Devotees of Nora Pouillon’s posh West End Pan-Asian Asia Nora are speed dialing for their last chance to savor specialties like hoisin-glazed Peking duck breast with five-spice spaetzle, braised red cabbage and baby scarlet-queen turnips. The restaurant will close on December 20th to make way for an environmentally-friendly hotel. (It’s rumored that when the hotel is built, chef Fabio Trabocchi (ex Maestro), who is now cooking at NYC’s Fiamma, may return to DC to helm its showcase restaurant.)
But fans shouldn't fret, since Pouillon told Zagat Buzz that some of Asia Nora's flavors will show up in the menu of her other restaurant, Nora, a New American near Dupont Circle.
"I opened Asia Nora in 1994 with the vision of combining the exciting flavors of Asia with my signature seasonal, organic ingredients," Pouillon said. "The cuisine of the east is in perfect harmony with my own approach to offering flavorful dishes prepared in a healthy way and I intend to include some Asian influences in my menu at Restaurant Nora in the future."