Local Asian Cuisine: Foggy Bottom's Thai Place Restaurant

This week, I decided to review Thai Place, a small restaurant located on the George Washington University's Foggy Bottom campus. The reason I chose this restaurant was to give those traveling to DC an idea of where to go for a low-key, local place to get good food. 

the bar

The restaurant is small and very casual... perfect for a relaxing evening! It's a very popular place among university students, so prices are reasonable. 

For an appetizer, my friend Carlo and I split an appetizer of the fried calamari. The calamari itself was very tasty-but what really made the appetizer stand out among others that I've tried was the sauce. It was mildly spicy, but sweet at the same time. Very delicious! I would go back to Thai Place just to get the calamari again!

calamari

I ordered the Pad Thai entree, with rice noodles, chicken, egg, bean sprouts, and ground peanuts. What made this dish really outstanding was the consistency of the noodles... they were cooked just enough--not over-cooked in the least. It was a very balanced combination of sweet and salty, and the chicken was beyond satisfactory. 

pad thai

Carlo ordered Pad See Eww, with wide rice noodles, brocolli, and a special soy sauce with chicken. It was  a very good dish.... salty, but tasty, with a lot of soy flavoring. The broccoli was cooked perfectly; steamed to the right level of firmness, and a perfect addition to the dish. If I didn't like my own meal so much, I would have wanted his! 

pad see eww

Overall, Thai Place was a provided a very authentic experience. The dishes weren't elaborately decorated... the scenery wasn't picturesque... but the quality was undoubtedly very impressive. The prices were very reasonable; most entrees didn't exceed $10-$14 dollars, and the portions were just right. Not too much, but not too little. Whether it be a casual meal, or a late night bar run, Thai Place is a guaranteed to give you a local taste of DC's thai cuisine. Yum!

While you're on Foggy Bottom's campus, take a stroll down Virginia Avenue and visit the shops in the historic Watergate Building. If you are interested in classical music, plan the night around a performance at the John F. Kennedy Center. If you don't want to spend money, the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage offers free performances Monday through Friday at 6 PM. Get a taste of the George Washington University's beautiful campus, or take a stroll down to the historic waterfront, where you can enjoy after dinner drinks at an outdoor bar, or grab dessert at the local gelato place.

If you want reasonably priced, authentic Thai cuisine, with a variety of options within walking distance, I would definitely recommend Thai Place!

Things to do in Chinatown: Oya Restaurant & Lounge

For my second blog post, I decided to go to Oya, a contemporary Asia-French fusion restaurant in Chinatown. It was certainly a lot different from the previous restaurant, Meiwah, that I reviewed last week. I expected it to be a nice restaurant, but when I first walked into Oya, I was truly impressed. To the right, there is a marble desk (similar to that of a luxury hotel) with two hosts ready to welcome you. I was greeted immediately, and was encouraged to over toward the bar area where they were having happy hour. Looking over toward the bar, I could see the rectangular marble fireplace built deep into the wall, with a low flame spanning the length that connected the two sides of the bar. The walls were ornate and decorated with a combination of shimmering light gold & black and white swirled wallpaper, to match the black and white marble that was found all throughout the restaurant. Directly in front of the restaurant is a lounge area, with couches, black and white throw pillows, and marble tables with candles in the center.

the lounge/bar area

When my friends arrived, we were seated in the main dining area, which was very loud. In addition to the music that was on in the background, the restaurant was very loud in general. I could barely make conversation with my friends without repeating myself once or twice. We had a reservation for 7:30, which seems to be a very busy time for the restaurant, and although they had a room or two for private parties, I think the overall noise level would be better if the restaurant were split up into different parts, rather than one big dining room.

one of the private rooms to the side

fireplace in the main dining room

the main dining room

When we were seated, the waiter was very nice and welcoming. Of course, I had to repeat my order twice, because it was so loud! He brought us small bread puffs while we looked at the menu. They are small but very good!

bread puffs (for a lack of a better name)

The menu had a lot to offer--everything from sushi, to fish & chips, lobster mac and cheese, and BBQ sticky ribs. Each item on the menu had its own asian twist, which I found to be very interesting. While it would be easy to spend a lot of money on one of their entrees, it is possible to order cheaply. I ordered the spicy california rolls, as well as the spinach-eggplant dish as a side dish, which total $14 without tip. The portions were just the right size~and I didn't leave the restaurant overly full.

spicy california rolls

japanese eggplant & spinach. yum!

Both of my dishes were amazing! The eggplant was very flavorful, and the sushi was perfect! I would definitely order both of them again!

My roommate Trinh ordered the shrimp bowl and the Mai Thai chicken salad. I tasted a bite of both, and they were just as good as mine! I especially liked the shrimp bowl; the rice wasn't the least bit dry, and it went really well with the shrimp. The chicken salad was also good- i've never had anything like it. It was a combination of green papaya, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, peppers, crispy noodles, and a sesame honey vinegarette.

mai thai chicken salad

shrimp bowl

My friend Alex got the roasted chicken, which came with coriander risotto, asparagus, and mushroom stew. It tasted as good as it looked!

roasted chicken

My friend Anna ordered the grilled beef serloin, which came with coriander pepper, ginger carrots, and fingerling potatoes. I tried a bite-and was very impressed! The meat was perfect, but the potatoes were a bit bland. The carrots were my favorite-the ginger definitely added a special touch!

grilled beef serloin

Even the restrooms looked nice! 

nice bathroom!

the walkway to the bathroom.....and my roommate being silly 

Since it was a full house, it did take a long time to get our food. While the service was friendly, I left the restaurant feeling as if they could have been more attentive to our table, especially since there was a long wait. The waiters seemed very rushed and distracted, which is something the restaurant could use improvement on.

Overall, I was very pleased with Oya. The food and decor were amazing; and if it hadn't been for the noise level in the restaurant, I would have said it was the perfect restaurant. I would definitely recommend to go for an early dinner or happy hour. From the six dishes I tried, I have a feeling that anything on the menu would exceed expectations!

If you are looking for other things to do in Chinatown, there are a variety of options.  Located right beside the Chinatown metro (about two tenths of a mile from Oya- about a 4 minute walk), there is a bowling alley, a sports bar, a movie theatre, and a Haagen Dazs all within the same indoor complex. Click the link below for movie show times!

Click here to see what's showing at the Gallery Place Regal Cinema

The Lucky Strike Bowling Alley is also a convenient before or after dinner activity for those who want to spend more time in Chinatown.

The Verizon Center is also located right beside the Chinatown metro. Click here to view upcoming Verizon Center events, ranging from music to sports!

Whatever you choose to do in Chinatown, Oya Restaurant & Lounge is a very unique, trendy restaurant to enjoy a meal, and is sure to please!

A DC Celebrity Hot-Spot: Meiwah Restaurant

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, I went to Meiwah on New Hampshire Avenue for dinner. As one of the most widely known restaurants in D.C., Meiwah prides itself on the number of celebrities that it attracts, and brags by posting their pictures all over their walls as a showcase. To see a celebrity list, click here. It is named one of the best Chinese restaurants in the District, and at a reasonable price. From traditional dishes to exotic mixed drinks, Meiwah certainly has a lot to offer! 

While the decor in the restaurant itself is average, the quality of the food makes up for the difference. The restaurant is known for providing one of the best values for Chinese food in D.C., and after experiencing it myself, I would have to agree. Meiwah provides a vast variety of menu options, and even provides Atkins friendly entrees.

When arriving at the restaurant, the hostess seated me and my friend Carlo in the front of the restaurant near the large glass window right beside the street. The service was prompt and friendly, although, not overly talkative. I ordered the spring rolls for an appetizer--which came with two types of sauces. The first was a sweet sauce, and the second was a spicy mustard sauce. The mustard sauce was EXTREMELY spicy. My eyes were watering before I even knew what hit me; it felt like I swallowed a ball of fire--I even felt the burn through my nose!  It was very good--but it needs a warning label!

Carlo ordered the wonton soup and was very pleased with it. Nice and meaty :-) 

For dinner, I ordered orange chicken, and Carlo ordered duck with "special duck sauce". The orange chicken was amazing--a far cry from my usual chinese take out! What I liked best about the chicken was that it wasn't completely smothered by the orange sauce; rather than having a mound of syrup over the chicken--it was lightly glazed, giving it the perfect flavoring. The pieces of chicken were large and the beef fried rice went wonderfully with the dish. I also took a bite of Carlo's entree, and tried it with the sauce. The duck itself was good-but it was the sauce that made all of the difference. Although we didn't know what was in the "special sauce", it definitely gave the duck a nice salty taste.  

Duck

Duck Sauce

Orange Chicken and Beef Fried Rice

The food came out very quickly, and the waiters cleared our plates as soon as we finished eating. The language barrier prevented any small talk with the waitress, and while we didn't feel rushed, the entire meal process was rather quick. If I were to go back, I would ask to sit away from the front entrance of the restaurant; the large glass window facing the street was almost distracting throughout the meal, and made it less relaxing. Although the restaurant seemed a bit more americanized in decor than I expected (not to mention, the lack of square plates and chopsticks), I was very pleased. The food at Meiwah is exceptional, and I highly recommend it!!

Meiwah is about a mile away from the White House, and about half of a mile from Dupont Circle, one of DC's best night-life locations. With an endless list of bars and clubs, Dupont Circle is one of the most popular places to be in DC, especially on the weekend!!