Growing up, Asian cuisine was synonymous with the Chinese buffet in our small upstate NY village. When we first heard about restaurants like PF Changs they quickly became the talk of the town for that very reason. Since experiencing foods in NYC and now in Washington, DC my perception of what Asian cuisine means has drastically shifted. Georgetown’s Mama Rouge is just another restaurant that redefines my perspective on Asian cuisine.

After celebrating the past two Valentine’s Days over a burger at one of our favorite Old Town Alexandria locations, this year we opted for a relaxing night on the couch at our place. Instead of rushing to the hottest and most romantic restaurants with everyone else, we decided to go a night early, and after hearing several reviews of Mama Rouge we had our spot.

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Located a block from the Potomac River in Georgetown, Mama Rouge is offering up Southeastern Asian dishes with a French flare. The decor of the restaurant is hard to forget from the red colors to the textured walls, you’ll see more bistro-style seating outdoors and cushioned booths on the interior.

One of Alix’s favorite details was the trio of house made sauces – and we have to admit, before the meal we had to sample all three…

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We’ve been on a cocktail kick as of late. Instead of going after a bottle of wine we ordered the Midnight in Paris (cointreau and cremant and the Vieuxcarré (a drink with copper rye and cognac). We also started with the Spring Rolls and Chicken Lettuce Wraps off the appetizer list.

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Selecting entrees proved far more difficult with all of the delicious looking options. We almost ordered three to cut down on the decisions we’d have to make. Al ordered a Spicy Herb Sticky Chicken (it includes Avocados so no surprise) and I ordered the BBQ Orange Laquered Sticky Chicken. If I were to make one overall comment about these two dishes it would be how fresh everything was. Both plates included large pieces of chicken offering plenty of flavors for our palates.

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We’re hoping to get back to Mama Rouge when it’s a little warmer out so we can enjoy their patio seating. We’re hoping to see others taking advantage of their location, especially as the temperatures start to rise.

Where did you all celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Cheers!
Scott
Mama Rouge on Urbanspoon