The owners of Rooster & Owl, home to one of the most creative and affordable tasting menus in Washington, opened their second restaurant in April in Falls Church. Keeping with the avian theme and in honor of their 2-year-old daughter, chef Yuan and Carey Tang christened the storefront Ellie Bird.
Fans of Rooster & Owl, where unusual combinations of ingredients make delicious sense in your mouth, are delighted to find similar examples on the menu of the newcomer. At the same time, neighbors who might not immediately seize on the idea of, say, kimchi bouillabaisse are reassured by the sight of a “classic” chicken dinner on the list.
Ellie Bird offers something for everyone, children included. Kudos to the chef for creating a better style of Lunchables for pint-size customers.
Falls Church is familiar turf for the Tangs. Carey grew up there and worked at Applebee’s as a youth; a 12-year-old Yuan relocated there from Hong Kong and later waited tables at Red Lobster. Ellie Bird, in the Founder’s Row development, is proof that some people can go home again — and in the case of the Tangs, as heroes.
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The eyes light up before the taste buds. The color palette is soothing with blue and sunny with yellow; pillows make for comfortable banquettes, and booths, roomy enough for six, resemble ostrich-size birdcages — “touches of levity,” says Carey Tang. Even the restaurant’s website charms us. A section called “Meet the flock” introduces team members with adorable childhood photos.
“I like places that have a point of view,” says a dining companion as we peruse the menu.
Ellie Bird slips surprises into common dishes and elevates the basics. Expect candied kumquats and fried chickpeas in your anything-but-ordinary kale salad and garganelli painted orange with the help of carrots. The ribbed quills of pasta, splayed over pickled shiitakes and feta crema and crackling with toasted pumpernickel crumbs, ring bells for me. Didn’t I enjoy the combination, pre-covid, at Rooster & Owl? The chef confirms it’s the same flavor profile, but with garganelli instead of cavatelli.
Yuan Tang puts a Vietnamese spin on French onion soup. Dip beneath the expected cap of Gruyere and croutons, and you spoon up a broth that could pass for pho, rich with ginger, star anise, cilantro and braised oxtail. (The merger stems from Tang’s childhood in Northern Virginia, when he was introduced to both soups.) Braised, grilled and chilled octopus is tossed in a bright passion fruit dressing, then coaxed into a ceviche with buttery avocado and Thai chiles and decorated with plantain chips that multitask as little scoops and are a crisp contrast. If the fried oysters atop the “larb gai” of chopped sauteed chicken and puffed black rice taste familiar, it could be because their seasoning is “KFC-inspired,” says Tang.
As with other dishes here, temperature contrasts make for interesting eating: Cool poached apples, slick with sesame oil, top the warm salad, framed with lettuce for bundling.
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The prince of mash-ups edits himself well. Tang knows how to play with food without making it ridiculous. Consider his bouillabaisse, built on a proper fish stock and populated with delicious bites of cod, littleneck clams and scallops — Hokkaido from northern Japan and cured in kombu. Kimchi is incorporated into the broth and also mounted atop the seafood. I’m stuck on the sting.
The food, delivered by a staff that grows more confident with every visit, is enhanced by the distinctive plates and bowls crafted by Material Things in Brentwood, Md. The scored branzino, for instance, is transported from kitchen to table on a mushroom-colored oval with a raised lip. A nest of shredded jicama takes the place of the head of the snowy fish, which is splayed across a grass-green puddle of salsa verde. The creamy mouthfeel is courtesy of avocado, the burn thanks to serrano.
Ellie Bird’s chicken dinner, starring a breast center stage, is a $35 feast with some great escorts. We’re talking charred asparagus, croquettes shaped from shredded thigh meat bound with Duke’s mayonnaise and madras curry, and glorious whipped potatoes. The last are rich with sour cream and shimmering with scallion oil, spooned into a crevice in the potatoes. They don’t need “Sunday gravy,” hatched from the braising liquid, but gilding the lily is time well spent.
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Tang’s clever children’s meal lets recipients interact with Ritz crackers, uncured ham, cheddar cheese and a fruit and a vegetable that change with season (cucumbers and apples made a recent appearance). “No complaints from the kids,” says chef de cuisine Ismael Otarola, a Peruvian native who last cooked at Ocean Prime in the District.
The side dishes are all vegetarian, mostly gluten-free, eight bucks a pop and terrific. Blanched sliced asparagus and snow peas should be on your to-do list. Tossed with tahini and soy sauce and finished with chile oil and fried shallots, the vivid green vegetables are a dan dan to remember. Lincoln logs of “fancy” tater tots live up to the menu’s description, served as the shredded, pressed, butter-kissed potatoes are with housemade hot sauce and toum, the garlic lover’s dream whip.
In keeping with the restaurant’s homey vibe, executive pastry chef Rachel Sherriffe gets a shout-out on the menu, for “Rachel’s” chocolate cake. Buttermilk and (surprise!) coffee explain the uber-moist texture of the cake, which stars Valrhona cocoa in the crumbs and Valrhona chocolate between the layers. Another fun detour from the same-old is the buttercream frosting, flavored with chai. Sherriffe’s Jamaican heritage is revealed in her more traditional hummingbird cake. Ripe bananas and pineapple contribute to the deep flavor of the confection, as worthy a contender for a name check as the pastry chef’s chocolate cake.
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The Tangs have an older daughter, Nori, 5. Can diners expect a restaurant named after her, too? Her father sounds exhausted just weighing the idea of a bigger flock. “I’ll only open it when she’s old enough to work there,” he says.
Ellie Bird
125 Founder’s Ave., Falls Church, Va. 703-454-8894. elliebirdva.com. Open for indoor dining 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. (Brunch starts June 10.) Prices: appetizers $12 to $19, main dishes $21 to $55. Sound check: 73 decibels/ Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: no barriers to entry; restrooms are ADA-compliant.
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