The Washington, D.C., restaurant Thai Chef opened its second location on Monday at 29 Maryland Ave. in Rockville Town Square.
The two-level restaurant has a colorful décor throughout the dining area that is meant to resemble a Thai street festival, owner Chalisa Fitts told Bethesda Beat. The tables and chairs are multi-colored, along with some of the paneling on the walls.
One section of the restaurant features a variety of trinkets such as miniature houses and a toy merry-go-round mounted on a wall surrounding a clock. There is even a hand-painted pink horse in the restaurant.
Many of the decorations in Thai Chef were shipped from Thailand, Fitts said.
Thai Chef’s specialty entrees include wok-fried spiced braised beef, catfish dry curry, roasted duck curry, spicy eggplant and Kapow (chili and garlic stir-fried with fried egg, vegetables and choice of meat).
Thai Chef serves more traditional noodle entrees such as Pad Thai, along with red curry (spicy red curry sauce, coconut milk, vegetables) and green curry (spicy green curry sauce, coconut milk, vegetables). There are six varieties of fried rice on the menu.
Most main courses are between $15 and $20.
Thai Chef opened a couple of months later than expected due to permitting delays, Fitts said. She said the restaurant was fairly busy on Monday.
“I haven’t seen anyone who’s unhappy today,” she said.
Thai Chef replaces another Thai restaurant, Thai Pavilion, which closed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thai Chef is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., according to the website.
The Moco Show previously reported on Thai Chef’s opening on Monday.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@moco360.media
