{"id":2905,"date":"2022-10-23T09:46:31","date_gmt":"2022-10-23T13:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/?p=2905"},"modified":"2022-10-23T09:46:31","modified_gmt":"2022-10-23T13:46:31","slug":"thai-hot-that-you-can-cool-down-with-a-cocktail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/thai-hot-that-you-can-cool-down-with-a-cocktail\/","title":{"rendered":"Thai hot that you can cool down with a cocktail"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Thai Chef toasted coconut old fashioned. Photo courtesy of Thai Chef<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Walking into Rockville\u2019s Thai Chef, one might mistakenly think they have been transported almost 9,000 miles across the globe to a festive night market in Bangkok, Thailand.<\/p>\n

Between the vibrant neon chandelier in the dining rotunda, the Thai hit tunes playing and the colorful hand-painted merry-go-round horses suspended above diners\u2019 heads, the year-old restaurant offers childhood whimsy that’s all grown up.<\/p>\n

Owner Chalissa Fitts and her mom, Pornnapa Pongpornprot, began their journey in the food service industry with a small Thai takeout in College Park, with a kitchen staff consisting of no more than Fitts, Pongpornprot and one other chef. In 2017, Fitts launched her first full-scale restaurant in the District. Soon after, she set her sights back in Maryland.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally want to live in Rockville. I actually looked for a house around here, but we came across this location during the pandemic,\u201d Fitts said. \u201cSo I didn\u2019t get a house, but I got a restaurant. This is my second home anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thai Chef opened in Rockville\u2019s Town Square in October 2021. A year later, Fitts said the restaurant is still finding a foothold. \u201cWe\u2019re still new, not a lot of people know about us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fitts grew up in Bangkok, before moving to the United States in high school. The menu at Thai Chef includes her childhood favorites, from After School Wontons, which Fitts actually had every day after school, to variations of fried rice, inspired by her mom\u2019s creations from whatever was leftover in their fridge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re different. We\u2019re not just a traditional Thai restaurant,\u201d Fitts said. \u201cIt\u2019s somewhere you can get comfort food and cocktails, it\u2019s somewhere you can vibe with your friends to Thai music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thai Chef, Fitts said, puts a twist on every menu item. Some of her favorite offerings include pork and crab dumplings, pad thai (\u201cof course!\u201d), papaya salad and noodle soups. One standout dish is the Tom Yum Fried Rice, a surprisingly refreshing, tangy mouthful of lemongrass, kaffir lime and roasted chili jam.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t cook as well as my mom does, but I can make drinks.\u201d Fitts has crafted an extraordinarily creative and visionary cocktail list that incorporates Thai flavors in exciting and unexpected ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t just want a boring margarita. I want a Crazy Thai Lady,\u201d Fitts said, referring to her Thai chili and lime-leaves infused tequila drink, which is named after the loving nickname her dad has for her mom.<\/p>\n

Although the cocktails boast strong Thai flavors, Fitts promises they aren\u2019t spicy. \u201cThe food is already Thai hot,\u201d Fitts laughed. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to cool it down with a cocktail.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to the already lengthy menu, Thai Chef offers one food and one drink seasonal special. For the autumn months, Fitts infused toasted coconut into bourbon and engineered a truly unique Old Fashioned, which is served smoking alongside a clipping of toasted coconut shavings.<\/p>\n

The fall food special materializes as a pumpkin curry dish, which will put any taste tester in the sweater weather mood. \u201cYou taste Thai, and then you taste the fall,\u201d Fitts said. While both Thai Chef locations offer seasonal specials, the items will be different at each restaurant. In D.C., the team concocted a cherry margarita called \u201cBlood Moon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Thai Chef pumpkin curry. Photo courtesy of Thai Chef.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The fall specials will be offered until the weather turns colder. For winter specials, Fitts is dreaming up a Thai take on the classic Hot Toddy.<\/p>\n

Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, Fitts said patrons will see something new every visit. A New York City-based Thai artist known as Pop is responsible for the eccentric d\u00e9cor. From the hand-painted carousel horses, to the cacophony of a clock, all of the d\u00e9cor was shipped in from Thailand. \u201cI want people to walk in here and feel like they\u2019re in Thailand,\u201d Fitt said. \u201cLike, \u2018OK, this is a night market. Let\u2019s get something to eat.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Fitts said the restaurant gets a bit busy on weekend nights, but that it can cater to plenty of more people. Groups of 21-30 can reserve the upstairs dining space.<\/p>\n

Fitts said in Bangkok, families eat in \u201cway more than we eat out.\u201d The recipes that inspire the dishes at Thai Chef were passed down to her mom from her grandma, who is 97 and still lives in Bangkok.<\/p>\n

Working with her mom has proven to be an experience Fitts said she\u2019s grateful for. \u201cShe\u2019s 61. She\u2019s the hardest worker I know. She\u2019s still running around trying to find the best mango,\u201d the chef laughed. \u201cI\u2019m grateful. I would not have come this far without my mom. I wouldn\u2019t do it by myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thai Chef\u2019s Rockville location will announce an all-new outdoor dining experience in 2023. Until then, keep up Fitts\u2019 her latest creations on Instagram (@thaichefmd). \u201cI really believe we have stuff to offer,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s just not everyone knows about us yet. I think once you\u2019re here, you\u2019ll get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thai Chef<\/em><\/p>\n

Rockville Town Square<\/em><\/p>\n

29 Maryland Ave #308, Rockville<\/em><\/p>\n

thaichefdmv.com\/Rockville<\/em><\/p>\n

301-339-8045<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RECIPES<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Crazy Thai Lady<\/strong><\/h4>\n

lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf infused tequila<\/p>\n

lime juice<\/p>\n

orange juice<\/p>\n

pineapple juice<\/p>\n

triple sec<\/p>\n

rim salt and crushed Thai chili<\/p>\n

Mix equal parts in a shaker and serve rimmed with salt and Thai chili.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pumpkin Curry<\/strong><\/h4>\n

cilantro root<\/p>\n

lemongrass<\/p>\n

galangal<\/p>\n

garlic<\/p>\n

basil leaf<\/p>\n

kaffir lime leaf<\/p>\n

red onion<\/p>\n

dried red chili<\/p>\n

coconut milk<\/p>\n

coconut sugar<\/p>\n

white sugar<\/p>\n

salt<\/p>\n

pumpkin<\/p>\n

shrimp<\/p>\n

basil leaf<\/p>\n

Fashion the curry paste with cilantro root, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, basil lead, kaffir lime leaf, red onion and dried red chili. Bake the aromatics at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, followed by pulsing the ingredients for the curry paste together in a blender.<\/p>\n

Cook the shrimp in a saut\u00e9 pan. Saut\u00e9 the vegetables.<\/p>\n

Cook the paste on low heat for one minute in a sauce pan. Next, add coconut milk, followed by coconut sugar and white sugar to thicken the curry, stirring occassionally (3-4 minutes). Add the pumpkin, shrimp, bell pepper and basil leaf. Traditionally in Bangkok, holy basil is used. If unavailable, Thai basil will suffice.<\/p>\n

Serve alongside a Crazy Thai Lady.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Walking into Rockville\u2019s Thai Chef, one might mistakenly think they have been transported almost 9,000 miles across the globe to a festive night market in Bangkok, Thailand. Between the vibrant neon chandelier in the dining rotunda, the Thai hit tunes playing and the colorful hand-painted merry-go-round horses suspended above diners\u2019 heads, the year-old restaurant offers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":2909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,41,61],"tags":[329,479],"yoast_head":"\nThai hot that you can cool down with a cocktail - Montgomery Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montgomerymag.com\/thai-hot-that-you-can-cool-down-with-a-cocktail\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Thai hot that you can cool down with a cocktail - Montgomery Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Walking into Rockville\u2019s Thai Chef, one might mistakenly think they have been transported almost 9,000 miles across the globe to a festive night market in Bangkok, Thailand. 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