On a recent visit to Immigrant Food at Planet Word in Washington D.C., I had the chance to sample dishes from around the world in a restaurant that celebrates America’s immigrants. The menu here is truly global and the craft cocktails are top shelf. I was intrigued by one called Terra Incognita which represents Antarctica on the “Cocktails Around the World” drink menu.
This icy drink features fennel liqueur, aquavit, dry vermouth, vermouth blanco and absinthe. “The Terra Incognita cocktail is one of Immigrant Food’s seven specialty cocktails, representing one cocktail from each of the seven continents, named after a literary work from that continent,” Téa Ivanovic, Immigrant Food’s Founder and COO told me. “The Terra Incognita was named to represent Antarctica, the coldest, windiest and driest place on earth. Just like the book, ‘Terra Incognita’ by Sarah Wheeler’s (which is about the author’s journey in Antarctica), this cocktail enchants with iciness, beauty and impenetrability.”
When it was placed in front of me, I was definitely enchanted by this potent drink. I’d never tried a cocktail with aquavit and was curious about this Nordic spirit that was once used as medicine as far back as the 15th century. Aquavit has a dominant taste of caraway or dill. Swedish aquavit, once made with low-quality alcohol, got its flavor from spices. These days, high-end brands of Aquavit are part of the Scandanavian gastronomy experience and can be found on holiday tables. The spirit is enjoyed with dishes such as pickled herring or potato pancakes.
At Immigrant Food, I drank my cocktail with Michelin-star Chef Enrique Limardo’s global street food including Indian Samosas with vegetable filling and chickpeas and tamarind chutney drizzle. My favorite was the Mediterranean Lamb Skewers. These DIY lettuce wraps were served with labne, chili, za’atar, dates, cilantro and Thai chili. I also had a bite (or two) of my son’s Korean Burger featuring pork and beef patty, cucumber salad, daikon slaw, Lorean mayo and jalapeño.
There were six other cocktails to try on the Cocktails Around the World menu, and I enjoyed one more of them on my trip around the globe. The Ternura, made with pisco, passion fruit, lime, honey, matcha, jalapeño and egg white represents South America and was a stark contrast to my first drink. The combination of sweet and citrus made this a balanced cocktail, and I can’t wait to come back and continue this culinary trip around the world.
Immigrant Food @ Planet Word is located at 925 13th St. NW in Washington D.C. and there are two other locations — Immigrant Food @ The White House, 1701 Pennsylvania Ave NW and @ Union Market District, 1309 5th St NE.