Batik
200 Main St.
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
301-869-8661
Neighborhood: Gaithersburg
Cuisines: Thai, Tapas/Small Plates, Pan-Asian, Malaysian/Indonesian
Price Range: Inexpensive
Dress: Informal
Noise Level: Chatty
Reservations: Not Needed
Website: http://www.batikasiancuisine.com/
Best Dishes:
Pork dumplings with cabbage; sweet potato/ginger/squash dumplings; Madras Magic dumplings; firecracker shrimp; skewered pork; mee goreng; chicken stir-fried with basil; Malita sticky rice.
Why go: The dumplings, salads, noodles, and curries are a fusion not just of Asian cooking styles but also of rusticity and stylishness. So is the bamboo-bedecked cafe, which weds a tiki bar to a bistro.
What to get: Pork dumplings with cabbage and green onion; “Squash It!” dumplings stuffed with sweet potato, ginger, and squash; firecracker shrimp, enrobed in dumpling skin and fried until crispy; skewered, glazed pork; mee goreng, a hearty noodle dish brimming with fresh, well-cooked veggies and finished off with fried shallots; a stir-fry of basil-strewn chicken.
Best for: Grazing or snacking before or after shopping or a movie.
Insider tip: The bigger plates, including curries and noodles, are sized for family-style dining.
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