Teak Wood, DC

I remember when Teak Wood first opened and everyone was like, "Wow - that Thai restaurant is huge!"  Teak Wood has been on 14th Street in the Logan Circle area for a few years now, but every time I've walked by, it has looked empty so I've never been. I recently heard from some of my friends that they liked it so I snagged a Living Social coupon to check it out.

Teak Wood has the feel of a large chain restaurant when you first walk in, but only because of its size. If you put that aside, I think the atmosphere is very cool. Dimly lit, with hardwood tables and chairs and statues and artwork featuring Thai elephants and Buddhas carved out of teak wood, ornate mirrors, and splashing waterfalls -- it really does feel like Thailand. We started with a couple Manhattans as we perused the menu. The Manhattans were strong and good.

There are actually two flavors in this restaurant as they serve Thai and sushi. We opted for the Thai meals and immediately turned to the Green Valley section. Not seeing anything very unique, we started with the Garden Herb Rolls. Expecting your run-of-the-mill rolls, we were pleasantly surprised to find that these super fresh rolls filled with rice noodles, cabbage, carrots, and other veggies went great with the thick peanut sauce. Very nice.

For my entree, I ordered the Basil Jae. I requested Thai spicy and the waiter asked me if I was sure because there was no going back. I assured him that I was sure and got excited at the prospect of a spicy meal!  The dish was loaded with carrots, cabbage, broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, and tofu in a delightfully Thai-spicy garlic sauce with fresh basil. I was pleased.

My friend ordered the Vegetable Curry with a red curry, which was also quite good. Note that at least one of our meals came with fish sauce in it normally so we had to specify "no fish sauce."

To end the night, we ordered sticky rice with mango. It was served on a heart-shaped plate with the mango arranged in the shape of a heart and the black sticky rice and coconut milk inside the heart. We loved the presentation as much as we enjoyed the dessert.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to try this restaurant. I think it is one of the better Thai restaurants in the city. I love the atmosphere, the service was great, and the prices at about $13 per entree were appropriate. Teak Wood -- I hope you are here to stay.

Teak Wood
1323 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 290-1856