REVIEWS

Crystal Thai

Best Bargain
Thai Arlington Forest 4819 Arlington Boulevard Arlington, VA 703-522-1311
"Open for lunch and dinner daily. Dinner until 10:30 pm Monday through Thursday, until 11 pm Friday and Saturday, 9 Sunday.

The explosion of Thai restaurants has given birth to more colorful places, but few can match the elegant Crystal Thai for consistency and variety. The waitresses wear lovely traditional silk dresses, and the chefs enthusiastically explore the possibilities of regional delicacies like soft-shell crab in their cooking. If you go to Crystal Thai in soft-shell season, order one of the eight or so soft-shell preparations. The beautifully fresh crabs are battered and fried to a greaseless crispness, then sauced with various combinations of vegetables and spices. The version with chili sauce and Thai basil is particularly good. From the regular menu, you'll become reacquainted with some old favorite Thai dishes prepared in a way that makes you realize why they are favorites. Among the appetizers, spicy seafood salad is vibrant with lime and chilies. Grilled squid is wonderfully tender, tart, and hot. Green-papaya salad is one of the best local versions.

Crispy flounder with chili sauce is, at $21.95, one of the most expensive dishes on the menu, but, in the company of a few other dishes, it's enough for four to share. Green, yellow, and red chicken curries are all delicious, as is roasted cinnamon beef. Under Chef's Specials, you'll find two delicious duck dishes: a curry of roasted duck with pineapple and honey-roasted duck with a pleasantly sweet-salty skin. If it's in season, have mango and sticky rice for dessert.

Washingtonian, June 2001

Additional Review (June 2000)

Additional Review (June 1999)

Additional Review (June 1998)

Additional Review (September 1997)

Additional Review (June 1997)