Nava Thai

Review by mcclive on May 28, 2010

Nava Thai used to be a hidden, hole-in-the-wall place tucked behind a Vietnamese grocery store, a hidden gem that few knew. Then the secret got out, space became impossible, and it moved next door to larger digs. The new space still feels like the Greek restaurant it used to be, partly because the new incarnation of Nava Thai feels like a small-time operation that cannot get used to being a real establishment.

The place is more popular than ever; you'll probably go on the waiting list when you step in. "Care for a drink at the bar?" the aloof hostess will say, her eye on the bottom line. The staff is overwhelmed and ineffectual with the packs of customers (very few of them Thai), and the table placement and service glitches make the place seem more crowded than it is. Got a complaint? The staff has no idea what to do about it. But they will try to sell you some wine.

The reason Nava Thai became a cult favorite is because it was real Thai food. Not Americanized, not toned down. Spicy. The dishes in the new place seem slightly smaller than those of the old, the spices toned down a bit, and the prices higher. But they still mostly rock.

The appetizers' prices are so close to the entrees' that it makes little sense to order some of them unless they are truly unique. The list misses some of the typical things Americans want (no veggie spring rolls, for instance), but hits some standards well, such as the excellent papaya salad, actually tasting of the nam pla fish sauce instead of just lime and sugar. Another good choice is the mussels, wonderfully flavored with a fiery and contrasting side sauce. The hot and sour squid or seafood salads are well cooked, taste like seafood (lots don't these days), and are super spicy. With the soups, get large sizes and split them around the table; Asian soups were never meant to be made in small portions anyway. The incendiary floating market soup, made with pig blood, is the most famous.

The husband and wife cooking team (formally of nearby Dusit Thai) know that stir-fried noodles should actually taste stir-fried, not just heated. The Pad Thai, which has more complex flavors than most, seems to disappoint as many people as it delights. The Drunken Noodles (if you want to stick to the famous dishes) are much better, with a slightly caramelized tinge to the noodles from the pan. Nava's curries are hit or miss. They're always tasty, but rarely something one would rave about; the flavors just aren't complex enough.

Over in the entrees, the "Stir-fried delight" category is mostly cooked everyday vegetables; the “house specials” section is much more creative. The hoi tod mussels are just a few dollars more than the mussels appetizer, but here they're night-market food, a pan-fried pancake/omelet with bean sprouts, scallions, and more spice (comparable to the Taiwanese oyster pancake at Rockville's Bob's Noodles). The hot and sour curry with fish has a less punchy sauce than the other coconut-based curries, but its unfussiness is its strength; it hits the few notes just right. Tilapia and tofu marry well in their hot pot, their flavors feeding off each other, but the oyster sauce flavor needs some company. The shrimp in garlic and pepper sauce is one of the stars, a simple dish of just some large, extremely well-cooked shrimp, but perfectly flavored. Addictive.