First off, Sense of Thai St. is stunning, which automatically sets it apart from the many other Thai and Asian restaurants in the area with humbler, smaller rooms decorated as an homage to tradition. Sense of Thai St. is modern and sleek and funky in the continually developing One Loudoun town center. The menu ranges from street food to pervasive noodle dishes. I gravitate toward the more unusual, like the lanna spaghetti injecting tamarind paste into an Italian tomato sauce or the simple grilled yellowtail jaw with only enough char to not distract from the sweet flesh. The Chiang Mai noodles work as a spicy-savory-pickled fete. Whole cashews bring a richness to an otherwise standard noodle dish. There’s a flair here, and it’s not just the on-trend drink program and the legit dance parties on late-night weekends. It’s on the table, too. • 20413 Exchange St., Ashburn
(April 2017 Best Asian Restaurants)
