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


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They won't be able to seat you together but have heard them offer to split you up into, say 2 groups of 3 or group of 4 and 2. I think there is little guarantee that you will be seated at the exact same time but they seem to try to do their best.

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Had an excellent dinner on Saturday after braving that afternoon's rain showers to get on the list.*  As with the first time we were there, everything was delicious.  The consensus favorite dish of the evening was the pig ears, which I can only describe as intensely fried, chewy, and porky.  And the ribs that everybody loves were a great final course before dessert.  Our server was a great help in guiding us through the evening, including suggesting the right beers for the right moments during the evening--hoppier beers at the beginning for the spiciest courses of the evening and a really interesting sour cherry, lambic-like beer to go with the ribs.

If I have one critique of the evening, it was the pacing of the meal.  It all felt a bit rushed.  There was no breather anywhere in the meal, which would have been useful when so many intense flavors are coming at you.  And as the dishes started to pile up on each other so did the flavors, leaving something of a sour, sweet, spicy mess at points.  (At $45, this remains a good deal, and maybe they need to keep flipping the tables to make that price work.  But I don't remember it feeling rushed the first time we ate at LS.)  That gripe aside, this remains, for my money, the most interesting restaurant that I've been to in DC.

*For those who are curious about the wait on a late July Saturday evening, I got in line at about 4:30, and I'd say I was maybe the sixth party in line.  By the time they opened at 5:30, there were maybe twenty-five parties in line.  Potentially useful for others to know:  you can request a table in the second seating rather than being seated at 5:30.  They will text you when the dining room is full with an estimated time for your table and then text you again when your table is ready.  We were the second party of four on the list for the second seating, and we got a text at 6:43 saying our table was ready (after getting an initial estimate of 7:00-7:30).  I have no idea how you could be seated at 5:30 and be out by 6:45, but maybe that's consistent with my observation above that the whole meal felt a bit rushed.

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Had an excellent dinner on Saturday after braving that afternoon's rain showers to get on the list.*  As with the first time we were there, everything was delicious.  The consensus favorite dish of the evening was the pig ears, which I can only describe as intensely fried, chewy, and porky.  And the ribs that everybody loves were a great final course before dessert.  Our server was a great help in guiding us through the evening, including suggesting the right beers for the right moments during the evening--hoppier beers at the beginning for the spiciest courses of the evening and a really interesting sour cherry, lambic-like beer to go with the ribs.

If I have one critique of the evening, it was the pacing of the meal.  It all felt a bit rushed.  There was no breather anywhere in the meal, which would have been useful when so many intense flavors are coming at you.  And as the dishes started to pile up on each other so did the flavors, leaving something of a sour, sweet, spicy mess at points.  (At $45, this remains a good deal, and maybe they need to keep flipping the tables to make that price work.  But I don't remember it feeling rushed the first time we ate at LS.)  That gripe aside, this remains, for my money, the most interesting restaurant that I've been to in DC.

*For those who are curious about the wait on a late July Saturday evening, I got in line at about 4:30, and I'd say I was maybe the sixth party in line.  By the time they opened at 5:30, there were maybe twenty-five parties in line.  Potentially useful for others to know:  you can request a table in the second seating rather than being seated at 5:30.  They will text you when the dining room is full with an estimated time for your table and then text you again when your table is ready.  We were the second party of four on the list for the second seating, and we got a text at 6:43 saying our table was ready (after getting an initial estimate of 7:00-7:30).  I have no idea how you could be seated at 5:30 and be out by 6:45, but maybe that's consistent with my observation above that the whole meal felt a bit rushed.

A comment and a question:

They'll pace the meal as quickly as you eat. If you nibble and pick, they'll slow the pacing down - it might feel like you're being rushed, but my guess is that they're judging the delivery on how fast you're going through the initial courses. Yes, there is a flurry of items that comes out initially, but I suspect they won't keep up that pace unless you try and keep up with the rapid-fire entrées (French-word entrées).

You were the sixth party in line and you couldn't get the first seating for a four-top? Really?! Wow. I've gone solo every time, and that sure as heck helps in terms of getting seated. This is an excellent data point you make, hungry prof. Lesson to be learned: if you're a party of 3 or 4, it's probably imperative to get there earlier than if you're a party of 2; if you're a party of 1, there's even less pressure to arrive that early.

We recently had a fairly astute claim that the food at Bangkok Golden is just as good as Little Serow. While I don't disagree with that, there is absolutely *no* comparison as to which is the better restaurant or dining experience - Little Serow is a truly great place to dine, and a local treasure.

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A comment and a question:

They'll pace the meal as quickly as you eat. If you nibble and pick, they'll slow the pacing down - it might feel like you're being rushed, but my guess is that they're judging the delivery on how fast you're going through the initial courses. Yes, there is a flurry of items that comes out initially, but I suspect they won't keep up that pace unless you try and keep up with the rapid-fire entrées (French-word entrées).

I ate there the other day and I actually can't see any attempt to pace the meal based on the diner's pace.  When you get two or three courses piled up on the table like commuters in a rush hour merge lane, that's generally a sign that things are coming out more quickly than they are being consumed, but is seems to slow service not at all.  I think the default is semi-family style or, simply get-em-in, get-em-out. What the heck, It's not like the chairs are comfortable enough to lounge around in anyway.  ;)

That being said, it was a very good dinner overall.  I miss the country music.  And I stand by my earlier comments that, while there is not-insignificant heat, it's not overwhelming (not like Nava Thai's Floating Island Soup back in the day, and that the flavor palate is a bit narrow (per Hungry Prof, perhaps the timing contributes to this).  But it remains a good time and a good bargain.

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They'll pace the meal as quickly as you eat. If you nibble and pick, they'll slow the pacing down - it might feel like you're being rushed, but my guess is that they're judging the delivery on how fast you're going through the initial courses. Yes, there is a flurry of items that comes out initially, but I suspect they won't keep up that pace unless you try and keep up with the rapid-fire entrées (French-word entrées).

You were the sixth party in line and you couldn't get the first seating for a four-top? Really?! Wow. I've gone solo every time, and that sure as heck helps in terms of getting seated. This is an excellent data point you make, hungry prof. Lesson to be learned: if you're a party of 3 or 4, it's probably imperative to get there earlier than if you're a party of 2; if you're a party of 1, there's even less pressure to arrive that early.

On the first point, this would need to be tested, but I got the same sense at Waitman:  that they were simply bringing food out as it was ready whether or not we were ready for it.  Here's a hypothesis:  it actually struck me as a slow night there (perhaps not all that surprising for late July in DC).  There were open tables and seats at the communal bar/table when we left.  I wonder if the kitchen simply isn't used to that, and they didn't adjust their pacing to reflect the dining room.  FWIW and not that it would necessarily have made any difference, I didn't see Johnny Monis in the kitchen at all.

On the second point, sorry, I was unclear.  We could easily have been seated at 5:30, but we *wanted* to be in the second seating.  We preferred to eat at 7:00ish (and it worked better with our babysitter).  What I meant to communicate is that if you *want* to eat later, you can put your name down for the second seating.  Even if you are first in line, you are not obligated to be seated at 5:30 (and, in fact, the first people in line were a couple who put their name down to come back for the second seating).

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I ate there the other day and I actually can't see any attempt to pace the meal based on the diner's pace.  When you get two or three courses piled up on the table like commuters in a rush hour merge lane, that's generally a sign that things are coming out more quickly than they are being consumed, but is seems to slow service not at all.  I think the default is semi-family style or, simply get-em-in, get-em-out. What the heck, It's not like the chairs are comfortable enough to lounge around in anyway.  ;)

That being said, it was a very good dinner overall.  I miss the country music.  And I stand by my earlier comments that, while there is not-insignificant heat, it's not overwhelming (not like Nava Thai's Floating Island Soup back in the day, and that the flavor palate is a bit narrow (per Hungry Prof, perhaps the timing contributes to this).  But it remains a good time and a good bargain.

A good Thai meal should have a large variety of dishes for the diner to choose from, on the table at the same time. Dishes are meant to go with one another. The flavors should not clash, and there are no between course palate cleansers. A wet dish should have a counterpoint with a dry dish, a spicy dish should be offset by a mild dish etc. Salty, sweet, hot, sour, and bitter flavors are all in play. The only reason for the courses is that the kitchen can only prepare one dish at a time. There should be no obligation to finish something before another dish arrives. You certainly can eat one dish a time, but it can be more fun to jump around and eat a few bites of this, some rice, a few bites of that, some raw vegetables, a more bites of something else, some more rice. Nibble/eat your way through all the flavors and textures with rice and raw vegetables as your constant. It's a party, not a journey. I'm not sure if this is what chef Monis intends, but this is the way Thais eat their food.

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A good Thai meal should have a large variety of dishes for the diner to choose from, on the table at the same time. Dishes are meant to go with one another. The flavors should not clash, and there are no between course palate cleansers. A wet dish should have a counterpoint with a dry dish, a spicy dish should be offset by a mild dish etc. Salty, sweet, hot, sour, and bitter flavors are all in play. The only reason for the courses is that the kitchen can only prepare one dish at a time. There should be no obligation to finish something before another dish arrives. You certainly can eat one dish a time, but it can be more fun to jump around and eat a few bites of this, some rice, a few bites of that, some raw vegetables, a more bites of something else, some more rice. Nibble/eat your way through all the flavors and textures with rice and raw vegetables as your constant. It's a party, not a journey. I'm not sure if this is what chef Monis intends, but this is the way Thais eat their food.

Kind of what I suspected ("semi-family style").  Interesting to hear about the counterpoint strategy, I will look for it next time.  Our meal was described as -- and came out as -- a progression,  from hot to mild and -- arguably -- from complex to simple.  Thanks.

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Kind of what I suspected ("semi-family style").  Interesting to hear about the counterpoint strategy, I will look for it next time.  Our meal was described as -- and came out as -- a progression,  from hot to mild and -- arguably -- from complex to simple.  Thanks.

I think this is a clever way to introduce people to the cuisine.  A huge table of unfamiliar food could be a little intimidating. When westerners eat Thai food they do a couple of things that Thais usually do not do. They either order dishes as "entrees" not to be shared, i.e. "I'll have the green curry with chicken", "Well, I'll have the pork with basil", or If they do order a variety a dishes and share them, everybody piles their plates with a some of each dish all at once, as if at a buffet*. This is considered rude among the Thais. Except for rice, which is "all you can eat", everybody is expected to take a little at a time, and you should not have more than one dish on your plate at a time, and usually just a small bite. It's a very communal way to eat and everybody looks out for one another i.e. if a dish is too far away for you to reach, the diner close to it will spoon some onto your plate for you, rather than passing the dish across the table. Thais even share 12 ounce bottles of beer, pouring a little for each person, instead of each person getting their own. 

At Little Serow, I think the "progression" allows the diner to become familiar with each dish and makes you try everything. It also allows the kitchen time to make each dish, because the kitchen is small. Incidentally, most Thai food is generally served at room temp, and there is no expectation for each dish to be hot off the stove (for the most part, but It's trendy now for some soups and curries (gaeng som, tom yum, tom kha etc.) to come with sterno burners underneath, and some Chinese style stir fries are best hot out of the wok).

* I have been to a many fancy Thai parties where the food was served buffet style, in which case people do fill their plates with rice and take a little of each dish all at once.

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A good Thai meal should have a large variety of dishes for the diner to choose from, on the table at the same time. Dishes are meant to go with one another. The flavors should not clash, and there are no between course palate cleansers. A wet dish should have a counterpoint with a dry dish, a spicy dish should be offset by a mild dish etc. Salty, sweet, hot, sour, and bitter flavors are all in play. The only reason for the courses is that the kitchen can only prepare one dish at a time. There should be no obligation to finish something before another dish arrives. You certainly can eat one dish a time, but it can be more fun to jump around and eat a few bites of this, some rice, a few bites of that, some raw vegetables, a more bites of something else, some more rice. Nibble/eat your way through all the flavors and textures with rice and raw vegetables as your constant. It's a party, not a journey. I'm not sure if this is what chef Monis intends, but this is the way Thais eat their food.

This is very interesting and makes me think through the meal again.  I can definitely think of counterpoints throughout the meal.  Aside from the fact that we weren't thinking of the meal in these terms, I think part of the issue might have been that the counterveiling dishes weren't necessarily served together or clearly defined.  So, I think at one point, we might have had three relatively spicy dishes on the table while the previous mild dish had been cleared and the next one had not yet arrived.  I don't mean to suggest that this needed to be a rigorously defined process, just suggesting an explanation for how we experienced the meal.  Learn something new everyday. . .

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Went there last night, with 5 people.  Obviously we split into 3 and 2.  We were horribly unlucky as our 3 took the last table of the first seating and our friends had to wait.  I wish I had read this thread and thought to ask to have us both pushed back to the beginning of the second seating, which we would have done if we knew it was an option.  Anyway we should have asked.  On the other hand, we asked the hostess if there was any way to accommodate 5, so she knew the pickle we were in.

Anyway, to the food--overall it was delicious, interesting, and a great value at 45 plus reasonably priced beers.  But my goodness the early courses were hot.  Like, so hot I told a friend who wanted to join us but couldn't, that she would be overwhelmed by the spice.   I eat very hot food regularly, as does most of my party.  The one who does not was a trooper and still enjoyed herself.  I don't think any single course was hotter than I was expecting, but there was nothing in the early going to balance it out.  We ate cartloads of raw cuke, eggplant, rice etc to try to cool it off but it didn't work.

That aside, it was delicious.  If it were possible to do so, I would go back right now just for the chicken liver dish.  And the pig ears/pork belly combo.  And if I could make those ribs, I would just open a rib food truck--they were beyond belief.  I would like to have had the super cooling coconut dessert around course 3, as a palate cleanser.

Has anyone else experienced the menu of the last couple of weeks?  I'm wondering if we ran into a single night freight train of accidental slight overspicing, or if I just wasn't aware of what I was in for.

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My experience is that either the spice level changes a bit, or just my chemistry changes--usually a different dish (or dishes) gets me each time.   I do think the sweet milk beverage might calm it down a bit.   Last night I had a dry Riesling (on the by the glass menu) that did a nice job of keeping things even, and then finished off with a Singha over ice cubes.

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After a couple aborted attempts in the past months, finally made it to Serow. Arrived just before 5 and narrowly missed the first seating, but one Sazerac at the Tabard Inn later, we were called back to the restaurant at 6:30. After being asked in several different ways if we "knew what we were getting ourselves into," we were seated and began the meal. A steady (but not rushed) barrage of dishes ensued, served by interchangeable, genial servers in high-collar dresses, leggings, and oxford shoes. Outside of the salted prawn, which was uninteresting to me, everything was well-executed and mostly very memorable. The menu fits together nicely as a whole, balancing itself in interesting ways (though I noticed a few people burn out on the heat around course 5; to me the main challenge was the sheer volume of food). I never quite settled on a drink pairing that worked; the best was a Belgian dubbel, with its nice contrast of malty sweetness, but ultimately it became too filling. I hate to say it, but I think the menu could use a clean, generic, pale Euro pilsner - light, refreshing, and just a hint of sweetness and hop spiciness. 

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On Wednesday, October 30th, walking back from the Van Gogh exhibit at the Phillips, we passed by the line at Little Serow right about 5:00 pm. (Yes, unbeknownst to Mr.B, I purposely steered us in that direction :rolleyes:)  I counted perhaps 18 people in line and thought we'd have a good chance of being seated in the first seating, so we joined the line. This was our first visit, not for lack of desire, but for lack of time and opportunity.  It was a gorgeous late afternoon and soon we struck up a conversation with the fellow in line ahead of us.  He turned out to be DR.com member, AlexC, owner of the GrapeCrate, about which he has written here.  We had a delightful conversation and the 30 minutes we spent in line just flew by.  We were indeed seated shortly after the 5:30 opening and what an incredibly wonderful experience we had after that!

As I mentioned above, this was our first visit to LS, so I cannot compare the quality of the experience with anything prior to now.  I can say that, in our experience on this particular evening, they were operating on as high a level as I expected.  The service was akin to that we've come to know at Komi: friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about the food.  I requested a white wine recommendation and the server brought me a taste of her first recommendation and I didn't particularly care for it.  She then brought me a taste of a Sicilian wine that was just fantastic and paired very well with the food.

And, speaking of the food: I love Thai food, but my experience is purely through Thai restaurants, I have never been to Thailand.  This food experience was a universe away from any Thai restaurant I've ever experienced.  The menu that night:

nam prik num

finger chilies/shallots/bla rah

tom kha pla muk

krachai/galangal/dried squid

yum het khai khem

mushroom/salted duck egg/rice powder

laap khway

buffalo/long pepper/lemongrass

khao tang gapi

salted prawn/cilantro root/peanut

phat fak thong

pumpkin/shrimp paste/egg

si krong muu

pork ribs/mekhong whiskey/dill

I have read here, and elsewhere, that people find the spicy heat too much in some of the dishes.  We did not experience that.  We love spicy, and many dishes were plenty spicy, but not overwhelming to our palates.  The plate of fresh-cut vegetables with romaine lettuces, cabbage, cucumbers, watermelon radishes, etc., that was replenished in a timely fashion, helped to offset the heat.  With the exception of the starter dish, nam prik num, I loved every dish we were served. (I didn't dislike it, it was just fairly neutral for me.) My favorite dish of the night was the tom kha pla muk: this is related to the tom kha soups you can find at other Thai restaurants, but on a level so much more refined that I'll never be able to order that soup anywhere else again.  When it was set down on the table the aroma wafting from the bowl was intoxicating.  I was happy when the next course was served and my husband went to work on that while I hoarded the remaining soup!  My memory has faded somewhat about the specifics of the other dishes, although I can say that the si krong muu are not your father's pork ribs.  This was the most delicately-sauced pork rib dish I've ever encountered -- it was not especially spicy but the silkiness of the sauce was elegant and absolutely delicious.

We left Little Serow on a high, feeling that we'd just had one of the greatest dining experiences we've had in a long time -- and all for $45 per person!

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I go to Laos and Thailand often to see my relatives.  Every time we dine out at the higher end Thai restaurants, we always order 5-10 dishes of soups, salads, and entrees.  We get everything at once.  The whole point is to linger and enjoy the meal and company.  I typically sample everything and return to the dishes I like most.  We do this with our Western guests in Thailand and here in the States.  It's the best way to introduce someone to a new cuisine.  I was annoyed with the way LS does the courses in succession.  I didn't like my second course so I had to wait for my friend to enjoy his.  If the dinner had been served the Thai/Lao way, I would just have moved on to a different dish.  All in all, I didn't think it was that cheap of a dinner.  Everybody is raving about the $45 price tag.  Our tab came to $90 per person with two drinks each, tax, and tip.  It wasn't worth being split up in two tables as there were 5 of us and waiting for an hour.  I'd rather go to a strip mall and get just as good food for less and have my authentic experience.

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Has anyone tried showing up late (say 9:00) on a weeknight and getting seated?  I've only done the line-up-before-opening thing, but this week we can't leave work early and don't want the first or second seating in any event.  Not sure if they reach capacity for the entire night long before then.  Thanks!

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Has anyone tried showing up late (say 9:00) on a weeknight and getting seated?  I've only done the line-up-before-opening thing, but this week we can't leave work early and don't want the first or second seating in any event.  Not sure if they reach capacity for the entire night long before then.  Thanks!

I would call them and ask.

I haven't tried it myself.  But, the weeknight I was there were certainly plenty of empty tables, provided that they allow that.  Granted, it was about 20 degrees outside so you may have a different experience in the summer.

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Has anyone tried showing up late (say 9:00) on a weeknight and getting seated?  I've only done the line-up-before-opening thing, but this week we can't leave work early and don't want the first or second seating in any event.  Not sure if they reach capacity for the entire night long before then.  Thanks!

I've done this several times, and never had a problem getting a seat, usually fairly quickly, on a weeknight. Weekends could be another story though.

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Any recent intelligence on the line situation here?  What's it like a typical week night in November, say tomorrow (thursday)?

We went last Thursday - knew we would be too late for the initial seating, so had a beer and some oysters at Hank's. When we stopped back at LS around 6:45, they had a spot ready immediately. We didn't anticipate them having something so soon, so walked next door to Duke's, had a cocktail, then wandered back over and got seated right away. This didn't seem to be a typical Thursday night for them, but if you time it right, you can probably sneak in right when they're making the first turn.

Cheers!

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Do they accomondate handicap issues for waiting.  I just had my hip replaced and will not be able to wait online more then 5 minutes, much less 30.

This just a guess, but I doubt it.

The one time I was there, there was a line about 20 or 30 people deep 15 or 20 minutes before they opened. Right at 5:30, the door opened and people started going in and getting seated and I don't think anyone ever came out to survey the line or see if anyone needed anything. This was a couple years ago, just before Tom's review came out in the Post, so maybe things have changed since then, but like I said, I doubt that it would have. It sort of goes against their "no substitutions" vibe.

There's no waiting area, or chairs inside either, so your best bet may be to bring a little collapsible chair, or show up after the initial rush and put your name on the list for a later seating.

PS - thanks to you other two for the info!!

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We went last Thursday - knew we would be too late for the initial seating, so had a beer and some oysters at Hank's. When we stopped back at LS around 6:45, they had a spot ready immediately. We didn't anticipate them having something so soon, so walked next door to Duke's, had a cocktail, then wandered back over and got seated right away. This didn't seem to be a typical Thursday night for them, but if you time it right, you can probably sneak in right when they're making the first turn.

Cheers!

One week later and damn near the exact same thing happened.

It was a cold, semi-rainy, crappy night which I'm sure had something to do with the lack of crowd"¦"¦but"¦"¦.we got there at about 6:30 right behind two guys who got seated immediately.  Crap!  30 seconds too late!!  But no, there was another table open and we were seated immediately!!!  I'm sure it was total luck, and the stars aligning, and the bad weather, but at 6:30 tonight, 2 sets of couples could have walked right up and got seated quicker than you would have been seated in your own house!

We were sitting right next to the hostess stand, and when we left at about 7:50, there was an hour and a half wait (in fact at some point during our meal we heard someone else being told that it would be an hour and a half).    So the lesson here is"¦"¦"¦I'm not sure there is a lesson, but it seems like arriving about an hour after they open might be a good strategy.  Picking a crappy-weather day might also help.

The meal itself was great, as was the staff - - super friendly, super cool, super mellow, but always there the second you needed them.  The food was wonderfully weird and different and tangy and spicy and bright.  And to me, it was just as good as the first time we were there back in ????? (right before Tom reviewed it in the Post).  It also held up a lot better than (and I hate to say this but) Bangkok Golden.  The first time we went to BG (again, right after Tom's review), we were floored by the flavors, the textures and how different it was.  The next time we went, it was good, but not as great.  The third time we went it was good but nowhere near as good as our first time.  Not even close.  Then next time we went,"¦.. we didn't go.  We went to Little Serow instead and loved it as much as the first time.

The only downside is, it was too dark in there to appreciate the beauty of the dishes as they were presented.  3/4 of the way through the meal I started using my phone to illuminate the plates and what a difference it made!  Wish I would have thought of that at the start.

We paired the spicy food with a $40 rosé from Provence and it was the perfect accompaniment, even on a cold rainy night.  I'm a firm believer in pairing rosé with anything and everything, but even my Chardonnay-loving wife agreed that this was the better choice for the meal.

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Just gorged on Little Serow's delicious all-fish menu, special this week.  I'll do a more full write-up tomorrow (time permitting), but for anyone who has avoided going to Little Serow because of meat-related dietary restrictions, go this week.  As a pescatarian who monitors the online menu regularly for weeks with only one or two meat dishes and then just skips them, being able to enjoy every course tonight was long-awaited pleasure.  

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Yeah, I decided to swing by Little Serow on a whim around 6 pm last night because my girlfriend had a work dinner, and I was pleased and fortunate to find that they had a single seat available at the counter.  Delicious menu from top to bottom (favorites included the whole fish and the snails and snakehead salad), and also nice to see a slate of all-new dishes.  As much as I enjoy their normal menu (it's long been one of my favorite places in DC), having three or four of their items be essentially the same every week -- like the Mekhong whiskey and dill pork ribs that are a virtual stalwart as the final dish -- certainly makes my visits less frequent than they otherwise would be.

Of course, the entire experience is enhanced by the fact that the service is always, always phenomenal; without exception, all of the servers and hosts seem genuinely warm and friendly every time without ever being intrusive...and they offer kick-ass pairing suggestions to boot.

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I didn't get around to writing about our dinner on Wednesday as quickly as I'd hoped, but better late than never.  I feel like a broken record whenever I rave about how much I love Johnny Monis's food -- or how wonderful Anne and the rest of the Little Serow (and Komi) staff are in the front of the house -- but he is just so talented.  As Gadarene mentioned, the menu ($10 more than usual, due ingredient costs) featured all new dishes, and we loved it.  I've pasted the full menu at the bottom for posterity.  

First up, the gaap kai buu (coconut husk/mud crab/shrimp paste), smeared inside a wedge of burnt coconut husk, served with the usual sticky rice and basket of brightly colored raw leaves and sliced root vegetables.  We loved the wallop of crab, spice, and funk.  The second round included our favorite of the night: yum hoy khohm (snails/snakehead fish/rice paddy herb).  The first note of each bite of glass noodles and seafood was bright lime, which hurtled into spiciness -- which was expected, given the spatlese Riesling pairing.  (The bf said immediately that it read almost Italian, evocative of spaghetti with parmesan, basil, and tomato.)  Just an incredible, vibrant dish.  The rice powder on top (bizzaro parm) added a great je ne sais quoi -- I'm not sure what it would taste like on its own, but it was definitely adding dimension -- and the snails (of which we're often not really fans) created subtle, slightly chewy-rich pockets amid the more pronounced chunks of fish, noodles, and herbs (cilantro and rice paddy, i.e., the un-basil).  (Something in the sauce tasted vaguely tomato-y, but that could have just been our imaginations from the acidity and slight reddish hue of the sauce, which we ate with rice when the noodles disappeared.)  The khai luuk khoei (steamed eggs/tamarind/crispy anchovy) -- crunchy-crusted egg halves topped with miniscule fried anchovies and tamarind caramel -- arrived at the same time as the noodles, and we made the mistake of eating them first.  A tasty snack-like bite but not mind-blowing on their own, I think I would have appreciated the fudgy richness of the yolk more as a contrast to the acidity (and way to cut the spiciness) of the accompanying yum hoy khohm.  My second favorite of the night was the pla som (fermented fish/lobster roe/yellow bean).  Loved the creamy, coconut-heavy dipping sauce with the hot crispy fried catfish.  Unfortunately, the otherwise delicious coconut basmati rice that came with the hoy prik thai (clams/green peppercorns/lime leaf) was a bit overpowering for the delicate sauce on the kaffir-accented clams (good but probably my least favorite dish).  I preferred it with the regular sticky rice.  Finally, the pla thua (whole fish/tamarind/basil) arrived, skin-on (although I removed it when I filleted the fish because I'm not a fan of fish skin when it isn't crispy) and prettily strewn with chilies and basil.  Another delicate sauce -- lemongrassy? -- that was lovely with the moist white fish, but not as intensely exciting as some of the earlier dishes had been.  We ended with fascinatingly strange little pastry knots, salty-sweet with garlic, fish sauce, and palm sugar, and a bizzaro bubble tea of sweet coffee with tapioca pearls.  (I'm a lifelong coffee hater, and I actually drank this!)

Here's hoping that Little Serow repeats this all-seafood experiment in the future.

gaap kai buu
coconut husk / mud crab / shrimp paste

yum hoy khohm
snails / snakehead fish / rice paddy herb

khai luuk khoei
steamed eggs / tamarind / crispy anchovy

pla som
fermented fish / lobster roe / yellow bean

hoy prik thai
clams / green peppercorns / lime leaf

pla thua
whole fish / tamarind / basil

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Is it crazy to go alone? -- I'd hate to let this menu go by, but am on my own tonight.

gaap kai buu
coconut husk / mud crab / shrimp paste

yum hoy khohm
snails / snakehead fish / rice paddy herb

khai luuk khoei
steamed eggs / tamarind / crispy anchovy

pla som
fermented fish / lobster roe / yellow bean

hoy prik thai
clams / green peppercorns / lime leaf

pla thua
whole fish / tamarind / basil

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I've never not gone alone.

I did; and it was spectacular.  The enthusiasm of everyone on the staff is palpable, genuine, and well-deserved:  Johnny, Anne and their team (most of whom have been with them for a *long* time--the loyalty and continuity speak volumes, too) are doing something no one else in D.C. is, and virtually to perfection.  There's good reason they're so enthused about sharing it with others.  This was the best meal I've had a in long, long time.  JCA76's description of it above is spot-on, except that I was even more enthusiastic about the gaap kai buu and khai luuk khoei.  The spatlese was perfect.  As was the soundtrack.  And the service.  When (not if) the seafood menu comes around again, you'd be crazy not to go.  But please don't spread the word *too* indiscriminately--there are only so many seatings over the course of five days!

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I did; and it was spectacular.  

I'm perfectly comfortable dining solo, but even for those who aren't, I think Little Serow has such a wonderfully genuine level of service, that they could make anyone feel like a welcome friend (the bar is the best place to be).

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I'm perfectly comfortable dining solo, but even for those who aren't, I think Little Serow has such a wonderfully genuine level of service, that they could make anyone feel like a welcome friend (the bar is the best place to be).

Oh, I agree --- it's not a comfort thing at all.  I knew I'd be welcomed and made to feel at home.  I only thought that there'd be *way* too much food for one person.  But that was only a bit true -- I finished everything (eight courses, as it turned out) except about half the fish (and of course they served me a much smaller bass than was served at tables for two or four).  A *lot* of food, but not unmanageable.

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What time did you get there, and how long was your wait? Wondering what the wait is like these days.

I arrived at 10:00 and waited five minutes.  My impression is that on Fridays and Saturdays, if you don't mind eating at 9:30 or later, you can assure yourself of doing so by signing up before 6; and even if you don't, if you arrive at 9:30 or so, odds are very good they'll be able to squeeze you in (for a solo or two-top, anyway) before they shut down.  Things are even more fluid on Tuesdays-Thursdays.

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FYI: Little Serow is doing another all-fish menu this week.  Only two of the seven dishes are repeats from the last pescatarian menu (the gap kai buu and pla som, in my review above), both of which I loved and am looking forward to eating again.  (Here's hoping that my flagging this doesn't increase the line when I go! :))

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FYI: Little Serow is doing another all-fish menu this week.  Only two of the seven dishes are repeats from the last pescatarian menu (the gap kai buu and pla som, in my review above), both of which I loved and am looking forward to eating again.  (Here's hoping that my flagging this doesn't increase the line when I go! :))

nam prik thai orn

eggplant / green peppercorn / shrimp paste

gap kai buu

coconut husk / mud crab / dried shrimp

tom kha hoy

cockles / galangal / lime leaf

yum mun phrai

fresh turmeric / shrimp / cashew

pla som

fermented fish / lobster roe / yellow bean

pla duk lam

catfish in bamboo / tamarind / basil

kaeng hang lay

bone-in fish / dried spices / pickled garlic

$55

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FYI: Little Serow is doing another all-fish menu this week. Only two of the seven dishes are repeats from the last pescatarian menu (the gap kai buu and pla som, in my review above), both of which I loved and am looking forward to eating again. (Here's hoping that my flagging this doesn't increase the line when I go! :))

I don't know who deserves the blame, but the line was unusually long and early when we attempted this in December after arriving maybe 40 minutes early. It's can be disheartening watching the singles ahead of you in line morph into twos and fours as the opening hour approaches. The solution is more fish menus, I suppose, and that should narrow this discussion down to assigning credit. The orchestration of this place from the kitchen to the front of house still makes me feel I am inhabiting a beautiful scene from a favorite movie.

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It's can be disheartening watching the singles ahead of you in line morph into twos and fours as the opening hour approaches. 

I've always felt there was something unfair to this, as people in line can't tell where they'll be when the restaurant opens (so now we've gone from "can't seat incomplete parties" to "can't queue incomplete parties"). :wacko:

Not sure what there is to do about it (maybe have a voluntary system with the people waiting wearing a number representing the expected number in their party?) - I suspect there are many stink-eyes thrown outside of both Little Serow and Rose's Luxury because of this.

I suspect people holding places in line wouldn't mind it if people behind them knew how many were to be in their party - the question is: how. Proposed solution: have a sign-in table that people can both sign and peak at when they arrive, with party name and expected number of guests - that way, arrivals would know the "true number" of how many people were in front of them. If these were my restaurants, that's probably what I'd try (isn't it a wonderfully clever idea?) :)

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I've always felt there was something unfair to this, as people in line can't tell where they'll be when the restaurant opens (so now we've gone from "can't seat incomplete parties" to "can't queue incomplete parties"). :wacko:

Not sure what there is to do about it (maybe have a voluntary system with the people waiting wearing a number representing the expected number in their party?) - I suspect there are many stink-eyes thrown outside of both Little Serow and Rose's Luxury because of this.

Definitely true @ Rose's.

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Just visited this weekend - I'm impressed that after three years they appear to be clicking on all cylinders both in terms of their food and service.

My only quibble is that the Mekong Whiskey Ribs is their mainstay dish on the menu. I've always enjoyed it but definitely don't rank it among the kitchen's best or most interesting dishes. But that's just one man's opinion.

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Every time I eat here I always ask myself why it's taken me so long to come back. I went a few weeks ago to try the all-fish menu, which absolutely lived up to all of the good things I'd heard. But rather than go into a review of how wonderful the food (always) is, I'm just going to mention that by the time I left Little Serow, the food, the warmth and friendliness of everyone who works there, and the contagious happiness of the people dining, had put me in the best mood I'd been in for months.

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