Washington Post 2020 Fall Dining Guide Review of Baan Siam

Tuesday October 20, 2020

Washington Post 2020 Fall Dining Guide Review of Baan Siam

Baan Siam gets it all right.

There’s not a bite out of place at this youthful retreat from the owners of the late Baan Thai. If it weren’t for the pandemic and my wish to eat under the radar, I’d be tempted to high-five chef Jeeraporn Poksupthong. To taste her tender pork shoulder, sharp with ginger and the beneficiary of a curry paste made from scratch, or her zesty chicken and glass noodles presented in banana leaf, is to experience some of the best Thai food around. Every meal should start with the simply billed pineapples bites. Rooted in royal Thai ceremony, the snack crowns juicy yellow fruit with little balls of chicken shaped with roasted peanuts, fermented radish and palm sugar. Make room as well for the water spinach, softly crunchy and punchy with chiles and garlic sauce. See the big domed oven inside? It’s a leftover from the previous occupant, Alba Osteria. The chef hopes to cook whole fish and suckling pig in the space sometime soon. The most fanciful finish is coconut ice cream showered with wok-roasted peanuts, strewn with threads of egg yolk sweetened with simple syrup and dropped off in a coconut shell. Baan Siam, whose handsome dining room I can’t wait to spend time in once it’s safe, goes the extra mile. Perch on the patio and you get bug spray along with your hand-sanitizer — scented, like much of the cooking, with lemongrass.

425 I St. NW

baansiamdc.com

202-588-5889

Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.

Entrees $15 to $17

Reservations recommended, via Tock. Takeout via Toast or phone. Delivery via the restaurant ($3 charge within a two-mile radius).

View the full Fall Dining Guide here.