In the Neighborhood: Thai in Westover

In trying to decide where to eat this evening, I started craving something crunchy and spicy.  Spicy, like I wouldn't be able to taste anything for two days.  In retrospect, I think my mind may have been...exaggerating on that last point.  I'm glad my dinner wasn't that hot.  Anyway, given my fairly specific craving, I started thinking "duck" and "Thai."  Also, I wanted to try someplace new.  Crystal City and Columbia Pike both have some great Thai restaurants, but I was kind of just looking for a change of scenery (but without having to go too far!).  A little research led us to Thai Noy in Arlington's Westover neighborhood, and it turned out to be a fabulous choice.  The restaurant is tucked away in the same little shopping area as Lost Dog Cafe (also a great restaurant).  We dined early, so I think we beat the crowds.  There was parking available on the street, and the restaurant was only about a quarter full. 

Walking into the restaurant was incredibly relaxing.  The interior is cozy yet beautiful, and it was fairly quiet.  The menu is pretty extensive; it includes standards such as Pad Thai and a variety of curries, as well as some items that were new to me.  We ordered the crispy rolls as an appetizer, and they came out so quickly that I had to wonder about their freshness.  They were respectable though; they were nice and crunchy, and enough to take the edge off our hunger so we could enjoy our entrees.  I ordered the Duck Chu Chee (crispy! and spicy!) and my dining partner had the Wild Boar Basil.  The duck was delicious.  The fat had been nicely rendered and the skin was nice and crispy.  Most of the spice was in the sauce, and it was not nearly as hot as I had anticipated (or hoped?) - the spice was pleasant without being overwhelming, and could be controlled by varying the amount of sauce in each bite.  Overall, the dish really hit the spot.  The Wild Boar Basil was not nearly as exciting as the name would imply (it was pork, not boar), but delicious nonetheless.  The pork was a little overcooked (it was cut into thin stir-fry-style strips, which would be super easy to overcook), but overall the dish was delicious.  It had three chili peppers on the menu (the spiciest classification), but was not overwhelmingly spicy at all.  Both dishes did a very good job of using spice to enhance the flavor of the dish, rather than to mask it.  That being said, in the future I would consider asking them to amp up the spice just a little. 

Throughout the meal, people were coming in to get take-out orders, so I would image this place is pretty popular with people living in the neighborhood.  They are lucky to have it, and I definitely think it would be worth a trip back in the future!