Regent Thai Cuisine

The Regent is uncommonly serene”
The cooking is several notches more polished.

By Tom Sietsema
“ Washington post”
August 18, 2004

THAI, AND THAI AGAIN: The chunky teak chairs on the patio at 1910 18th St. NW hint at what the new business might be selling, and a whiff of the air inside -- fragrant with curry and sweet herbs -- confirms my hunch: Another Thai restaurant has landed in Washington. This one is called The Regent (202-232-1781) and this one, in a space vacated by 88 in Circle, is uncommonly serene, thanks to a collection of rich wood carvings and walls painted a soothing shade of sage. Owner Chuchart "Bobby" Kampirapang worked as a waiter and cook at the late Chef's Secret in College Park prior to opening this 100-seat restaurant late last month; he hired Saowaluk Wiyagul, a veteran of the kitchens at Busara in Washington and Thai Taste in Manassas to create the menu for the Regent. If the prices are a little higher than what you typically find at the competition, the cooking is several notches more polished. The proof is in the panang (try chicken), sweet with coconut milk and bright with kaffir lime leaves, as well as whole grilled trout stuffed with lime slices and lemongrass. Billed as a house specialty, that fish comes with a dipping sauce of julienne mango and red chilies that brings a sweat on the brow -- and keep you coming back for more.

Thai With a Twist
** (out of four stars)

By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Magazine Sunday,
October 24, 2004

THE LOUD SIZZLE preceding the arrival of my beef entree, neua krata, seems out of place in the context of the serene Regent Thai Cuisine, where the only other sounds on a slow weeknight have been gentle background music and the tinkle-tinkle of a nearby fountain. The dish sputters like beef fajitas but smells sweetly of Asian spices. A jumble of thin slices of marinated beef, snow peas and other vegetables strewn with sesame seeds, it is one of several signature dishes that set this Thai newcomer apart from the crowd. It's tasty, if a bit more expensive than what you tend to find at your typical issuer of papaya salad and drunken noodles. The Regent takes the place of 88 -- and too many other restaurants that have tried to make a go of it on a tricky part of 18th Street NW that seems to belong neither to Adams Morgan nor to Dupont Circle. Launched in July by Chuchart Kampirapang, it gets a boost from Saowaluk Wiyagul in the kitchen and an eye for detail in the dining room. This is apparent early on, with an appetizer of tom yum goong. The shrimp and mushroom soup comes framed in a handsome square-sided bowl, and its assertive flavors -- cilantro, lemon grass, red chilies -- slap my tongue around in a bid for attention. Similarly fetching are spring rolls filled with carrots, cabbage and taro root, cut on the bias and presented as fragile spears with pineapple dipping sauce. There are two high-ceilinged rooms, and both give you a sense of being far away from Washington. A small forest of handsome wood carvings and moss green walls wrap visitors in style and comfort, and the blocky teak chairs and tables underscore the Thai theme. The restaurant bears a resemblance to the nearby Rice in Logan Circle, from the soothing color palette right down to the "Green Corner" emphasizing vegetarian dishes on its bill of fare. Of the signature dishes, the standout is grilled whole trout. The fish is moist, meaty and -- thanks to slices of lemon and lime as well as lemon grass tucked inside -- also fragrant and flavorful. Presented on banana leaf, it's enhanced by a sharp dipping sauce fueled by garlic, lime juice and chilies. Pork-and-seafood dumplings are too compact, and duck is limp and cloying with its honey sauce and dry watercress. Now and then, the kitchen also oversweetens things. But the winners outnumber the lesser choices. Ordering basil fried rice, for instance, brings a glistening mound of fragrant grains stir-fried with the namesake herb, strips of red pepper, a blazing chili sauce and a choice of meat or seafood. Drunken noodles here are thick, slippery and pleasantly smoky ribbons, punched up with a similar sauce and best ordered with tender scored squid. And everything brims with style: Instead of on a plastic check tray, your bill is delivered in a sleek wooden box.

Thai tide rools on

Food: *** (out of four stars)
Service: ***
Comfort & Aesthetics: ***
Value: ****
Scene: ***

By AARON FLYNN
Washington Blade Friday, October 01, 2004

On the outskirts of Dupon Circle, a Thai new comers in mixing style and tradition with sometimes decent results. But there is room for improvement.

HOW MANY THAI restaurants does it take to screw in a light bulb? A million, if you live in DC.

These things keep cropping up like a plague of locusts or killer bees or boy bands.

Someday we will be free to go back to Chinese food or, maybe, on a wild night, Mexican. For now, Thai is king.

And at the Regent, I love the way this restaurant is decorated. On its slick premises, I took a moment to mourn my dearly departed Grille 88, the Regent's predecessor, done in apparently by a major plumbing accident and, well, a lack of customers.

The Regent, on the other hand, seems to be constantly alive with patrons and, as best I could tell, is free of leaks, floods and related problems. It is, in fact, quite pleasant inside — warm greens and browns, clunky teak furniture, a tasteful bar, and a delightful wooden house that pleases the latent sissy in me that always wanted a dollhouse.

FOR THE MOST part, expect what Thai restaurants always have on the menu, but the Regent does turn up the heat on the competition with a few novelties and skillful preparation of the classics. Appetizer-wise, I can tell you I am a kanom jeeb expert, and the Regent's version is among my top three fave picks. These steamed dumplings, stuffed with chicken, shrimp, water chestnuts, garlic, and peppers can, remarkably, be cooked with no flavor at all, but not so here.

The chicken satay is nice as well, with rich, creamy curry sauce livening things up. And lest I forget, the Num Tok salad — greens, herbs, onions, and grilled steak in an acidic, sweet dressing (not sweet and sour, I promise) — is refreshing.

A notable exception at the Regent is the Phi Phi Island. This shrimp, scallop and crabmeat platter didn't taste as fresh as one might hope and really wasn't a cohesive concept on the plate.

Other options, though, are surprising and really quite good. The lamb is lean, light and flavorful, as is the honey duck.

The Regent's dessert options are limited, although expansion is promised. There were ice creams available but more notable was the mango and sticky rice. Granted, one good batch of mangoes could completely throw off any objective evaluation here, but if there's any kind of consistency about this at the Regent, you're in for a treat.

Appetizers range from $5 to $8, entrees from $14 to $20, and desserts are $6.

The Regent

Ontap,

September 2004

Even the business cards at The Regent are intricate, decadent and gorgeous. Eighteenth Street's newest Thai restaurant is a lush trip to Bangkok or Pukhet. Rich brownish olive walls are earthy and grounding and stand behind pieces of elaborate Thai artwork, mostly consisting of carved wood. The restaurant, which opened late July, serves up everyone's favorites-summer rolls, satay, curries, fried rice and pad thai-but also cooks up enticing specialties like Phi Phi Island, grilled jumbo shrimp and scallops in chili paste topped with crab meat, and Plaa Pow, a grilled whole rainbow trout stuffed with Thai herbs topped with julienned mango and spicy dipping sauce. On tap predicts that people will love this romantic and escapist getaway amidst bustling Adams Morgan.

— Thomas Head
Washingtonion Magazine, May 2005

Regent Thai Cuisine Thai, Asian
Downtown
1910 18th St., NW
Washington, DC
202-232-1781

Open Monday through Saturday for lunch, daily for dinner.
Good Thai Cooking in Beautiful Surroundings One reason for the popularity
of Thai cooking is that it is lighter than other Asian cuisines, using
less oil and less cornstarch for thickening. Many Thai restaurants also
make compromises to suit what they perceive to be American tastes. These
often include adjusting the heat level downward because "Americans don't
like hot food" and adding sugar because "Americans like sweet food." There
are, of course, spicier and less spicy dishes in Thai cuisine, and sugar
plays a part in many dishes, particularly noodle dishes. But adjusting the
cuisine too much in either direction upsets the balance of sour, sweet,
hot, and salty that characterizes the nation's cooking. Regent Thai Cuii
sine, now in the space on 18th Street that once housed Grill 88, is a well
come addition to DC's galaxy of Thai restaurants. The beautiful dining
rooms feature a restful fountain, and the walls are hung with Thai woodd
carvings. Service is knowledgeable and efficient. The food is a bit more
expensive that at some neighboring Thai establishments, but it is attracc
tively presented, carefully cooked, and avoids the twin perils of too
little heat and too much sugar. The chili symbols on the menu provide a
fairly accurate guide to the heat level of each dish. Thais do not generr
ally divide meals into courses, but most American Thai restaurants, inn
cluding Regent Thai, do so in deference to American eating habits. Rewardd
ing dishes from the appetizer section include dumplings stuffed with pork,
crab, shrimp, and water chestnuts; nicely fried spring rolls; and tod mun
goong, shrimp bound in shrimp paste and deep-fried to a lovely crispness
on the outside. The salad section includes a very good version of greenn
papaya salad in a spicy chili-and-garlic sauce. Red or green curries with
chicken, pork, or beef are very well done, but the most interesting choicc
es are on the list of signature dishes. Pla prow is a wonderfully moist
grilled rainbow trout stuffed with herbs and served with a julienne of
mango in a spicy dipping sauce. Duck is stir-fried and served in a chilii
and-garlic sauce. Pad Thai is not my favorite local version--it's still
too sweet for me--but drunken noodles, wide rice noodles in a very spicy
chili-and-garlic sauce, are a hit. Vegetarians will appreciate the large
number of vegetable offerings. Even at so sophisticated a Thai restaurant,
the best dessert is still mango and sticky rice. Regent Thai Cuisine 1910
18th St., NW; 202-232-1781; regentthai.com. Open Monday through Saturday
for lunch, daily for dinner. Atmosphere: Attractive and serene. Food: A
familiar Thai menu with a few unusual signature dishes. Service: Competent
and helpful. Price: A bit higher than the competition. Dinner for two:
about $65. Value: The food is enhanced by the atmosphere and service.
Bottom line: A very good Thai restaurant that's a cut above much of its
neighborhood competition.

— Thomas Head