Dōgon

I attended the special event "An Evening with Alexander Smalls, Nina Oduro, & Chef Kwame Honoring The Contemporary African Kitchen" at Dōgon. The evening featured a signed copy of The Contemporary African Kitchen cookbook and a 5-course meal inspired by it, priced at $130.Overall Rating: 8.75 /10No surprise here--Dōgon delivers on flavor! When Chef Kwame opens a restaurant near you, run, don't walk. The food is vibrant and bold, but sadly, the décor didn't keep pace. For a space meant to complement such a rich culinary experience, it felt dark, cold, and uninspired.Food: 5/51st Course:* IDK: A surprise opener of salmon atop bread. Tasty and promising--an excellent start!2nd Course:* Pumpkin Velouté: Absolutely divine. If seconds were offered, I'd have taken thirds. GIVE ME MORE!3rd Course:* Green Tomato Salad: Not a tomato fan, but this one converted me. The king crab and fresh flavors made it a perfect palate cleanser.4th Course:* Duck Braai: QUACK! This South African-style duck was phenomenal. My new favorite dish!5th Course:* Puff Puff: Sweet, simple, and the perfect finish to such a rich meal.Event Experience: 2.5/2.5Meeting culinary legends like Alexander Smalls, Nina Oduro, and Chef Kwame? A dream come true. Their insights, stories, and signed cookbook made the night unforgettable.Service + Décor: 1.25/2.5Bar seating = top-notch service. However, the décor was disappointing. The space felt dark and one-note, which clashed with the vibrant, soulful food. For a restaurant of this caliber, I expected more warmth and energy in the design.Full Review on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFaeuYMRAh8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Disclaimer: These are my personal opinions. Please try these restaurants and form your own judgments--it's what I would do.

One of the best meals I've had in a LONG time and well worth the wait/difficulty in getting a reservation! We got a table in the lounge area, which has a variety of small plates available- the larger main dishes are available in the restaurant only (the lounge tables don't have a ton of space, so this made sense to us). The space inside is beautiful, and I appreciated that even though every table was filled in the lounge and the restaurant, it wasn't loud at all and we didn't have to raise our voices to speak to each other. We ordered almost everything from the lounge menu and didn't have a single bad thing, and every dish was plated absolutely beautifully. The menu was a bit more extensive than what was posted online, which was nice. The piri piri salad is one of the most incredible and memorable dishes I've had in a long time- the fresh tomatoes and herbs mixed with the creamy avocado and slightly sweet toasted almond flavor with the piri piri oil was just an unbelievable balance of flavors and textures. The toasted almond filling the hole where the avocado pit usually is was so cool to see visually. Other standouts for us: Ben's Bowl has the perfect crispy lamb on top of creamy curry sauce- I could have easily ordered another one of these. The cornbread is so moist that it's almost tough to pick up, and the shiro butter packs a kick! The hoe crab is frequently raved about- it was excellent, but for me, everything else outshone it just a little bit. They had changed the short rib sliders on our menu to whiting sliders, which were still delicious. The cocktails are pretty pricey (cheapest one we saw was $23), but well crafted and worth the price. I highly recommend trying their special sidecar menu- the Chevalier and Yasuke the Afro Samurai were both excellent. The Flower Pot Punch was good, but a bit sweet/syrupy. Although they aren't on the lounge menu, the desserts are still available! There was a rum cake or cherries and cream dessert- we decided to try the cherries and cream, which was like a spiced cherry sorbet with a really interesting texture- it almost looks "pulled." It had this incredible deep flavor, with spots of cream and whole cherries underneath the sorbet.

I came to town for a family event but wanted to make time to visit this new spot with my friend and fellow foodie. The restaurant is beautiful, clean and music was nice and not too loud. From the hostess to our waiter, Jessie, hospitality and service is top tier!! I'm of a certain age and couldn't see the drink menu but Jessie not only described what his favorite drinks were but he read the menu including ingredients of drinks he thought I would like. He was friendly and patient with our questions and gave suggestions on food options which again were amazing! The Hamachi Guisado ended up being our favorite and we almost ordered a second round! Thanks again Jessie!

I've been wanting to go to this place since it opened and was able to snag a reservation for my birthday. I had some friends coming to visit so it was an excellent way to celebrate. We ordered a lot of food so I will just do a rank order of my favorites to least and with a ratings as well. The service was really good and our server was on top of everything. It did take awhile for cocktails to come out but that's not our server's fault at all as he was the one who put in the order but also was bringing the drinks from the bar to the table. They should probably have bar runners instead of servers doing it in the future. The inside is extremely beautiful and I had no idea the restaurant is inside the salamander (one of the nicest hotels in the area). Now for food (ranked favorite to least):-Hoe crab with plantain hot cakes 10/10-charbroiled oysters 10/10-curry branzino 10/10-Rum cake 10/10- a must try!!!-coco bread 10/10-Ben's bowl 9/10-carrot tingua 8/10-cornbread 5/10As you can see everything was delicious and I would recommend everything on the food menu. You can skip the cornbread....it tastes just the same as my mom's.Not bad by any means but not worth $15 for 2 small pieces of cornbread. I didn't even bother taking a picture of it. My highest recommendations are the oysters, coco bread, curry branzino, and rum cake!Since we were celebrating my birthday and I indicated that in my reservation, I was hoping for some type of acknowledgement from the staff. A menu saying happy birthday, complimentary dessert, complimentary glass of champagne....something. Besides the hostess mentioning it, there was nothing. I thought that was extremely lame and a bit unprofessional for a restaurant of this caliber. We spent a substantial amount of money on food and cocktails here, which we fully expected too, so acknowledgement of a celebration would have been nice.

Dogon was a dream.Impeccable service and food. The rum cake was the highlight. I'm not a sweets person, and to have me eating it WITH MY HANDS...that's the sign of an excellent dessert right there, ok?

I was able to book Dōgon for my solo birthday celebration and it didn't disappoint. Located in the beautiful Salamander Washington DC, you are welcomed by beautiful art and an amazing chandelier. Checking in was easy and fast (with reservation). Pro tip: if you have an AMEX, your Global Dining Access benefit will assist you in securing a resy here quicker. The ambiance was warm and inviting and the music selection was perfect! Because I was a solo diner, I was seated near other patrons which worked perfectly bc we were seated close enough to have great convo but far enough to not invade each other's personal space. The girls next to me even purchased my first cocktail after hearing I was there solo for my birthday! So, do not be afraid to go solo!!! They even have a bar area! And I loved the open concept of the restaurant. The food was great! The only thing that I did not care for too much were the oysters. I felt it lacked flavor. However, once I put the garnish on top that they were served with, they were good! The oxtails were plentiful, meaty and super tender. I'm a rice girl so to be able to taste the coconut flavor in the rice was perfection. However, if you're not a coconut lover, I'd suggest another side dish. But, I loved it. Lastly, they ended my night with the rum cake for my birthday. That was by far my favorite dish. It came out warm and had like a candied crust on the bottom and it was garnished with a whipped cream that was so good! I ended the evening with a tasty espresso martini to top my dinner off. Overall, I had a great experience. I'd love to go back and try the coco bread, hoe crab and branzino. The plates are shareable so if you go with someone else, it will be perfect for ordering different dishes. Probably one of my favorite dining experiences since moving to the area.

I really enjoyed my experience at Dogon. The staff is so attentive and explain the menu well. The venue is in the salamander hotel and when you enter you are greeted by a cute hostess stand. The restaurant itself is designed really well. The menu is expected to be shared family style and goes from small to larger portions. For dinner we tried the coco bread and cornbread...head to head matchup the cornbread wins. The butter has a nice spice to it and takes it up a notch. Next we had the ho crab which comes with plantain flavored ho cakes, the plantain flavor is faint to nonexistent but I enjoyed the cakes for what they were. Next we had the lobster escovitch, Branzino, and wagyu. The lobster dish was ok 3/5. The Branzino was delicious 5/5. I did not have the wagyu but my friend said it was amazing so 5/5z For dessert we had the rum cake, which is not the rum cake that I particularly enjoy so I would not get it again. My friend enjoyed it but said the same about not ordering again so 3/5.

I'm definitely writing this from the bed because I had the itis so bad after this meal!I can't exclaim enough how good this food was. I will say that I had a few personal critiques just based on my own palette --I like my greens more vinegar based. We literally ate almost half the menu. CornbreadHoe crab Oysters GreensOxtailsCurry branzinoRice n peas and jollof riceRum cake. On top of all the food, the service was impeccable! Our server was so sweet and gave us the best recommendations. Best of all, their drink menu includes black-owned spirits and the music is fire!Book your reservation today!

I had two completely different experiences at Dogōn, both on a Thursday night and both without a reservation--one flawless, the other frustrating.My first experience was incredible from start to finish. I started in the lounge area with a round of drinks and bites, and the wagyu skewers and cocktails were amazing. The music, lighting, decor, and service were all on point. Later, my friend and I moved to the bar, where we enjoyed the Hoe Crab, chargrilled oysters, and branzino--all delicious (though I wasn't a fan of the jollof rice). We ended with the Rum Cake, which was phenomenal. What really made the experience special was the bartender taking time to explain the restaurant's concept, the meaning behind its name, and what inspired it. I left feeling like I had discovered a hidden gem.Unfortunately, my second visit was the complete opposite. I arrived around 7:30 PM and was told the earliest I could be seated was 8:30-9 PM. No problem--I was happy to wait as long as I was seated by 9, considering the restaurant closes at 10 PM. The host walked me to a lounge seat, but it took quite a while for a server to greet me, and I eventually had to flag someone down to order a drink. Once I got my Astronomer cocktail, it was perfect, and I started to relax.Around 8:50 PM, I asked my server if she could check on my bar seat. She returned saying the host told her the bar seat wasn't quite ready. I then went to check in with the same host I originally spoke with, and suddenly, the story changed--now she claimed she never told me the seat would be ready by 9 PM, and instead, the guests at the bar were just getting sat at 9. She even went as far as to say I arrived at 8 PM, which was completely inaccurate.Final Thoughts: If you're going to Dogōn, it seems like reservations are a must. While my first visit was truly exceptional, my second visit was frustrating due to poor communication, long wait times, and disorganization. Instead of waiting any longer, I ended up having dinner at Moonraker instead. I'd love to have the first experience again, but the inconsistency makes me hesitant to return without a reservation.

4.5 Stars!! Service, ambiance and flavors are all what you'd expect from a celebrity Chef. Who ever figured out the lighting in this place deserves an Oscar. As a middle-aged person, hyper-dim lighting is not conducive to reading menus and taking food pics,; but there is magic being done here!Michelin style service from the moment you are greeted at the front all the way to the bill was impeccable. The open kitchen beams of energy and Chef Kwame walks around greeting guests. I'm not the biggest fan of shared small plates, but we were directed to picking 3 starters and 2 large plates if we wanted room for dessert. The Coco bread is pillowy and delicious with the house whipped butter and hot sauce. The Ben's bowl was not memorable at all. The crab was beautifully presented and straightforward and delicious.For the larger delicious. I was a skeptic about the BBQ Greens, but they did what they had to do to honor my Southern ancestors and they were amazing (especially with that hot sauce). The Oxtails were finger liking good. Bold, heavy but we left no meat on the bone! A stand-out dish for sure. Where Dogon really shows it's elevated angle is the Curry Branzino. Something that could have gone too close to the Asian continent is layered with flavors. You almost get a different dish depending on what bites end up on your fork. Caribbean in one bite, Cape Malay in another! Masterful work and beautifully presented!It was a friend's birthday so they came out with a candle lit piece of the Rum Cake and it took me back to the cruises I did when I was younger and picking up that tin of rum cake from Grand Bahamas!! Perfect way to end the meal. Elegant and full of flavor. Dogon is a win!