Worth the hype? Bad Saint.

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Four years after it opened, with many, many accolades and fanfare, I finally went to Bad Saint. My colleague who has been traveling to DC to work with me for the past 8 months is winding down her time here, and it seemed like a great excuse to celebrate on a Wednesday evening. Another colleague of ours joined for the fun.

I arrived to Bad Saint around 4:50 and found myself fifth in line. Not bad! Around 5:30, the blinds rose and the doors opened. One by one, each customer was led through the door and to a table. Because we were three, we got a nice booth near the bar/kitchen. The interior was cozy, but although it was small it didn't feel cramped at all. There were several booths along the perimeter, plus some seats right at the bar/kitchen area. The vibe was cool, from the ceilings to the light fixtures.



Service was a little slow to start.  Eventually, the waitress came over to our table and we ordered some rosé and an orange wine (she had to explain what orange wine was!). The drinks took some time to make their way to our table, but were crisp balanced. We reviewed the menu with the waitress and she recommended a few items. As one of my guests was a a pescatarian, we primarily ordered dishes focused on vegetables and seafood. 

The first dish we were served was Labanos At Pinaitum - or, raw radishes with a dip featuring burnt coconuts, pistachios, and honey. The plate was plopped in front of us with no explanation of how to consume it. So, I picked up a giant hunk of radish and used my fork to scoop some dip on my plate. Now came the hard part - how was I supposed to cut the hard-as-a-rock radish with my fork? No knife was provided! Finally, as my friends and I puzzled over the enigmatic dish, we realized, maybe we were just supposed to dip and bite? We gave it a shot - moderate success! At least we didn't break a tooth! The flavor of the dish was not my style. I don't really love root vegetables, especially not raw. The dip was tasty, but the radish just overwhelmed the flavor. This was my least favorite dish of the night by far.

Next up was a ceviche-style yellow fin tuna in a delicious citrus broth made from the calamansai, a citrus fruit native to the Philippines. The tuna was fresh and cold. There were small red peppers in the broth that made it a bit spicy. I could have eaten several more of this dish. After the first radish and fish, which were  messy due to the dip and broth, I was surprised that we were not provided with clean plates and silverware. They were in dire need of a refreshment. Sadly, no one offered us clean plates at any point throughout the meal.

The waitress dropped off Laing, a shrimp dish featuring kale and more coconut broth, next. There were two on the menu, but we were told one was the spiciest dish the restaurant offered, so we opted for the other. It did not disappoint! It sort of reminded me of the idea of a Thai curry dish, but not Thai. Frankly, the color was not at all enticing, a kind of puke green, but the flavor certainly made up for the lack of visual appeal. The sweetness of the coconut and the savoriness of the greens balanced the fresh shrimp perfectly. 

For our vegetable dish, we chose ginisang gulay, which is a traditional vegetable dish featuring yu choy, which reminded me of bok choy. I loved the consistency of the thick stalks and leafy greens. (We did finally have to ask for a knife, as you can see below!). It reminded me of the broth served with Chinese chicken and broccoli. Salty and savory. The pepitas added a surprising and pleasant textural element.

While one diner sat out, my traveling friend and I had to sample one meat-focused dish. We ordered the Rendang, not realizing it was short ribs.  I am not usually a huge fan of short ribs, but wow!  Each bite literally fell apart when your fork touched them.  The meat was richly seasoned with cumin and coriander -- evoking flavor memories of coffee and chocolate.  I sopped up as much broth with each bite of meat as I could. This was definitely tied with the ceviche for my favorite dish!

Bad Saint does not have a dessert menu, but the restaurant provides a complimentary bite at the conclusion of your meal. We were offered an unsweetened chocolate brownie with sweetened condensed milk and some crispy rice puffs.  This was tasty, but I prefer sweet chocolate.
 

Overall, I definitely enjoyed the experience of Bad Saint. The dishes were generally tasty (minus that radish dish), but for the price point, the service could have been better. I am glad to have checked this place off my list, but probably will not return as I'm just not into standing in line for dinner more than once. If you're feeling adventurous and looking for something different, I would still definitely recommend checking it out, but I am not lining up with my folding chair to sit outside Bad Saint any time soon.