Smile

I love Thai food and I especially crave it when it gets this cold. Though I enjoy going to Rice, Thaitanic, Bua and Busara, I've been in a rut. When D. suggested we go to her mom's favorite Thai place in Arlington, I couldn't get out of the office fast enough.

Sawatdee is a very short walk from the Courthouse metro station. Decorated in muted golds, lacquered blacks, and Thai fine crafts, we were seated right away by courteous staff. Though the place had a lot of patrons, it wasn't overly loud or crowded.

I've had a Paulaner with lunch, so I skipped an evening cocktail. We split an appetizer of calamari with a sweet chili sauce, flash fried. For entrees, we ordered Drunken Noodles with Beef and Pad-Peth-Pa, chicken sauteed with Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots, green beans and fresh basil leaves in chili sauce. The dish is wonderfully hot (noses run, lips tingle) and had a crunch and a freshness that is missing from the famous curries, and I was surprised to taste every ingredient (plus rice) in every bite. The Drunken Noodles were outstanding: they were firm, not mushy or unnecesarily greasy. To mirror the appetizer, we split a fried banana doused with simple syrup. Our bill, including tax and tip, came to 40 USD.

Even the staunchest DC-proper dinner should pay a visit to Sawatdee. I am looking forwad to trying other things on the menu. In this weather, I probably won't have too long a wait.

Sawatdee Thai Restaurant
Court House Plaza
2250 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA
www.sawatdee.net