A creative blend of classic Chinese dishes, dim sum and Hong Kong street food await at Tiger Fork (922 N St. NW, Rear (Blagden Alley). Owner Greg Algie fell in love with Hong Kong in his early 20s and wanted to bring his cultural and culinary experiences there to the District.
“When I visited Hong Kong, it was an incredible city with so much culture, it was just vibrant…and the food is just incredible,” Algie recalled. “We try to pay homage to that and respect the traditions and then bring in a new, modern approach to it.” Dragon-festooned wall murals and red-fringed hanging lanterns contribute to the Hong Kong vibe.
The restaurant’s menu changes seasonally, but fan favorite dishes like whole steamed bass for two and Beef Chow Fun are always available. Dumplings, noodles, and pork dishes are also popular.
“We make a lot of seasonal changes,” Algie remarked. “There are certain items that stay on, like our fried rice, but we will mix up what’s in the fried rice and, seasonally, change the vegetables and different things.”
Tiger Fork’s beverage program is unique in that it utilizes Chinese spirits and incorporates traditional tonics and tinctures aimed at alleviating fatigue, anxiety, pain and other ailments. They also feature a variety of wines and sake.
“I don’t think people take medicinal cocktails that seriously, but they’re intrigued by it,” Algae opined. “They look at them and say ‘oh, that’s cool’, and it’s fun for folks to kind of understand what it is.”
Algie feels the neighborhood and community within the secluded alley are unique and special.
“It’s a great space,” Algie observed. “Blagden Alley is just incredible and it’s unique to the city. We’ve got some great neighbors; both some of the residential folks that we’ve become friends with over the years and some of our fellow restaurants.”
Algie said the community has been very receptive to the restaurant and that they have enjoyed hosting events with their neighbors.
“I think they’ve received us well, and we try to be great neighbors to the neighborhood,” Algie explained. “We do some events like Chinese New Year, where we invite the community to come down and be a part of it.”
Tiger Fork is open Tuesday through Thursday, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The menu is also available for carryout. Visit www.tigerforkdc.com for details.
Sarah Payne is a reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@hillrag.com.
