thai x-ing: redux

last night ww and i returned to the scene of our favorite thai meal of all time. (and we've tried a lot of thai in the district.) thai xing is not even really a restaurant, but a little rowhouse in the shaw neighborhood of dc. there is no menu, but the chef cooks up about 7 different courses of authentic thai dishes, and brings them out to you as soon as they're ready.  everyone in the restaurant is eating the same thing, and you kinda feel like you're at a dinner party, except everyone is sitting at different tables.

making a reservation is usually stressful: you call a few weeks in advance, leave a message on the machine with what day & time you want to come, and someone may or may not call you back.  the last time we ate here we came on sunday night which is vegetarian night.  while totally delicious, we felt we had to come back to experience a full-on meaty night before leaving dc.

 

the restaurant is all byob, (with no corking fee!) and there's a set menu of $30/person on thursday nights -- which is a steal. the last time we were here, the restaurant consisted only of a tiny, 4-table basement, and we sat at a table that was practically inside the kitchen. and that ww's legs did not fit under.  last night we were pleasantly surprised to learn that they have expanded into the upstairs level of the rowhouse, and we were given a much more spacious table.

our first course was a delicious cucumber soup -- a peanut based broth with a pork-stuffed cucumber in the middle -- followed by an incredibly spicy papaya salad and a chopped up chicken and bean sprout stirfy. (kind of like the inside of a lettuce wrap.)  all delicious, but the cucumber soup stole the show.

next out was literally one of the best things i've ever tasted: the famous pumpkin curry served with white rice. i could probably eat that everyday. with the curry came some duck that fell right off the bone, in a smoky thai bbq sauce, and another chicken dish that i can't even explain.

thinking this was surely the last course, i sat back praying the top button of my pants would not pop off.  but then out came a steaming plate of pad see ew, wide egg noodles covered in peanuts with tomatoes and mushrooms in a sweet brown sauce. i thought i was full, but i kept eating... i never turn down a plate of noodles. finally, they brought us dessert: fresh mango with sweet steamed sticky rice on a banana leaf. yum.

 such a unique dining experience, such amazing food, and a place we will miss so much.

**this week i started to worry that all this bucket-listing was going to take a major toll on my waistline. a wise friend named abby told me "you have all your life to work out. you only have one more week to eat everywhere in dc." she's smart.