Restaurant Review: Water and Wall

In its latest review, Washingtonian Magazine mentioned some growing pains in Water and Wall's first year of opening and said that it has improved vastly since. I tried this restaurant for the first time this past Valentine's Day, so I can't really say if there has been improvement. However, what I can tell you is that Tim Ma's second restaurant provides really delicious and expertly prepared food at prices that are reasonable for the area (still pricey, but not anything more than what you'd spend at a place like this anywhere else.) I find it much more ridiculous to spend more than $30 on an entree at a Korean restaurant (some grilled meat and seafood), which you could easily do at a business like Yechon.

Anyway, my dining experience at this Ballston area restaurant was wonderful and mostly because of Ma's decision to keep the menu slim and to deftly and simply prepare his dishes with really fresh ingredients.

One of the best surprises was this mushroom soup.

When I ordered mushroom soup, I was expecting a creamy, dairy-laden puree. Nope. I got this clear, super nourishing, and very mushroomy broth. On a cold, wintry day, nothing soothes the soul more than warm soup. This is the perfect vegetarian alternative to bone broth, which is apparently one of the superfoods of 2015. I want to recreate this homey soup at home, but I don't know if I will be able to coax as much flavors out of the wild mushrooms. Besides being delicate and umami, this soup was also not too salty, which is the most common issue that I have with soups. 

Some may accuse Ma of playing it safe by cooking with many Asian-inspired flavors, but I think he's smart for knowing his strengths and bringing them to the table. A prime example would be his Thai-style catfish.

This main dish came out smelling of fish sauce (in a good way) and reminding me instantly of Vietnamese caramel fish (hey, it even comes with a caramel sauce smeared on the bottom), but it was definitely more beautifully plated than anything I've had in a more traditional restaurant. The catfish was cooked perfectly! Juicy yet firm. And the snap peas, sunchokes, and mushrooms were great accompaniments. Not crazy out-of-the-box or anything but done extremely well. And that's all that matters in my book.

I rounded out my meal with orange sponge cake served with pistachio gelato and marshmallow cream. To my delight, the sponge cake really tasted of orange, no artificial flavoring. The citrusy pop really perked up the moist cake. Pistacho gelato was so good, I almost didn't want to share. And I enjoyed the marshmallow cream despite never being a fan of marshmallows (I know, I'm a weirdo).

All in all, my husband and I would definitely come back here because we were really pleased with the food and presentation.

I don't care as much for the ambiance. It just feels so....Ballston. If you live in and/or frequent this neighborhood, then you may understand what I'm talking about. Ma's first baby, Maple Avenue Restaurant, is much more my cup of tea because it's cozier (doable since it only has five or six tables), quirkier, and upscale-casual. I prefer that whole family feel. Still, definitely stop by Water and Wall if you live in the DC area or are visiting the nation's capital. It rightfully holds a spot on Washingtonian's list of 100 best restaurants of 2015.