Food

Cheap Eats 2009: Amina Thai

Great food, low prices, lots of fun

Why go: Stellar curries are served up in this colorful, cozy restaurant that pays attention to ingredients—shrimp are plump and flavorful, and all the meat is halal (slaughtered according to Muslim law).

What to get: The spicy minced-chicken salad called larb gai; crisp-skinned spring rolls; mussels steamed with lemongrass; curry-painted chicken satay; fiery Penang curry with chicken; lush green curry with shrimp.

Best for: Quiet catch-up meals.

Insider tip: The restaurant is Muslim-owned, so don’t expect beer or wine, and forget about ordering pork.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

>> See all 2009 Cheap Eats restaurants here

Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

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.