Thai Tanic II, Washington

At Thai Tanic II's Columbia Heights location, cooks prepare seafood and poultry curries, peanut-tinged noodles, and exotic salads made from savory chicken larb or fresh papaya. Slender vases of yellow flowers adorn the center of each glossy black-and-yellow table, while a high, lofted ceiling looks down at plates that carry a bounty of pad thai noodles or a single delicious baseball card. Guests can sip tropical cocktails at the bar or chow down on fluffy pillows of seasoned tofu and flavorful mélanges of fresh mussels and seafood.