About 2 years ago, my friends Matt, Jeff and I discovered a true hidden gem in the U District. In search of the best Thai food on the Ave, we stumbled upon Little Thai Restaurant just off University Way on 42nd. After walking down the stairs and around the corner, we were nicely greeted by the hostess and asked to chose our own seats. We picked a booth against the wall, near the large salt water fish tank. When the waiter came to take our order, we were somewhat overwhelmed by the options on the colorful picture menu, so we did what we always do: ask for their favorite dish and order it. He explained that if we liked spice, soup, noodles and chicken this would be our dish. As soon as he said "spice," I could see Jeff and Matt's ears shoot up like a dog that hears a high pitched whistle.
To give you some background, when Jeff, Matt and I go to eat, it's always a competition to order the hottest dish. When they ask how spicy, if it's out of 3 we order 4, out of 5 we ask for 6, and if its spicy we ask for extra spicy. And of course, if one orders the hottest, the other two ensue with the same level of spice.
As the 3 soups came out, the bowls were filled with a dark broth and an aroma so delicious that it gave you an instant high. The noodles were just right but the best part was yet to be tasted. The soup was full of chunks of dark succulent meat. It was the most tender chicken I had ever tasted that softly fell apart in your mouth as soon as it hit your tongue. The chicken tasted as if it had been cooking in the broth for several days and the spice was just right.
Since that time, the three of us have visited this treasure nearly once a week. Yesterday, as we sat sipping the remainder of the broth, we reflected on how this soup has remained consistently amazing to this day. If you're in the neighborhood and in the mood for soup, I would strongly recommend this dish.
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