I've lived in D.C. for almost four years and throughout those four years, I have never experienced Thai food. Since D.C. is one of the most international cuisine friendly cities, I've had food from all over the world: Indian, Chinese (traditional Chinese, not P.F. Changs...), Japanese, French--the list could go on and on; but never Thai food.When my fellow foodie first discovered that I had not enjoyed the peanut goodness that is Thai food, he demanded we go out and find some that night. Through careful research, we found Mai Thai. I chose it for the name, he chose it for the reviews--great decision making, don't you think?
I'm not one to order drinks at restaurants; personally, I'd rather eat, it is why I'm there after all, so we ordered the Golden Bags as an appetizer. I was not expecting the title of the dish to be a literal translation to what we were served. Indeed, six little golden bags were presented and I was overjoyed. They looked like little money bags and I half expected a dollar sign to be on the side of each one. Since I was already won over by the aesthetics, I expected these golden bags to taste good too. I was not disappointed. A smaller version of a samosa, the Golden Bags were filled with potato, corn, onion, chicken, and curry. Paired with sweet and sour dipping sauce, this appetizer a quick favorite of the night.
For my entree, I ordered the pineapple red curry with chicken. Just a note to anyone who has not dined at Mai Thai: pay attention to those chili symbols because they were not kidding when they said it was spicy. Although my lips were going numb because of the intense heat, I did enjoy eating the pineapple, as it helped take off the spicy edge.
Ryan ordered the chicken with peanut sauce, which tasted like melted peanut butter. The peanut was a little overwhelming for me but he loved it! Then again, he does eat peanut butter on a regular basis. We made our way back to Mai Thai this afternoon for lunch and we received the same pleasant service we received previously. Ryan ordered the chicken and peanut sauce again but I opted to try the Pad Thai. It was delicious and even though I felt I hate half my weight in noodles, there was still enough to bring home for leftovers.
If you love Thai food or are new to the cuisine, Mai Thai is a wonderful place to enjoy a meal. Prompt service, decent size portions and a fun atmosphere, made this restaurant a favorite for me and I hope you enjoy as much as I did!
Mai Thai is located at
1200 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
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