SHIA

  4.5 – 164 reviews   • Korean restaurant

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SHIA Restaurant, by Chef Edward Lee in Washington D.C., is a nonprofit, modern Korean fine dining restaurant redefining the industry. We offer an exceptional fine dining experience with a weekly tasting menu featuring the finest Hansik ingredients. Beyond the plate, we’re deeply focused on sustainability, next-generation education, and elevating Korean cuisine. Our name, SHIA (씨앗 – ‘seed’), symbolizes our role in planting transformative change beyond the kitchen. By dining with us or supporting our nonprofit initiatives, you help cultivate the seeds of change for the future.

✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in SHIA 20002

Hours

Friday5–10 PM
Saturday5–10 PM
SundayClosed
MondayClosed
Tuesday5–10 PM
Wednesday5–10 PM
Thursday5–10 PM

Address and Contact Information

Address: 1252 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002

Phone: (202) 802-5166

Website: https://shiarestaurant.org/

Menu Photos

Order and Reservations

Reservations: tripleseat.comopentable.com

opentable.com

Photo Gallery

Related Web Results

SHIA – Fine Dining Korean Restaurant in Washington D.C.

SHIA is a modern Korean fine dining restaurant in Washington DC focused on sustainability and innovation. We are a tasting menu only restaurant.

SHIA Restaurant (@shia_dc) • Instagram photos and videos

Since Chef Edward Lee opened SHIA in Washington, D.C., the team has …

SHIA Restaurant – Washington, DC | OpenTable

SHIA Restaurant, by Chef Edward Lee in Washington D.C., is a nonprofit, modern Korean fine dining restaurant redefining the industry.

Reviews

Rushad
Shia in DC delivers one of the most exciting Korean‑inspired dining experiences in the city. Edward Lee leans all the way into deep, unapologetic Korean flavors—ferments, spice, smoke, and tang—while still keeping every dish refined and modern. Each plate feels both familiar and surprising, like he’s remixing the Korean pantry with a chef’s precision and a storyteller’s flair. And the dessert? A Juicy Fruit–evoking creation that’s playful, aromatic, and unlike anything I’ve had before. It’s the kind of dish that makes you laugh because it’s so unexpected yet so perfect. Shia is bold, confident, and absolutely worth the hype.
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BHAN
We recently had the pleasure of dining at a Korean fine dining establishment in DC. The culinary experience was truly exceptional, with each dish showcasing a masterful blend of traditional flavors and innovative presentation. From the delicate appetizers to the artfully crafted main courses, the food was consistently outstanding. The ingredients were clearly of the highest quality, and the execution demonstrated a deep understanding of Korean cuisine. Beyond the remarkable food, the service we received elevated the entire evening. Our servers were attentive, knowledgeable, and incredibly gracious throughout our meal. They anticipated our needs with a remarkable sense of timing and offered insightful recommendations. The entire staff contributed to an atmosphere of refined hospitality. This restaurant offers a truly memorable fine dining experience.
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Yentung Lieu
Went for a 5 course tasting menu on a weekday seated at the bar and it was absolutely fantastic! The entrance was a little obscure, but the atmosphere inside was cosy & chic. Warm service, great food & pairing drinks. Shoutout to Geoff for some great recommendations around the area too. Would definitely come back in future!
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Marie Nguyen
After watching season 1 of culinary class wars, I knew I had to try Chef Edward Lee’s restaurant
•Super intimate fine dining restaurant that is non-profit and focused on being environmentally friendly
•You start off at the open kitchen with an appetizer and soju, and it really sets the tone of the night. Exciting, thrilling, and warmness once the soju hits
•Our favorite dishes of the night were the osulloc & gamtae guksu, super fragment broth with cold noodles, the grilled strip lion, cooked to a perfect medium rare served with rice and kimchi with an assortment of sauces, and the INCREDIBLE gwail, a juicy fruit inspired dessert that tastes exactly like the candy
•Our favorite drink was the bokbunja muscat, sweet flavors of muscat grape mixed with soju and tequila. Also try the apples to oranges, super fresh and sweet tasting fruity drink (non alcoholic)
•I would highly recommend trying the restaurant out. Menu changes seasonally. You do need a reservation though
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Nancy Flannery
I went to Shia with high expectations, but overall I was a bit disappointed. Before this, I had visited Musaafer in Houston, which is also a Michelin restaurant offering a tasting menu. Compared with Shia, Musaafer’s dishes and environment felt worthy of its price, but Shia did not give me that impression.

First, the restaurant space felt too cramped, and the tables were placed very close to one another. Second, although each dish was different, three of them used sauces that tasted almost the same.

Two dishes did leave a good impression on me. One was the pumpkin soup—its flavors were layered and the texture was incredibly smooth, though the aftertaste was slightly salty. The other was the steak, which was very tender and perfectly seasoned. Whether eaten on its own or paired with the orange sauce on the side, it tasted harmonious. However, the green sauce on the plate had no flavor at all, which made me wonder whether it was meant to accompany the steak or simply serve as decoration.

There were three dishes paired with a similar orange-colored sauce. Although each version was slightly adjusted, the taste was essentially the same, making me feel like I was repeatedly eating the same dish.

One of the courses featured fish, but unfortunately the sauce completely overwhelmed the fish’s natural flavor. I could tell the fish was very fresh—its flesh was firm and springy, and it was cooked to the perfect doneness, wonderfully tender. But I have to say that the sauce paired with the fish was a major misstep.

The reason I still gave it 4 stars was because I watched Culinary Class Wars and was impressed by Edward’s creativity and dedication to cooking. I truly like him, but the dishes at Shia still left me somewhat disappointed.
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Greg MacPhee
I was quite impressed with the food, service, and atmosphere at Shia. Granted, I’m bit of a fanboy of Chef Lee, but that food was amazing. The Hobak Juk with white truffle was heavenly and I am constantly thinking about how to go and get orders of that. Was it traditional Korean food? According to the table next to us, certainly not. Was it amazing and memorable? Absolutely. One of the best meals I have had in a while.
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Jeannie Kim
My friend and I had the most wonderful time dining at Shia. Every dish was deliciously curated and it was an unforgettable night of exceptional cuisine. My abalone did have some small sandy grits in it which was disappointing, but the juk was so delicious and well-balanced that it did not detract too much from the overall enjoyment of the dish. The cold app (pine nut, doondubu & apple juk, Maryland crab, Jeju tangerine vinegar) and dessert (nurungji rice, laver, persimmon, boricha ice cream) were my favorites. The beverage pairing was also perfect. Chef Lee was very personable and I appreciated his thoughtful explanation of the dishes. The staff was so friendly and went above and beyond to make the evening a delightful experience. Highly recommend!
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Alejandro Aguilar
Atmosphere on the restaurant is calm and chill, very adequate for either taking care of yourself on a solo date or bringing someone. Love it. Food is incredible, lots of different flavors, textures and techniques that reflect chef’s vision and shares Korean culture through it. Beautiful experience
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Saminda Wijegunawardena
Enjoyable tasting menu overall, with some notable highlights but not consistently strong in terms of the quality of the items nor with the service and pacing, which also felt uneven.

This was our menu for the evening:

Scallop and Fried Oyster Ssam (Myeongran | Korean Pear | Ssamjang) – solid start, wonderfully funky first course

Hobak Juk (Kabocha | Chili | Chestnut Cream) – indulgent porridge, one of the better courses

Soon-Dae (Korean Sausage | Monkfish Liver | Daechu) – well presented, but I don’t think all the flavors came together as intended.

Grilled Roseda Farms Strip (Galbi | Gochujang Doenjang | Loin) – robust flavor, thoroughly enjoyable, another highlight

Pumpkin and Perilla (Soondubu | Sikhye | Persimmon | Gangjeong) – fine dessert course, nothing too memorable though

It’s not bad quality for the price of the tasting menu, just wish the dishes were consistently good and a bit more distinctive in terms of remarkable flavors.

Cocktails were fairly well made, creative and well balanced.

Pacing was off, we got a couple of courses right after each other, and others with long gaps.

It’s a tight / cramped space. The hostess offered to take our winter coats, then I think realized she didn’t have room anywhere to put them, said she would get them after we were seated, but she never returned. Not a big deal but just kind of illustrates why this place isn’t vying for a Michelin star or anything distinct soon.
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Jess Shin
My family and I came here for my birthday dinner. This was very exciting experience for my family since it was their first time in the US. The service was top notch and we enjoyed the food too! The course meal experience starting at the bar area was really unique and when we were taken to the dining area, it was like being transported into another dimension.

The actual meals were very unique in so many ways. They had flavor of Korea but with twist of Chef Lee’s unique artistic style. My family loved every single course! I definitely recommend if you’re someone who is very adventurous and love tasting something unique
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