Around the world in one week: exploring D.C.'s restaurant scene

Every year, summer break provides the perfect opportunity to travel and explore, whether it be a one day road trip to a nearby beach, or an adventurous month spent hiking in the mountains. However, traveling doesn't always need to entail patiently packing away clothing, browsing online for the best hotels or spending hours searching for flight availability.

Instead, we can spice up our summer by experiencing meals from a variety of cultures and traditions, right here in Washington D.C. by participating in the annual Summer Restaurant Week. From August 14-18, you can embrace the opportunity to travel around the world through only your meals, and for much cheaper too!

During Restaurant Week, nearly 200 restaurants across the D.C. metropolitan area are offering three-course meals for brunch and lunch at $22 and dinner at $35. Don't know where to begin? Silver Chips Online has you covered as we introduce a few unique restaurants and hopefully pique your interest- and your taste buds.

B Too

At B Too, customers experience a twist on healthy farm to table food, as chef and owner Bart Vandaele incorporates his Belgian heritage into traditionally American meals. Famous for their waffles, B Too is an exciting option for brunch, especially for those with a sweet tooth looking to try the donut waffle, or "doffle.”

Ambar

Ambar prides itself on being the first modern, international Balkan cuisine restaurant in DC, combining aspects of both contemporary design and Balkan tradition for a pleasant customer and culinary experience. For those with immense appetites, Ambar is the place to go, and the Balkan Experience is the item to order to receive unlimited food and drinks including their tartare steak and lamb skewers.

Arroz

According to the official Restaurant Week website, the foods at Arroz are "inventive takes on regional cuisine”. Here, Chef Mike Isabella combines modern flavors from Southern Spain and Morocco, producing a colorful variety of flavors to match the bright, contemporary interior. So whether it be transforming the typical pintxos and snacks or presenting flavorful bomba rice dishes, there is sure to be something in store for every customer.

Haikan

Haikan is unique in its focus upon recreating ramen from a specific time and place in Japanese history. Haikan chefs focus on ramen from "the showa period, the golden age of ramen in Japan,” according to their bio on the Restaurant Week website. Although Sapporo, capital of Japanese prefecture Hokkaido, has over 1,000 ramen shops alone, Haikan brings a fresh selection of Sapporo ramen to the table during Restaurant Week, serving these noodles along with kozara, or small plates to share. Haikan is the perfect place to bring family members to share a traditional Japanese cuisine that has been a cultural favorite for generations.

If you're looking to try something new without leaving the comforts of home, look no further. Simply hop on the Metro for a quick ride with friends and family, and explore the wonderful diversity of D.C.'s restaurant scene for a fraction of the usual cost. Bon appetit!