Kiin Imm Thai, Rockville, Maryland

After I posted a review of Thai House restaurant in Gaithersburg, readers Shrimant Mishra and others (just try retrieving comments on Facebook posts) recommended Kiin Imm Thai. So I went out to a shopping center at 785D Rockville Pike (without ever actually having to get onto the Pike!) to give it a try.

Some readers may recognize this as the same heavily international shopping center as Pupuseria Mama Emilia, of the New York Times picks for the 25 Best Restaurants in Washington Right Now.

I went on in to a flowery welcome

and found it almost full at 1:30 pm on a Sunday, and also busy with take-out orders. There are silent TVs, Thai pop music playing softly, and an interesting mix of dark and light wood on the floor and walls.  Two adjacent seating sections are separated by open shelves.

There was lots of chatter and cheerful talk among friends and families. It’s almost loud, but not quite, and all in all it’s a fun place to eat.

The menu is extensive with lots of interesting dishes, but I simply chose my usual test dish, Ka Prow chicken.  I actually usually choose pork as more flavorful than chicken but there’s no pork option at Kiin Imm, only beef, shrimp, and vegetarian. After my order there followed a succinct colloquy:

“How spicy?”  

“Spicy.”

“Three?”

“Three and a half.”  The dish arrived garlanded with red and green peppers, onions, and basil, and accompanied by a bowl of rice that I leave to your imagination.

My “3 1/2” got a smile. It actually was a cautious response, as the three peppers on a menu are at best a rough guide to heat, and while my internal system long has been cauterized, I have learned that the better part of valor is indeed discretion.

I took a bite, and another. And another. My reaction: !(1) Delicious (2) Expertly seasoned. It was certainly hot, but not inordinately hot for a three pepper rating. Be not afraid in ordering it, although it can be a surprise when the largish slice of green bell pepper turns out to be a jalapeño. It was cored and seeded but still not a bell pepper. The heat in this case doesn’t interfere with the flavor as it sometimes does, for example by the atomic Dijon on my pastrami at Soko Butcher.  Rather, the jalapeños added their own attractive flavor to the mix in a way that enhanced and brightened the dish. This was a fine dish, one that you might want to order to go so that you can soak up every last drop of the sauce with a slice of bread.

This was a quick lunch, just me and my iPhone, but a pleasant one. The service was both brisk and cheerful, and I left determined to return to explore the menu. Kiin Imm Thai is a find, one to exploit. Indeed, this is a shopping center to explore, and I welcome intelligence on other spots. I hope you’ll go there, and make it a point to try Kiin Imm Thai. You’ll love it.

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