Favorite restaurant in town. "Based on all the press it's received, my hopes were high for this place. They serve a whole fish at the end which is a fun experience as you break into the crispy skin and pick around bones to pull out the meat. How is this business operating during COVID-19? Authentic Northern Thai cuisine! The menu rotates every few weeks and they are walk in only. This place can be hard to find, it is the white door down some a small stairway. I wasn't disappointed as much as simply... underwhelmed? I normally love every dish that we received but they just didn't have enough flavor. There's a slight minerally taste, but the spices nicely complements it.- Tow hu thouk: tofu, ginger, and peanut. I love the slightly sour/acidity paired with coconut milk to balance. If your concept of Thai foods begins at Papaya Salad and ends with Pad Thai your mind will be expanded. Little Serow is a tiny intimate family-style restaurant. Little Serow is located in District of Columbia state. Little Serow doesn’t customize its family-style menu for anyone; diners need to go into the pistachio-green bunker with an open palate. Third was kind of an octopus cerviche which I think might have been prepared in advance as the acidity and citric taste completely overpowered the octopus. From the moment I walked into Little Serow, the service was so friendly and attentive. Little Serow is open , Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat. As noted in other reviews the menu is a set of seven courses without modifications or substitutions. And we ordered today. Not wanting to wait in line, we arrived around 8pm on a Wednesday night and only had to wait for 30 minutes! This actually reminds me a little bit like Thai X-ing but to be honest, I like this one better (shhh). But, it tastes like all the nostalgia of Mounds bars and coconut macaroon cookies, combined with the earthy, savoriness of an incredible crab cake. The meal finished with a coconutty glutenous dessert typical of southeast Asia. It's sweet, like a papaya fruit dish, but then has a sweet chili sauce flavor on top of the sweetness. Lillie Z./Yelp. The food itself was disappointing. The heat and spice was noticeable, but balanced in a way that compliments versus dominates the entrees. I thought this dish was on the salty side but when I scooped it up with the cabbage and put some rice on the top it was perfect. This one came with little fish dumplings about the size of a marble. Just when you think it is all over, we were in for a small sweet treat-coconut bites that, even for someone who doesn't care much for coconut, these were a perfect bite for palate cleansing and were the perfect size because we were absolutely stuffed by the end!Little Serow was an absolutely fabulous dining experience! Everything is delicious and full of interesting flavors and spices. Salty sweet sour bitter savory-- it is all here, as is spicy. Carry out only at this time! I loved the crunch from the rice powder and the mint that eased some of the spicy flavors. Sadly, we didn't finish this dish but would recommend using some leftover sauce from a previous dish (like the Lon Kai Gung Yai) to remedy this issue. I would have thought that with time passing and more and more restaurants opening,  the line at Little Serow would have gotten shorter. 2) They offer a 7-course prix fixe menu only - $54 pp. To be clear, staff are lovely, takeout process was very smooth, food was served hot and fresh. The first two dishes packed some major heat, but the rest of them were a bit more docile. Carry out only at this time! Yelp/Umar R. Yelp/Tatyana B. - Laap Gai Chiang Mai (chicken, chicken offal, lanna spices) - Some of the chicken was a bit gritty, mostly the outer layers though... once I scooped more of the interior of the pile it was tasty. The hostess texted us at 8:30 with an available table.We immediately were seated at a long bar area and served waters. This place has been on my list of places to try and my fiancé finally took me for my birthday last night. But that shouldn't stop you from going and receiving a Thai seafood experience that you can't find many places. Khua Kling (Catfish / Shrimp Paste / Tumeric) - Reminds me a little bit of Fillipino food because of the use of shrimp paste but unfortunately, this was my least favorite dish of the night. Please note: THIS IS A GOOD THING. For Golden Mermaid week, the squid/shrimp/cashew/cilantro mixture was excellent, as well as the catfish/rice powder mixture that you eat with lettuce wraps. I will definitely be back here when they have a menu that intrigues me! Please get your chefs to taste some real Thai food, select a few plates, make signature dishes, then rightfully claim the right to charge customers what you charge now. But I do remember the food being super flavorful and having a gradual spice to each dish. Kudos to everyone. What safety measures are they taking? Good thing my boo was there to gobble it all up. Little Sesame in the News. See all photos from Braden T. for Little Serow. Refreshing and extremely flavorful. Each tiny (but super tasty) glass is at least $5. They serve delicious spicy Thai dishes on a first-come, first-serve basis. I had off this past Friday, so I made my way there arriving around 6pm to put our name in while my husband was at a work event. It's all very well executed, but there was nothing that stood out for the $54 per person price tag. Every dish is a winner but the crispy rice salad stole my heart. Definitely ask for a recommendation as everyone is very knowledgeable and friendly!Food: The food is mostly inspired by Northern Thai cuisine so lots of sour, salty, sweet and spicy flavors. And they have the fresh herbs like dill sprinkled on top. I haven't dined in at Little Serow for many years - I remember it as being an amazing experience but hesitated to go back with my significant other because of the heat index! We missed the immediate first seating by one party, but I was told we would be able to be seated around 7:45pm. The service is personal, and impeccable. I was filling up after a few courses, but I powered through. - Tofu - nicely smelly with fish sauce, but not so stand out. Their … They're always full of bright, citric, acidic flavors. See all photos from Tiffany L. for Little Serow. The entire meal was exceptional and reminded us of how great it was to have a date night and eat inside their restaurant. That changed at Little Serow, as I was finally comfortable eating an entire fish. We ordered the Thai fried chicken, shrimp curry, and toasted rice salad. I liked the salted fish. Little Serow The East Coast’s best source for northeastern Thai is a green basement that doesn’t take reservations or tailor its nutty-spicy-meaty set menu to individual tastes. I could have given this one up and been happier.Laap Kha Nun - Woah. 2 with a close score of 173.83. Serious umami :) It was unpretentious in the best way. It was just SO spicy everything blended together to the point where we were chugging the rice milk and water. With an unmarked door and lack of line, my friend had trouble finding the front at first. Reading the reviews, I was worried that this place may have made a turn for the worse. Wow! Still very, very special. Not your ordinary pad thai! It's a pretty popular night so I got there slightly after 530pm when they open, and waited in a line out the door and then about an hour wait for a table for 2. I wasn't very fond of this. The success of Little Serow has inspired others to follow Monis’ lead and open their own authentic Thai eateries. Whimsical and aesthetically appealing - Little Serow is a very fun and unique dining experience that allows people to try a multitude of Thai dishes. Great bday experience! The fixed menu ($49 per person) changes on the weekly and was simply outstanding the execution, quality, portion and price. Recently I was in their store and left my wallet with over $200 in cash on the table. However, if you are not an adventurous eater willing to try a diversity of flavors, it might not be for you. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you have not been already-or returning again if you have since the menu changes frequently so it's a different experience each visit! It's the perfect grand finale to a symphony of flavors. After 3 dishes, we got too full and had to get the rest of the meal to go. See you next week, Serows xx. The location is lowkey and a great date night spot. (And for those of you who shy away due to concerns for hot pepper heat, all of this stuff is mild. On the fence - I'd give them a 3.5. Thanks for reminding us what an amazing date night meal feels like again. The place was PACKED, I love Thai food so I knew I was in for a fantastic meal :). The space is incredibly intimate and very small. I cannot even put into words how good the food was, just have lots of water ready to extinguish the fire in your mouth :P I highly recommend this spot, the staff were as good as the food. - Sankaya Chae Yen (frozen custard) - I couldn't believe how delicious custard could taste. This place can be hard to find, it is the white door down some a small stairway. The wine/beer pairing is also interesting, and has things like mead and some sour or stinky wines, which wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but I appreciated them expanding my palate. I could barely enjoy one, but they are the best thing on menu by far. A Thai sister restaurant next door, LITTLE SEROW, features High Thai cuisine. The pig ear is crunchy in texture but what makes the dish is the sauce and heat it packs. Accouterments were then delivered with the purpose of cutting spice-sticky rice and some raw veggies (radishes, cucumbers, string beans, etc.). I suggest you do that on a hot day, as it will help you stay calm and happy while you watch the world parade past you. No…", "I work in Va and live in Bowie, MD. Unfortunately, our server told us at the very end once we were so stuffed we couldn't enjoy the best part (the pork ribs.) The staff texted us, so we didn't have to wait at the restaurant. In fact, the line was even longer. Fortified wine, otherwise known as vermouth, actually makes for a great drink on the rocks. See all photos from Sammi H. for Little Serow. The little sweet/spicy dipping sauce makes it feel dessert-like. I haven't dined in at Little Serow for many years - I remember it as being an amazing experience but hesitated to go back with my significant other because of the heat index! I came for golden mermaid week, for their seafood focused dinner. Did i mention i love this place?!?! Probably just not to our taste buds though. Pretty subpar and disappointed with the overall flavor of the food. Save room!Lastly, we were given a coconut cream dessert bite which was delicious! Tue-Thu 5:30-8:00 PM Fri-Sat 5:30-8:30 PM Service is great per usual. Like,…", "Wow, I can't believe how bad these reviews are. You must stand in line 30-60 minutes before it opens to get in.But, once you get in, it's inviting, unpretentious, welcoming and lovely. At Little Serow (sounds like "arrow"), the menu is posted online every Monday, and you can't make reservations (or any changes to the dishes on offer). Where they get you is the pours of craft beers. It was disappointing because we arranged for a babysitter, trekked out from the burbs, waited in the drizzly cold weather but weren't completely satisfied. It remains just as good as it was last fall. The second to last dish was the khanom jin nam yaa het which was rice noodles with a mushroom sauce and grachai which has a mild ginger flavor. We came here for a (one day before) Valentine's Day dinner. Still super spicy. A lot of cooking expertise. The multi course meal is  definitely worth the $54 and the wait if you experience one. Thip Khao’s green-papaya salad and Little Serow’s fried tofu are well-known bucket-list items for capsaicin addicts, but the tear-inducing mushroom-and-herb salad at this bright-white Thai/Vietnamese small-plates hangout deserves a spot right alongside them. Although some of the food were misses for me, I'd come back to try a different food lineup in the future. Little Serow, the previous leader in the Top 25, has fallen to No. The lemongrass chaa was delicious and not overly gingery. For alcohol, they serve only wine and beer as far I could tell; I had a Thailand beer which they served over ice, just like in asia. - Ribs - though the menu said we'd get fried chicken, it was ribs instead. Their flavorful meals are definitely worth the wait. At Little Serow (sounds like "arrow"), the menu is posted online every Monday, and you can't make reservations (or any changes to the dishes on offer). Because you likely won't get the same food I got so it doesn't matter (says The Rock; that's Dwayne Johnson for you young'ins). The ribs I read a review from another Yelper and they mentioned the sauce....Little Serow should just give you a cup of that sauce on the side because the ribs themselves without then are pretty bland. And yes, it's that white door with windows in it, that is at the bottom of a staircase. At the beginning they served us a plate of vegetables and sticky rice as an accompaniment to the dishes. The serving staff here is A++! Ambience: The exterior doesn't have a sign and would be easily missed if not for the long line and the motorbikes parked in the front. The third course: nam tok het (mushroom / rice powder / mint) even convinced my mushroom-averse husband that mushrooms can be delicious when prepared with spices and in a spicy sauce. The Si Krong Muu is cooked to perfection. Salty sweet sour bitter savory-- it is all here, as is spicy. Details Loves Little Serow; The Barbecue Battle Is Coming. We got one of everything. My wife and I were walking around Crystal City last night on a spontaneous date, and thought we'd try Portofino for some simple appetizer and dessert. The third dish was the yum polomai which was like a papaya salad but had pineapple, persimmon, and grapefruit. Perfectly crisp on the outside. But seceding control of your menu is well worth it as you'll try unique dishes like salted duck egg along with favorites like pork ribs and ginger shrimp. Every course was packed exceptionally well and marked to let us know how to serve it. With no phone line and no reservations, queuing along 17th Street NW is required to partake in this prix fixe adventure through Northern Thai cooking. This was our favorite dish of the night. They prepared an amazing 10-course meal in celebration of my Mom and Dad's 60th wedding anniversary. The beef dish is tender and savory. Even taking the food to go they had a nice crispy texture. It's was great service, great food, great experience. As for the food, I enjoyed every dish served! It was a light snack that was very flavorful and spicy.Next up was the Yum Khai and Sai Oua (pork sausage) dishes. For an unbeatable price, you get a myriad of bright, spicy, and unique southeast Asian small plates. It's also perfect if you are prone to food envy - everyone gets the same thing!3) Not all dishes are spicy. One of the best meals I've had in a while. served with pork rinds, this was a nice blend of salty and spicy, although some bites were much spicier than others.