Tiny little Thai Square—the area’s best Thai restaurant—isn’t much to look at but what shows up on your plate will make you forget the industrial carpeting.
To appreciate how good the cooking is, try a full range of dishes. You might not think to mix catfish, duck, and pig knuckle, but Pad Ped Pla Dook (catfish in a spicy chili paste with Thai eggplant and rhizome), Crispy Honey Roasted Duck With Basil, and slow-cooked Pig Knuckle Stew are an excellent combination, the spice in the catfish complementing the sweetness of the duck and the aromatic stew. Even simple-sounding dishes like green curry, red curry, or sautéed assorted vegetables are remarkable for their depth of flavor. The food is neither sugary nor overly spicy but rather is marked by nuance and elegant saucing.
Thai Square fills up early, especially on weekends. There’s no bar area, so if you want to enjoy a Singha beer before dinner, arrive early and grab a table.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
