Latest news with #TimMa
Eater
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Most Fun Restaurants in D.C.
Lucky Danger Link In the back of Tim Ma's new flagship restaurant in Penn Quarter is the only public Mahjong bar in D.C. Jackie Chan's hit movie Rush Hour inspired Ma to create this back room, after seeing him break down a wall to reveal a secret Mahjong room. 'It's honoring the culture and it's integrated into my family dynamics making dumplings and playing Mahjong. That was my childhood,' says Ma. Each Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. Ma's restaurant holds one-hour Mahjong classes for $25 a person which includes another hour of guided open play on its three automatic shuffling tables. After enjoying fun drinks like the Drunken Master Shakara made with a 12-year rum or the Twisting Tiger Punch with mezcal, milky oolong tea, and mango lassi, make your way into the dining room to enjoy such delicacies such as LaBelle Farms crispy Beijing duck or allium pancakes topped with Osetra caviar.
Axios
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
All-you-can-eat sushi lands on H Street from chef Tim Ma
All-you-can-eat sushi just landed on H Street, courtesy of Lucky Danger chef Tim Ma. Why it matters: AYCE sushi is popular in the 'burbs, and Sushi Sato will be a first for D.C. Dig in: Ma aims to hit a middle ground between the trendy new omakase counters and wallet-friendly, neighborhood spots his kids like — all with bottomless appeal. "Some people love to consume food that way, there are no bounds," says Ma. "But, we've created some bounds." How it works: Two AYCE menus include standard ($55) and premium ($75) sushi/sashimi/rolls, grilled skewers, and cooked dishes — plus a similar lineup à la carte. Classics fill both categories, plus izakaya-style items like mentaiko (cod roe) noodles or beef fat garlic rice. Also: playful rolls like a riff on an In-N-Out burger. 🍻 Drink up: Bottomless beers go for $19, or you can sip Japanese-style cocktails a la carte. ⏱️ You've got 90 minutes to feast — tables must be all-in — and there are rules to minimize waste. Orders happen in waves, max 5 items every 15 minutes. No sharing with non-participants. No takeout or leftovers. Leftover food = extra charges based on à la carte prices. 🧒 Kiddos get a discount by height: Under 3 feet is 75% off; under 4 feet is 50% off. A lot of restaurants go with age for kids' pricing, but that can cost the business. "American kids are much bigger," he says. "A kid may be 5, but they're eating like a 10-year-old." The intrigue: Ma was also inspired by Red Lobster 's endless shrimp promotion — for what he didn't want to do. "People would order 15 lbs of shrimp!" Hence the rules. What's next: A third-floor bar and patio remains untouched from the former tenant (Afro-futurist restaurant Bronze) and will open as a separate concept.
Washington Post
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Bring saucy, tender bourbon chicken home with this timeless technique
Have you ever noticed how the meat and seafood from your favorite Chinese restaurant are particularly succulent? The trick, it turns out, is a technique called velveting. 'It's very prevalent in Chinese cuisine,' said Tim Ma, the chef-owner behind Chinese American restaurant Lucky Danger. And it can be found in other Asian cuisines as well. The technique has been around for centuries. Ma recalls childhood memories of watching his mother use it at his family's restaurant but never heard the word 'velveting' until later in life.
Eater
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Biggest D.C.-Area Restaurant Openings in May
This is Eater DC's guide to all the new restaurants, bars, and cafes that opened in May. For more 2025 debuts, check out our roundup of best new bars and other recent restaurant arrivals to note . If there's an opening in your neighborhood that we've missed, let us know at dc@ PENN QUARTER — Chinese American takeout Lucky Danger unveils a full-on flagship on Wednesday, May 21. Founded by restaurateur Tim Ma, the food menu is full of allium pancakes with whipped tofu and caviar; blue crab lo mein with leek fondue; and duck fried chaufa (Peruvian fried rice) with fish sauce caramel. The restaurant features four distinct areas: a bright entryway bar with classic cocktails integrating Asian flavors, an intimate dining room, the moody 'Lucky Club' with drinks using Chinese herbal medicine, and a green-toned mahjong parlor with over-proof whiskeys. Opening hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with lunch (and possibly even weekend dim sum) coming soon. 709 D Street NW PENN QUARTER — The venerable Cafe Fiorello, which first opened its doors in Manhattan over five decades ago, lands in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol on May 21. This marks the first time the flagship of restaurateur Shelly Fireman's hospitality group grows beyond its Big Apple roots. The new location has the same reliable Italian fare, including famous thin-crusted pizza and an antipasti bar overflowing with vegetables and seafood, plus a new wood-fired oven pumping out branzino al Forno, a center-cut veal chop, flame-kissed cheeseburger, and more distinctly smoky mains. 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW GEORGETOWN — After closing downtown Sushi Gakyu earlier this year, sushi chef Yoshi Ota is opening Sushi Gaku on Wisconsin Avenue on Wednesday, May 21. Traditional nigiri, maki, and an omakase tasting with very fermented ancient-style sushi will be on the new menu. Dinner will be served from 5 to 10 p.m. every night except Tuesdays at the new sushi spot. 1338 Wisconsin Avenue NW UNION MARKET — Fossette Focacceria, a Shaw sandwich shop for focaccia fanatics, expanded to a new stall in Union Market on Tuesday, May 20. The new menu includes most of the same breakfast and Italian sandwiches on the simple airy bread, plus two Union Market specials: the roasted vegetable and feta-filled Portofino and the Capra filled with prosciutto cotto, sopressata, pickled peppers, and Calabrian chile honey. The new stall also has longer hours than the original location, operating from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and opening up at 10 a.m. on weekends. 1309 5th Street NE Related The Best Sandwiches Around D.C. Right Now EASTERN MARKET — New American restaurant Lobby Bar debuted on Friday, May 16, in the storied space that housed Boxcar Tavern. Owner Adam Shulman livens up Barracks Row with an experimental martini menu, happy hour, and late-night service. Chef Andre Williams sends out local oysters, shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, a double smash burger, chicken pot pie stuffed with root vegetables, and a weekend-only prime rib special. Tori Pratt, founder of Pratt & Standard Cocktail Company, remixes a dirty martini with caper brine, tops a gin French 75 with a caviar-and-potato chip bite, and jazzes up an espresso martini with brown sugar. The 2,000-square-foot space with an 18-seat bar features cozy booths, a communal table, and an outdoor patio. Lobby Bar sources ingredients from vendors and farmers at historic Eastern Market, which sits directly across the street. 224 7th Street SE ARLINGTON — Bar Chinois, Mt. Vernon Triangle's high-energy hangout for Frenchified cocktails and Chinese dim sum since 2021, debuts a follow-up location in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday, May 15. The beverage program that party-starting Bar Chinois is known for makes its way across the Potomac over to National Landing, as do popular orders of black pepper duck, crab Rangoon, bao buns, and chicken karaage. Familiar daily deals like $1 dumplings and half-priced cocktails kick in next month (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.). Bar Chinois partners Dean Mosones, Mark Minicucci, and Margaux Donati are also behind Bar Japonais in Logan Circle, and BC National Landing marks the team's third project to date. The 90-seat, turquoise-toned interior joins a big (58-seat) patio. Reservations here. 244 19th Court S. #105, Arlington, Virginia SHAW — Top Ethiopian chef Elias Taddesse's beefy burger shop, Mélange DC, and fried chicken joint, Doro Soul Food, are back and better than ever at his new culinary incubator in Shaw's Atlantic Plumbing building. Taddesse's Mélange Foods, Inc. opened on Monday, May 12 with both concepts and will add a third Ethiopian taco spot called Moya later this spring. 2108 8th Street NW U STREET — Peruvian poultry pad Lucky Pollo swings open on Friday, May 9, with a starring order: 24-hour marinated chicken cooked over charcoal and infused with a dozen-plus herbs. Sides include yuca and french fries, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes, plus wraps and salads for the healthier set. Owner and nightlife vet Zach Renovátes tapped NYC-based Jasin Cadic to install ceiling chicken figurines sporting green hair, Keith Haring-influenced art, and a neon-lit logo of its rowdy namesake saddling a horseshoe. 1357B U Street NW FALLS CHURCH — Ice Cream Jubilee, a D.C.-born ice cream shop founded by government lawyer-turned-chef Victoria Lai in 2014, opened its sixth location in West Falls Church on Friday, May 9. The store also serves ice cream sandwiches made with Sunday Morning Bakehouse's sea salt chocolate chip cookies. The new scoop shop is open from noon to 9 p.m. daily. 151 W. Falls Station Blvd, Falls Church, Virginia ARLINGTON — Courthouse's promising summer hot spot dubbed Rooftop Recess debuted Thursday, May 8, with a garden-like interior, happy hour, grilled eats, and a 360-degree view of the neighborhood. 2424 Wilson Blvd Arlington, Virginia CLEVELAND PARK — NY native Gina Chersevani doubled down on her months-old Buffalo & Bergen with the addition of Carb Bar on Cinco de Mayo. As the name implies, there's plenty of pizza and buttery danishes to choose, from with help from her husband Neil Dundee. The founder of roving pizza pad Eternal Love swears by rye flour to build an array of carbs. The next-level Honey Love hot pocket comes stuffed with imported mortadella, stracciatella, arugula, EVOO, pistachios, Parmesan, and lemon. The sommelier by trade also offers an off-menu selection of rare Italian varietals by the bottle. Rectangular-shaped 'Grandma Pizza' — Chersevani's childhood favorite growing up in Long Island — is en route soon. 3501 Connecticut Avenue NW H STREET — Two-level Henceforth opened up on Monday, May 5 in the former H Street Country Club space. The retro-styled venture showcases a thorough craft beer list, all brewed in house, and a wine list that ranges from Maryland and Virginia vinos to bottles from the West Coast, Europe, and South Africa. The carefully curated food menu features triple-fried fat fries, beef sliders with charred pepper aioli, and honey Old Bay wings. There's also a succulent, braised beef cheeks sandwich and an array of vegetarian entrees, including charred asparagus or roasted cauliflower on black garlic labneh. The new neighborhood hangout will unveil its sunny rooftop seats soon. 1335 H Street NE Sign up for our newsletter.
Eater
20-05-2025
- Business
- Eater
Baijiu, Crab Lo Mein, and Mahjong Collide at D.C.'s New Lucky Danger
Chinese American restaurant Lucky Danger is moving in 'the reverse direction of Panda Express,' acclaimed chef and restaurateur Tim Ma jokes. The Mount Vernon Triangle ghost kitchen that first served delivery staples like fried rice and pork wontons during the pandemic and set up long-term takeout digs in Pentagon City Mall is returning to D.C. in an almost-unrecognizable new form (709 D Street NW). Opening on Wednesday, May 21, the full-service restaurant with three distinct bars will feature what Ma calls 'updated Chinese food,' drinks inspired by Chinese herbal medicine, and even mahjong lessons that turn the restaurant into 'a Chinese community center.' Opening hours are 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with lunch (and possibly even weekend dim sum) coming soon. The Penn Quarter spot will serve dishes, like allium pancakes with whipped tofu and caviar; blue crab lo mein with leek fondue; and duck fried chaufa (Peruvian fried rice) with fish sauce caramel, that transform classic Chinese dishes with flavors and techniques from France, Peru, Thailand, and the rest of the world. Ma says the menu's eclectic palate is 'just a reflection of how people eat these days,' and is influenced by D.C. kitchen staffs being made up of many different nationalities. A D.C. native, executive chef Robbie Reyes returns to the capital to run Lucky Danger's kitchen after stints at the David Burke-led Breckenridge Distillery Restaurant in Colorado, David Chang's Momofuku in New York and D.C., and even a short time in Peru. He's been running operations for the classic Chinese American menu in Pentagon City for a year now and developed the new Penn Quarter menu with Ma through nostalgic research trips to New York's Chinatown. The new restaurant itself straddles the line between fine and casual dining, with the brick walls of the Partisan's former space dressed up with the playful Lucky Danger icon and red-and-green wallpaper depicting flowers, pottery, and dragons that take cues from ancient Chinese art. There are four distinct spaces throughout the multifaceted flagship. First there's a bright entryway bar serving classic cocktails infused with Asian-influenced flavors, like a take on a margarita with Sichuan peppercorn and a tomato-salt rim, leading into a cozy dining room where diners can settle into soft leather booths to chow down on family-style servings of Chinese prime rib, Beijing duck, or wild boar char sui balanced with a napa cabbage slaw. At the back of the dining room, Chinese characters on the wall spell out a saying that was written on Ma's uncle's restaurant, the Shandong Inn, which loosely translates to 'let the cocktails and champagne fly, let the good times roll.' That freehearted phrase leads to the moody and red lantern-illuminated 'Lucky Club.' Bar director Sunny Vanavichai's flowing cocktails are a little more complicated in this den, like an umami bitters and sesame-infused whiskey drink served with a Pei Pa Kao candy that's reminiscent of molasses-like traditional Chinese cough medicine. A Chinese grain spirit called baijiu is paired with brie, pear cordial, and a bitter apertif to marry the complex fermented flavors. There's also a hidden theme in the name of each cocktail (hint: Ma loves Jackie Chan), with the Twisting Tiger Punch mellowing out smoky mezcal with Oolong tea, mango lassi, ginger, and five spice. The groundbreaking restaurateur pays homage to one of his favorite movies by the iconic actor and martial arts star in his hidden mahjong parlor at the very back of Lucky Danger. In Rush Hour 2 , Chan kicks down the door of Don Cheadle's character's illegal mahjong bar in the back of a Crenshaw Chinese restaurant. 'This is our mahjong bar in the back of the Chinese restaurant,' Ma explains. 'I am Don Cheadle.' Automatic mahjong tables can be rented for $45 an hour here, and Ma plans to host weekly lessons with the four tables that can set up a game within seconds. His dad helped teach mahjong at Scott Chung's (now-closed) Sparrow Room for two years and the classes garnered a cult following, easily booking up twice a week. Now, Ma himself, his dad, and other family friends will teach mahjong at Lucky Danger. Over-proof whiskeys and whiskey cocktails will be served at this hidden bar, and while the entire food menu is available throughout the rest of the building, this shrine to the tile-based game will be drinks-only. A quick scan of the food menu may seem familiar to devoted Ma fans. The iconic crab Rangoon from the original takeout spot are dusted with Old Bay, spicy mapo tofu is beefed up with rice cakes and shiitake mushrooms, and a few dishes that have frequented Any Day Now's constantly evolving dinner menu are back too, like whole crispy flounder balanced by a fresh papaya salad. The Navy Yard spot became a sort of test kitchen for Ma, where they served 'versions of the dishes from here last year, some of the upcoming concepts have been tested there.' Those upcoming eateries include the recently opened Kata, an Asian fusion supper club in Chinatown; Sushi Sato, an all-you-can-eat sushi spot coming to H Street in the next month; and Taco Cat, a playful, all-day taco spot in Western Market. Beyond debuting three completely new restaurants and a more refined version of Lucky Danger, Ma plans to open another location of Any Day Now in the Chinatown area and two more casual takeout versions of Lucky Danger in Baltimore and Virginia. Related Chinatown's Fusiony New Supper Club Hits All the Senses While all these openings sound overwhelming, Ma is taking a back seat to young new chefs that 'are closer to modern cuisine' in his kitchens and is ready to focus on rolling out a small restaurant empire with new takes on Asian-American food 'for the culture.' 'Nobody's going to Sushi Sato to see me. They're going for sushi. And I think that's the way it should be,' he says. 'That's the new evolution.' Sign up for our newsletter.
