Critically-acclaimed chef Kevin Tien’s new restaurant, Emilie’s, is set to open on October 10, 2019.
“We’re really excited to bring something new to Capitol Hill, where Chef Kevin Tien and his team may share their passion and talent with the community on a larger scale,” said co-owner Sam Shoja.
The menu at Emilie’s will focus on seasonally-inspired and local ingredients and will feature large, family-style plates and smaller a la carte menu choices. In addition, diners may select from composed plates that will circulate the room on carts.
The concept of Emilie’s is centered around the guest dining experience and transparency. “I’m really looking forward to creating an experience for our guests which fosters a sense of community,” said Chef Tien. “With the open-kitchen layout which extends across the main dining room, we want our guests to feel like they are sitting cozy in their own kitchen as we cook for them.”
The new 5,175-square-foot restaurant, designed by HapstakDemetriou+, features a lounge area with bar, a main dining room, including a 10-seat communal table and open-kitchen layout with chef’s table, and a private dining room with additional bar. The restaurant seats approximately 110 guests in the dining areas and 48 guests in the lounge/bar areas. An 80-seat patio along the perimeter of the building will also open at a later date.
For his new restaurant concept, Tien partnered with the same restaurant group that brought JINYA Ramen Bar, Sheesh Grill, and Hot Lola’s to the nation’s capital: restaurateur Sam Shoja, restaurant expert and veteran Arris Noble, and inKind’s Johann Moonesinghe.
Initially, Emilie’s will be open for dinner service from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Lunch and brunch services will be added at a later date. Reservations may now be made at https://resy.com/cities/dc/emilies.
To further Chef Tien’s goal of community, Emilie’s has partnered with inKind to enable guests to purchase House Accounts. Proceeds from the House Account sales go towards the opening costs of the restaurant and supporters are given bonus credit for meals as well as other fun perks. House Accounts may be purchased via inKind at https://emilies.inkind.com/.
For interview requests, please contact Monica Sethi at monicasethi@ebuzzedge.com. To receive updates, please visit http://www.emiliesdc.com. Stay connected with Emilie’s on Facebook (@emiliesrestaurant), Twitter (@emiliesdc), and Instagram (@emiliesdc).
Originally from Lafayette, LA, Co-Owner and Chef Kevin Tien initially embarked on a corporate career. However, a career change driven by a passion for food and service placed him on a culinary path in 2009. After working at various restaurants in Louisiana, Texas, and Washington, D.C., Tien had an opportunity to open his own restaurant, Himitsu, in the neighborhood of Petworth in D.C. He is currently the executive chef and co-owner of Himitsu.
Since Himitsu’s opening in 2016, the restaurant and Tien have garnered local and national attention, with accolades from all corners of the United States. Tien was named Food & Wine’s Best New Chef for 2018, has been a James Beard Foundation finalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2018, and a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2017. Himitsu was named Eater’s Best New Restaurant in America in 2017 and one of America’s Best New Restaurants in 2017 by Bon Appetit. In addition, Tien recently appeared on the Food Network’s Iron Chef Gauntlet.
Tien’s resume includes working for chefs Aaron Silverman at Pineapple and Pearls, David Chang at Momofuku CCDC, Jose Andres at Oyamel, and Tyson Cole at Uchi.
Earlier this year, Tien opened Hot Lola’s, a restaurant specializing in spicy chicken, in Ballston Quarter’s food hall, Quarter Market, in Arlington, Virginia.
Chef Tien’s new concept, Emilie’s, will be centered on cart-style service and customers’ dining experiences. Focusing on seasonally-inspired and local ingredients, the menu is set to change regularly.
In addition to Tien, Emilie’s partners, who also brought JINYA Ramen Bar, Sheesh Grill, and Hot Lola’s to the region, include restaurateur Sam Shoja, restaurant expert and veteran Arris Noble, and inKind’s Johann Moonesinghe.
The restaurant, situated at 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C., is located at Penn Eleven, the redeveloped plot of the prior Frager’s Hardware.
