Chef Kevin Tien's dreamy Moon Rabbit reopens near Chinatown
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An opening dish at Moon Rabbit: cod in coconut broth with collard greens. Photo courtesy of Rachel Paraoan
Chef Kevin Tien reopened his popular restaurant Moon Rabbit in Penn Quarter on Monday.
Why it matters: The fate of the upscale Vietnamese restaurant was uncertain after it abruptly closed at The Wharf last year, but Tien's a bit of a comeback king and this opening is one of the most anticipated of the year.
What's new: Pretty much everything (except the staff, who are 95% the same crew employed at the original location).
- While the chef channeled his hybrid Louisiana and Vietnamese roots for the first Moon Rabbit, the new kitchen riffs on regional Vietnamese flavors. Look for lots of homemade ferments, misos, and noodles.
Yes, but: What about those crawfish noodles that helped put Moon Rabbit on the map?
- "They're banned," Tien tells Axios (he's joking, kind of).
On the table: A lot of fun things. Tien is jumping right in by opening with a Winter Restaurant Week menu (three courses for $65) and in time will grow the offerings.
- Guests start with warm bread service — duck fat brioche with condensed milk butter — and courses include spins on classic Vietnamese dishes. Think Wagyu beef in betel leaves with labneh and pickled shallots, or claypot chicken with crispy chicken fat rice and pickled chilies.
- Tien's longtime pastry chef Susan Bae crafts creative desserts with sweet and savory flavors, such as green curry sponge cake with fish sauce caramel, and coconut.
In your glass: Beverage director Thi Nguyen is sourcing Vietnamese spirits that you won't find elsewhere in the city. Cocktails draw flavors from the kitchen, like a mezcal-based creation with a pink peppercorn shrub, house guava soda, mole bitters, and shrimp salt.
- Tien, who doesn't drink, is excited about riffs on beverages classically served in Vietnamese restaurants — salted lime, rich coffees — plus a homemade horchata.
What they're saying: Unlike the first Moon Rabbit that was housed in the InterContinental Hotel — and catered to guests at all hours — Tien is celebrating that this smaller restaurant (less than 100 seats) is all on his terms.
- "The freedom is nice," he tells Axios.
That said, it's a difficult time to open, especially in downtown. "Margins are tough, food cost is up, labor is up, everything is up," Tien says.
- "Having a restaurant that's only dinner is hard, so I think you'll see a lot of activations out of this space: brunch, a power lunch menu, some awesome Vietnamese food carryout. Also, chef dinners and having friends come cook."
What we're watching: While other restaurateurs may shy away from downtown, Tien — a chef/advocate who co-founded the anti-racism organization Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate — sees his proximity to Chinatown as an opportunity to build up Asian identity in the area.
- "I'd love other Asian business owners to turn this into an AAPI hub. You have Katsuya [Fukushima of Daikaya] on the block; Tim [Ma of Lucky Danger] is doing a project right in Chinatown. I think the next generation can spearhead that."
Peek at the opening menu:
