17

Moon Rabbit

Washington DC

Cutting-edge Vietnamese dishes reimagined through a Cajun lens

Short history: In celebration of his Vietnamese heritage and Cajun upbringing, chef-owner Kevin Tien opened a rebooted Moon Rabbit in downtown DC in 2024. The acclaimed restaurant had been situated inside the InterContinental Hotel on DC's waterfront since 2020, but the hotel shuttered the restaurant in 2023. The surprise closure paved the way for Moon Rabbit's triumphant rebirth less than eight months later.

What's cooking? Tien's modern Vietnamese cuisine centres on seasonal ingredients prepared with precision, taking diners on a culinary journey from land to sea. Highlights include the mochi beignet, a savoury dish made with freshwater eel and served with Vietnamese-style pickles and chilli jam, aromatic perilla leaves stuffed with beef wagyu and summer corn pasta with dried shrimp, squashini and smoked almond.

Say more about the chef: Born into a military family in Galveston, Texas and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, Tien made his name in DC with Himitsu, the 24-seat, Japanese-inspired restaurant he helped open in 2016. Further afield, Tien's culinary skills have taken him around the world. In 2023, the US Department of State recruited Tien to join its now-closed American Culinary Corps, a cadre of more than 80 American chefs who cooked at programmes and functions in the United States and across the globe. Among his most impressive guests is Kamala Harris – Tien cooked for her on more than one occasion during her tenure as vice president of the United States.

Honours galore: Tien isn't the only creative force at Moon Rabbit with culinary accolades. Bar director Thi Nguyen was the winner of the 2024 Michelin Guide Washington DC's Exceptional Cocktails Award for crafting a cocktail programme that amplifies Vietnamese flavours. At the same time, the James Beard Foundation honoured pastry chef Susan Bae as a finalist in 2024 and 2025 for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, celebrating her textured, one-of-a-kind desserts, such as green curry sponge cake.

Contact