Food Porn Special: Review of Maketto
Where do you and your 20 something-year-old friends go to hang out in D.C. on a chill Monday?
Answer: Maketto.
Maketto is the place to be. This place will make you rethink everything you already know about Washington D.C. It’s cool, creative, edgy, and definitely modern.
The first thing I noticed was how spacious and tall the interior is. This restaurant is a retail store, a restaurant, and a cafe all in one.
The table was set with small cups, silverware, and plates ready for us, each with distinctive designs. The waiter gave us a menu, and while reading it my friends and I noticed that it was not descriptive enough. He also asked us if we wanted sparkling water or still water. It was unique that the still water came in a huge glass bottle. Although the menu was not descriptive enough, the waiter was very informative, and the service was impeccable and quick.
As we were served the fried chicken, we noticed how large the portion was, and we all got excited. I cut into the crispy chicken, and I heard that beautiful light and crunchy sound the skin made. Then came the juicy white meat, which easily fell** apart from the chicken. I could taste the sweet caramel and the spicy cayenne pepper—two ingredients that went surprisingly well together. The garlic bread that came with the dish was also toasted to perfection, crisp on the outside but soft and full of garlic and butter on the inside. “The Fried Chicken…was cooked in caramel. I can’t even. I can still smell it,” said Samory Senh, the associate editor for the Advocate who accompanied me on this special trip.
The wok fried rice noodles were tender; the fork went right through them, and the flavor of the noodles was milder than the rest of the dishes. “My favorite dish! Because the noodles were incredibly soft and moist, and had so much flavor, even the vegetables are full of flavor!” said Morgan Terry, the assistant editor for the Advocate. Personally, however, it was not my favorite dish.
I liked the veggie lo mein the most, which was incredible! The noodles were nice and chewy, the tangy and spicy flavors went so well together, and you could definitely tell that the tofu was marinated in a delectable sauce for quite a while. “It’s a tough choice, but I think my favorite dish was the lo mein. It had so much flavor and just the perfect amount of spiciness. I’ve been eating cheap ramen for weeks now so eating something like that, especially when the noodles were so fresh and kinda chewy, was like heaven,” said Isabel Rockwood, the editor-in-chief of the advocate.
After eating I suggest going upstairs to their coffee and dessert bar—the coffee is definitely worth the money, simply because college students don’t see awesome latte art every day! Additionally, the baristas were very clear and helpful about how to choose the right drinks to accommodate the customer.
After a huge debate on the rating, we decided to give Maketto a 5 out of 5 advocats because of how cool, simple, yet edgy it was. We recommend coming here with a group of friends. It is best to take the Red Line into D.C., exit at Judiciary Square, and take the trolley to H Street and walk approximately .1 miles to Maketto; it will be on the right-hand side of the street.