Driving down Seven Corners Center it’s easy to miss Bangkok Golden. In fact the front of the Thai restaurant, situated in a cozy corner of the shopping center, still hangs the sign “Thai Spice,” from a previous owner. But those willing to look a little closer will be pleasantly surprised by this suburban Thai eatery, which offers a unique assortment of true Thai fare.
The dining room complements the small, cozy atmosphere: small tables are scattered among the restaurant decorated in pink and white linens and accented with authentic paintings and murals correlating with Thailand’s culture.
In the right hand corner, Bangkok Golden offers a full-service bar with a premium beer selection. Beyond the traditional Bud and Miller Lite’s, Bangkok also offers Singha (Thai beer), Michelob and Heineken, in addition to wines by the bottle or glass. Authentic Thai ice tea and ice coffee is also available to enjoy with your meal.
With over 80 selections, the menu can seem quite intimidating at first glance, but don’t despair. Seven sub-categories makes items easy to find and a key at the bottom alerts customers of each dish’s spicy level (cleverly ranging from one to three hot peppers).
Bangkok offers 15 weekday lunch specials all moderately priced at $7.50 and under, which makes it a great stop for area workers looking to trade in their sandwiches in favor of a more unique taste. Another plus to Thai dishes is although they are generally long on preparation time, they cook very quickly. Whether dine in or carry out, most meals can be prepared in less than 10 minutes.
Dinner prices are easy on the wallet as well; as most dishes run under $10 and are served with traditional white rice. The chef’s specials are slightly pricier and currently include crab cakes or talay with your choice of five sauces as well as tropical fried rice, prepared with pineapple chunks and topped with dried minced pork.
Bangkok promises “Thai Cuisine with a Difference” and aims to deliver traditional fare with a slight twist. Most of the curry, noodle and entrée selections include your choice of beef, chicken or pork and there are several meatless selections for vegetarians to enjoy.
While most of the dishes can be found at many neighboring Thai restaurants, Bangkok Golden does tackle more unusual fare. The Bangkok curry puff, stuffed with chicken, potato, onion and curry powder is served with Bangkok Golden’s unique secret recipe sauce. Other tasty dishes include sun-dried beef, seafood soup (poh tagh), and crispy pork with Chinese broccoli, that separates Bangkok Golden from other Thai eateries.
And Bangkok certainly doesn’t forget about those with a sweet tooth —the restaurant offers fried bananas and sticky rice with mango in addition to the traditional ice cream desert. Authentic Thai meals are usually followed with some kind of fruit or ice cream treat because they complement the palate.
What makes the food of Thailand so unique among Southeast Asian cuisine is it has the quality and consistency of Chinese food and the spiciness of Mexican grub. Because of this, Thai cooking is often viewed as an art form and is constantly seen as a work in progress. So remember no matter what you eat the heart of Thai cooking is that the dishes can be refined and adjusted to suit all tastes — so feel free to add (or take away) a little spice.
Bangkok Golden is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and also has locations in Fort Washington, Md. and the University Mall in Fairfax, Va.
Bangkok Golden Thai Restaurant
6395 Seven Corner Center
Falls Church, VA 22044
(703)533-9480
Mon. – Fri. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Weekends & Holidays 12- 10 p.m.
