Thai Treasure, Arlington

I don't normally have issues finding vegetarian options in Thai restaurants. This new branch of the Vienna restaurant of the same name proved problematic. While I realize that this Arlington restaurant just opened, one would think that they would implant some of the menu items and/or staff from the original. Instead, there is a one-page printed menu which had fairly limited options. Only one dish was vegetarian. Even the spring rolls contained pork. The dish I got was Tofu and Vegetables with Rice. Simple fare, it wasn't that far off from the rice bowls served at numerous establishments down the street. The rice was fluffy and the vegetables nicely crunchy but the tofu was watery, chewy and inconsistently seasoned. Most of the tofu was bland with a couple pieces over-salted and only one with some nice, zippy heat. There doesn't seem to be a lot of effort here. Although open, there is no posted menu online and no mention of this location on the Vienna website. The signage looks like it was put up by an amateur. The decor is virtually unchanged from Water and Wall, with tables relatively bare. I was hoping for chopsticks but none were available. Waitstaff could use more training. My waiter seemed unfamiliar with the menu and four times during the short meal I was harangued with "How is everything? Are we okay?" Once was expected, four was excessive. Prices are quite low. My rice bowl was $14 with tax and tip, but frankly this area has so many delightful Thai restaurants (my fave is Rabieng) that I don't see a return here. I also don't see this place sticking around unless they up their game.

Table Service Thai Restaurant and Bar
3811 Wilson Blvd, Arlington
https://www.thai-treasure.com/ (Vienna location)

Comments

RASA

The popular grain bowl trend gets a twist with this Indian-inspired takeout bowl place. Same concept -- a base, greens, toppings, etc., but the options are mostly Indian inspired and the majority of offerings are vegetarian (although not vegan, given the heavy use of Ghee in cooking). My take is mixed. Some of the items were outstanding, some less so. I got the Lemon Tumeric Rice, which was delightful. Fresh and tangy, with a little bite, it was one of the best rice dishes I've ever tried. On top of this I got the Tofu/Cauliflower protein. It was half and half. The cauliflower was perfectly roasted, the roasted onions delightful, and the nuts were a beautiful added crunch. The tofu, however, was watery, and the green and red peppers well past prime. Next, I added sauteed spinach, which was incredibly bland, and the peanut sesame sauce, which was "okay" but forgettable. I didn't do additional toppings, although there were plenty. I did get two of the mini s

First Watch

Meant to invite some family members here but a friend beat me to the punch. We compromised and went together. Unfortunately, this is a place where it looks better than it is. Across the board. The funky design scheme makes it an echo chamber and, with the pumping music, very loud. Conversation was difficult. The menu is covered in glossy photos and descriptions of the food but ... I started with the Morning Meditation Fresh Juice, a pretty blend of citrus and beet. Or I tried to. Took three reminders to the waiter and when it finally arrived, halfway into the meal, it was 90% ice and 10% juice. My companions opted for coffee. It was ice cold. Another long wait (about 20 minutes) to get new coffee -- and included a reminder to staff that they wanted fresh cups as well. I ordered the Vegetarian Quinoa Bowl, which was described as having up to 12 ingredients. It had three. The quinoa, an egg, maybe two teeny slices of tomato past its prime. It wasn't hot or cold, just r

Mezeh

With this new version of a middle-eastern inspired "bowl/pita/wrap" meal the Ballston Mezeh has a lot to praise and a few things it could do better. On the plus side is a ton of options. For a base they move beyond the simple rice or greens selections to specific greens options/mixes and then they have three kinds of rice (including Riced Cauliflower with Bulgar Wheat for the Keto crowd). After that there are two different protein options for veggies -- Falafel and Veggie Kofta. I selected the Kofta just so that I could have something new ... and loved it. But you aren't done there. You can choose up to 12 toppings (TWELVE) out of 27. Then there are the dressings. Again, the choices are overwhelming with eight -- each sounds amazing. I went with the Spicy Mango and was not disappointed. I ordered a bowl and still got a nice big slice of warm pita which was just yummy. The challenge however, is that the bowl I ordered online wasn't really full. There were lot

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