Definitely Cross the Street for "Thai X-ing"

C Says...

I had heard rumors, urban legends, and/or stories about an amazing Thai restaurant tucked away between LeDroit Park and Shaw for about a year now. A mysterious place that you'd walk right by if you blinked. A place that served what was in season and what the chef felt like cooking. A place that required reservations and required that if you wanted beer or wine with your dinner, that you brought it yourself. Clearly, this is the kind of place that was right up my alley...no, it's not located in an alley.

Thai X-ing is in a word, unbelievable and one of the best meals I've had since Black Salt. This is a place that showcases the food, and rightly so. There is no ambiance to speak of (or air conditioning for that matter) aside from your fellow diners exclaiming how great the food is.

We were served a quasi prix fixe menu of six dishes for the whopping price of $30 each. I wasn't really sure how many items we'd be getting, so I probably could have slowed down the pace a little bit instead of shoveling food into my mouth, but it was so good. Like, really, really good. The first two dishes were a great yin yang of spicy vs. refreshing followed by mussels and cucumber soup. Then came the pumpkin curry, chicken that literally fell off the bone, drunken noodle, and finally mango sticky rice. I quite literally wanted to bathe in the pumpkin curry -- I mean who knew pumpkins held this magical power?

This Thai food was unlike any other I'd ever had, and what I one day hope to have in Thailand. So get to Thai X-ing NOW, but don't forget to make a reservation, bring your own booze, and tuck in for a wonderful meal.

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J Says...

The Other J had raved about his experience (with a previous partner, humph) at Thai X-ing so I was definitely excited when C announced it as her choice. And knowing it was BYOB, I saved the evening with a bottle of red...Snap Dragon, natch...as C forget hers at work (must have made for a great day after in the office!).

The food is, quite frankly, a blur for me...a cornucopia of smells, flavors and temperatures. And at the rate by which the food was coming out, I had little time to just savor the options and stem my head sweating. Most of the dishes C described above were heavenly, though I was not a fan of the cucumber soup. And I barely remember the mango sticky rice dessert, as C engulfed it like a Venus flytrap to a, well, fly. In all we had 6 courses and were completely full after the hour-plus straight of eating.

Now, if you are looking for romantic settings or ambiance of any kind, you should walk on by Thai X-ing. The seating is cramped, the kitchen is cooking you as it cooks your food, and the ability for drifters to come in off the street is unnerving (no, really, a homeless guy tapped me on the shoulder asking for a cigarette in the middle of my meal). But in terms of quality..and quantity..of food, absolutely call and make the reservation. What a hidden gem...literally.


Thai X-ing - 515 Florida Ave NW, 202.332.4322, www.thaix-ing.com

All Over the Board with El Quatro Opinions on "El Centro"

C Says...

When J said we were going to El Centro for this month’s dinner, I immediately put on my Southern California, “DC doesn’t make good Mexican food (unless it’s from a truck)” hat and was happy to judge this newest take on re-imagined classic Mexican dishes.

Now, I love Mexican food. I love the spices, the flavors, and the traditions, so the bar was high. I have to say El Centro came very close and may have met it. We started with guacamole and queso fundido. The guacamole was nice, but not nearly as “spicy” as the waiter claimed it would be. The queso fundido was fantastic and we literally scraped the mini skillet it came in clean.

For my entrée I asked the waiter to help me decide: chili relleno? Enchiladas divorciadas? Tacos carnitas? I went with the enchiladas and they were delicious. Not overly sauced like so many places do. Delicious chicken and nicely paired with beans and rice. The waiter even brought me a side of habanero salsa that was in a word amazing. This was like no other salsa I’ve had in a restaurant before. I may have asked to bathe in it.

A few downsides – really noisy dining room (yes, I’m getting old) and sub-par cocktails. But, if you’re looking for something akin to the Mexican food of the west coast, El Centro is your best bet, unless of course you find a food truck in Arlington.


L Says...

Feeling so honored to join C, J & The Other J, I was ready to let the snark flag fly about Mexican food in DC (I had a 6 years stint in California so I think I'm legit). Besides the tasteless guacamole and watered down margarita, I was extremely impressed with the queso fundido (translation: gooey awesome cheese in a skillet) and the pork carnitas which were -- and I hate this word -- moist. There was a huge portion of carnitas served with pickled radishes, corn tortillas, more tasteless guac, smooth green salsa, and ridiculously spicy orange salsa which I thought J2 would have bathed in if he could.

Overall: not much to snark at...is it wrong I'm a little disappointed?


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J Says...

This wasn't my first time at El Centro, but it was my foursome review for the blog, so it met some-ish requirement of this site. And it was a treat to have The Other J and "L" (per Federal Witness Protection Program) join us.

Since the ladies above described our appetizers in great detail, particularly the less-than-stellar guacamole, I will concentrate on my dinner. I ordered the 3 Tacos Chicken Tinga which, while a bit messy, was filling. There is certainly flavor, but not as distinctive as the average Chevys. In that regard, it wasn't the delivery I was expecting for a Richard Sandoval restaurant...but the prices weren't blown out of proportion either.

All in all, it's an experience to go, but there are more interesting restaurants popping up in that part of DC to try...and way better margaritas/mojitos/fill-in-the-blank at run-of-the-mill Mexican joints. (And no, I'm not endorsing Tortilla Coast...though it IS opening just a few blocks away from El Centro).


The Other J Says...

Having dined at El Centro before, I knew basically what to expect. Huge space downstairs (though with dim lighting), tasty margaritas, guacamole made at the table, and pretty good fish tacos. I had an enjoyable experience and was looking forward to coming back. This time around we sat upstairs near the open kitchen area, which I had thought would be rather loud. However, I was pleasantly surprised that we could have a conversation without yelling... and the lighting was much better.

We started with the guacamole and queso fundido. The guacamole was just spicy enough and incredibly fresh. But I definitely preferred the queso fundido. The melted cheeses were amazing and I found myself scraping the plate so I wouldn't leave any behind. For the main course, I chose the carne asada with chimichurri/chile morita sauce and a sweet corn tamale. The steak was cooked to perfection (rare) and was very juicy. C had an extra side of habanero salsa and I utilized that to add some extra spice. And I absolutely loved the sweet corn tamale. It really balanced out the spiciness of the steak. Of course, I washed all this down with several margaritas.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my second visit to El Centro and will definitely go back for round three!


El Centro - 1819 14th Street NW, 202.328.3131, www.richardsandoval.com/elcentrodf/