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Siri's Chef's Secret - Surprisingly Good Thai, and a Greenbelt Staple for Many Years - Closed


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Pat said:
Our other favorite non-chain dining destination in Greenbelt was Chef's Secret, which I thought was surprisingly good, hidden in that little spot off Greenbelt Rd. near Beltway Plaza. With such an improbable name and location, I recall being surprised at how good it was. Googling, I see that it continues to exist in a different incarnation: http://www.sirichef.com/

You know, this place is surprising good. Not just better than the few other non-chains in Greenbelt, but I've actually had a couple meals here that I wouldn't be upset with even if I were eating at a Thai restaurant in DC proper. Not somewhere that anyone needs to go out of their way for, but for people working in Greenbelt (or even living here...gasp) I think this might be as good as it gets. I'd love someone to point out somewhere better to eat in Greenbelt, from what I've gathered so far its got two of every chain and not much else in terms of dining options.

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You know, this place is surprising good. Not just better than the few other non-chains in Greenbelt, but I've actually had a couple meals here that I wouldn't be upset with even if I were eating at a Thai restaurant in DC proper. Not somewhere that anyone needs to go out of their way for, but for people working in Greenbelt (or even living here...gasp) I think this might be as good as it gets. I'd love someone to point out somewhere better to eat in Greenbelt, from what I've gathered so far its got two of every chain and not much else in terms of dining options.

Chef's Secret used to be one of my favorites during its first incarnation when I lived in Greenbelt over 20 years ago. We used to bounce between Chef's Secret, the Calvert House, and the Alamo, depending on what we wanted and how much we wanted to spend. Of course, there wasn't much in the way of non-chain (or even chain) dining in that area in those days.

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dinwiddie said:
Chef's Secret used to be one of my favorites during its first incarnation when I lived in Greenbelt over 20 years ago. We used to bounce between Chef's Secret, the Calvert House, and the Alamo, depending on what we wanted and how much we wanted to spend. Of course, there wasn't much in the way of non-chain (or even chain) dining in that area in those days.

We must have lived in Greenbelt at the same time. As I recall from a Post review that hung in the entryway of the restaurant in the 1980s, the chef-owner (or someone in the family, maybe) was Thai. I don't remember there being a lot of Thai dishes on the menu then, but more of a Thai influence on some things. The fish was good. From the current information on the website, I'm wondering if the current owners are related to the original owner. The way they refer to getting the old recipes makes me thinks there's some connection. I see that they have both a Thai menu and an American menu.

I was able to find the information for the review (a special to the Post, March 27, 1986) but don't have premium access to the archives to read the whole thing. That review calls it "a remarkably good seafood restaurant," and refers to some inconsistencies in its "several years of existence." If I weren't so cheap, I'd buy the article and check up on my memory :blink:. There's always the library.

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We must have lived in Greenbelt at the same time. As I recall from a Post review that hung in the entryway of the restaurant in the 1980s, the chef-owner (or someone in the family, maybe) was Thai. I don't remember there being a lot of Thai dishes on the menu then, but more of a Thai influence on some things.

If I remember correctly, it was owned by two chefs, one Thai, one French.

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4 hours ago, mr food said:

Never had a meal there I would call better than average at best so no loss, IMO.

It's hard for me to evaluate so many years later, but when I lived at Springhill Lake (now called something else), for a good amount of that time without a car, Chef's Secret was most definitely the best restaurant within walking distance.  Bennigan's? Chi Chi's? Bob's Big Boy?  Chesapeake Bay Seafood House? TGIFriday?  Three Brothers was/is certainly good but a pizza joint, not the same type of place.  I'd say CS was more innovative than Sir Walter Raleigh Inn, which would have been the fine dining restaurant along that strip, though I only ate at SWR Inn when someone else paid.  The Fireside was okay and had Ledo's pizza (it was part of the family's business, I think). And Jasper's was Jasper's.  (Indeed, I did walk to both TGIF and Jasper's on occasion, but a car was a far better option.)  Eh, nostalgia.

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