Singapore in DC: Industry Night December 14, 2023

Look where I am! I have a new Residency! I’m down at Buzzards Point, the new sparkling
development wedged between the Wharf and Navy Yard — this is The Point DC. For the next
month the good people of Fish & Fire Group - aka Greg Casten - are hosting Industry Night in their
pretty fabulous property. And I am grateful and excited! So if you don’t know, The Point is Winner
of the Restaurant Development & Design Magazine Award for “Best Restaurant Design,” and The
Point has a glorious outdoor patio perfectly situated at where the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers
join — talk about picturesque and panoramic views. But just because the views are fab — what
about the food — right? The Point features a 12 foot wood infused grill and a dedicated raw
bar/sushi bar, so yes - locally sourced oysters shucked to order.
And Greg Casten is back. Few have a better understanding of the seafood biz. He knows
seasonal, sustainable and pricing.

AND! Yes, I have been out and about the last week — did you see me?
● Four Seasons Wine & Dine — Friday evening found me (and a whole dining room filled
with names & faces you know) at Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons for the second-
ever Georgetown Wine & Dine. Micheal Mina and his team once again brought in an
incredible lineup of chefs, including Nina Compton, Caleb Jones, Jose Medin, Adam
Sobel, Michael White, Yuan Tang, ++ for a pretty spectacular evening. Winn
kept my glass filled with Krug and kudos to Marc Bromely and Anina Belle Giannini for
bringing the event to life ~
● Last week, I was a part of a new tradition here in DC: a Chefsgiving. Chef Barry Koslow
and The Pendry Hotel brought together a whole roster of DC chefs we all know and love
to cook up a Thanksgiving-themed tasting menu. Chefs Kevin Tien, James Wozniuk,
Joancarlo Parkhurst, and Alexandra Cavallo fed us incredibly well while raising
necessary funds for DC Central Kitchen. A worthy tradition to continue.
● How come I am going to all these events and you are not? Go to
TheListAreYouOnIt.com to find out where to go & what to do!
 

Now on to the episode: 

About 3 weeks before the world shut down I was invited in to dinner at the sparkly new Cranes
in the Penn Quarter by Chef Pepe Moncayo. Chef Pepe was born in Barcelona, went to culinary
school, and then proceeded to cook for or with some of the most famous chefs and restaurants
throughout the region. He went to Singapore to be second in command of restaurant Santi in
Marina Bay Sands. And then BAM! Chef Pepe opened his first solo restaurant in Singapore
called Bam! and kinda took Singapore by storm — and then in 2019 he says to his family c’mon
let’s go do this in DC - what the what? and opens the Japanese & Spanish Fusion Cranes in
Penn Quarter and more recently the Singaporean Jiwa in Tysons. And I feel extra special
because with Pepe today is his partner in life and in business Aishah Moncayo — who has
earned her own stars as a part of the hospitality world — we are going to talk all the things
AND BONUS MATERIAL — Pepe, Greg, and I have an off the cuff chat about the status of the
Industry — shortages, crime, and the pandemic.

Check out the full episode on YouTube, here, or listen in, here.