BirdSong

Chef Kittima Boonmala set Chevy Chase DC alight this year with this friendly but serious neighborhood Thai dining room. Dishes vary in intensity—midnight fried rice is redolent with shrimp fat and chili fish sauce; khao soi and roasted cabbage are made with gently perfumed curries—but are consistent in quality. Don’t for-get the “enhancement” side dishes, such as sweet-sausage salad and fermented daikon, which add balance to the rich curries.