Mr. Besser sent us to Doi Moi, his favorite DC restaurant located on 14th Street in the U Street Corridor. Doi Moi serves Vietnamese street food with a unique twist. The menu was extensive and vegetarian-friendly, with numerous vegan options. 

The restaurant was upscale with hanging plants from the ceiling and a variety of paintings and artifacts along the walls. It has an open kitchen, where you can get a look at the prep and cooking.   

The staff were very accommodating and explained the menu thoroughly. Doi Moi is different from your typical restaurant. All plates are made to order, share and come out as they are made. This contributes to the casual feel of the restaurant. 

The first dish that came out was the drunken noodles. Thick rice noodles with broccoli, mushrooms, squash, and snap peas, with a sweet and spicy Indonesian soy sauce. It was delicious; with the perfect ratio of sweet and spicy flavors. The vegetables were fresh and went great with the homemade rice noodles. We give this dish 5 stars. 

Soon after the drunken noodles, the basil fried rice came, which is a great vegetarian option.   While not as flavorful as the drunken noodles, it was still excellent. It had similar ingredients as the drunken noodles, with snap peas, mushrooms, broccoli, and squash, but the rice and egg are what set it apart from the noodles, as they created a different flavor. It was much less rich and very similar to the typical fried rice that you could find at most restaurants. While it was very good, it was not on the same level as the drunken noodles. So we give this 3 stars. 

Although we did share two different dishes, one dish is plenty for two people with the big portion sizes. There are tons of options on the menu, and it is hard to choose! Our biggest complaint was the price. It was more expensive than we thought, but overall it exceeded our expectations and we would definitely recommend it to others. We give Doi Moi an overall 4.5 stars. •