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Showing results for tags 'Northeastern Thai'.
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Follow-up from a PoP poster named "anon" claimed that it was a separate concept called Little Saroh or Little Sarah. It is supposedly having a "very soft opening" and allegedly has a Thai prie-fixe menu of $45 for walk-ins only. Rob -
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Social Oyster Bar is apparently a new restaurant in McLean. The menu looks somewhat interesting. I'll probably take the kids there tomorrow night to check it out. Anyone else been? -
We coincidentally had reservations at Foreign Correspondents on the day Bon Appetit named it one of the 50 best new restaurants. This is one of a trio of restaurants opened in quick succession by the Treadsack group in the Heights (see also: excellent Gulf Coast seafood at Bernadine's, and very elevated English pub fare at Hunky Dory), and amazingly, all three impress. Foreign Correspondents is helmed by a northern-Thai chef and her (not Thai) husband. The menu is a few steps removed from the typical American Thai joint, and reminds me of the ambitious and unflinching menus at places in DC like Baan Thai and Thip Khao. No Pad Thai or Drunken Noodles to be found here (and that's a good thing). While they offer several set menus, which look to be a great way to ease into some of the lesser known dishes, we struck out on our own since a few of the things we knew we wanted weren't included. Crispy Fried Herbs were light and crunchy, with a great balance of acid and funk, and not a hint of sogginess. Fantastic start to the meal, and more reminiscent of the fried watercress salad at Sripriphai in Queens than the sweeter version at Thip Khao in DC. Stuffed sticky rice was a simple but satisfying dish of banana leaf-wrapped sticky rice with a simple squash filling (a salted fish version is also offered). Laaps are offered in 2 styles with a variety of proteins: Isaan, which seems like what most of us have come to understand as laap, and Lanna, which incorporates prik laap, a chile paste. We opted for the fried Texas shrimp laap, which comes in the Isaan style. This was an ok dish, but was a bit on the dry side. I'm not sure if that is intentional, or a misstep...I would like to head back to try a few other laaps to compare. Although this is described as spicy, the levels are kept in check, and shouldn't deter any but the most chili-phobic. I was practically coming out of my skin in anticipation of the crispy rice salad, a family favorite from our nearly weekly visits to Thip Khao when we lived in DC. This version was good, but leaned a bit too heavily on lime juice, which kind of overwhelmed the dish. I think a heavier hand with the herbs would balance this out a bit, as the greenery was all but nonexistent in our dish. I actually self-corrected for this by mixing my crispy rice with the crispy fried herbs, and stumbled upon a truly winning combo. There was a quick break in the action, as I was brought the balut I ordered for solo consumption, knowing no one else at the table would be interested. The intact egg is brought out piping hot in a small bowl with various leaves and stems alongside and a dish of what I think is jaew dipping sauce. After appropriate instruction from our waitress, I dug into an impossibly creamy, custardy egg...just insanely rich. The embryo itself was on the small side, and other than the initial shock of seeing a little eye looking my way from the egg, did not get in the way of enjoying the dish. And amazingly, there is more food to come... A whole fried fish was nicely prepared and topped with cashews, lime, chilies, and other aromatic things. Fantastic, and more than enough for 4. The makrut lime and fish curry was a crowd favorite, and reminded me of tom kha, with just a bit more funk and acid. I am unable to not order khao soi when I see it, and FC's version was rich, decadent, and did not disappoint. It is served with a side dish of shallots and lime, and while good on its own, the broth really comes alive with a few squeezes of lime. Finally (!), the eggplant and pork came in with thick, toothsome slices of heirloom eggplant bathed in a dark, intensely smoky sauce lightened with lemon basil. So good, and even better for breakfast the next day. The cocktail menu is creative, and drinks were well-made...You might consider a pre-dinner drink at the connected cocktail bar Canard next door, and go for a glass of Riesling (both off dry and dry selections available, and as the menu says "Not trying to tell you what to do, but Riesling is the best wine to drink with Thai food.") Services was friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable, and no one batted an eye at us with our 2 little dining companions. (Note: there is also a kids menu with options like thai fried chicken with rice, fried rice with fish, and versions of laap and green papaya salad without the chilies.) Congratulations to the team at Foreign Correspondents for their BA nod...well-deserved. We'll be back. (BTW, that link to the Instagram photo of the balut is my newish Houston account @houston_dining. Follow along there or on twitter if it strikes your fancy.)- 1 reply
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I love living on Capitol Hill-- beautiful strolls through the neighborhood and the Capitol grounds, parks, quick access to Union Station and the Metro, Schneiders, and of course an easy 10 minute stroll to Eastern Market. But as everyone knows, the restaurant scene leaves a lot to be desired. However, there are a handful of gems scattered about, and I think Old Siam may get there one day, but it's going to be a long trip before they even reach the semi-precious stage. They're certainly doing brisk business and the space itself is warm and inviting. We sat and had a cocktail at the bar and asked for a table and were soon directed to the front of the restaurant where we were seated at a tiny two-top in the window. Unfortunately this is where everyone stands around waiting for a table. For whatever reason, the crowd hovering over us was predominantly young and female so it sounded like we were in the tropical bird exhibit during feeding time at a zoo. So, after ordering, we asked to go back to the bar and ate dinner there. I enjoyed a spicy lemon grass soup with a few shrimp and mushrooms. But we also tried some pork and shrimp dumplings that had a slightly off, vaguely gym locker kind of aroma. The vegetable pad thai was mushy and oily and lacked focus. It was as though they threw a random assortment of vegetable scraps into the stir fy. We also had what was described on the menu as simply "basil duck". This was supposed to be one of their more spicy offerings (which I gravitate towards), but instead I was presented with a deep fried breast in a syrupy sweet sauce. The batter was so dense that I ate only a few slices before I felt like I had swallowed a lead weight. Wine selection was pedestrian but fairly priced by DC standards. A couple of drinks each, two apps and two entrees came to $55 before tip. I'll give it another chance someday, but it won't be anytime soon. Maybe I need to open my own damn restaurant in this neighborhood.
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