The Source
575 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Wahington DC, 20565
202-637-6100

Wolfgang Puck is an amazing chef. Trish and I have visited many of his restaurants, and we have never been disappointed. From the super-expensive steaks at CUT in Vegas to the simple pizzas at Wolfgang Puck Express in Orlando, we’ve loved everything we’ve ever gotten at Puck spots. On our recent trip to Washington DC, we were thrilled to find that Puck has a place in the city. Even more exciting: it was an Asian Fusion place that did dim sum every Saturday for brunch!

A quick look through the menu convinced us this would be a fun experience. While clearly not classical dim sum, the offerings looked imaginative and delicious, combining elements from not just Cantonese cuisine, but also Mandarin, Vietnamese, Thai, and even Indian.

In short, we were once again not let down by chef Puck. The food was incredible, and the experience was wonderful. Food was brought at an excellent pace, and the variety we had was amazing. At the Source, 8 plates went for $42 (yes, steep by dim sum standards, but this is really nothing like real dim sum in anything other than name), and for our table of 4 (Tricia, myself and her parents), we sampled 16.

The meal got off to a great start with a pair of cocktails: a bloody Mary for me and a Lychee Bellini for Tricia. Tricia’s was predictably tasty and refreshing, but my bloody Mary was incredible. Instead of the traditional celery stick garnish, it was served with a lump of crabmeat, cocktail sauce, and a horseradish infused panna cotta.

After drinks, the dim sum items came at a steady pace. Since we had 16, I won’t review them all, but I’ll point out a few that we found extraordinary.

The turnip cakes were very good, and actually may have been my favorite. Different from the traditional dim sum version, these were a bit spicy and fried crisp on the outside. From the picture below, the turnip cakes were a good 1.5 inch thick, quite different to the slabs you would get at an authentic dim sum restaurant. Typically, turnip cakes are served with a side of oyster sauce. But this version was cleverly embedded in the chunks of turnips.

We also really enjoyed the duck bao, which came as Peking duck in steamed pancakes. The vegetables here were a nice element, and the duck was cooked expertly.

Tricia’s favorite item was the Shanghai Noodles. Fried and served with braised oxtail, these were very flavorful. The wok-technique was apparent, as the noodles picked up just a bit of that crispy texture and really absorbed the flavors of the jalapenos and green onions that they were cooked with.

I tried tripe for the first time at the Source. I found it chewy and fatty – not necessarily my favorite thing. However, the sauce that it was cooked in was spectacular. Spicy and sweet, this was another clear fusion dish, taking chilies and combining them with the sweeter flavors of Cantonese dim sum.

This was a memorable meal, and there were so many other items that we really enjoyed. In the end, whatever you might pick will probably turn out to be worth it  at the Source!

Taste:

Siddharth : 9/10 (excellent)

The Source is difficult to beat. When Wolfgang Puck makes the menu, you know that flavor profiles are bound to be strong. The Source executed all of the items perfectly, and there were absolutely no issues with balancing the complicated flavors present in Asian food across many cooking traditions. This is the restaurant of a world-class chef, and it is very apparent. Of the 16 dishes we got, I thought 2 were not exemplary: pork fried rice and BBQ-lamb samosa. The rice could have used more salt and the lamb samosas were a bit bland due to the use of potatoes (I truly believe that a meat samosa should be vegetable free!). Because of these two small blips, I gave the Source a 9 and not a perfect 10.

Tricia: 8/10 (great)

Let me preface, I’ve grown up on dim sum and have considered it comfort food. With that said, there is a bit of hesitation and ambivalence towards changing the flavors that one is use to. The Source was able to recreate several of the dim sum dishes, but with slight adjustments to the flavors. I love tripe and typically it’s cooked in a simple broth with chili peppers. Wolfgang Puck did a total twist on this one with a tomato-based sauce with minced tripe. I did enjoy this dish, but I kept comparing the dishes to the original and authentic dish that I couldn’t fully enjoy the new flavors I wasn’t use to.

Selection:

Siddharth: 10/10 (perfect)

The variety of a dim sum is tough to beat. When you combine normal dim sum concepts with food from all over Asia, you get an incredibly rich selection. And since the execution was so perfect, you can safely pick any of the myriad of available items knowing it will be good. I can’t think of a place to get a better set of choices for lunch/brunch.

Tricia: 9/10

Like most dim sum restaurants, you can have over 100 small dishes to choose from, which can be quite overwhelming. Luckily, the Source tried their best in selecting the dishes that would be most familiar yet interesting. The only thing missing was a BBQ pork bun!

Ambiance:Type: Upscale casual  

Siddharth: 10/10 (perfect)

The interior of the Source was beautifully designed. We enjoyed a quiet but warm atmosphere for lunch. With fancy table cloths and modern lighting, this place could easily handle the most formal of occasions, but in typical Puck style, it is inviting and comfortable to eat there in a t-shirt and shorts. Definitely a welcoming ambiance that coould serve the purpose for dates, large gatherings, and casual lunches.

Tricia: 10/10

Our reservation allowed us to be seated immediately in a beautiful booth large enough for a party greater than 4. This booth was intimate and right in the corner with the best sunlight. This location was far enough away from the bar, but overlooking the entire restaurant. Most of the tables had comfortable couches and love seats. The bar tables also looked nice and sleek.

Service:

Siddharth: 7/10 (good)

The servers were a bit quiet, leading us to be confused over what was what when individual items came out. Our waitress was polite and friendly and helpful, but she was slightly infrequent in her visits to the table. It was tough for us to keep track of which of 16 items had yet to come, and she herself was confused. She even forgot one item that we only caught through the receipt. In the end she packed up our missed bahn mi, but this is the only time I’ve ever seen even a minor hiccup in service at a Puck restaurant.

Tricia: 7/10

I agree with Siddharth. However, the waiters were very attentive and paid extra attention to the pace of the dishes. It was a little disappointing that they could mess up on not delivering one of our dishes. They should have a similar system like they do in authentic restaurants when they make a copy of the list and cross off each dish as they arrive.

Price: $$$ (above average)

Siddharth:

We didn’t leave hungry, so I will say we got a great meal. That being said, this is one of Wolfgang Puck’s more expensive places. You can expect to spend $40/head for brunch/lunch, and I’m sure dinner is more expensive.

Tricia:

Again, I’m speaking from someone who is use to paying $2-$5 dish for double the portion size. I respect Wolfgang Puck a great deal but price of each dish with its size was a little extreme, especially when you are going with a group of people, you can’t really share the small portions which means that 1 person must order at least 4-6 tastings to feel satisfied.

Recommendation Index: 10/10 (MUST go!)

Given the uniqueness of this restaurant and the excellent execution, we think this is not one to skip over. Yes, the prices are high, but the food is outstanding and worth it at least one time. We really recommend the dim sum as you’ll have a chance to sample many items. Wolfgang Puck is one of America’s great chefs, and this is one of his great establishments. Check it out if you are ever in DC!