Eater's Pronunciation Dictionary for Upcoming D.C. Restaurants

A pattern is emerging among D.C.'s most anticipated restaurant openings: their names are presenting some phonetic difficulties. But don't worry— Eater is here to help. Use this guide to avoid embarrassment when recruiting dining companions to check out the latest hot spots.

Anxo [AHN-choh] 1. The Basque language is notoriously difficult to learn. It's no surprise, then, that the name of this forthcoming cider and pintxos (pronounced PEEN-chohs, which is Basque for "tapas") bar is equally hard to pronounce.

Haikan [HI-kan] 1. The new ramen shop from the Daikaya team is opening in the Atlantic Plumbing Building. 2. The name fittingly means "plumbing" in Japanese.

Kyirisan [KYR-i-sahn] 1. Tim Ma's second try at naming his new Shaw restaurant after a legal threat prevented him from using Freehand. According to an article in the Washington Post, the name isn't actually a word. It's a tribute to the chef's children.

La Jambe [la JAHMB] 1. French for "the leg." 2. This Shaw wine bar will offer cheese and charcuterie.

Metier [MET-ee-ay] 1. The tasting menu restaurant attached to Eric Ziebold's Kinship. 2. The word for profession or trade in French.

Sfoglina [sfol-YEE-na] 1. Chef Fabio Trabocchi's forthcoming restaurant with a focus on handmade pastas. 2. The term for a woman who makes pasta in Italian.

Requin [reh-KWIN] 1. French word for "shark." 2. Pop-up in Mosaic District that serves plenty of seafood. The restaurant by chef Jennifer Carroll and Mike Isabella will eventually find a permanent home on the Southwest Waterfront.

Un Je Ne Sais Quoi [uhn juh nuh say kwa] 1. The French expression for a quality that can't be described. 2. The European bakery will specialize in an equally unpronounceable dessert called merveilleux (pronounced "mair-vè-y-eu"), a trendy pastry with layers of merengue and ganache.