Teaism

Teaism ($$) has become one of my regular stops in D.C. since I've moved here. There are three locations, conveniently all within 20 minutes from my dorm in Dupont Circle, Chinatown, and Penn Quarter (Note to tourists: the Penn Quarter location is close to all of the Smithsonian Museums so it is a convenient spot if you plan on going). Teaism is an Asian tea house, with full sized meals as well as smaller snack items. It is a great place to study or hang out for hours with a book because they have free refills which gives you a reason to be there for an extended period of time!

Iced Black Assam Tea with Lemon

Curried Chicken Salad with Apples, Celery, and Dressing on top of a bed of Lettuce with Tomatoes

My favorite dishes there are the Thai Chicken Curry (which is very spicy so make sure to grab at least two extra glasses of water when drinking), the Curried Chicken Salad, and the Salmon Bento Box which comes with brown rice, edamame, and a cucumber-ginger salad. They also have desserts such as Coconut Rice Pudding, Ginger Scones, and their famous Salty Oat Cookies. Okay, I know salt on a cookie may not sound that appealing- but there is a reason these cookies are their signature item. Now of course- the tea. Their Japanese Sweet Green Tea is my favorite, and the Assam Black Tea is a solid option. Their Ginger Limeade and Chai Shake are also great refreshing drinks.

Chicken Apple Sausages with a side of Naan and Raita (part of their Brunch Menu)

Thai X-ing

In my quest for a decent Thai place in D.C., I stumbled upon Thai X-ing ($$) on Yelp.com because of its rave reviews. I was intrigued and decided to check out the place with a few friends. We went to the restaurant and were happily surprised when we realized that this place is actually a man's home. There are two small tables, and the kitchen is visible where the owner, a Thai man, is the only chef. Unfortunately, the place was booked seeing as he could only cook one dish at a time and we would have had to wait hours, so we agreed to order take out in the future.

Tonight we made the trek out to Howard University to pick up take out (even though we would have loved to eat in his living room, we had to study). We ordered Shrimp Panang Curry, the Pad King Tofu, and a Chicken Stir Fry. We arrived and he poured out all of the dishes right from the stove, because he had just finished making them. The curry was so creamy and spicy, we scarfed it down. The Pad King Tofu came with fried tofu, fresh ginger,onions, black mushrooms, in a bean sauce. It was tasty, although light on the bean sauce. The Chicken Stir Fry with Chinese broccoli, onions, and sauce was also very good. Our take out was served in banana leaves, which was a nice touch.

Panang Curry (a spicy peanut, basil, and thai curry sauce) with Shrimp, Red Peppers, and Snow Peas

This authentic gem is well worth going. Next time, I hope to eat at the actual restaurant. It's right near the Howard University metro, so it's convenient!