The day I wrote this article I woke up with an inexplicable craving for Asian food.  I knew at the beginning of my mission that the plain and over-processed Chinese food from Panda Express or the sanitarian suspect meals offered at the local hole-in-the-wall Chinese food corner store wouldn’t satisfy my craving.  No, I needed the real thing, and oodles and noddles just wasn’t going to cut it!

I did a little research on my handy-dandy blackberry google app, which pulled up a plethora of options around the city. I scrolled through the options, checked out a few reviews and landed on a restaurant whose description contained two magic authenticity-guaranteeing words “bento-box”, the traditional name for a Japanese box lunch. Now that my destination was decided, I hopped on the red line of the metro to the Dupont Circle stop and a block long walk later, I found myself at Raku-An Asian Diner.

The outside of the restaurant is covered in deep, dark colors like cherry wood and plum red, giving the restaurant a dark and rich feel. When approaching the entrance I realized that there was no waiting area, while there’s no problem with standing outside when the weathers nice, that would be a huge problem in the middle of January.  When my friend and I made it in the restaurant, the atmosphere completely changed. Instead of the cold and powerful impression of the outside, the inside was very warm and inviting. The lights were like dim stars under fusama door styled ceilings, providing soft light on the wooden floors and the modern/Asian fused furniture.

The first thing I ordered was a crunchy shrimp roll which was okay, nothing spectacular.  I did however enjoy sipping on my Thai iced tea while I waited for the main attraction; I highly suggest you try one if you get the chance. After about ten or fifteen minutes, the highlight of my evening was placed in front of me. The meal was called Yellow Curry Beef Noodle Soup, and it was amazing. First off, it was huge, there is no way anybody with a normal stomach can finish this thing in one setting. Unless you’re that Japanese champion hotdog-eating guy, you are definitely going to have some leftovers for later. The taste was a perfect blend of finely cut meat and vegetables mixed with a coconut curry spice that set everything off. All in all, I left happy with my Asian food craving completely satisfied.  If you find yourself waking up with an insatiable appetite for Asian food, give Raku-An a shot.