nava thai: yahweh's revenge

to quote the ever-relevant john michael montgomery, "life's a dance you learn as you go." well, i just got schooled!

to preface this sad tale, i will tell you that i have been wanting to try nava thai for months now. bangkok 54 is generally my go-to for thai food, but the reviews of this place have been pretty tantalizing. it would not be an overstatement, i think, to say that it has developed a cult following.

wheaton's a schlep, though, so we didn't make it out there until last night. it was a long day at work and spicy street food has curative powers.

the restaurant had just reopened, after a brief hiatus due to an expired lease, at a new location (formerly taverna kefi). it's really an awesome space; lots of richly colored wood, warm lighting, and fireplaces. none of the austerity of your average asian restaurant. anyway, the place was busy for a monday night during a recession! the atmo was promising, as were the delicious smells emanating from the kitchen and from our neighbors' plates.

back it up! on the way there, pearl was doing a little recon, skimming some reviews so we would know what to order. one of these reviews mentioned that the floating market noodle soup, a house specialty, was not to be missed. what made it so special? pig's blood.

TP: no WAY am i eating that.

me: oh come on.

TP: no.

me (paraphrased): seriously? could you be any less adventurous? why are you ruining my life? etc?

TP: absolutely not.

well, i ordered it anyway! and let me just say, it might be the worst thing i have ever had. this has nothing to do with squeamishness on my part. i actually liked that it was pig's blood! so good for my street cred!

in theory.

in reality, it tasted like a bowl of metal. not a metal bowl. no, a bowl of really amazing, delicious soup into which someone has thrown a quarter-pound or so of iron shavings. it was one of the yuckiest things i have eaten in a really, really long time. so much about it was right: strong tangy lime flavor, serious heat, refreshing cilantro...so much more was wrong.

don't judge a book by it's really attractive cover:

anyway, the lesson here is twofold. one: i am a pain in the ass. two: to quote TP, "just because something is gross, doesn't make it delicious."

that said, there were bright spots. they would have been really, really bright, were i not on the verge of retching up a little floating market of my own.

but i want to end this on a positive note, so let me give a nod to some exceptional pad thai:



unless i'm emotional eating, i don't generally order this stuff. it tends to be a little too sweet, too greasy, and too bland for my taste. this was totally different. there was more intensity to the peanut and tamarind flavors than usual; but mostly, it was the technique that made this dish a standout. rather than looking pale and anemic (ha! not me!), the noodles had a deep caramel color and a nice char. this guy is not afraid of a little flame. all this tempered the sweetness of the dish, as did a generous squeeze of fresh lime. plus, the shrimp were not even a little bit rubbery. scoreboard.

anyway, if i can ever escape the wave of nausea i experience when i remember this meal, i will go back for the drunken noodles, which i am guessing are equally kick-ass, for similar reasons. the crispy pork and chinese broccoli with black bean sauce was also off the chain--legitimately crispy and way better than bangkok 54's.



for now, though, i kind of just want to call up the really nice lady who takes orders at B54 and beg her to take me back. because i know she never, ever would have let this happen. not on her watch.