Dok Bua Thai

After years of passing Dok Bua Thai Kitchen on the way to Coolidge Corner and never once going in, despite the effusive recommendations of our good friends who frequented the place every weekend, we finally made a date to try this renowned Thai.

The restaurant was packed on a Saturday night, and yet when they told us it would be a 15-minute wait for a table for two, it was ready shortly after, crammed in the large, noisy dining room that seemed to be filled with families. The food came fairly quickly (though they forgot to bring the Thai iced tea with the meal), and it was just hands down good Thai food.

For appetizers we ordered crab rolls:

Though honestly they tasted nothing like crab to me, rather  pork rolls of some kind, so as a Maryland blue crab purist it was hard to wrap my brain around these things actually being seafood. They were good, just not pure crab flavor.

and crispy tofu:

I am a huge fan of tofu when it's cooked properly, and while admittedly these golden treats were bland without the dipping sauce, they absorbed flavor like the blank canvas they are while retaining their texture. I added some of the leftover tofu triangles to soak up the sauce in my stir-fry entree, and it worked really nicely.

For our entrees, he got the classic Pad Thai:

 

The shrimp were massive!

I ordered the cashew stir-fry with chicken and vegetables:

Really tasty, with crisp peppers and mushrooms in the savory sauce, and the perfect nut crunch in every cashew bite. Thai food is almost comforting for me, since it reminds me of eating with my dad, and Dok Bua hit the spot.