Asian Persuasion, Times Two By Eve Zibart Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, May 2, 2003

The Cleveland Park Sala Thai does a lot with a little space -- about 50 seats, counting the bar, and a few more on the sidewalk. Turmeric-yellow walls with violet flower prints are mirrored by an iris-colored wall stenciled with gold lotus. (It would be even warmer if the industrial white plates, looking dull on plain white tablecloths, were replaced.) Its real virtue, however, lies in the kitchen, where dual chefs, both women, keep their recipes in sharp, refreshing balance. Jumnian Juntasorn, veteran of several area restaurants, most recently Thai Place in Bethesda, and sous chef Suwannee Kannoen, ex of Wheaton's popular Suporn's, do a lot with their space, as well, turning out close to 80 dishes, a third of them vegetarian. (Pleasantly, the menu is divided not into "entrees" and "vegetarian entrees," as if the latter were mere afterthoughts, but into "vegetarian" and "non-vegetarian.")

The vegetable tempura, for instance, while somewhere between an Italian misto batter and a true tempura, is very fine, light and dry, and the various veggies -- mushrooms, onions, carrots, broccoli and snow peas -- are individually and carefully cooked. At $5.95, it's nearly a light meal. Papaya salad is very refreshing, a mound of fine julienned (not actually "shredded") fruit and some fresh green beans in a tangy lemon and fish sauce dressing. (Oddly, one version arrived with no peanuts and with two grilled shrimp. But since the entree order involved seafood, perhaps the staff shrugged off any concerns about my vegetarian impulses.)

Scallops pad phed arrived atop a similar mound of bamboo shoots brisk with green chilies and red chili flakes; the seafood was quite fresh and sweet-smelling, but almost too coddled, as if it had been cooked separately and then just turned into the sauce. A little more surface tension, searing or stir-frying would give the scallops more presence. "Wild pork" is a nice and straightforward rendition, with lean and flavorful meat in a very light, clear red sauce. (A light touch on the fat is a welcome habit here.)

Menu names are occasionally fanciful -- "pottery shrimp" is a very nice shrimp and cellophane noodle clay pot casserole with optional chilies on the side, which are recommended -- or fantastic: "Rama in Jacuzzi," which sounds like a Bollywood epic featuring the Hindu god and his nubile attendants, is actually a tasty but scarcely naughty dish of chicken and watercress in peanut sauce. (Then there's the silly, such as "pinky in the blanket," deep-fried shrimp.) These are exceptions, however, and most of the other dishes will be familiar to Thai enthusiasts.

Saigon Asia is also smallish and also a triplet, the latest branch of the Tonthat-Nguyen family tree, which seems to bloom almost annually. They also own Saigon Crystal in Crystal City and Saigon Saigon at Pentagon Row. And while this kitchen describes itself as offering Vietnamese and Asian cuisine, its toes are still firmly in Mekong territory.

A block from the Virginia Square Metro station and sort of picking up the slack between the Clarendon and Ballston restaurant clusters, Saigon Asia has a sleek, deceptively simple decor, with black lacquer furniture, sponged-paint detailing, ceiling-mounted baskets and rattan rickshaws with loops for wine storage. And it's fairly small, though it feels less cramped than it actually is (except to the waitstaff, perhaps).

It makes a good first impression, in fare as well as face. Among appetizers, the pepper wings are a great twist on hot wings, combing crisply fried drumettes with the classic Vietnamese sweet-hot black pepper sauce. Calamari salad is plainer than its familiar Thai cousin, but very nice: tender squid (cut longways into noodles rather than across in rounds) served over fine cabbage slaw with a tangy but delicate dressing. The steamed veggie dumplings were fairly plain, but the wrappers were admirably light. Beef, though relatively expensive in Vietnam, is highly prized, and the char-grilled beef wrapped in grape leaves is a good version of a popular course.

It is primarily in southern Vietnam that one finds meats and seafood mixed with fruits such as pineapple, and Saigon Asia's "tropical passion shrimp" with pineapple, red and green bell peppers and sweet and sour sauce is an easy dish for the spice-wary. Roasted mahi-mahi, served on a banana leaf with a light, sweet but pleasant sauce and baby corncobs, is better, nicely contrasting the meaty fish, with its firm crust, and the hint of citrus.

The Indonesian influence on the southern peninsula also shows up in several different types of dishes, notably the mild coconut milk curries and satay-like grilled meats. Imperial seafood, a shrimp-scallop-calamari mix in yellow curry sauce, is a generous and easily absorbed dish served in a medium-size tureen with a good snap of lemon grass and fresh basil.

The showcase dish, an American-size extravagance of protein, is a fragrant and tasty mixed grill: skewers of marinated chicken, pork, beef and shrimp satay, presented along with chilled cellophane noodles, carrot threads and fresh watercress on one of those wooden boats more commonly used for sushi-sashimi extravaganzas. The idea is to enfold pieces of meat with the veggies in rice flour papers (banh trang) and dip the whole thing into a rich peanut sauce. It's large enough for a party of three or four, and at $14.95 a fair bargain.

Unfortunately, the banh trang, though so delicate as to be transparent, were stacked on a plate without a damp napkin or anything to keep them from becoming one single thick pancake. It might be that few of the restaurant's American customers actually wrap their meats in the traditional fashion, instead taking them straight off the skewer. But the requested replacements, which should have indicated serious interest, were equally coagulated. Not that the grilled meats weren't very good, but the combined taste of the wrapped versions is something quite uniquely Vietnamese.

The staff sometimes seems to have been told to make quick appearances and get orders in quickly, but after that, as other newcomers arrive, things slow down drastically. Both a side dish of steamed asparagus due with the night's special and the substitute rice papers required multiple reminders before delivery. (Second-round drinks came more quickly, thanks to the occasional assistance of the host.)

Still, Saigon Asia is a reliable spot, and the staff is uniformly friendly. They might just need one or two more hands.

Sala Thai, 3507 Connecticut Ave. NW; 202-237-2777. Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday noon-11 p.m., Sundays noon-10:30 p.m. Appetizers $3.95-$5.95; entrees $7.25-$12.95.

Saigon Asia, 3811 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, Va.; 703-243-5454. Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11:30-11, Sundays noon-10. Appetizers $3.95-$8.95; entrees $7.95-$11.95