I love Asian food. I was going to start out by saying that my love for Thai food developed after I went to Bangkok and Koh Samui (a small Thai island) for spring break, but that is a total lie. I have loved Thai food for a very long time, and I have made it one of my mini-crusades to make the cuisine popular among my friends as well. It is always my first choice for take-out and a Thai restaurant is always my ideal destination for a dinner out.
After coming back from spring break, my roommate and I began to go into thai-food withdrawal. We had become so used to having stir-fried meats with vegetables that were laced with unusual spices that Leo's just wasn't cutting it.
As you may expect, I have eaten at Bangkok bBstro a number of times, and it is very satisfying, but I wanted a change of scenery.
Getting tired of Bangkok Bistro?
For students that want to expand their eating range, both in cuisine and location, Busara is a destination dinner.
The Thai restaurant, specializing in Siamese cuisine (Siam is the former name of Thailand), is located on Wisconsin Avenue but out of the realm of the typical walking area frequented by Georgetowners, which usually stretches from K Street up to T. Sweet’s.
After taking the 20-minute walk from campus, we were quickly seated among a mixed crowd of couples, other students and families with children. The restaurant definitely gives off a more family-friendly feel, which may come as a result of its distance from the center of Georgetown.
The restaurant is prepared both for large crowds and good weather with three different eating areas: the dining room, lounge area and outdoor seating.
Seated in the dining room, the fluorescent lights and paint splattered walls make you think about going back in time with its distinctly retro feel. The darkly colored room was lightened with some disco accents that makes one half expect a businessman from the nineties to sing karaoke.
The service was prompt and friendly, fulfilling the reputation of Thailand as the “land of smiles.”
The menu offered a fairly extensive range while staying within the average college student’s budget. The starters, with various soups, salads and appetizers, range in price, from $4 to $7. I love Thai food, and after spending spring break in Bangkok, I have acquired a taste for its authentic cuisine, which is often difficult to replicate. Because of this, I was pleasantly surprised to find a green papaya salad, one of my favorites, on the Busara menu. While I was more shocked by its presence than its spiciness, the salad was very refreshing and, when accompanied by a decently-sized chicken breast, well worth its price.
I followed the salad with the Panang Curry, a suggestion by the waiter, and I loved it. It was surprisingly large and filling and could have easily been shared between two. The entrees stayed mostly between $9 and $13, with some of the more expensive seafood dishes priced around $16.
The restaurant has been open for close to 18 years now, Manager George Chalachol says, and one of their most famous dishes is the naked shrimp, a grilled shrimp served with a spicy sake sauce.
My dining companion was surprised by the large beer selection as the menu had an entire page of all foreign beers. The restaurant gets their beers from “all around the world,” Chalachol said, and many listed were small European microbrews rather than the token Japanese beer that would be expected at many Asian restaurants.
With a number of other bars, restaurants and ice cream parlors that often go overlooked by many students who stay in the familiar streets right off campus, Busara provides a brief escape into a different side of Georgetown. The restaurant is a slightly cheaper version of Bangkok Bistro that can serve as a refreshing change of pace. So, take a walk up Wisconsin and head straight into Thailand.
Busara is located at 2340 Wisconsin Avenue. They are open for lunch and dinner daily. For more information or to make a reservation call 202-337-2340 or visit www.dc@busara.com.