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Little Serow, East Dupont Circle - Isaan and Lanna (Northern Thai) Cuisine by the Owners of Komi


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Hello, there. First time poster, long time reader. I'm interested in heading there tonight to do it solo since my girlfriend lives in Fredericksburg and we'll celebrate Valentine's this weekend. Since my office is practically across the street, I can go reasonably early. A couple of questions: are they doing the normal menu for tonight? how hard will it be for a solo diner if they show up before 5:30? If there's a wait, I don't mind going back to my office to do so.

From post #39 above

...the hostess confirmed that if you aren't there by 5:20, the average wait, on a weeknight, approaches 2 hours right now.
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That's what I'm thinking. Step out at 5 or so and go across the street. Basically I wanted to treat myself to a nice meal that wasn't a set V Day meal, and this seemed like the perfect solution, especially since my girlfriend doesn't dig the spicy stuff.

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That's what I'm thinking. Step out at 5 or so and go across the street. Basically I wanted to treat myself to a nice meal that wasn't a set V Day meal, and this seemed like the perfect solution, especially since my girlfriend doesn't dig the spicy stuff.

Sit at the bar (my "regular" seat has become the one closest to the entrance), say hello to Sarah or Anne or Jill for me, and enjoy a sparkling Gruner Veltliner (or let them do the full pairings for you - it's worth it) - it's going to be a perfect solo meal, and I'm willing to bet you come bounding out of the restaurant feeling like a million bucks. I definitely think you want to get there at 5 today, just to be safe. Let us know how it is?

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Got in last night and I think as the last person in the first seating. Arrived a little after 5, but was lucky to snag a seat. They said the bar would be about an hour and half but they offered up a table; I felt bad taking a 2-top on Valentine's Day, but they were like "don't worry about it, you got here before others and can have the seat no problem." From there it was an utterly fantastic meal. Everything was extremely delicious, but I think the highlight for me was the crispy tofu salad with mint and peanuts. I'm not normally a huge fan of peanuts nor tofu, but this dish absolutely opened my eyes. The crunch on the tofu was sublime. I took home leftovers of several other course (will make a fantastic dinner tonight!) so as to save stomach room, but I couldn't let this salad go by the wayside. I managed to eat 2 of my three succulent and delicious ribs, but was able to clear enough stomach space by the time I got home to put away the third. Was grateful to the staff for packing up my meal, including some of the veggie basket and rice which the server said most people don't ask for.

Another nice treat was having a complimentary glass of Johnny's housemade vermouth which he's still experimenting with. To my palate, it seemed to match perfectly with the gai thiang kheun and the tofu salad. I also took your advice and had the Gruner to start the meal, then went with a small pour of an imperial IPA midway through dinner, all to be capped off with a pour of Stone Porter to match well with the ribs. I told Anne after the meal that they've given me two of my three best meals in the city, hands down, counting their place upstairs and minibar.

Looking forward to that wagyu curry for dinner tonight...

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A group of us made a first visit to LS last night. I don't want to repeat everything that's already been posted above in the 56 posts already made so will just offer a few of my own observations on menu, vibe/service and logistics in case helpful to others who have yet to go.

FIRST, LOGISTICAL NOTES

On the entrance

DanielK already addressed this upthread but somehow I'd missed it so was just very briefly confused on arrival. Little Serow, as Daniel wrote, is below street level and on the left of the same building in which Komi is housed. So not directly underneath Komi unless you're looking for the dry cleaners. LS is entirely unmarked with a large gray metal door that opens from the left side. Two small lanterns frame the door at the top giving the only sign of a possible commercial establishment inside.

On wait time

Seems pretty clear that, even in the wake of TS's 3-star rating, waits are pretty variable making strategizing a little tough. We arrived at 5pm yesterday and were the first four on line. By 5:30, when the door opened, there were maybe 22 or so online. We counted capacity as about 28 once inside. By the time we were greeted and seated--say around 5:45--the place was full and we saw a crowd outside. I guess from all I've read and now experienced, my guidance would be to get here not later than 5:10 or 5:15 on a weekday if you want to avoid a couple of hour wait.

SECOND, FOOD & MENU

As with most everyone else who has been here, we all really enjoyed the food. On one hand, it isn't a top 3 or whatever spot for me but that's in large part because it's definitionally a more narrowly defined and faster-service concept. But, I loved it because it's a rare spot that combines three attributes: Uniqueness of cuisine, absolute deliciousness in some courses (with the others being quite good) and real value. The service for us was great also--bit more on that below.

Someone upthread reported that they'd be changing a dish or two each week and that tracked for the most part with what we experienced. Two of the courses are the same or very similar to their opening menu in early January. In any event, and purely for reference, here is the menu from yesterday, Tuesday, February 21st:

nam prik makheua (eggplant/crispy pork skin/shrimp paste): really enjoyed the combination of the innovative eggplant tapenadish type dip with the always-appreciated pork rinds. Clearly others do too as this dish dates back to the opening.

ma hor (sour fruit/dried shrimp/palm sugar): this is one of the new dishes as best I can tell and it was a top 3 for us. The sour fruit wasn't that sour -- grapefruit and pineapple I think -- but paired with the rich, salty yet velvety shrimp, it was a winner. Tough to really describe this well. it was a perfect example of why using fingers is the way to go here. trying to lift a section of this with a fork or spoon is likely to yield falling explosion and mess. Really delicious.

om gapi baan (shrimp/green curry/no coconut): this is served in a bowl with a very thin broth and was the dish most reminiscent of southern Thai cuisine. good sized fresh shrimps, cilantro and lemongrass among other things. very nice.

laap pla duk (catfish/shallots/sawtooth): definitely a top 3 for me. I'd never in a million years have guessed the protein as catfish if I didn't know since it is served piled high on the plate and chopped finely. Forgot to ask what "sawtooth" was. Fabulous dish.

nam tok tow hu (tofu/mint/rice powder): someone has already reported on this dish with particular emphasis on the tofu and I agree with that. The crispy brown tofu was fantastic with mint and rice powder less perceptible. I think this may have been a dish our server described as having some crazy high number of spices/herbs. Whatever was in this, it rocked. Another top 3 for me and, with the catfish, maybe the two most innovative dishes.

khao soi (chicken/fresh tumeric/fermented cabbage): another new dish that I think replaced a wagyu beef brisket that others have had on prior visits. We all agreed: nice but bring back the wagyu! This dish was served with two different kinds of noodles (dry and wet) and was very tasty but it wasn't as eye-opening as the other dishes. Sort of seemed like a green curry taste but now I'm not sure if I'm mixing up the recollection with the third course above. Unlike that one, this one was a thicker consistency.

si krong muu (pork ribs/Mehong whiskey/dill): our table loved this with at least two proclaiming it their favorite of the night. Not my fave because it was more familiar but I did really enjoy these ribs a lot. Lots of fresh dill and a comforting, barely sweet flavor to the not-quite-falling-off-the-bone pork. I thing decent or better ribs are always a crowd pleaser in most any cultural context. Clearly these are as they've been on the menu awhile and get lots of deserved raves.

Other Stuff

As hard as I tried to convince my table to get a bottle of the gruner veltliner recommended on this thread, I was over-ruled in favor of a Finger Lakes Hermann Wiemer Riesling. And it was an excellent match for the largely moderate heat of most dishes. Crisp and not as sweet as many Rieslings. Really enjoyed it. Sarah also brought us a nice beer for one of the dishes (wish I could remember what it was).

Definitely try to avoid overdoing it on the glutinous sticky rice given all the wonderful proteins, veggies and herb/seasonings. And, the fresh crisp Thai vegetable basket is awesome with most everything in place of the ubiquitous and usually mediocre western bread basket.

For dessert, they brought a small plate with four square sweet coconut cream/gelee/tofu? type petit fours. Nice and a good capstone for a wonderful meal.

THIRD, SERVICE AND VALUE

Service for us was outstanding. It was great to see both Sarah and Jessie (both formerly from Palena--geez, seems like we're running into former Palena staff at nearly every restaurant in town lately) and to meet Anne. From dish interpretation and wine selection to water refills and catching up more generally, they and their colleagues took great care of us. Agree with others that it's wonderful to see a crew so enthusiastic about what they're doing. It's really infectious and near-ensures a great time from even before the first dish hits the table.

Have to call the value here outstanding at the $45 (or $50?) fixed price. Simply a wonderful experience on all dimensions and, with the thoughtful menu changes, easily one we could do once or twice each month. Then again, seems like everyone else has already figured that out too so, agreeing with Don and others, yes, get here soon if not already.

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does anyone know if Little Serow offers a vegetarian option (no meat, but seafood is fine)?

I've never been, so others may be able to respond more definitively, but their website says:

** sorry, no substitutions; many dishes contain

pork, shellfish and nuts, even when not listed

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does anyone know if Little Serow offers a vegetarian option (no meat, but seafood is fine)?

I've been there a few times and both Palaver and the website pretty much tell the story -- no substitutions, very limited special requests and even things that don't have meat listed as an ingredient may include beef stock, pork fat or the like.

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But not the attitude. The service was endearingly friendly (cf. Zooey Deschanel and the MPDG).

I do have to say I was somewhat underwhelmed by the overall experience. While I enjoyed most of the dishes and thought the quality of ingredients good and the kitchen well-drilled, there wasn't a single dish that had me dying to come back. Slight (and I mean slight) imbalances of flavor in some of the dishes prevented them, for me at least, from fully satisfying; these appeared to be issues of conception rather than execution.

I did enjoy the atmosphere, except for the aggressively loud soundtrack (though understand the rationale for it).

I whole heartedly agree about being underwhelmed and the reasons for it. I'm glad I went to see what the hype was about and had a delicious meal comprised of food and dishes that I've never had. I wish there were cocktails too---though the hibiscus tea and salted pineapple soda were refreshing (even though the hibiscus tea was too sour for me), a nice cocktail would've sealed the deal. After glimpsing menus from other weeks, I was hoping for some interesting ingredients and combinations, but all of our dishes had either pork or shrimp in them. No duck, which is my favorite protein! :(

I had the same type of experience at Komi -- slowly started getting full after a few courses, then all of a sudden it seems the courses get bigger and bigger! Thankfully, just like at Komi, we were able to take leftovers (and the cucumber and thai basil made excellent pimms cups no. 13later that night), but I just wish the meal was a tad more balanced in size and flavor. I also asked if we could take pictures since I had an awkward (& painful) experience earlier at Komi.

I have a horrible memory, so like to take pictures so I can look back and remember experiences (I'm not one of those that uses the flash or lets the food get cold while I set-up the shot; it's purely documentation). I'm not intrusive to others at the table, let alone others in the restaurant.

Since everything was shared, I was also wondering that single diners experience at LS, thanks DaRiv18 for clearing that up!

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For those who can afford it ($45 dollars a person sounds pretty reasonable at first, but add a $40 bottle of wine, tax, and 20% tip and you're at $170 for two), get to this place every month-and-a-half to experience a brand new and most likely amazing menu. What my wife and I ate last night was just exciting stuff. While we've dined well over the last 5 years, I don't think a meal has resonated with me on such a deep, personal level since we ate at Maestro in 2007. As someone who enjoys cooking Thai at home, I particularly loved that Chef Monis took familiar ingredients like Kaffir lime leaves, bird's eye chilis, and dill (fucking dill!) and expanded my palate in enlightening ways. If the servers' repeated assurances that these dishes are all "authentic", then much of the credit goes to the people of the Issan region who originally created these dishes, but thank you, Chef, for bringing this food to us. Your kitchen's skills were artfully in the background (the precision of the kaffir lime cuts in the curry alone were proof of the skills) while the high-quality ingredients and bold flavor combinations stepped to forefront.

And thank you to all of our servers who endured my bazillion questions and comments with smiles and a shared passion that added to the whole experience. I loved almost everything about last night, and if only I could afford to go back sooner than later...

Pax,

Brian

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It's posts like this one that make me so sad that they don't have a vegetarian option. i understand that given the set menu etc it's hard to make substitutions, but i keep hoping that maybe, with them changing the menu almost weekly, that one of these weeks there'll be a vegetarian option, or even just a menu with at least half veg dishes, so i could at least sample some of the cuisine!

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oh yes, to mention about the wait: the line starts at about 4:45 or 5 for their 530 opening on Saturdays. I got their once a little late and was quoted a 10:15 seating time!

I've heard it's much easier to get seatings during the week, especially the earlier ones since a lot of people are still working.

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I suppose I'm just being an asshole but, having eaten there twice and confirmed this with others, I'm thinking that LS has a significant flaw: every dish is remarkably like the others. We can talk texture and spicing nuance, but really, you get some spice and some fish sauce and maybe a little sweet, and there you have it. I like it, but compared to a normal tasting menu, where you might jump around a dozen remarkably different flavors or styles, most LS dishes are singing in the same key.

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I suppose I'm just being an asshole but, having eaten there twice and confirmed this with others, I'm thinking that LS has a significant flaw: every dish is remarkably like the others. We can talk texture and spicing nuance, but really, you get some spice and some fish sauce and maybe a little sweet, and there you have it. I like it, but compared to a normal tasting menu, where you might jump around a dozen remarkably different flavors or styles, most LS dishes are singing in the same key.

You're not just being an asshole; you're also observing that there is a limited palette to work with within this region of Thailand. :P

(I'm not sure about this, or even quite sure I agree ($45 is the cost of one deluxe sushi platter, after all), but I think I see what you're trying to say. If I went to Little Serow once a week, would it grow tiresome? Maybe, but I'd sure like to find out - I was actually thinking something similar about the Laotian food at Bangkok Golden this week. Seriously, your point is well-taken, if a bit harshly made.)

All Mozart sort of sounds alike, from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik to the dreaded K626. And that last Grateful Dead concert? Man, all those damned songs sounded like they were performed by the same bunch of non-talented hillbillies. That ought to evoke a response. B)

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You're not just being an asshole; you're also observing that there is a limited palette to work with within this region of Thailand. :P

(I'm not sure about this, or even quite sure I agree ($45 is the cost of one deluxe sushi platter, after all), but I think I see what you're trying to say. If I went to Little Serow once a week, would it grow tiresome? Maybe, but I'd sure like to find out - I was actually thinking something similar about the Laotian food at Bangkok Golden this week. Seriously, your point is well-taken, if a bit harshly made.)

All Mozart sort of sounds alike, from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik to the dreaded K626. And that last Grateful Dead concert? Man, all those damned songs sounded like they were performed by the same bunch of non-talented hillbillies. That ought to evoke a response. B)

So, it's not a bug, it's a feature?

Given the paroxysms of praise Little Serow has drawn, it strikes me that it's flawed on a fundamental level. This hasn't presented me from enjoying it, but I'm not sure it's quite "all that." Just another tile in the mosaic- style review that threads like this become.

I am too shallow to argue Mozart, but one of the delights of a good Dead show was that they might wander from classic blues to bluegrass to country to psychedelic jam stuff to a crisp little bit of left coast rock and roll in a single show. (This possibly explains Rougue 24 leaps with alacrity from Japanese to Southern to French during its meals). It's all the Dead -- that's why you showed up, after all -- but the aural palate never gets tired.

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Went last night for the first time in a while. Menu below. Everything -- every single dish -- was really great. The corn and the pork in particular. Contra Waitman, not a single one of them tasted anything like any of the others (but perhaps this was a lucky menu week). And whereas on my last visit the portions seemed a bit skimpy for a table for four (but not really -- because of the fantastic sticky rice, herbs, eggplant, etc.), this time there was, if anything, too much food: Because it was all so good, I kept eating and just about didn't have room for the best chicken wings I've ever had. (I'm not suggesting the kitchen cut back on the portion size -- just warning readers not to fill up on rice!)

And that's in addition to all its other virtues -- impeccable pacing, warm hospitality, genuine enthusiasm (even at the very end of the week), great wines and beers (even post-Kat), a fantastic soundtrack, etc. (Helpful hint: If the noise level deters you, go later at night, when the music and the crowd are quieter -- conversation was very easy, even whilst being serenaded by Television (Marquee Moon, not the Olympics) and the Clash (both released before Johnny and Anne were born, btw!).)

I can see why some people think it's a bit steep as compared to, say, Bangkok Golden (another wonderful meal, but really, a different thing entirely); but the first-timers with us last night thought $45 was a steal for food and a dining experience of this caliber. It might be $30 if it were in Falls Church; but it'd be $80+ if it were in Manhattan. Methinks $45 is just right.

1. kaap muu

green chilies / shrimp paste / shallots

2. som tum khao pod

corn / dried shrimp / bla rah

3. tom sap

shrimp / mushroom / lime leaves

4. laap chiang mai

pork / lemongrass / sawtooth

5. khao tod

crispy rice / mint / peanuts

6. pla duk nueng ma nao

catfish / garlic / khi nu chilies

7. gai tod

chicken / holy basil / crispy garlic

8. nibbles of coconut cream/coconut cake concoction -- perfect ending

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Advice needed: if going on a Saturday night, what time is the latest you can get on line to get in without a wait (party of 2)? Thanks!

Back when I went a few months back, I got there a hour or so before it opened. I also had an iPhone full of podcasts and a nice day to wait, so I didn't mind. Saturday night will be a big night so think earlier rather than later.

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With their "we'll text you when the table is ready" policy you can turn your wait to your advantage. Put your name on the list and then explore Dupot, get a drink at another place, visit a bookstore or just take a walk. I love the fact that you're not chained to a small waiting area with one of those things with the red flashing lights.

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Finally made it to LS last night (a Saturday night on arguably one of the nicest Saturday nights since Spring). We got in line probably close to 4:50pm and were the last ones seated in the first setting (by pure luck since two couples in front of us opted to get a drink elsewhere and come in for the second seating). One of the waitresses said the line last night was the longest she'd ever seen, and apparently they had to turn people away (as in they couldn't even get a seat later in the night because so many people had showed up early). Crazy! The funniest thing was waiting in line and having no fewer than 4 people stop and ask us, or the people right around us, what we were waiting in line for...and subsequently expressing intrigue that this was all for a restaurant.

I had somewhat lowered my expectations after some average reviews (contrasted with the rave reviews) and was a bit worried about the spice level, but we ended up being blown away. An excellent meal on every level. The service was fantastic, the space was quirky and different, sitting at the bar was great, and the food, of course, was delicious and interesting.

We were told that the heat would build from the beginning to crescendo in the middle and the come back down again, so we were prepared for the meal. We also had a basket of sticky rice beside us for the whole meal, along with a basket of Thai eggplant, daikon, watermelon radish, basil, cabbage, romaine, cucumber, etc) to use with the food as we saw fit. The waitresses were great explaining each dish as it was brought out and the best way to tackle it.

Week of September 12, 2012

1) nam prik kapi (shrimp paste / palm sugar / crispy pork skin) - Housemade pork rinds with a funky tomato/shrimp/chili dipping sauce. This was spicier than we thought the first dish would be, which made us wary about the rest, but the heat on the next two was actually less than this. Good, but down on our list of favorites for the evening (mostly because everything else was so good).

2) som tum khao pod (corn / dried shrimp / bla rah) - This came out at the same time as #3 and was basically a salad of corn, tomatoes, and beans, topped with dried shrimp and blah rah, a fermented fish sauce. This is one that we seemed to like more the more we ate it, which I feel is rare (usually I love the first few bites of a dish and then get bored). This continued to build in flavor and was so good. The dried shrimp were more toothsome than I expected.

3) tom kha pla duk (catfish / galangal / khi nu chilies) - This seemed like one of the most familiar dishes as it reminded us of other Thai soups with coconut milk and lemongrass. The catfish was tender and complimented by the herbs. The sticky rice was great to dip in the broth as well. Delicious.

4) laap chiang mai (pork / lemongrass / sawtooth) - This may have been our favorite dish of the night, and was the 2nd hottest, but it was a heat that sort of came after the first few bites, so it didn't overwhelm the flavors. Chopped pork and "pig pieces" topped with sawtooth, endive, and crispy shallots. Particularly good in a lettuce wrap or on a cabbage leaf.

5) khao tod (crispy rice / mint / peanuts) - The hottest dish of the night, this was good, but not our favorite. The crispy rice patties had a great crunch though, and some interesting flavors.

6) phat fuk thong (pumpkin / egg / holy basil) - The name of this dish cracked us up since we have a middle school sense of humor. This was tender fried chunks of tofu topped with ribbons of sauteed pumpkin and basil. A little sweet, a little spicy, very very good.

7) si krong muu (pork ribs / mekhong whiskey / dill) - As described a number of times above, these were a rich, but nice ending to the meal. We were pretty full at this point, but managed to eat the whole thing. The meat literally fell off the bone, and the sauce was a nice sweet ending to the spice from the previous dishes. The sticky rice was great in this sauce as well.

8) sweet rice, coconut cream, sesame seed bite - Not that we needed anymore food, but this was the perfect ending to the meal. A little bite of what tasted like a more firm and more flavorful version of rice pudding with a bit of salty sesame on top.

Not thrilled with standing around 45 minutes to get seated (and eating at 5:45 on a Saturday night), but I have to say it was worth it. We won't visit often, but will be back.

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Looking for some guidance from folks that may have gone recently. Aiming to try Little Serow on Saturday for my birthday. We would prefer to eat in the later setting. What time should we go? Should we go ahead and line up before they open and then just request to be seated in the second go round?

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Looking for some guidance from folks that may have gone recently. Aiming to try Little Serow on Saturday for my birthday. We would prefer to eat in the later setting. What time should we go? Should we go ahead and line up before they open and then just request to be seated in the second go round?

Yes
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Looking for some guidance from folks that may have gone recently. Aiming to try Little Serow on Saturday for my birthday. We would prefer to eat in the later setting. What time should we go? Should we go ahead and line up before they open and then just request to be seated in the second go round?

Yes

Agreed. When we went there were at least two couples in front of us that would've gotten in on the first seating but chose to basically be first for the second seating and went to get drinks somewhere. If you show up later you risk not getting in at all.

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However, if you are wanting to put your name if for a later seating rather than going ahead and sitting at 5:30, I don't believe your whole party has to be there just to put the ask in. You certainly do all have to show back up as a full party when they indicate your table is ready.

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I was given 10 minutes for our entire party to claim our table, once they texted me from the waitlist. Also, your party can be no bigger than 4 people.

Four is four, and that will not change although I don't see why they can't join things together to make six, or eight. Maybe Johnny could chime in and explain. Having been in there, I see no reason why a six-top can't be formed. Maybe it's the platings. Johnny?

Ten minutes seems pretty Draconian to me, considering you were turned away from the restaurant to fend for yourself for ... how long? And what amenities do they provide while you wait?

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My wife didn't take me seriously that we needed to arrive at 5:15, so we arrived at 5:40 on a Thursday, waited 5 minutes in line, and were given an 8:15 seating. Headed over to Sushi Taro for some half price bar sushi and drinks to wait. Finally decided if we couldn't make a 7:00 seating then we would be imposing on the goodwill of our babysitter. Headed over to Estadio for a great dinner there. No amenities, I'm not the sort to expect amenities for non-reservation waits. To be clear, it was just the 2 of us, just wanted to provide the 411 about 4 tops.

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Finally got a chance to dine here with a meetup group. To be fair I ate a croissant an hour before waiting in line and I was still recovering from a flu so my sense of smell was impaired.

The menu was:

nam prik khai (duck egg / roe / shrimp paste)

This was served with pork rinds but the condiment in my opinion was just not strong enough to balance the oiliness of the rinds. It needed something acidic or more pungent/salty. I'm not a huge pork rind fan in the first place and the egg/roe/paste didn't improve anything.

som tum polomai (sour fruit / dried shrimp / bla rah)

Too sour. This was basically sitting in a pool of vinegar. It'd probably be okay paired with a huge amount of rice but since this is the second course I was expecting something a bit more balanced. My companion also said that the ratio of fish sauce to acid tasted off to her.

bla chorn lom kwan (snakehead fish / kaffir lime / rice powder)

This was a winner. Balanced flavors, decent amount of heat. Meaty, salty, fishy, like eating a good anchovy. Great paired with basil and rice.

laap chiang mai (pork / lemongrass / sawtooth)

I was starting to get full at this point because I was eating a large amount of rice to balance the flavors of the above courses. This dish didn't really stand out in my memory other than that I found the texture offputting. Some of my companions liked it the best however.

naem khao tod (crispy rice / sour pork / peanuts)

This would've been amazing if it wasn't so sour. The fried rice cakes had amazing texture, but the acid just overpowered everything.

phat ga lam (cabbage / basil / khi nu chilies)

Braised brussel sprouts. This was a winner but I was so full at this point that I could only eat one. Nice and sweet with a subdued amount of heat.

si krong muu (pork ribs / mekhong whiskey / dill)

Compared to the strong flavors of the above courses this was almost dull in comparison. Tender and fatty pork with a hint of smokiness and sweetness. But again, I was stuffed at this point so I could only eat one.

General observations: heat level was good for everything. Nothing was overpoweringly hot. The heat tended to build up which I think is the best way to present spiciness in a dish. Two dishes were too acidic I thought. I think seven courses is perhaps too much. You can realistically eat maybe 2-3 bites of each course, and for the amount we were given that was not how I rationed my rice. Next time I'll plan accordingly. No complaints about service or the beer selection.

Overall my companions and I weren't that impressed with the meal considering the amount of hype LS gets.

However.

This meal costs $50. For seven courses, that's a damned good bargain. I will probably visit again next month when I'm feeling better to form a second opinion.

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After eating at LS this evening I'm going to have to disagree with the last post. The 'sour fruit' dish was not too sour for us, and was not in a pool of vinegar. In fact it was a favorite. The egg/roe/shrimp dip for the pork rinds was better imo than the previous 2 dips I've started with (which I thought in the past were too sour).

The real hits of the recent revisions are the brussel sprouts and the snakehead salad. The sprouts are wok fried and come crispy in a sauce of cane sugar, tamarind, fish sauce, and 'a few other things'. They are the best I've had by a decent margin in a fall/winter where they seemed to be unavoidable. That snakehead salad had the perfect balance of sour/spicy/sweet/savory. And the pork ribs remain badass.

I do have to agree on the new rice cake prep though... the sauce was pretty sour and between that and the heat the sum was a little too wild for me. The fermented sour sausage had killer flavor but it was buried under the napalm of hot/sour.

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Now that I've had several meals at Bangkok Golden 3, the flavors of Little Serow have become familiar rather than unique. The flavors, as Waitman suggested, are similar from dish to dish, mostly sour. The proteins used are generally of the cheap variety (pork, chicken liver). At least the prices haven't gone up. Today two of us had to share a soup (tom kha het) from one bowl. I haven't been to Thailand, but I have never had to involuntarily share soup with someone. I like Steve but I wasn't keen on swapping spit with him. The chicken liver (gai laap chiang mai) was my favorite, the slight sweetness of the liver matched well with the spiciness and sourness of the sauce, and a dish of ground pork (nan ngeow) was visually slop on a plate. All of the dishes tasted good; however, LS is not serving better food than Bangkok Golden 3 (but at several times the price).

The most important info is that I got in line by 4:20 p.m. on Saturday and there was already a line. By 4:30, I'm not sure you would've gotten in the first seating.

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Now that I've had several meals at Bangkok Golden 3, the flavors of Little Serow have become familiar rather than unique. The flavors, as Waitman suggested, are similar from dish to dish, mostly sour. The proteins used are generally of the cheap variety (pork, chicken liver). At least the prices haven't gone up. Today two of us had to share a soup (tom kha het) from one bowl. I haven't been to Thailand, but I have never had to involuntarily share soup with someone. I like Steve but I wasn't keen on swapping spit with him. The chicken liver (gai laap chiang mai) was my favorite, the slight sweetness of the dish matched well with the spiciness and sourness of the sauce, and a dish of ground pork (nan ngeow) was visually slop on a plate. All of the dishes tasted good; however, LS is not serving better food than Bangkok Golden 3 (but at several times the price).

Having been to both restaurants several times, I don't understand the comparison - Little Serow is serving a seven-course tasting menu based on northern Thai cuisine, and has a fantastic beverage program with stellar service; Bangkok Golden is a typical app-entree suburban strip mall mom-n-pop, most interesting for its Laotian cuisine, and probably does a substantial carryout business. One is a play with multiple acts; the other is a nostalgic folk song.

You said all seven courses at Little Serow tasted good (which is no small feat) - and at $6.50 per course, I don't know how much more you could ask for.

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One course consist of 4 pork rinds (with a dipping sauce that has no hint of catfish as described by the menu), another is a bowl of soup shared by two people. $13 for 4 pork rinds and $13 for a small bowl of soup? I'm not sure why smaller portions of food justifies a higher price. I can go to BG3 and order 7 courses and spend less than $90. My point is that LS is no better than a mom-n-pop, so what makes it so special? If BG3 changed to a 7 course format, would people start going and pay $45 per person and jump into a top 10 restaurant? BTW, I've never had anything that didn't taste good at BG3 either. I think LS is a novelty, much as BG3. The more familiar you become with the cuisine, the less exciting it becomes.

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I don't have anything meaningful to add except to say that Finshinnard's message above is one of those posts that reminds me just how much I value this site. Amazing...

I agree, I cannot think of a better post on this board.

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It includes cubes of pork blood (blood tofu!) and pork ribs, ground pork, cherry tomatoes, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste and/or tua nuao (fermented soybean) lard or oil, with garnishes of bean sprouts, limes, chilli oil, and maybe mustard pickle. Here is a photo from photographer Austin Bush.

Chicken blood/noodle soup was one of my favorites when I was in Thailand. They served it to me at the school I was teaching at and I had no idea what the 'purple tofu' was for the first few days I was eating it. It was a very poor area and the soup was much simpler but I've missed it.

Does any other place serve pork or chicken blood? Is it possible or conceivable to make it home?

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Advice needed: if going on a Saturday night, what time is the latest you can get on line to get in without a wait (party of 2)? Thanks!

Anyone been lately who can chime in on how crazy the waits are these days? We're planning to finally try it on Saturday, but almost will have to arrive after their 5:30 opening. I'm happy to grab drinks at Sushi Taro while we wait, but don't want to trek over there if the wait for 2 at 6:30 is going to be 3-4 hours.

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