar (which used to be José Andres’ minibar in its former life).
Menu/MBK’s brunch menu wasn’t as large and all-​encompassing as some that you may find, but it offered a nice selection that reminded me of something you’d find at a restaurant in a good European hotel. Our 3-​course brunch started off with AYCE trips to the Kitchen Counter Buffet, which offered selections of Danish, Viennoiserie, Scones, Housemade Granola Parfait, Smoked Salmon Mille-​Feuille, Fresh fruit, muffins, and crepes. The granola parfait made with a whipped plain yogurt was surprisingly good and quite enjoyable considering I’m not much of a yogurt eater. The smoked salmon and the crêpe were the other highlights from the buffet. I ordered a Bloody Mary. I like my Bloody Marys to have a little spice and horseradish bite. Unfortunately, the presence of vodka was imperceptible and my drink lacked any spice or bite. I stopped at one. For my second course, I had the Corned Beef Hash with la ratte potatoes, soft poached egg, and caramelized onions. Menu/MBK’s hash consisted of fairly large, but still bite-​sized chunks of tender, flavorful corned beef. It didn’t resemble the canned version of corned beef hash in the least. For dessert, we had a choice from their daily dessert offering, a coconut cream pie and banana cake. The dessert was probably the least successful course of our meal as the banana cake, while possessing a nice, but thankfully not overwhelming banana flavor, was a bit dry. The pie was much better, but I’m not a big fan of coconut cream pies.
Service, more precisely staffing, was the one other area for improvement. We were seated at 11:30 am, relatively early in the brunch service, and there was only one other couple in the dining room at the time. There was only a single server in our area and she did very well in taking care of us. Our server was very friendly and obviously hard working, but was put in a bad position as the dining room filled up and service was not as attentive as it could’ve been. She was the only person working our section taking food and drink orders, running food and drink, refilling water glasses, and bussing tables. Towards the end of our meal (approx. 12:30 pm), more staff came on duty, which was probably a great relief to our server.
Menu/​MBK served up a nice brunch. I don’t know that I would’ve sought it out had it not been for the Gilt City coupon that brought it to my attention. Still, the food and service was measurably better than average and may be worth your time if you find yourself in Penn Quarter around lunchtime on a Saturday or Sunday.

Cyndy’s Bottom Line: Creative dishes and ingredients that are just okay when executed.
I was so excited to find the reviews on MBK and couldn’t wait to get a reservation which was easy to get in the Bistrobar. It is located in the former Atlantico minibar building.
Love the concept. There are (3) separate entities for MBK the Menu-​Market on the first level featuring pre cooked take aways, desserts, coffee and a local market. The Kitchen on the second floor features the chef’s table and tasting menu. The BistoBar is on the third floor features a good cocktail menu, beer & wine list and food menu.
This is what we ate & drank:
BitterEnd — excellent crafted cocktail with rye and a perfect ice cube!
Prosecco — Montelinia, nice bubbly.
Appetizers:
CALAMARI grilled & fried, peperoncini, lemon confit, charred garlic. Nice presentation, good combination of calamari and flavors.
TROUT & POTATOES with radicchio, whole-​grain mustard. The trout was tasty and made in house. Hubby enjoyed this dish until I noticed a funny look on his face. He encountered a bit of sand in the radicchio… opps.
BUTTER POACHED LOBSTER forbidden rice, caramelized onion broth. The lobster was poached well but the forbidden rice tasted like it was not cooked enough. The texture was pasty, and crunchy as it was under cooked.
SURF & TURF nettle crisp, rabbit sausage, squid ink pasta. This dish read so interesting but the sausage was a bit dry and tasteless and the pasta was under done. Nothing memorable to my palate.
BELGIAN WAFFLE toffee, chocolate, bananas, bacon. Delicious way to end the dinner. Loved the chocolate waffle and the chocolate ice cream. Yummy!
Thank-​you Glen (sp?) for dessert and the wonderful service!

Food: 4.5 stars
Service: 5 stars
The tasting menu is incredible. Bf and I came here for the month of April, the theme is Virginia farms. Chef de Cuisine, Keith Cabot, who grew up in Virginia (and then lived in Napa for years working with Thomas Keller restaurants), put so much thought into constructing the menu with his team, you just have to deeply appreciate the creativity, originality and loyalty they attribute to the theme of the month. They have little twists of details that you and I may not ever pick up, but Chef Keith was eager to tell us the story behind each dish — just ask. Everything they prepare comes from the best and most simple ingredients, and they never cut corners. Sitting in front of the kitchen and watching the kitchen dynamic was also a one-​of-​a-​kind experience, and if you happen to take a bathroom break, you will walk upstairs and pass by tables with food you saw come together in front of your eyes. so cool.
First course came as the Rappahannock oysters. Bf and I just couldn’t stop our jaws from dropping when Chef Keith shared with us the 3 ways of preparing these oysters that we would never ever dream of. And no matter how they prepare it, the bottom line is to never take away the oysters’ freshness and original form. Whattt? Genius, just genius. We also ate some flowers, who’s ever had flowers before?
Second course was the Ham & Cheese Biscuit. I won’t spoil the surprise because you HAVE to see for yourself, this new and improved ham&cheese biscuit, to which Keith’s Virginia native family would also say, «Wow.»
The third course came as «Smoked Peanut». Did you know Virginia was known for its peanuts? Chef Keith will tell you why these peanuts grown in the region are popular. Again, the peanut risotto, blew my mind. The chicken back legs, so crispy and soo juicy. The peanut sauce had my boyfriend saying, «so this is real peanut sauce.»
I love that Chef Keith (upon his explanation) does not like the traditional protein/​carb presentation as by a lot of tasting menus, he went for a much more balanced — and in my opinion, Paleo — approach, to keep his audience excited for the next dish. But the sizes were really teasing us, I was a little unsatisfied at this point because the portions were small and we had a long day of walking, hence the 4.5 stars. I think just adding one more piece of chicken/​biscuit, would perfect the portions. We didn’t get to try the bacon rolls, totally bummed.
Alright, fourth course was the Chapel Hill Farm Veal (i’m thinking, YAYYY red meat!!!). These veal come from the local farmers who are trying to protect and raise this special breed of veal. We learned what a kohlrabi is, funny thing is Chinese people make pickled kohlrabi all the time, I just never knew its English name, and how it’s related to the broccoli family, thanks chef for the side knowledge. (also, trying their in-​house kimchi was the BOMB. Made us feel like a part of their kitchen.) Aside from the amazing details, the veal itself was extremely sweet, juicy and delicious.
The wine pairing. Bf and I shared a flight, which was more than enough since we only wanted a few sips to pair with each course. The wine connoisseur was very patient and knowledgeable, if I had better questions to ask about wine, I think I would have hit jackpot for the value of this meal. However, he was not the most personable and it was a little difficult to turn and talk to him while we had our meal, I wish we engaged in a deeper conversation! In any case, it was fully worth the $ 45 and they did a great job at pairing — ESPECIALLY the Haymaker to go with dessert, it’s as if the drink and the dessert spoke to each other in my stomach, it’s just the most brilliant twist to dessert alcohol pairing. You haveeee to try it.
Speaking of dessert, the shoo fly pie is traditionally a heavy pie with molasses filling (just looked this up, bf and I didn’t know what it was, we thought it sounded like soufflé… oops). I don’t usually like molasses because of its thickness and that herbal taste, but Menu MBK’s twist on it? Turn it into a refreshing, delightful sorbet. nuff said. Our Haymaker came out a few minutes later than the dessert, and Chef Keith was about to step upstairs to the bar himself to get our drink — bf and I think that’s highly respectable, taking in your customers’ experience as your top priority. Perfect meal, chef and team, thank you guys!
After dinner we ventured downstairs to the market, where they also put in the same amount of care into preparing the apple butter, or the duck confit, or making ALL the pastries in house. If you don’t have time to sit down for dinner upstairs, come bring some high quality pasta sauce and pasta home, some duck confit for appetizer, and make a romantic, restaurant quality dinner for you& your other half. Don’t forget brownies for dessert.
Before this place becomes known to the neighborhood and fills up with no room to spare, make your reservations nao and don’t cancel :)

Recently, I’ve been pretending that I have a PhD in Emoijs. I basically create formulas to tell a story when I text from those basic, silly images alone to see if my friends can break my emoji codes.
If I were to provide an emoji formula for the Chef’s Tasting at Menu — Market, it would look a little something like this:
*Thumbs up* + *Rosey cheeks and a smile* + «Hands up in praise* + «100%”*
So now that you’re hip to my emoji game, let me tell you a little story about how amazing my experience was.
In full transparency, I scored an invite to a tasting one night last minute while the restaurant was to shoot pics for a story a publication was running. It was my only free night that week and I was exhausted, but I hopped to it since I had been meaning to swing by for weeks to check the restaurant out.
I arrived early, so had plenty of time to take in the atmosphere. When you first arrive, you’ll be greeted by a hostess in the market area that will escort you upstairs to the bar, lounge and general seating space. I didn’t get a chance to really explore the market filled with local produce and other goodies, but there is a warmth and coziness to the visual layout. The lounge space and bar directly above is modern and trendy without negotiating or sacrificing comfort, practicality or accessibility, with tables for diners surrounding the space.
As for the the tasting itself…
Each month, Chef Frederik de Pue and crew create a thematic, 5 course tasting menu. Whatever the theme is for the month, the menu will incorporate 5 key, ingredients. For March, the menu theme was Belgium. (And guess where our dear chef hails from? Bingo.)
So we plop down at one of the six, reserved seats to get up close and personal with the experience, learning so much about the selections, preparation and pairings as we went along. Everything was absolutely incredible and well thought out, but what made the experience even more enjoyable was the knowledgeable and creative team behind the chef. (Not to be outdone of course by the charismatic, personable and humble chef himself, who is a great story teller!)
As for the food, get ready for a little foodie foreplay…
First course: Celery Root (foie carpaccio, walnuts, coffee dressing)
Light and fresh! My dining companion, Kimberly S marveled that she disliked most of the ingredients listed, but enjoyed them infused.
Second Course: Sage Infused Rabbit (spinach sauce, braised leeks)
Earthy, clean taste. The meat was tender and presentation, beautiful.
Third Course: Pan Seared Flounder (mushroom duo, chervil jus)
This was my favorite course. Perfectly cooked, rich in flavor. If this was on the menu, I would return just to order.
Fourth Course: Lambic Beef (caramelized endive, confit carrot)
The sweetness of the confit was a nice compliment to the beef. In generally, I’m not that big on beef dishes, so my enthusiasm here might be a bit muted. Still delicious, however.
Fifth Course: «Dame Blanche» Bar (Belgian chocolate 68%)
I didn’t think I could handle dessert initially, especially not a rich one. But to my surprise well, I could. I actually think I just forced it because it was so delicious. And while yes, rich was still delicate and rounded out the meal so well.
I left with a light buzz and a complete food high from such a delightful, overall experience and one of the best meals I’ve had this year. I will definitely be back soon and have it on the tip of my tongue to recommend to friends in the near future.

Wa wa wee wa, thanks to Tara L for inviting me to a fantastical preview dinner at the chef’s table at Menu MBK (Market, Bistrobar, and Kitchen).
Usually when establishments mish mash concepts together, it can get confusing. That is not the case here at all. The downstairs level is a wonderfully curated corner market that will serve all of your basic needs from gourmet cheese, specialty prepared foods, bulk roasted Virginia peanuts and chick peas to the less exciting saran wrap and cleaning products. Really, what more do you need?
Go up the stairs and there is a six person chef’s table, go up the stairs again and you have a small bar and lounge area, the fourth level is restaurant space for the masses. The décor inside is beautiful and absolute Pinterest worthy. I loved the Edison light bulbs and the hanging flower pots installed on the wall. Can I live here?
Chef Frederick de Pue was our guide for the night and was able to eloquently take us on a tour of Belgium through our taste buds.
When I think of Belgium I think of four things: waffles, chocolate, fruity beers, frites, and mussels. At Menu, I realized that there was so much more to the country to explore!
I tried:
+ Celery Root with foie carpaccio, walnuts, and coffee dressing
+ Sage Infused Rabbit
+ Pan Seared Flounder with a mushroom duo, chervil jus
+ Lambic beef wrapped in a carmelized endive, confit carrot (a fancy way of saying… a carrot fried in duck fat… good heavens!)
+ Dame Blance Bar with a belgian chocolate cigar and ginger gelato
Everything was over the top indulgent but the mushroom panna cotta that went with the pan seared flounder was positively mind blowing. On my recent trip to France, I was introduced to all types of earthy, delicious mushrooms and this particular dish sent my heart a flutter. It will haunt me forever in my dreams.
Chef also sent out two rounds of bacon dinner rolls which were absolutely divine. Fresh, fluffy, light, buttery and studded with gems of oinky goodness. I’m not one to stuff myself with meaningless carbs when there are so many good things to eat but I ate every single last bite.
The chef’s table menu changes monthly so be on the look out for an ode to Virginia and asparagus in the near future!
One thing that I noticed was how unstuffy the atnosphere was — — conversation flowed smoothly between all of the other diners at the the table that night and we were all virtual strangers. Also the prices for a five course meal is very reasonable at $ 65 per person so it is accessible to anyone who is looking for a great and memorable night out.
Kimberly S Tip: Get the wine pairings and thank me later.

With a market, bistro, bar, and chef’s table housed under one roof, Menu MBK (market, bistro, kitchen) is certainly a dynamic restaurant perfect for many occasions.
I ate at the chef’s table last night and enjoyed a 5-​course Belgium dinner. The menu was centered on five main ingredients: Celery root, rabbit, flounder, lambic, and chocolate. Each of the five dishes was sketched out in drawings above our heads as we sat on the comfy seats peering into the kitchen.
First course: Celery Root
The celery root resembled shredded cheese and was sprinkled with foie carpaccio, walnuts, and coffee dressing. The foie gras, walnuts, and coffee served as perfect compliments to the celery root without any one ingredient overpowering the dish. This was a deliciously light way to whet my appetite and get me ready for the second course.
Second course: Sage Infused Rabbit Loin
This was my first time having rabbit and I was apprehensive when Chef de Cuisine, Keith Cabot explained that the entire rabbit (including the innards) was used in the preparation of the dish. Despite my reservations, I dived in and I’m glad that I did. The rabbit was divine and the dish paired nicely with my glass of Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc.
Third course: Pan-​Seared Flounder
The flounder was a tad bit salty and I didn’t like the mushroom panna cotta. Even though I love mushrooms, I prefer eating them whole rather than having them in a creamy pudding form. This dish was beautifully plated, but was a miss for me in terms of taste.
Fourth course: Lambic Beef
The beef was paired with caramelized endive, confit carrot and a raspberry sauce which all added a touch of sweetness to the dish. The beef was prepared medium and was perfectly cooked.
Fifth course: «Dame Blanche» Bar
When I pointed out to Pastry Chef, Jason Gehring that this was my favorite course, he chimed in «mine too!» Dessert consisted of a decadent Belgian chocolate wafer atop two scoops of vanilla ice-​cream anchored by a peanut butter brittle. This course was simply spectacular and a perfect ending to a wonderful meal.
Service at Menu MBK is top-​notch and the chefs are personable. I look forward to dining at this restaurant again to try the ever-​changing chef’s tasting menu.
4.5 stars.

Two words I have: Tasty and Hungry.
On a Wednesday night we were looking for something low key and thus opted for their dinning room instead of the prix fixe extravaganza. At start we ordered 3 dishes: 1 appetizer and two «mains.» I absolutely loved: the yummy bread, the duck confit and caramelized apples served with the quail. We felt quite hungry still and ordered one more appetizer. Finished it, but the hunger feeling never left. Don’t get me wrong! I am usually the one who drags us to places with tiny bites and interesting pieces. But in this case I was rather disappointed: dishes seemed to be quite hearty, but on a smaller size and not filling.
Can’t call it a reasonably priced place either: $ 90 later and I am still leaving the restaurant craving something else to chew on. Maybe it was worth going for the prix fixe option to begin with.

Exquisite!
I was honored to be treated here as a blogger/​contest winner from BYT and I was blown away at the experience. I had never been to a chef’s counter, but I absolutely love the concept. A small group of 5 of us sat at a counter facing the kitchen, and above our heads hung sketches of everything we were about to eat. Chef Frederik de Pue came out to explain the inspiration for each dish, and from there it was just all out enjoyment feeling like I lived in a food network TV show.
Chef Frederik de Pue is outstanding. Calm, funny, talkative, and extremely personal. I felt like I was hanging out with a friend who was extremely talented in cooking.
I could review the food, but it will change month-​to-​month, so I think I will just say that everything was to die for. If interested, check out my interactive food post here:
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Yes, I would go back in a heart beat. It was the best dinner I’ve had in DC. I hope to experience it again in the future.

I really enjoyed our meal at the BistroBar portion of Menu-​MBK. The bistro is on the third floor up from the small bar area that is quite cozy. The bistro area maybe had 10 tables total which makes is very nice.
Started off with a nice Belgian beer. They have a fantastic selection of bottled beers and cocktails. For dinner we started off with the Sunchoke appetizer and it was very tasty. Nice crispy on the outside while creamy on the inside. The sunchokes were dressed with a nice red pepper sauce. I had the charcuterie and cheese — nice selection. For the main course I had the Mushroom Cassoule and it was delicious. My husband had the steak tartare which was equally good. The service was very good and attentive.
Overall it was a great evening. I will definitely be back for dinner in addition to purchasing things in their market on the first floor. What a great add to the neighborhood.

I love the tiered dining experience concept MBK pulls off– there are 4 floors patrons may occupy with the market on the bottom floor, chef’s table on the second, lounge and bar on the third floor, and cozy intimate dining tables on the fourth. While there are technically 4 levels, they’re stacked in a way that no matter which floor you’re on, you can see two or three of the others. Not only are the floors literally tiered, you also get to choose your own adventure between grab n go market fare, loungey cocktail appetizer-​ing, full sit-​down dining, or grabbing a spot at the 6-​person chef’s table.
My dining partner and I were seated at the top level next to the railing overlooking the bar and lounge. Money spot. F’realz.
On to the menu! We ordered 5 things: duck confit over farro, calamari, quail with poached apple and grits, buttery lobster over forbidden rice, and Belgian waffles with passion fruit sorbet. If I could do it again, I would nix the calamari (very salty, slightly charred, needed something acidic to cut the saltiness) and the quail ($ 18 for 3 bites of quail is a little far-​fetched for a «main»). Luckily, the ambience and gorgeous space made up for some of the disappointment in the food.
Stars of the show were the lobster (oh my god that butter! The succulent lobstery flavors mixed with brown butter made for a luxurious flavor explosion.) and the bacon and chive rolls, which were complimentary. Imagine everything you could ever hope to ask for in dinner rolls– you’ll find it in these amazing buttery chewy nuggets of heavenly carby goodness.
Dessert wasn’t bad; I’m not inclined to rave about it, but I don’t have any criticisms, either.
The beer: mbk takes its Belgian roots to heart with some really great authentic Belgian Trappist ales to choose from. I opted for a westmalle tripel, and I could not have been happier. Only downside right now: no beer on tap or happy hour, and the market downstairs is waiting on its license to sell closed bottles of alcohol. Can’t wait to check out that beer section when the market is fully functioning!

This new fancy restaurant/​market concept just opened around the corner from work. This location has been several different types of restaurants over the years– I’m hoping this one will stick!
On the bottom floor is the market– you can peruse and purchase different cheeses, meats, and breads, prepared foods like salads and entrees, and baked treats and packaged goods! One of their employees politely explained the layout and that all their baked items are made in-​house by their pastry chef as well as their prepared foods by their chef from their restaurant! The restaurant is on the upper levels, with the ‘tasting bar’ on the second level. She also advised they have free wifi, so you can grab a pastry and coffee and relax in their awesome space.
I purchased a pork pasta dish for dinner for the bf and some brussels sprouts to accompany my brown-​bag lunch. The bf said the pork dish was good, though a bit more pork for the $ 11 price would have been appreciated. The brussels sprouts were good, though I like mine roasted vs steamed.
Overall it’s a nice space, great concept (to-​go food during the day, restaurant in the evening), and easy location right by Archives Metro. Definitely check them out– I look forward to my next visit and getting some tasty looking sweet treats!

Menu just opened. I hit the Market portion on the ground floor this morning. My americano was decent, my banana walnut muffin was fresh, and I paid the same for my locally produced (PA) yogurt as I do a Whole Foods. And I’m looking forward to taking home one of the fresh loaves of bread this evening.
So far so good. Definitely worth checking out.