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Celebrity chef Edward Lee is shaking things up at his Southern-style Succotash Penn Quarter, with plans to temporarily replace its upstairs bar and lounge with one inspired by lively night markets in Asia.
Mr. Lee’s (915 F Street NW), a new pop-up expected to debut in early September and run through the end of 2018, draws on Lee’s Korean heritage via lots of colorful art, dim lighting, and Asian plates and cocktails.
Its small menu will rotate weekly, integrating produce plucked from the Penn Quarter farmer’s market. Look for hand-cut noodles in a beef black bean sauce paired with pickled radish and cucumber ponzu. A dumpling dish will feature duck confit, snow peas, and basil with XO sauce, fried shallots and lime, while a spicy pork belly variety will include kimchi stew, silky tofu, and fried chickpeas.
The existing upstairs bar will be stocked with lots of Asian beers and spirits, which will be used to make themed cocktails like the Miss Korea (Soju, melon syrup, yuzu, and egg white). Lee, a known whiskey lover, will offer around 120 types.
Added accents to the wood-heavy space like silk Korean lanterns and neon signage will help set the late-night scene. Stay tuned for photos of the revamped space, as well as an exact ETA.
The pop-up coincides with Succotash’s first birthday inside the historic 9,000-square-foot Equitable Bank building. Partner Knead Hospitality and Design worked to maintain the integrity of integral components such as the original marble floors and mahogany paneling, and its stunning transformation into Succotash was named Eater DC’s editor’s choice for Design of the Year.
Mr. Lee’s is the latest venture the Top Chef alum has added to his plate this year. This spring he released a new book, Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine, which was called “thoughtful, well researched, and truly moving” by the late Anthony Bourdain.
Last year Lee relocated to the D.C. area from Louisville, Kentucky to personally oversee both the original Succotash at National Harbor and its new sibling post in Penn Quarter.
