A next-door neighbor and somewhat of a little brother to the immensely popular Sampan, the newly opened Double Knot, 120 S. 13th St., is quickly becoming the talk of the town. And we can see why.
Accessible from the street or through Sampan, the upstairs coffee bar serves Double Knot proprietary-blend coffee. The downstairs restaurant is another world in itself, with an amazingly dim and mysterious steampunk-meets-pirate aesthetic that you have to see to believe.
The menu only shares one dish with Sampan’s menu, its amazing edamame dumplings. The rest eschews Asian fusion for a Japanese-inspired menu.
The small plates had a lot of great flavors and textures. The tuna rice cracker ($8) was satisfyingly crunchy and bold. Both the Japanese cucumber ($4) and the hearts of palm salad ($10) were refreshingly simple but effective dishes. The albacore tataki ($8) was bright and cool. The tofu ($6) was nicely fried with a sweet glaze punctuated by an assertive Mizzuna pesto. The gyoza ($7) was pleasantly different, arriving as a sizable pancake of dumplings instead of individual pieces.
The robatayaki (various meats and vegetables grilled on skewers) had some standout dishes. The scallop ($5), Kobe beef ($5) and short rib ($4) were excellent, with the latter two being perfectly seasoned and juicy pieces of carnivore heaven. More adventurous proteins like chicken gizzard, chicken heart and pork jowl are also available.
Double Knot also makes great bao buns with the smoky pastrami ($7) and the sweet and succulent duck scrapple ($7).
Then there’s the sushi. The Double Knotbig eye tuna roll ($12) is one of the best traditional rolls in town — both a feast for the eyes and the palette. The side dishes are great too, especially the bacon yakisoba ($7). The sushi pieces are made with warm rice and brushed with ponzu, giving the dish a lovely silky feel.
Desserts have a nice flare as well. The tangerine tart was perfectly sweet and creamy and the pear cake was pure and warm comfort-food bliss.
If we ever get rich, we want our house or apartment to look just like Double Knot. Actually, it would be a lot easier to move into the restaurant, but for now we’ll have to make due with dining there more often.