Review: Thai X-ing

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting some friends for dinner at Thai X-ing, an authentic (you guessed it) Thai food restaurant in Shaw.  I had been to Thai X-ing before with the BF - we enjoyed our meal there, but it wasn't as wonderful as others had proclaimed, so I didn't bother to write about it here.  However, this second visit did in fact live up to those high expectations and so I thought I should share some details on this experience.

Dining at Thai X-ing is in fact an experience.  The restaurant is located inside a row house on Florida Avenue; you could easily miss it except for the hostess who is usually standing outside the entrance.  We were ushered inside by said hostess and, as we were a slightly larger group, we were sat at the larger, low table by the front window.

I had called ahead to make my dietary preferences known, and our server checked in with all of us before the meal began for allergies and preferences.  Food arrived almost immediately, but not before we had a chance to open the wine we had brought (yup, Thai X-ing is a rare BYOB in DC).

First up: Papaya Salad and Tom Yam soup.  Two of the simplest, yet also my favorite, Thai dishes.  The salad was perfectly crunchy and just spicy enough to wake up your taste buds.  The soup also had a delicate balance of spice (from the lemongrass and ginger) and sweetness (from the rich coconut milk).  I could have been satisfied with just those two dishes, but there was much more to come.

The main dishes all came out at once:  Pumpkin Curry, Bean Sprouts with Tofu, and Drunken Noodles with Tofu, plus a fish and beef dish for the carnivorous folks in the group.  Plus a mountain of fluffy white rice.  My favorite by far was the Pumpkin Curry - slightly spicy, yet also so creamy.  I am determined to replicate this dish at home sometime soon.
 

 

And finally... Mango Sticky Rice.  While we all proclaimed to be too stuffed to continue, we ate every last bite of this amazing dessert.  Another dish I am determined to learn how to make and perfect. 

We all left too full, but also very satisfied.  I love to try new foods, and it is so much more fun to share this experience with friends and loved ones.