Why go: This colorful cafe, from the original owners of Rockville’s popular Benjarong, has vaulted to the area’s top rank of Thai restaurants in its first year, thanks to smart sourcing, fine saucing, and a kitchen that excels in a variety of styles.
What to get: The area’s best larb, a piquant hash of ground chicken, lime, and peppers; “street style” barbecue-pork skewers, plump, juicy, smoky, and rich; chive dumplings; peppercorn shrimp, delicately cooked with young black peppercorns and thin bands of celery in a clean-tasting brown sauce; kao kha moo, slow-simmered pork roast with pickled lettuce.
Best for: Casual celebrations; good vegetarian dining.
Insider tip: Desserts seem to be an afterthought; consume your calories early.
>> See all 2010 Cheap Eats restaurants here
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.
