Sisters, The Living Room Cafe - Owner Sumonitita Disayawathana's Comfortable Thai in Downtown Fairfax and the Merrifield Mosaic District

[Ericandblueboy]

I had read about this restaurant in NoVA Magazine.  Since the menu didn't look more interesting than the decor, I had no intention of visiting.  However, today is the second day in a row that I showed up after 11 and was confronted with a "closed" sign in the door of Caribbean Corner.  So I walked around a bit to look for a place for lunch.  I noticed right next to Caribbean Corner is Le Mediterranean, Driss Zahidi's new joint - open but empty.  Another door down is Sisters Thai.
 
I ordered a lunch special of stir fried veggie & tofu with basil, which came with spring rolls.  I added chicken curry roti to flesh out my lunch.  The spring rolls were thin and crispy, filled with a little cabbage and carrots.  In general I find them so-so, and the version here is typical of what I've found.  The chicken curry had nice flavor but the curry was too salty; however, the rotis are buttery and light (better than Elephant Jump).  I did like the small plate of stir-fried veggies - there was discernable heat in the dish without any prompting on my part.  There is a board of Thai items with no translation.  I'll post a picture later, maybe Fishinnards can translate! 

[Ericandblueboy]

The menu board hung inside the library-esque restaurant.

[DonRocks]

The pictures remind me of how Queen Makeda feels downstairs, or maybe even the old Thai X-ing. Did you notice whether or not they serve beer and wine?

[Ericandblueboy]

The pictures remind me of how Queen Makeda feels downstairs, or maybe even the old Thai X-ing. Did you notice whether or not they serve beer and wine?

Unfortunately I didn't notice.

[Fishinnards]

Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce
Chinese broccoli with salted fish
Chinese broccoli with crispy pork belly
crispy pork belly with holy basil
rice with roast duck
rice with roast pork
seafood sukiyaki
yen ta fo
egg noodles with roast pork
rice noodles with… (pork, blurry)
rice noodles in tom yum
jungle curry
stir fried crispy fish in red curry paste

[Ericandblueboy]

Thanks! The Chinese broccoli with salted fish would draw me to this restaurant (and separate it in my mind from all the other generic Thai restaurants). Have you had Yen Ta Fo and would you recommend it? What about Jungle Curry, which sounds interesting in Wikipedia.

Wondering if there are any interested parties to check this place out in a small group on Fri 5/10 for early lunch (PM me if you are)?

Edited May 1, 2013 by Ericandblueboy

[Sthitch]

Did you notice whether or not they serve beer and wine?

The drink menu does not indicate any form of intoxicants. Only teas, juices, and frozen concoctions.

[Ericandblueboy]

I asked for Chinese broccoli with salted fish and there seems to be incomprehension on the part of my waitress so I pointed to the blackboard. Maybe she was just dumbfounded that I'm ordering off the blackboard. She did ask later if I speak Thai, and I confessed that I had the blackboard translated. In any case, they were out of salted fish so I ordered Chinese broccoli with crispy pork, and yen ta fo. The yen ta fo broth was a curious mixture of sweet and sour, and not pink. The tofu seemed like ordinary fried tofu. The bits of fresh seafood (shrimp & squid) were overcooked, and the frozen seafood balls tasted pretty ordinary too. I would definitely try this noodle soup again, elsewhere to see if it gets much better.

As for the broccoli and crispy pork, it was pretty good. You have to have good teeth and not be afraid to chew though. This dish is also available at Thai Square and Nava Thai, IIRC. I can't really say which one's the best as I recall liking them all.

[Sthitch]

At lunch last Friday my Crispy Prok with Holy Basil was delicious, though it was made with regular Thai basil as they could not procure the holy basil from the temple. The highlight of my dish was the pork which was properly rendered and just the right amount of chew.

I got the same reaction when I mentioned the dish being on the blackboard, but afterwards had one of the sisters come over to the table several times to talk to me about the dish.

[Fishinnards]

According to their facebook page, they will soon be opening a second location in the Mosaic District.

[DonRocks]

According to their facebook page, they will soon be opening a second location in the Mosaic District.

I contacted the owners of Sisters, and they're shooting for an Apr, 2015 opening.

[cheezepowder]

The Mosaic District location opened on May 31, 2015, according to Northern Virginia Magazine.

[MSDCX]

Wife and I ate here last night.  I don't understand all the praise this restaurant keeps receiving.  You could probably get the same Thai fare in Des Moines or Tampa, neither location well known for its authentic Thai food.  The setting and the menu are quirky and even somewhat charming, the service is adequate, but the food average at best.  The Num Tok, which is described as "Grilled steak thinly sliced with chili, onion, cucumber tossed with spicy dressing" was an absolute disaster.  What came on the plate was boiled, smelly beef that was not grilled tossed in lime and fish sauce dressing with loads of onions.  The aforementioned chilis and cucumbers were altogether missing from the plate.  The wife, after trying it, refused to eat it.  The Kaw Pow Fried Rice was fine as was the Pad Thai (the portions here are very generous but both dishes were very "one note" after a few bites), but the memory of the stinky salad will forever linger in my mind...

[John William G]

I ate at the Mosaic district Sisters yesterday and thought it was very good. And they do serve beer (I had one) and I think they also have wine.   

[Ericandblueboy]

Food is good, maybe 2 stars out of 4 for the Mosaic location.  The service is friendly and attentive.  Alas the location probably necessitated the relatively high prices.  

note to self - do not order the sausage again.

[weezy]

They have opened a branch in the north end of Old Town on Montgomery Street and N. Washington, a couple of blocks north of the Trader Joe's.  Had dinner there last night.  It has a bright boho-Modern decor, and there's a dessert shop called Magnolia's tucked inside.  Tables are well spaced and there's an uncovered patio for dining outside when the weather cooperates.    Didn't stray from the basics.  Rice paper veggie rolls with garlic dipping sauce were fresh with a little heat and very assertive Thai basil and the rice paper wasn't overly rubbery/sticky.  I got the chicken penang curry and my dining companion had the crispy duck curry, both were served in attractive handled brass bowls on a small stand that probably was supposed to have a tea light candle to keep the curry warm, but wasn't utilized that way.  Rice came on the side, maybe a generous 1/2 cup serving each.  The chili peppers were cut fairly large so you could avoid them if you wanted.  The sauce was very nicely balanced and fairly mild heat -- I could actually have had it amped up a bit -- and the chicken and veggies were properly cooked.  I think $16 for the chicken and maybe $18 for the duck.  Seemed reasonable for the portions and the quality.  There were some other interesting things on the menu under the street food section that I'll try another time.