Imperfecto fired up an already hot trending restaurant scene in Washington DC. Today, Chef Enrique Limardo has three fabulous DC restaurants to rule over in his crisp, chef’s whites. What makes Imperfecto so darn near perfect? It’s all in the details.
DC is a culinary wasteland.
This was my first thought when we moved to DC from Tokyo in 2010. It isn’t because I’d spent nearly four years in the world’s foodie capital (with 202 Michelin stars, the most of any city, I dare you to disagree). It isn’t because I’d lived in NYC and eaten my way through every ethnic culture known to mankind. And, it isn’t because I’m a food snob.
It’s because at our first DC restaurant experience (and I concede that choosing Japanese was a bad opening move) I saw a line cook squeeze wasabi onto a sliver of ahi tuna from a plastic ketchup container. If you don’t recognize the issue here, please click that little red circle on the top left of your screen.
Maybe I am a food snob.
DC’s culinary landscape has shifted dramatically since then. At one time, Washington DC restaurants were considered stuffy, stale, and lacking in identity. The change over the last decade has been gradual, yet on a clear upward trajectory. Restaurant standouts like Pineapple and Pearls, Rose’s Luxury, and Komi influenced the scene early on. Michelin didn’t even deem DC worthy of its own guide until 2016.
That’s about when DC woke up and started to get cooking.
For us, you could say it was perfect timing. Or, depending upon how you see it—ever so slightly imperfect.
Introducing Imperfecto
Imperfecto isn’t even a speck on the Epicurean map when we unpack our worldly possessions in the nation’s capital. Yet, I’d be surprised if the seeds of Chef Enrique Limardo’s restaurant venture weren’t already planted.
Chef Enrique Limardo made his DC restaurant debut with Seven Reasons in 2019 after being the Executive Chef at the highly-acclaimed Alma Cocina Latina, in Baltimore. Before then, he honed his creative talents in Spain and in Venezuela—his home country. Along the way, Chef Limardo’s intent on globalizing the kitchen gained traction and attention. He lovingly fuses flavors and ingredients from the Mediterranean to the Amazon.
DC’s West End neighborhood is pretty far from the Amazon. So named because it sits at the westernmost end of DC’s original L’Enfant Urban Plan, West End is now a virtual hotbed of luxury hotels and restaurants. This may be due, in part, to the long ago initiative “to bring life to a declining part of the city.” A successful initiative, indeed.
In 2021, DC’s West End became known for Imperfecto. Its Michelin-star rating makes Imperfecto a sparkling addition to its bevy of upscale restaurants.
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Thinking Big, At Imperfecto
How can a large open-plan dining space with ultra-high ceilings convey both an air of intimacy and extreme conviviality? It’s a bold design risk—as many restaurants choose to carve up space with cleverly executed drop ceilings, or floating walls, in order to create more privacy. Imperfecto embraces its cavernous space with a zestiness that rivals its shishito purée.
The Athens and Stockholm-based design firm OOAK can take a deep bow. By choosing contrasting elements (think brass and marble combined with wood and terracotta) and Mediterranean-influenced colors, the team at OOAK creates an eye-popping space that somehow doesn’t distract from the reason you’re there in the first place.
Dangling light fixtures and massive asymmetrical beams offset the dining room’s space. Three concrete beams emerge from the floor like colossal stalks of bamboo. The rich, nautical blue-painted ceiling creates a reverse anchor to the room while simultaneously paying homage to the colors of the Mediterranean.
Imperfecto’s risk pays off. Although far from quiet, the layout is thoughtfully imagined. I can easily hear every word my husband says (whether I want to or not). I hear ambient laughter, glasses clinking, and the festive popping of corks—a sublime soundtrack to any fine dining experience.
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Raising the Bar, at Imperfecto
I look through an enormous glass wall into the lively dining room of Imperfecto. It’s muted from where I stand on the sidewalk outside. I open the door and hear the welcoming buzz and hum of a restaurant at its nightly peak. I’m enchanted.
A one-of-a-kind burl wood check-in stand is both sculptural and functional. From there, we turn right and see two enormous arches with rock-quarry-inspired murals looming above the bar. The underlit array of liquor bottles could be considered an interactive art installation. Art, artsy, and more museum-worthy details abound. Comfy crimson bar stools are ready and waiting.
The bar is well-tended, with servers who love their craft and prove it with every pour. As a graphic designer in my past life, I became obsessed with the genius use of stemware icons on the cocktail list. I love being able to choose my poison based on the glass shape. I’m not alone. The drinks are also works of art, seasonal, and a delight to imbibe.
Driven partly by the beautifully shaped coupe, I choose the Imperfecto Club. Grey Goose vodka with limoncello, a splash of fresh pineapple juice, and vanilla syrup. My husband gets the Double ‘O’ Seven, channeling his inner James Bond. If there’s ever a place in DC to feel like an international man of mystery, Imperfecto is that place.
We give up our cushy barstools somewhat reluctantly—yet eager to continue the Imperfecto experience.
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What’s in a name?
Naming a restaurant Imperfecto is a brilliant way to offset any criticism. Yet, I am hard-pressed to find much to complain about. I visited Imperfecto three times in the past year and two out of those three times the service was superb. The other time was just shy of superb.
We glide to our table. Along the way, we pass a wall of terracotta-designed ‘M’s that discreetly mimic the Imperfecto logo. Yet another well-executed design element in a well-executed space. Further along, an open carving station is displayed like a culinary side show—a clear incentive to order whatever the chef is grilling.
Chef Limardo changes the menu often, making it all too easy to return. We dine on inventive creations like Moussaka Cigars. Light, flaky, phyllo dough filled with smoked eggplant, ground lamb, pine nuts, and creamy goat/manchego cheese. Each ingredient is well-defined yet melds together seamlessly.
Never one to pass up on a subterranean fungus, I opt for the Truffle Tagiolini as my main. Homemade pasta with a sweet corn cream sauce topped with chopped asparagus, Pecorino cheese, and of course, a pile of shaved truffles.
For those who like to be told what to eat, and in what order, the Chef’s Tasting Menu is the way to dine at Imperfecto. Prepare to be dazzled by each artfully plated course, ever-changing platters, and serving pieces. Prepare to test your social media restraint.
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There’s no such thing as Imperfect
DC is no longer a culinary wasteland. Washington DC is riding a rising tide of innovative and creative cuisine. Chef Enrique Limardo has much to do with it. With three restaurants, including the recently opened Joy, by Seven Reasons, there is much for foodies in DC to celebrate.
Thank you, Chef Limardo, for pushing the epicurean boundaries in our ‘stuffy’ city. Thank you for identifying a spot to showcase your talents in ‘a place with no identity.’ I know you’d never squeeze wasabi from a plastic ketchup bottle—as you seem to care as much about the pungent Japanese root as you do an earthy truffle or a crispy plantain.
Your attention to detail at Imperfecto is, well, kind of perfect.
I hope you continue to prove the DC bashers wrong and the Michelin gods right. As long as you keep evolving the menu and using those cute little stemware icons, I won’t stop visiting.
So tell me, Chef, did I get the details correct? If not, please let me know.
And just remember, no one’s perfect.
