New U Street Music Hall Menu Kicks Off With 2 Strokes EP Release Party Saturday

I love discovering new places, which I did last week when I found myself at Toki Underground to sample the new Uhall menu. I didn’t know what to expect; only rumors of a new donut sandwich with some type of pork and the infamous pho dog that currently satisfies late night music lovers at the venue. I met Denman and Sean on H Street above the Pug while Toki was in slight disarray with staff preparing for another busy Friday night. The owner, Erik Bruner-Yang, was surprisingly calm and collected and, like Toki itself, refreshingly warm and inviting. I was surprised to learn that it’s this charming little space where the U Street Music Hall’s catered menu items originate.

Once we were ready to get started Erik informs me that I’m getting some special treatment and that when I order this at Uhall it will be via “crackhead cooking.” What does that entail exactly? It involves a Foreman grill and tin foil, like camping or if you’re homeless. The first item he brings out is the Curry Chicken Ramen Brat, inspired from one of Toki’s signature dishes, the Toki Curry Chicken Hakata. This is a spicy Bratwurst stuffed with Japanese curry chicken and topped with curry lemon kewpie mayo, fried shallots and cilantro served on a toasted bun. It looked amazing and I’ll admit I was apprehensive about what I’d think about this one because I’m not typically a fan of curry. (While I will continue this post as if I got to eat it right then in all it’s glory, in actuality I had to stare at it for a good twenty minutes, along with the other items Erik brought from the Kitchen while Sean took awesome photos of all of the plates separate and then together. It may have been the biggest tease of my life.) It was spicy, but not overwhelmingly so, and the crispy shallots were a great contrast in taste and texture against the tender spicy meats and creamy sauce. I will reluctantly say the cilantro was slightly lost in the flavors but I also probably like cilantro more than any normal human being.

Next up was the Sloppy Cho, a Chasu pork sloppy joe served on a toasted bun with Toki made barbeque sauce and topped with cilantro. This is code for super fancy sounding pulled pork sandwich. Erik made sure to inform me that, “this will never be plated this nice at Uhall.” But presentation surely isn’t required to enjoy this one; the pork was tender and the sauce was a familiar barbeque flavor with a hint of hoisen. Simple and delicious. And yes, as all of my friends know, I did ask: the sauce does not contain corn syrup.

While it would be cliché for me to say “last but not least” this is truly the case with the Pork Belly Donut. This is essentially some house cured “thick ass bacon” served between two grilled glazed donuts. I already know this sounds like the most bizarre combination on the face of the planet but I’m fairly certain I fell in love at first glance. It glowed as if it were glazed in Jesus tears. I first thought it must be because I’d been patiently waiting while starving as all of this food was being paraded down a runway. When I asked Sean if he was going to share this with me or I had to eat it all myself, his response was, “Are you joking? You’ll have to beat me to it. This is like food porn. Pork is food porn in general.” We ate the other items in the order they were presented and saved this delicious gem for last, each taking one donut with the seasoned pork evenly distributed. We literally “cheered” our halves and bit into this asinine concoction. The pork was deliciously fatty, perfectly seasoned, tender and the saltiness was beyond amicable with the sweet, crisp outer shell of the grilled donut. I’m fairly certain that the donut contains corn syrup but, who cares? This harmonious combination is one that, believe it or not, I can’t wait to eat again out of a crackhead tin foil pouch. It was a great breakfast and I’m sure it will be an even better drunken fourth meal during another trip to the district in the near future.

The new menu debuts at Uhall this Saturday, May 21st alongside old favorites; the beef and tofu pho dogs and the grilled cheese. Don’t forget to check out the FB event, and the website, and come hungry.