The ambiance and food was immaculate! Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and made appropriate food recommendations for our party. I enjoyed the Shrimp Thermidor as a starter and Cumin Lamb as my entree. They were both delectable, I can't say one was better than the other. I'm ready to go back!
CJ
Did the chef’s tour of Vietnam menu and everything was delicious. Service was attentive and welcoming, cocktails were spot on. Would love to go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ailun H.
Last Saturday was my first time at Moon Rabbit and I came with two friends who were ecstatic about the new Penn Quarter location. One of my friends raved about the old menu (when Moon Rabbit was at The Wharf) but was excited to try the new menu. I would recommend getting a reservation in advance so you're guaranteed a table. Our group decided to family-style several dishes (all on the smaller size). The service was great and our server adequately answered all of our questions regarding allergy restrictions. ROASTED SUNCHOKES | Củ Cải - 18 Great starter. Sweetness from the chunks of Asian pear, lots of earthiness from the sunchoke (a root vegetable) and light floral flavors from the chrysanthemum. Lots of unique flavors, would recommend this if you want something light. RISOTTO | Khoai Mỡ - 24 Love a good mushroom risotto. Purple yam was a good choice. The combo of mushroom and purple yam formed a strong and satisfying earthiness. The presentation of this dish was beautiful. Sadly, I don't like cilantro so I didn't enjoy this dish as much as I should have. The texture was very creamy. CRAB RANGOON | Hoành Thánh Cua - 24 This came with the fried wonton skins on the side with the crab rangoon filling as a dip. There is a generous amount of sauce, so if you're out of chips, ask your server for more! The crab rangoon dip was so flavorful, full of crab which was fresh and sweet. The pepper jelly was the cherry on top to give it a sweet yet spicy kick. I would recommend this one for sure. SQUID BOUDIN | Mực Nhồi Thịt - 20 My friend said this was a Vietnamese-Creole fusion (boudin is a sausage from Creole/Cajun cuisine). I have never had boudin before, but it was very yummy and flavorful (a combination of spices that I've never had before). Loved the chickpeas sprinkled on top. The eggplant puree was a good touch. PÂTÉ CHAUD | Patê Sô - 30 One of our favorites from our dinner. We all love pate. The texture is creamy and it went well with the perfectly crispy puff pastry. The pork jus was also delightful. Would recommend for sure. FRIED QUAIL & TOMATO RICE | Chim Cút Chiên - 34 I've never had duck sausage before, but the quail was stuffed with it. This was very unique and also one of our favorites. The quail skin was so crispy! Also I don't eat quail too often, so it was great to enjoy it again. The tomato fried rice had a bit of heat and flavorful, with a good texture where you can taste every grain of rice. SEAWEED DESSERT The base is a panna cotta is made with coconut and pandan, topped with chocolate(?) streusel and seaweed, with a coconut based cream. But the true cherry on top is the coconut "ice" that had a tart citrus flavor that you can break with a spoon before mixing everything up. Definitely my favorite out of everything we ordered. It wasn't too sweet and I love coconut and pandan. I would happily eat this everyday if I could. Can't find the name of this other dessert we had but it has durian in it which we all enjoy eating (it might have had panna cotta?). The durian flavor was very strong and the pieces of dill were a good touch. Not my favorite because I thought the durian was overpowering the other flavors. Every dish we tried was a unique fusion of Vietnamese and southern American and Creole cuisines. My favorite part were definitely the creativity of the desserts (which were so delicious). I'd recommend giving Moon Rabbit a try.
Cheryl H.
My 3 star rating is a personal one. We went there tonight for my birthday because I've heard nothing but greatness about Moon Rabbit. Some people have a sweet tooth. Not me. I love savory. Literally everything we ordered had an element of sweetness that rose above everything else, including the leading ingredients. It didn't matter if it was bread, protein, land animal, sea animal, wild poultry, veg dish. We ordered a little something from all over the menu and I didn't get a single straight up savory bite of anything. But surprise, they brought me an infinitely layered cake with a crème brûlée crust and a sweetened condensed cream tasting base and it was absolute fire. OMG, like I said, no sweet tooth here, but that was the star of the show. Absolute bow down to the pastry chef, but the rest was just on the brink of excellence minus being masked by a blanket of sugary saucy something.
Lada Kirich
It's a place where people care about what they do and about their customers. Creative, bright dishes and cocktails, play of textures, smells, tastes and colors. Experimental excellence!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Barrett
Every dish is amazing. The room is a bit too loud to hear conversation at a large table but it's worth bringing a group so you can taste a bite of everythingWheelchair accessibility: Ground floor
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Sean Lee
Food was interesting and well executed. This is not comfort food so don’t expect large portions. Atmosphere was elevated casual, not stuffy. Service was slooooow. Hopefully due to staffing issues. Try once and not repeat. No FOMO if you don’t eat here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Patrick Min
It has been a while since we last dined at this restaurant, but the experience was unforgettable. We enjoyed having lunch with a friend who was visiting from out of town. We chose this restaurant, which is well-known for its trendy, elevated Vietnamese cuisine. The fusion of Vietnamese flavors was perfectly balanced and made from fresh ingredients, resulting in delicious and visually appealing dishes. In addition, the cocktails were tasty and well-mixed. The interior decor was contemporary and trendy, using white, gold, light blue, light wood tones, accent dark colors combined with art, and beautiful Asian-inspired murals to create a relaxing and elegant ambiance. The service was excellent, and we hope to return to this restaurant soon for another great dining experience.
Such a great experience! Everything from the cocktails to dessert were so unique and thoughtfully made. Everyone was so friendly and eager to give suggestions. A third of the menu is vegan and they were very accommodating to dietary restrictions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Laura D'Antonio
I was excited to meet a friend at Moon Rabbit and see what the hype was about. It was fun but some things were a little disappointing. Food-wise, the Waygu beef was terrific and the spring rolls were very nice though not exceptional. The seaweed dessert was interesting though not as exotic as I expected. The squash dish (highly recommended by others) had a delicious sauce and seed topping but the squash itself was very dry and there was not enough sauce to make the squash itself edible. I didn't like the crab and sweet potato dish but that was probably just my misunderstanding of the dish. The service was great but it's very very loud in the restaurant. The 22% service charge (and we were just a party of 2), was a bit confusing. Is that the tip? Is that a charge in addition to the tip? In these days of service charges, surcharges, etc. I find this very offensive and confusing.
This is my second visit to Moon Rabbit, first one since they've moved from The Wharf location. I can't express how happy I left after the meal we had! It was definitely the best choice to celebrate our Anniversary! The new venue is quaint and modern elegant (I honestly think this place fits better the restaurant's personality than their previous spot!). The food was wonderful and the servers are well trained to explain every dish from Chef Kevin Tien's masterpiece! I'm pescatarian and wanted to share with my husband most of the "seafood dishes" as well some veggies, although the reason why we really wanted to go there, was for the desserts! We are Dessert people that would never skip it, in fact we would order as many as we can try! I have cut my drinking, so now I try to just save it for "special occasion", so I ordered the Sapa, which is one of the prettiest and sweet drink I've had in a while (sorry to all the sweet drink haters!) if you like lychee and Sakura blossom flavor, please order this! FYI: I did not end up with a headache the next day hahah. For start, we got the Crab Rangoon ($18) the dip itself was incredibly good, and I know many of you would think "what does it make it special if it's just crab with cream cheese? it can't go wrong", the way they selected the flavors to craft the dish is what actually makes it interesting! I love the sweet and savory from the dip, and the only thing I wished was to get another scallion wonton to keep eating for of the dip! We got the Squash as our 1st course, this dish in particular is the type you have to get a bite of everything all together to reach perfection: crunch from the seeds (kind of a savory granola crumble), crisp of the leaves, tang and creaminess from the curry sauce (which I hope they can add more to the plate because it felt so little for how good it was!) and the squash so tender! The BBQ Monkfish was cooked perfectly! The broth even though wasn't complex, hit the right pairing for that type of fish! I loved that the collard greens gave the fish some sort of fragrance (kind of banana leaves wrap for certain Asian dishes!). Now the best part, dessert! No wonder why their Pastry Chef is nominated to a James Beard award. All the desserts are intriguing, outstanding and have interesting ways to add things that would not belong on a dessert! We shared the "Seaweed" (which in our opinion the best of them all!) the pandan panna cotta was perfect! And the breaking the top part was as satisfying to do as to eat it! I don't want to say the "Mango" was a miss, because this is the type of dessert you have to get a bit of all the components, to get why it was crafted like that! (As a Dessert person, I will like this to be slightly bigger portioned, as for the chocolate cremeux at least!) then we had a lovely surprise by the team! They gifted us a creme brulee crepe, that was so decadent and as many of you would appreciate that is not overly sweet!!! Can't wait to come back for sure!
Kristyn F.
The location is great, very close to Metro Center stop. The ambiance is cool, kinda hip but normal. The service is fast, really fast. Only hiccup is spilling water while serving. The food was Ok, had the chefs menu - good representation of Kevin Tien, presentation was a little off. The star or the night ... cocktails and wine. Wonderful selection of fun drinks and reds/whites. Worth checking out.
A L.
This is for sure NOT PHO people! Fantastic dinner. Great cocktail, lovely wine selection, comfortable yet elegant ambiance, top notch service.... And the food! Definitely go with the chef's tasting menu. You get to taste a nicely planned variety and well worth $69 pp. Let go and follow whatever Chef Susan Bae and the team have planned. It is so amazing to see this female Asian team shine!
Margaret Huang
This is hands down a meal that I will remember because everything about it connects. The food is exceptionally innovative, but it also tastes incredibly delicious. The staff was warm, welcoming and understands the menu so profoundly that they can explain the vision and the details to guests. The ambiance is elevated but not snobby.Chef Kevin Tien and Chef Susan Bae are standing shoulder to shoulder in their abilities to create equally impressive offerings. The desserts are equal peers to the rest of the menu. No wonder both chefs are semi-finalists this year for a James Beard awards in their respective categories.We had the summer rolls, rice cake, shrimp Thermador, butternut squash, risotto, and monkfish. We had to use every ounce of energy to restrain ourselves from picking up the plates and licking every drop of the remaining sauces. We hope they will make bread available in the future so we can do the socially acceptable thing of using that to sop up all the leftover sauce instead.This is the place for people who like their desserts less sweet. We had the seaweed and the durian desserts (my initial reaction was ?). I have been converted over: durian with dill is mindblowing and I have officially accepted seaweed into the hall of fame for dessert. I never thought I would be writing those words, but it’s done.The chefs are unassuming in person, but they are in your face with their culinary skills. I will go to sleep and dream about eating my meal again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christopher Perrotta
Impromptu and OUTSTANDING! My buddy found this place by doing a Google Search for "10 Best Restaurants in DC" and MR popped up. Vietnamese - something a bit different. He treated me to an incredible experience.First, the space is absolutely stunning. Light, soft, and well appointed, every piece had a purpose. It's convivial. Smiling faces in beautiful spaces. The staff was phenomenal. From the hostess to the Chef /Owner, every individual was kind, welcoming and they all felt like they were exited to have us there.We opted for the $69 tasting menu. That felt absolutely right. That takes some trust in unfamiliar cuisine territory, but that trust was there from the moment we opened the front door.Each Amuse, Dish, Drink was dropped and explained in detail... even revealing some recipe details and methods. Each dish was thoughtful, elevated, gorgeous and... Absolutely delicious. The highlight was a Foie /Puff Pastry dish that came with a sauce that I'll woke up this morning thinking about. It was a "Pork Jus" but, man... It was so much more. The table next to us actually said "They like you guys more because they brought you extra sauce."Dessert was equally amazing. A Dorian Fruit "Flan", A Curry dessert (amazing), and a delicate layer cake with a Creme en Glaze. All beautifully executed.. One better than the next.The service was perfect. Not overbearing, friendly, engaging, and informative.Chef Kevin bought us a drink. He stopped by the table and presented himself as humble, grateful and proud.Many thanks to the staff & Chef for a fantastic experience. The best meals are sometimes the ones you weren't expecting.
The ambiance and food was immaculate! Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and made appropriate food recommendations for our party. I enjoyed the Shrimp Thermidor as a starter and Cumin Lamb as my entree. They were both delectable, I can't say one was better than the other. I'm ready to go back!
Did the chef’s tour of Vietnam menu and everything was delicious. Service was attentive and welcoming, cocktails were spot on. Would love to go back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Last Saturday was my first time at Moon Rabbit and I came with two friends who were ecstatic about the new Penn Quarter location. One of my friends raved about the old menu (when Moon Rabbit was at The Wharf) but was excited to try the new menu. I would recommend getting a reservation in advance so you're guaranteed a table. Our group decided to family-style several dishes (all on the smaller size). The service was great and our server adequately answered all of our questions regarding allergy restrictions. ROASTED SUNCHOKES | Củ Cải - 18 Great starter. Sweetness from the chunks of Asian pear, lots of earthiness from the sunchoke (a root vegetable) and light floral flavors from the chrysanthemum. Lots of unique flavors, would recommend this if you want something light. RISOTTO | Khoai Mỡ - 24 Love a good mushroom risotto. Purple yam was a good choice. The combo of mushroom and purple yam formed a strong and satisfying earthiness. The presentation of this dish was beautiful. Sadly, I don't like cilantro so I didn't enjoy this dish as much as I should have. The texture was very creamy. CRAB RANGOON | Hoành Thánh Cua - 24 This came with the fried wonton skins on the side with the crab rangoon filling as a dip. There is a generous amount of sauce, so if you're out of chips, ask your server for more! The crab rangoon dip was so flavorful, full of crab which was fresh and sweet. The pepper jelly was the cherry on top to give it a sweet yet spicy kick. I would recommend this one for sure. SQUID BOUDIN | Mực Nhồi Thịt - 20 My friend said this was a Vietnamese-Creole fusion (boudin is a sausage from Creole/Cajun cuisine). I have never had boudin before, but it was very yummy and flavorful (a combination of spices that I've never had before). Loved the chickpeas sprinkled on top. The eggplant puree was a good touch. PÂTÉ CHAUD | Patê Sô - 30 One of our favorites from our dinner. We all love pate. The texture is creamy and it went well with the perfectly crispy puff pastry. The pork jus was also delightful. Would recommend for sure. FRIED QUAIL & TOMATO RICE | Chim Cút Chiên - 34 I've never had duck sausage before, but the quail was stuffed with it. This was very unique and also one of our favorites. The quail skin was so crispy! Also I don't eat quail too often, so it was great to enjoy it again. The tomato fried rice had a bit of heat and flavorful, with a good texture where you can taste every grain of rice. SEAWEED DESSERT The base is a panna cotta is made with coconut and pandan, topped with chocolate(?) streusel and seaweed, with a coconut based cream. But the true cherry on top is the coconut "ice" that had a tart citrus flavor that you can break with a spoon before mixing everything up. Definitely my favorite out of everything we ordered. It wasn't too sweet and I love coconut and pandan. I would happily eat this everyday if I could. Can't find the name of this other dessert we had but it has durian in it which we all enjoy eating (it might have had panna cotta?). The durian flavor was very strong and the pieces of dill were a good touch. Not my favorite because I thought the durian was overpowering the other flavors. Every dish we tried was a unique fusion of Vietnamese and southern American and Creole cuisines. My favorite part were definitely the creativity of the desserts (which were so delicious). I'd recommend giving Moon Rabbit a try.
My 3 star rating is a personal one. We went there tonight for my birthday because I've heard nothing but greatness about Moon Rabbit. Some people have a sweet tooth. Not me. I love savory. Literally everything we ordered had an element of sweetness that rose above everything else, including the leading ingredients. It didn't matter if it was bread, protein, land animal, sea animal, wild poultry, veg dish. We ordered a little something from all over the menu and I didn't get a single straight up savory bite of anything. But surprise, they brought me an infinitely layered cake with a crème brûlée crust and a sweetened condensed cream tasting base and it was absolute fire. OMG, like I said, no sweet tooth here, but that was the star of the show. Absolute bow down to the pastry chef, but the rest was just on the brink of excellence minus being masked by a blanket of sugary saucy something.
It's a place where people care about what they do and about their customers. Creative, bright dishes and cocktails, play of textures, smells, tastes and colors. Experimental excellence!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Every dish is amazing. The room is a bit too loud to hear conversation at a large table but it's worth bringing a group so you can taste a bite of everythingWheelchair accessibility: Ground floor
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Food was interesting and well executed. This is not comfort food so don’t expect large portions. Atmosphere was elevated casual, not stuffy. Service was slooooow. Hopefully due to staffing issues. Try once and not repeat. No FOMO if you don’t eat here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
It has been a while since we last dined at this restaurant, but the experience was unforgettable. We enjoyed having lunch with a friend who was visiting from out of town. We chose this restaurant, which is well-known for its trendy, elevated Vietnamese cuisine. The fusion of Vietnamese flavors was perfectly balanced and made from fresh ingredients, resulting in delicious and visually appealing dishes. In addition, the cocktails were tasty and well-mixed. The interior decor was contemporary and trendy, using white, gold, light blue, light wood tones, accent dark colors combined with art, and beautiful Asian-inspired murals to create a relaxing and elegant ambiance. The service was excellent, and we hope to return to this restaurant soon for another great dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lemongrass Pork Blade, Green Mango Salad, Pho Seasoned Fried Chicken Sandwich
Such a great experience! Everything from the cocktails to dessert were so unique and thoughtfully made. Everyone was so friendly and eager to give suggestions. A third of the menu is vegan and they were very accommodating to dietary restrictions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was excited to meet a friend at Moon Rabbit and see what the hype was about. It was fun but some things were a little disappointing. Food-wise, the Waygu beef was terrific and the spring rolls were very nice though not exceptional. The seaweed dessert was interesting though not as exotic as I expected. The squash dish (highly recommended by others) had a delicious sauce and seed topping but the squash itself was very dry and there was not enough sauce to make the squash itself edible. I didn't like the crab and sweet potato dish but that was probably just my misunderstanding of the dish. The service was great but it's very very loud in the restaurant. The 22% service charge (and we were just a party of 2), was a bit confusing. Is that the tip? Is that a charge in addition to the tip? In these days of service charges, surcharges, etc. I find this very offensive and confusing.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This is my second visit to Moon Rabbit, first one since they've moved from The Wharf location. I can't express how happy I left after the meal we had! It was definitely the best choice to celebrate our Anniversary! The new venue is quaint and modern elegant (I honestly think this place fits better the restaurant's personality than their previous spot!). The food was wonderful and the servers are well trained to explain every dish from Chef Kevin Tien's masterpiece! I'm pescatarian and wanted to share with my husband most of the "seafood dishes" as well some veggies, although the reason why we really wanted to go there, was for the desserts! We are Dessert people that would never skip it, in fact we would order as many as we can try! I have cut my drinking, so now I try to just save it for "special occasion", so I ordered the Sapa, which is one of the prettiest and sweet drink I've had in a while (sorry to all the sweet drink haters!) if you like lychee and Sakura blossom flavor, please order this! FYI: I did not end up with a headache the next day hahah. For start, we got the Crab Rangoon ($18) the dip itself was incredibly good, and I know many of you would think "what does it make it special if it's just crab with cream cheese? it can't go wrong", the way they selected the flavors to craft the dish is what actually makes it interesting! I love the sweet and savory from the dip, and the only thing I wished was to get another scallion wonton to keep eating for of the dip! We got the Squash as our 1st course, this dish in particular is the type you have to get a bite of everything all together to reach perfection: crunch from the seeds (kind of a savory granola crumble), crisp of the leaves, tang and creaminess from the curry sauce (which I hope they can add more to the plate because it felt so little for how good it was!) and the squash so tender! The BBQ Monkfish was cooked perfectly! The broth even though wasn't complex, hit the right pairing for that type of fish! I loved that the collard greens gave the fish some sort of fragrance (kind of banana leaves wrap for certain Asian dishes!). Now the best part, dessert! No wonder why their Pastry Chef is nominated to a James Beard award. All the desserts are intriguing, outstanding and have interesting ways to add things that would not belong on a dessert! We shared the "Seaweed" (which in our opinion the best of them all!) the pandan panna cotta was perfect! And the breaking the top part was as satisfying to do as to eat it! I don't want to say the "Mango" was a miss, because this is the type of dessert you have to get a bit of all the components, to get why it was crafted like that! (As a Dessert person, I will like this to be slightly bigger portioned, as for the chocolate cremeux at least!) then we had a lovely surprise by the team! They gifted us a creme brulee crepe, that was so decadent and as many of you would appreciate that is not overly sweet!!! Can't wait to come back for sure!
The location is great, very close to Metro Center stop. The ambiance is cool, kinda hip but normal. The service is fast, really fast. Only hiccup is spilling water while serving. The food was Ok, had the chefs menu - good representation of Kevin Tien, presentation was a little off. The star or the night ... cocktails and wine. Wonderful selection of fun drinks and reds/whites. Worth checking out.
This is for sure NOT PHO people! Fantastic dinner. Great cocktail, lovely wine selection, comfortable yet elegant ambiance, top notch service.... And the food! Definitely go with the chef's tasting menu. You get to taste a nicely planned variety and well worth $69 pp. Let go and follow whatever Chef Susan Bae and the team have planned. It is so amazing to see this female Asian team shine!
This is hands down a meal that I will remember because everything about it connects. The food is exceptionally innovative, but it also tastes incredibly delicious. The staff was warm, welcoming and understands the menu so profoundly that they can explain the vision and the details to guests. The ambiance is elevated but not snobby.Chef Kevin Tien and Chef Susan Bae are standing shoulder to shoulder in their abilities to create equally impressive offerings. The desserts are equal peers to the rest of the menu. No wonder both chefs are semi-finalists this year for a James Beard awards in their respective categories.We had the summer rolls, rice cake, shrimp Thermador, butternut squash, risotto, and monkfish. We had to use every ounce of energy to restrain ourselves from picking up the plates and licking every drop of the remaining sauces. We hope they will make bread available in the future so we can do the socially acceptable thing of using that to sop up all the leftover sauce instead.This is the place for people who like their desserts less sweet. We had the seaweed and the durian desserts (my initial reaction was ?). I have been converted over: durian with dill is mindblowing and I have officially accepted seaweed into the hall of fame for dessert. I never thought I would be writing those words, but it’s done.The chefs are unassuming in person, but they are in your face with their culinary skills. I will go to sleep and dream about eating my meal again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Impromptu and OUTSTANDING! My buddy found this place by doing a Google Search for "10 Best Restaurants in DC" and MR popped up. Vietnamese - something a bit different. He treated me to an incredible experience.First, the space is absolutely stunning. Light, soft, and well appointed, every piece had a purpose. It's convivial. Smiling faces in beautiful spaces. The staff was phenomenal. From the hostess to the Chef /Owner, every individual was kind, welcoming and they all felt like they were exited to have us there.We opted for the $69 tasting menu. That felt absolutely right. That takes some trust in unfamiliar cuisine territory, but that trust was there from the moment we opened the front door.Each Amuse, Dish, Drink was dropped and explained in detail... even revealing some recipe details and methods. Each dish was thoughtful, elevated, gorgeous and... Absolutely delicious. The highlight was a Foie /Puff Pastry dish that came with a sauce that I'll woke up this morning thinking about. It was a "Pork Jus" but, man... It was so much more. The table next to us actually said "They like you guys more because they brought you extra sauce."Dessert was equally amazing. A Dorian Fruit "Flan", A Curry dessert (amazing), and a delicate layer cake with a Creme en Glaze. All beautifully executed.. One better than the next.The service was perfect. Not overbearing, friendly, engaging, and informative.Chef Kevin bought us a drink. He stopped by the table and presented himself as humble, grateful and proud.Many thanks to the staff & Chef for a fantastic experience. The best meals are sometimes the ones you weren't expecting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5