The Early Word on Bad Saint in Columbia Heights

Bad Saint opened last month, adding to the ever-growing number of D.C. restaurants serving Filipino food. It's actually the only restaurant that exclusively serves the Southeast Asian cuisine. Starting last year, owners Tom Cunanan, Nick Pimentel, Genevieve Villamora built anticipation through a series of pop-up events and a Kickstarter, but the opening in Columbia Heights was actually rather quiet.

Yet the restaurant is already getting raves. It doesn't take reservations, so diners are willing to wait for hours to get a table inside the small space. PoPVille recently posted a tweet from reader Joshua Johnson saying, "@badsaint_dc is the new @RosesLuxury. You heard it here first. Nom nom nom. So good!" The restaurant also has 22 Yelp reviews with an overall rating of four and half stars. Bad Saint is actually the only restaurant dedicated exclusively to Filipino food. Read on for the early word on Bad Saint:

The Long, Long Wait News: Looks like D.C. has another restaurant with a crazy long wait. In fact, blogger Thyme Fries thinks there might be only two tables in the whole place that seat more than two diners. Twitter user @IAmJonSnow was asked to wait 45 minutes, while Yelper Marian M. writes, "we waited two hours to be seated and the space feels a bit cramped." [TF, Twitter, Yelp]

The Tropic Wes Anderson Vibes News: Instagrammer @arilp23 says the tiny restaurant has "tropical Wes Anderson vibes." Washington City Paper says, "The decor of Bad Saint is also highly personal, and much of the knick-knacks and art that fill the dining room’s nooks and crannies are borrowed from the owners’ families." [Instagram, WCP]

The Impeccable Service News: Yelper Molly W. says her waitress was a "gem" and Yelper Austin G.thinks the service is "impeccable." Yelper Adrian M. also writes, "Possibly among the best service I've received in DC. Kind, attentive, and unpretentious." [Yelp]

The Nouveau-Sized Portions News: DCist advises diners to order more then they think they'll need because "the portions are for the most part nouveau-sized." Yelper Marian M. agrees and writes, "The serving sizes were more like tapas than family style." [DCist, Yelp]

The Just Can't Stop Eating Ukoy News: Diners are raving about this tangle of fried sweet potato, leeks and freshwater shrimp. Instagrammer @saralrosenblum says she couldn't stop eating it and blogger Traveling with Iris says it was the best dish out of everything she tried. Yelper Sarah B. says, "The vinegar dipping sauce is a perfect compliment to the fritters." [Instagram, TWI, Yelp]

The Unapologetic Bitter Melon News: Washington City Paper writes, "More acerbic than coffee with the added saltiness of preserved black bean, the Filipino dish with soft pieces of egg and crunchy bits of fried shallots makes no apologies or compromises to the American palate." In the same vein, Yelper Alice W. warns diners, "If you're not a fan of bitter melon, this dish may be a little hard to swallow but they did a nice job of toning down the bitterness with the other ingredients." [WCP, Yelp]

The Absolutely Fantastic Clams News: The clams with Chinese sausage and Sichuan pepper appear to be a favorite dish right now. Yelper Adrian M. writes, "these were fantastic and filling when combined with a little rice-bowl." Yelper James Kimo L. says, "HANDS DOWN our favorite dish of the night." Yelper Kimberly S. calls the dish "absolutely fantastic." [Yelp]

The Mixed Pork Belly Feelings News: Judging from the reviews, it looks like the pork belly dish might be inconsistent. Foursquare user Graham J. says, "Unbelievable pork belly. Literally melts in your mouth." But Yelper Alida H. writes, " Although tasty, I felt that the pork belly was too dry." [FS, Yelp]

The Outstanding Drinks News:  Diners are loving the Asian-inspired cocktail menu. Foursquare user Melody recommends the Willy Santos cocktail and Yelper jennifer c. says, "The drink who's name ends with "sling" was outstanding and paired perfectly with the food!" Yelper Kimberly S. also notes that the restaurant carries San Miguel beer. [FS, Yelp]

The Orgasmic Bilo Bilo Rice Dessert News: Foursquare users Melody and Beth Shook both loved this dessert of sticky rice, coconut cream and peaches. Yelper Sarah B. calls it "orgasmic." [FS, Yelp]