Ping Pong Dim Sum Media Dinner Review

Ping Pong is not just dim sum anymore. With the only two restaurants in the US right here in DC, the London based corporation is Americanizing it’s menu. Don’t worry, no burgers or chicken wings. But you can expect the juice based beverages to be replaced with trending craft cocktails. And though the dim sum remains the focus, they’ve just rolled out their “big, small plates” to broaden the selection and, it seems, appeal to a male demographic.

Ping Pong Dim Sum’s happy hour is chocked full of the lady folk, but men? Not so much. You’d think the guys would figure this and go where the ladies are. But, Ping Pong is must obviously be run by a woman. She realized men aren’t smart enough to follow the women on their own and decided to coax them with whiskey and entrees larger than the 8 bite dim sum the girls are in love with!

New plates include Seared Jumbo Shrimp with Tomato and Ginger, Crispy Duck and Citrus Salad, and Braised Pork Belly in Five Spices. If you can handle the fire, I suggest topping the pork with one of the three new chili sauces for even more of a kick. Traditional Asian Crispy Beef to share will be the perfect addition to your favorite dumplings too. It’s a generous plate of beef, onions and peppers in a citrus soy sauce and is just the right amount of tangy sweet and spice.

Crispy beef

While the new plates will wow, the craft cocktails will definitely blow your mind. New head bartender and self-proclaimed, “not a mixologist,” Chris Bassett just joined the Ping Pong team and is shaking things up. Literally.

Advice from a professional (ie me): order the Chocolate and Tobacco Old Fashioned. Then order another. This glass of deliciousness is filled with whiskey, tobacco liqueur, house-made chocolate bitters, and smoked water and is rimmed with chocolate shavings. Come on. I see ordering multiple as simply helping Southern tobacco farmers keep their jobs in a world that’s smoking less cigarettes. It’s philanthropy. And helping the economy. Yes, I can justify drinking at any given time.

Chocolate and Tobacco Old Fashioned

After your two Old Fashions, next comes the Jalapeno Margarita. There’s a trend here. Why not continue the heat from your food into your drink? This one is exactly what it sounds like: a margarita with jalapeno juice shaken and served up, in a martini glass. Of course, a sake flight is never a bad idea either. After a night out with me at Ping Pong, skipping a drive home and taking the metro is also not a bad idea it seems…

Smoked Jalapeno Margarita

I’ll be visiting Chris Bassett and his team of bartenders often for happy hour.

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