Dan M.
Yelp
Birdsong is a new Thai spot in Chevy Chase, on a stretch that could sorely use a top notch dining experience, and based on my first visit, they nailed it. They are still in their "opening phase," which means a limited menu, but it just makes me more excited to see what they have in store down the line.
To start, I have to compliment the space. They have a very inviting patio out front that looks like it is going to be so nice during the summer. They gave it a really fun and bright paint job. The interior is warm and welcoming with tons of wood and a standout multi-color mural on the wall. Nicely done all around.
We sampled a couple cocktails to get things going, and they really impressed. These are as good as what you'll find at more cocktail focused bars, possibly the best mixed cocktails in this part of town. The uncle boonmee is an old fashioned variation with peanut and banana notes. With these flavors, it easily could have been overpowering or overly sweet, but it isn't - it is all balanced so perfectly, I loved it. My wife had the ha-ha-ha, a highball with pineapple infused mezcal and a coconut foam. If you want a refreshing sipper, this one is perfect. Lots of zero-proof cocktails, too, if that's your thing.
The food hits the spot, too. I appreciate that they serve dishes that you are not going to find at every Thai restaurant in town. The tom yum shrimp dumplings were a perfect start, very fresh. The basil shrimp appetizer looked too good to pass up, too, so we ordered that one. You get large, perfectly battered, tasty bites of shrimp.
The clear champ of this meal, though, was the khao soi, a coconut milk curry with egg noodles and fried chicken (you can get it with veggies or shrimp instead if you prefer). I was spooning up the sauce at the end I enjoyed it so much. It had just a hint of spice and great flavor. I will definitely be getting it again.
We didn't save room for dessert, but it looked like most tables did. The table next to us was raving to their server about the chocolate donut holes. They did look good.
I can't wait to go back and highly recommend trying them.