Art of the Dumpling Bangkok Joeís Offers Thai Version of American Melting Pot Cuisine by Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana Mid-April marked the Thai New Year or Songkran, a Thai word meaning move or change of place. The Songkran festival is celebrated at a time when the sun changes place in the zodiac. At Bangkok Joeís in Georgetown, diners had the opportunity to celebrate the New Year by sampling traditional dishes from a special menu that chef-owner Aulie Bunyarataphan developed for the occasion. The new dishes supplemented an already dizzying array of dumplings, buns, wontons, rolls, and noodle and rice dishes available on the regular menu. Bangkok Joeís opened in September 2003 as the second venture for husband and wife team Bunyarataphan and co-owner Mel Oursinsiri. After their successful introduction of T.H.A.I in Shirlington, Va., the pair looked to the Washington, D.C., market for another niche in which to ply their considerable skills. Recognizing that Washington had no dumpling houses, they fashioned Bangkok Joeís as an upscale venue for traditional Asian street foods. Working with a somewhat awkward long narrow space, designers Jordan Mozer and Associates have maximized the restaurantís capacity wi thout creating any feeling of crowding, using rows of short booths and banquet seating. A commanding dumpling bar holds court over the space. Thai cultural symbols meld into sleek and modern design elements in the dramatic light fixtures that hint at curving elephant trunks and a huge wall piece in the form of a series of terracotta coils reminiscent of Buddhaís topknot. The restaurantís subdued palate of reds, blacks and off-whites are in sharp contrast to the rainbow of exquisite Thai silk outfits worn by the wait staff. The setting is far from the crowded streets of downtown Bangkok, in which the featured cuisine developed. But in the same way that the designers have worked with traditional elements to create a hybrid design concept, Chef Bunyarataphan has adopted elements of cuisines from across Asia, Europe and the United States to develop a new Thai cuisine that she describes as a Thai version of American melting pot cuisine. Building upon the street foods she encountered growing up in Bangkok and her experiences cooking family meals with her grandmother, Bunyarataphan has added traditional elements from the cuisine of Japan, China and Vietnam, layered in French styles, and topped it off with a dose of American eclecticism that is exciting, sometimes challenging and often inspirational. As a dumpling house, it is not surprising that dumplings play a starring role on the menu. In preparing to open Bangkok Joeís, Bunyarataphan returned to Bangkok to study with a renowned chef at the leading dumpling house in the city. Her efforts were well spent. Offerings such as the pork and crab shu mai ($6.25)ódelectable pockets of crab, pork and crunchy water chestnuts with a ginger soy dipping sauceóand the mushroom and ginger dumplings ($5.95)óa balance of mushroom, ginger, water chestnuts, carrots scallions and a shiitake-sesame creamóbore the clear marks of traditionalism married to the creativity of a great synthesizer. Winter squash pot stickers ($5.95), lobster and pine nuts dumplings ($8.95) and shrimp and crab gyoza ($7.25) were all well worth a try. The only disappointing dish we tried from the small plates was the crispy salmon and rice roll, which unlike a typical crispy salmon skin roll, was deep fried and quite greasy. There was something very compelling about eating dishes that have been prepared the same way for many centuries. On her New Year menu, Bunyarataphan showcased one of the oldest known Thai dishes, meang-kum ($6.95), a mixture of shrimp, toasted coconut, ginger, shallots, roasted peanuts, lime and Thai pepper mixed together and served on small pieces of uncooked collard greens with a sauce of lemongrass, coconut and palm sugar. The textures were unusual and the interplay of flavors was even more striking than typical Thai fare, although in it you can see the origin of typical Thai cuisine. Also on the New Year menu, the tri-colored gems ($7.95)óthree colors of dumplings stuffed with salted turnip, roasted peanuts, Thai herbs and either pork, crab meat or shrimpówere delightful. Unfortunately they are not currently on the main menu but would be a welcome addition. In addition to the finger food, Bangkok Joeís offers numerous noodle and rice dishes. The ubiquitous pad Thai ($9.95-$11.95) was nicely done in a traditional style, as was the drunken chicken ($11.95). The Thai curries were also done in a fairly traditional style, but the addition of unusual vegetables made these particularly appealing choices. The panang ($13.95-$15.95) sported liberal amounts of fresh spinach, a very successful addition to the dish. And the bamee shrimp ($15.95) consisted of skewers of grilled shrimp over wonton noodles in a crab-cream sauce with roasted tomatoes, sautÈed mushrooms and spinach. Where Bangkok Joeís is less consistently successful is in the higher priced entrÈes. Prepared for a single diner rather than to be shared, they seem almost an afterthought to the menu. The filet mignon ($24.94), while satisfying, lacked the distinction of many other dishes, and choices such as the coriander duck breast, while giving chef Bunyarataphan the greatest opportunity for creativity, seemed still to be evolving. Dessert at Bangkok Joeís was a fascinating combination of fairly routine versions of traditional Thai offeringsósuch as the mango and sticky rice ($5.95)óto the absolutely divine. One creation whose description on the menu gives little hint of just how good the dish is going to be is the crispy chocolate caramel wonton ($5.95), which is not to be missed. It looks like a rocket about to take off, with fins of fried wonton, a body of coconut ice cream topped with whipped cream and the whole thing drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce. Itís light and not too sweet and the perfect ending for a meal. The crËme brulee ($5.95) is interesting as well, although heavier. It is a slightly eggy version with a caramel crust suffused with a mild pepperóa surprisingly interesting departure. The New Year menu offered a sampler of traditional Thai desserts ($7.95) that highlighted just how different Western tastes in desserts are. Nothing was creamy, crunchy or very sweet, and portions were very small. This yearís Songkran ushered in a monkey year, believed to be one of movement, discussion and the exchange of ideas. In this election year, Bangkok Joeís is the perfect place to sit and discuss major issues of the day while sampling from its many excellent choices. But for those who like a challenge and would rather eat than talk, the owners have made the offer that diners at the weekend dumpling brunch who can eat through the entire dumpling menu in less than an hour will get the meal on the house. Bangkok Joeís is located at 3000 K St., NW. The phone number is (202) 333-4422. Lunch is served Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and dinner is served from 4 to 11 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and dinner is served from 4 p.m. to midnight. Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana are the restaurant reviewers for The Washington Diplomat.