Mai Tai, 19th Street, Washington, DC

I rated 5 restaurants yesterday and this one was number 1 for the day! By the time I made my way to Mai Tai I had had 4 club sodas, so I was ready for a good restroom. The whole place was simply gorgeous and very colorful without being garish or tacky. The bar was well stocked and the back was painted green paint with dim back lighting. I ordered the vegetable dumplings and they were great. Normally, dumplings have a vegetable mash or just a ton of cabbage. These were full of whole pieces of carrot, peas, corn and water chestnuts. They were a perfect golden brown and didn't crumble into pieces when I took a bite. The presentation was even on point with stone square plates and a carrot/cabbage decorative thingy. The sauce was not the usual splash of soy; it had quite a bit of spice to it which was nice. It seems to me that restaurants have gotten a bit wimpy with the spiciness of their dishes. The bathroom was lovely, clean and beautifully decorated. The sinks were black on a red counter and very clean. There was a vase orchids in one corner with lit candles next to the mirror. The music was nice and soft, not blaring like in some places. The trashcans were open and the paper towel dispenser was near the door. The only issue was there appeared to be a serious leak that I didn't notice at first because the tile is dark and the lighting is not very bright. Over all, this is definitely a place I will return for dinner. It is an absolutely gorgeous restaurant.