Tuesday, November 18, 2014

ShopHouse Debuts New Location at Union Station


From our friends at ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen...

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen Opens November 19th at Washington, DC's Union Station

Southeast Asian Restaurant Created by Chipotle Continues to Expand Throughout the D.C. Area

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, the Southeast Asian restaurant created by Chipotle Mexican Grill, will open the doors to a new location in Washington, D.C.’s historic Union Station, 40 Massachusetts Ave, NE, in the West Hall on Wednesday, November 19.

“Union Station is a dynamic and exciting new location for ShopHouse and we look forward to sharing the bold flavors of our menu with a new community of commuters and travelers,” said Tim Wildin, brand director for ShopHouse. “Our menu is designed to be flavorful, exciting and convenient, making it ideal for the fast-paced travelers coming through the station.”

Union Station

In celebration of its newest location, ShopHouse will partner with Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB), the largest hunger relief organization in the Washington metro area and a member of Feeding America, for a grand opening fundraiser. Customers who visit the Union Station location on opening day, Wednesday, November 19, and mention the fundraiser or show the flyer, will have 100% of the proceeds from their meal donated to CAFB (up to $5,000).

ShopHouse’s menu is influenced by the traditional ingredients, flavors and cooking techniques of Southeast Asia, and the restaurant gets its name from traditional shophouses, a common form of architecture in Southeast Asia in which families live upstairs and operate restaurants or fresh markets on the ground floor. The ShopHouse model closely resembles Chipotle, including a commitment to serving food made with the highest quality ingredients from more sustainable sources, preparing food in an open kitchen using classic cooking techniques, and serving customers in an interactive format that allows each individual to pick and choose exactly what goes into their own order. The entire ShopHouse menu is gluten- and dairy-free.

At ShopHouse, guests customize their meal by choosing a base including jasmine rice, brown rice, chilled rice noodles, or salad; add grilled chicken satay, steak laab, pork and chicken meatballs, or organic tofu; a choice of various wok-cooked fresh vegetables; one of four sauces that include peanut sauce, green curry, spicy red curry or a tamarind vinaigrette; garnish with green papaya slaw, herb salad or pickled vegetables; and finishing with a choice of toasted rice, crushed peanuts, Thai chilies or crispy garlic.

Vegetables are cooked in a hot wok, and include green beans with roasted chili jam and shallots, and charred corn with garlic and sesame. In May 2014, ShopHouse introduced seasonal vegetables in each of its locations. Sourced from local farms whenever possible, wok-fried broccoli with chili-vinegar and butternut squash with Thai basil are the current fall and winter offerings, with new vegetables scheduled to debut in spring and summer 2015.

Priced well under $10, dishes are prepared using traditional Southeast Asian herbs and spices like galangal, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, and chilies. ShopHouse also offers dessert: coconut rice and mango parfait. Made from a combination of Jasmine rice, creamy coconut milk, pureed mango, salt and sugar, the dessert is finished with sesame seeds and toasted coconut flakes and served chilled.

Housed in a minimal space, ShopHouse pairs the bold and complex flavors of Southeast Asia with fresh, sustainably raised ingredients, drawing on the dishes and cooking techniques of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. Customers order at the counter, and can see directly into an open kitchen - a format similar to the one that has become a hallmark of Chipotle restaurants. The menu at ShopHouse features bold, assertively spiced dishes that are remarkably light and well balanced.

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen is located in the West Hall of Union Station at 40 Massachusetts Ave, NE in Washington, D.C. 20002. The restaurant will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

About ShopHouse:
ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen opened its first restaurant in 2011 in Washington, D.C. Created by Chipotle, ShopHouse draws on the unique flavors, ingredients and cooking methods of Southeast Asia, and takes its name from the mid-rise buildings prevalent throughout Southeast Asian cities where hard-working families live in apartments above the ground floor restaurants or markets that they operate. These shops serve as Asia’s version of fast food, with tiny kitchens turning out rice or noodle bowls laced with spicy sauces, marinated meats, and a flurry of herbs and vegetables. There are currently eight ShopHouse locations in the Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles areas. For more information, visit ShopHouseKitchen.com.

About Capital Area Food Bank:
The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in the Washington metro area serving over 530,000 people through direct food distribution programs and a network of 500 partner agencies. This year, the Capital Area Food Bank distributed 42 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 35 million meals - including 17.5 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. A member of Feeding America, CAFB takes a comprehensive approach to addressing hunger by increasing access to nutritious food, initiating change through skill-building and advocacy, and creating sustainability with outreach and training for those at risk of hunger. To learn more, visit: www.capitalareafoodbank.org, or find the Capital Area Food Bank on Twitter at @foodbankmetrodc.

About Chipotle:
Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that - where possible - are sustainably grown and Responsibly Raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. In order to achieve this vision, we focus on building a special people culture that is centered on creating teams of top performers empowered to achieve high standards. This people culture not only leads to a better dining experience for our customers, it also allows us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 1,750 restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.