Chipotle Opens In The Shops at 2000 Penn.

By Emily Scott

The new Chipotle opened its doors to the public on Wednesday after months of anticipation. Located on the George Washington University campus in The Shops at 2000 Penn., it is now the most convenient Chipotle for GW students, who are enthusiastic about the grand opening.

Construction of Chipotle had been underway for at least three months, according to Hector, the general manager. Chipotle finally had its pre-opening, an invitation only event, on Tuesday, and its official grand opening on Wednesday.

The pre-opening on Tuesday was for about 1000 individuals who had received an invitation. Some invitations were distributed by GW student organizations; others were handed out on street corners.

The only thing that could make the opening of Chipotle even more exciting for GW students would be if it accepted GWorld. Unfortunately, Chipotle is not accepting GWorld, and when asked if they would be accepting GWorld in the near future, general manager Hector said he is “not 100 percent sure.”

Hector said he would like for Chipotle to accept GWorld, but noted that with the increased GWorld rates, “we couldn’t take that hit.”

But that didn’t stop GW students from flocking to Chipotle on Wednesday. There was a line of at least 15 people as early as 11:30 a.m., a half hour after the eatery opened. By 12:00 p.m., the line extended very far out the door.  

When asked how they felt about the new Chipotle, the overwhelming response of GW students was “excited.” But Simon, a GW freshman, did say “it would be nice if they accepted GWorld.”

Daniel, another GW freshman, said that the opening of the new Chipotle is “groundbreaking for GW students. Its location across from U-Yard is convenient for those late-night burrito cravings.”

Previously, the closest Chipotle for GW students was located at 19^th and M streets, which is a longer walk, but that Chipotle does accept GWorld. Simon said that he did go to the Chipotle at 19^th and M St. “occasionally,” but he will probably be eating at the new Chipotle more often because it is so close. 

Restaurant Review: An Asian Chipotle?

When I went to visit the new Asian Chipotle restaurant in Dupont Circle, I ended up walking right past it. Like an idiot.

That's, of course, because its name isn't actually "Asian Chipotle" (although I still intend to refer to it as such). No, the restaurant's real name is "ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen," and it's a brand-new spin-off restaurant owned by Chipotle. If you're worried that a restaurant whose specialty lies in delicious, gut-busting, assembly-line burritos couldn't possibly deliver good Asian food, think again, for I have been to the top of the mountain and have experienced ShopHouse firsthand.

Now, time for a quick disclaimer: ShopHouse's menu is based on cuisines from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. As I have never visited any of these countries nor tasted their food, I can't attest to ShopHouse's authenticity. What I can attest to, however, is the fact that they serve up some very tasty food.

If you've ever been to a Chipotle before, ShopHouse will feel instantly familiar to you. The layout is almost identical to Chipotle's signature bare-bones, functional design. Ordering should also be a familiar process. You walk up to the counter and make one fundamental decision: do you want chicken, steak, chicken-pork meatballs or tofu? Once you've made your choice, everything else falls in place. Type of rice (or, if you prefer, rice noodles), vegetables, sauce, and crunchy toppings. And with that, you have your meal.

For my first meal, I requested grilled chicken on jasmine rice, with grilled green beans and caramelized onions, spicy red curry sauce, green papaya slaw (it's okay, I had no idea what it was, either), and crushed peanuts to top it all off. While there was something distinctly Chipotle about the food, it was also a wholly new and unique taste experience, and I enjoyed it very much. Be careful, though, the spicy red curry sauce is in fact very spicy, and unfortunately, ShopHouse doesn't sell any milk to neutralize the burning (which I feel is a major oversight). I was still feeling it on the Metro ride home ten minutes later. Be warned.

To those of you who find the idea of a simple bowl of rice and toppings boring, ShopHouse also offers sub-like sandwiches. I have yet to try one, but my roommate ordered a chicken-pork meatball sandwich and informed me that it was actually better than the bowl. I intend to order one on my next visit.

When it was all said and done, I walked away from ShopHouse with a full stomach and a very satisfied feeling, even in spite of my burning mouth. I would definitely recommend this brand new restaurant. The best part about it? The DC ShopHouse is the only one in the country (so far), so make the trip, enjoy the food and gloat about it to your friends at other schools. That's what I did, anyway.