Eating Vicariously V - Haad Thai Etc.

My "Eating Vicariously" series is a romp through some interesting local eating establishments in the Washington, DC area . . . places I would like to be eating at right now if that were possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. I certainly plan to visit these places and others once this crisis is over and we are able to return to some degree of normalcy . . . whatever that will look like. 

The Washington, DC metropolitan area is brimming with ethnic restaurants reflecting the profusion of immigrant communities who have made it their home. I am hard pressed to come up with a style of ethnic cooking that cannot be found within a hour’s drive from my home in the Maryland suburbs. And whereas most of these restaurants can be found embedded in District and suburban neighborhoods where these communities reside, there are a few more upscale locations in downtown Washington catering to the daytime lunch crowds, those staying at local hotels, and others who come into the city in the evening for the theatre or sporting events.  

I discovered Haad Thai, located at the corner of New York Avenue and 11^th Street, NW, when it first opened in 1995 in a space formerly occupied by the downtown Greyhound Bus terminal (built in 1940). Besides being a major transit point for soldiers and sailors during World War II, this art deco terminal was also the departure point for the "Freedom Ride 1961" to New Orleans. Sponsored by the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE), the purpose of the trip was to protest the failure to enforce the Supreme Court decision that the segregation of public buses was unconstitutional.

I first visited the terminal in the summer of 1964 as part of a school group from Asheville, North Carolina visiting the New York World’s Fair and the sites of Washington, DC. We stopped there in the wee hours of the morning for a break before continuing to New York City. It seemed like a typical bus station full of travelers and others down on their luck and no place else to go.

By the 1970s, the terminal was one more piece of the decrepit puzzle that was downtown Washington beyond the government buildings surrounding the Mall. The Greyhound terminal moved closer to Union Station in the early 1980s and it appeared that the old terminal would become another victim of the wrecking ball as New York Avenue became the focus of an urban renovation project anchored by the old Washington Convention Center constructed next door, in 1980-1982 (replaced and demolished in 2004). Thankfully at least the art deco facade of the old bus terminal was designated a National Register Historic Site in 1987, and it was incorporated as the entrance and lobby of a new office and commercial complex completed in 1991 as part of the north end of the new Penn Quarter district neighborhood. 

Haad Thai opened its doors in this new complex in February 1995. At that time my office was located just two blocks down 11^th Street and it quickly became a regular lunchtime hang-out. In my last posting I mentioned that Stoney’s, a former regular lunchtime venue a few blocks away, was a place where everyone knew my name, so too Haad Thai over time although most of the staff referred to me simply as "Mr. Thai Beer" because I always ordered a bottle or two of Singha to accompany my meal. In fact, one would arrive at my table before I had a chance to order it. And despite the lunchtime crowds of office workers and folks attending events across the street at the convention center, they managed to find a table for me. The service was always fast and friendly and I was able to return to work well fed and on time. Chatree "Charles" Kiatrungrit, the owner of Haad Thai, always made it a point to stop by my table to chat for a few moments. He, like his staff, made me feel like I was someone special. And it was not pro forma; he remembered details from past conversations. It was a perfect stress-free place to escape the office for an hour or so. Frequently I would stop in for a beer in the evening on my way to the Metro station, and on occasion I might even stay for a light dinner. Often while eating I tried to re-imagine this space decades earlier - weary travelers waiting for their buses home or to some unknown horizon. 

I continued to be a regular customer until my retirement in March 2010. I still make the effort to eat at Haad Thai on my less frequent forays into the city, but I have to say that I miss the pleasant ambiance, the solicitous service, the friendly faces, but most of all, the wonderful food. And then there is that lovely mural that surrounds the dining room that brings to mind soft sea breezes and the sibilate sound of the gentle waves brushing the shoreline at sunset. The scene reminds me of photos a good friend sent me from the beaches at Phuket. The ceiling is black and studded with tiny lights reminding one of the stars that arrive after sunset over the Andaman Sea. I often think of Haad Thai even before the time of COVID-19 made a return trip for the moment impossible. 

For years the dishes offered by Haad Thai have been the benchmark by which I measure the cuisine at other Thai establishments. Like anyone else, there are particular dishes I prefer over others. This is not to say that the others are not good; they are when I decide to try something new. I just

tend to eat what I enjoy best. In the case of Haad Thai, I always started out with a bowl of Tom Kha Gai, thin chicken breast medallions drowned in a rich coconut milk broth along with sliced mushrooms and spiced with fresh ginger, lime juice, basil leaves, and powdered red Thai chili. On occasion I would order the Tom Yum instead - a shrimp floating in a spicy lemon grass broth. Next came the appetizer which was normally an order of satay - wooden skewers of grilled chicken served with a spicy peanut sauce and small dish of sliced onion and cucumber with slivers of carrot in a subtle sweet sauce. Or larb, finely minced chicken and vegetables mixed with lime juice, mint and various herbs served with a lettuce wedge. Finally, the entree of choice. Frequently this

was what I consider Haad Thai’s signature dish - Ka Prow. Thin sliced chicken medallions with fresh basil leaves and slices of red bell pepper in an aromatic and tart green chili pepper and garlic sauce. Every once in awhile I would substitute roasted duck, or a seafood medley of shrimp, scallops and squid. Another standby was Ka Tiem, sliced marinated pork in a white pepper and garlic sauce. These dishes were always well spiced but never over the top. Additional heat is provided, if you request it. Each dish is served over rice with steamed yet crunchy broccoli or snow peas. Who ever had room for dessert of which Haad Thai offers several?

*****

Being a regular customer at Haad Thai during the latter half of the 1990s and into the first decade of the new century, I could not help but notice when a modest sushi restaurant - Sushi AOI - opened next door. Being a sushi afficionado I could not help but wander in one day so see what it had to offer. What struck me immediately was the ambiance I had discovered at the adjacent Haad Thai, and soon I recognized some of the same familiar and friendly faces. Much of what I liked about the ambiance of Haad Thai was in evidence here, too, and it soon became apparent why. Charles Kiatrungrit is also part owner of Sushi AOI although his partner, Sumiko Abe, was the delightful hostess who extended the same hospitality as her friendly next door neighbor. And what wonderful food and atmosphere squeezed into such a small space - a short sushi bar and just a smattering of tables. Sushi AOI quickly became my regular sushi stop, usually on my way home from work when I would enjoy the de rigeur miso soup and very reasonably priced sushi and sashimi offerings washed down with hot sake and/or a variety of Japanese beers.

A few years later Charles Kiatrungrit open the third of his establishments at the corner of New York Avenue and 11^th Street, NW. Mazu was a Pan-Asian lounge, another intimate space with a long bar and a separate dining area, where I would frequently enjoy a half-priced beer or two during happy hour which also offered cheap yakitori, a Japanese version of satay, edamame, or a spicy tuna roll.

After my retirement in 2010 Charles Kiatrungrit closed Mazu in order to enlarge his adjacent Sushi AOI which had proven too small to handle diners seeking out reasonably priced sushi and sashimi in downtown Washington. The former Sushi AOI space has since been reborn as Noodles on 11, a Pan-Asian noodle house offering Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese noodle dishes. Sad to say I have not yet had an opportunity to dine here but I look forward to correcting this oversight as soon as possible. If it is good as its three predecessors at this downtown corner, I am certain I will not be disappointed.

And while I am at it, it is time to return to the more familiar Haad Thai and Sushi AOI. It has been far too long. I miss the ambiance and the friendly faces. And I can already smell and taste the Tom Kha Gai and the Kaprow.