Eat: Little Serow

And I was back in DC.

Why were you there, you ask? Well, movie meetings, and as we get closer to this grand event I will share many more details. But after two days of meetings, shmoozing, and air kisses, the introvert in me was aching for a dark corner and quiet.

A bonus in traveling to our nation's capital is visiting with my dashingly charming cousin, a recent resident of the District. Inevitably he is dragged out as my dinner date, this is a perk for him. This adventure we decided to try the Thai restaurant all of DC was raving about, Little Serow.

Little Serow is a tiny bungalow tucked downstairs on 17th St. It has no sign and sits next to Komi, one of the city's best restaurants. 

I get the exclusivity of being a secret, tucked away place- but two things happen as a result of this:

1. You get people like myself, who are doomed to stroll back in forth in very high heels looking for the right door to walk in to, hoping it's not someone's home (Surprise!)
All for your own Folly.
and
2. Who doesn't love a good font? I do! I love fonts, I love information! No sign just makes a restaurant seem incomplete.

Welcome.

Nevertheless I found it (thank you Yelp and all your user reviews). It's a very cute space. Low-key, easy, quiet- not a lot of money spent on the decor, but it's darkly lit so you barely notice and it really doesn't matter. Little Serow is all about the food.

This restaurant is a set menu, 7 courses of whatever the kitchen makes that night, served family style. No reservations so come early or later for the best chance to not wait, there are only 6 or so tables and a bar, so the line for entry can stretch down the street. 

We grabbed two seats at the bar and promptly ordered our drinks. Because, of course. 

After viewing the menu (really just to be informed) our first food to be delivered was a basket full of vegetables and a pile of sticky rice. Odd, we thought, but beautifully presented. "This is to counteract some of the spice should you need to, and also to cleanse your palate between courses." Right, ok.

My friends had warned me "The food is good, but spicy." When you arrive the hostess tells you, "The food has a lot of spice," when you sit down your waitress says, "The food has a high level of heat.". I GET IT, IT WILL BE SPICY. But saying that and experiencing that, are quite different. I have never chugged that much water in my life. And that vegetable basket? Gone. Gone and refilled. At one point Sean told the waitress just to leave the water pitcher.

The flavors developed in the varying dishes were exquisite and complex. I appreciated the menu structure and was a fan of nearly every dish. Except the snakehead fish dumpling soup, that was not a success. But every person we've told about it's existence is absolutely ENTHRALLED by this idea. I would imagine they stop listening at snakehead.

My favorite by far was the tofu and in no way do I eat a diet that includes tofu. That impressed me Mr. Chef.

By the time our 6th course was coming our way, I thought my mouth would never be the same again. Our waitress presented the dish saying, (and I paraphrase because the spice had interfered with my hearing) "This dish has sweet Thai chilies that are mild (me: OOH!) at first, then slowly gain heat and leave a lingering spice on your palate." (me: Nonononono).

This was the duck, which was also delicious

Honestly I don't know if I was full from the food or the copious amounts of water and sticky rice I shoved down my throat, but once we paid our check, the conversation went something like....

Me: "I am so full, I don't know if I can ever consume anything again."
Sean: "Bar?"
Me: "Yep, let's go."

Would I recommend Little Serow? YES. Not only is the food delicious, but you know what? Life is an adventure. You'll never experience it to its fullest if you don't get out of your comfort zone and explore every now and then.

P.S.: It's spicy.