Simply Home Cuisine

First off, I would like to correct Jack F. Simply Home Cuisine’s rating at the time of closure is 4 stars based on 17 reviews (including this one).
I finally ate here after walking by numerous time, questioning the idea of this place («Eat, Drink, Shop» … um… sure). I never saw any one inside so I was always hesitant to try it. Some time in January I finally stopped in and I was glad I did. First off, it turns out that this place wasn’t always empty, they simply set their tables behind a wall so any passer-​by couldn’t see any of them (a bad idea now rectified since being redesigned). Second, and most importantly, I thought the food was spot on and had an excellent presentation. The staff was friendly and helpful and the atmosphere was quite pleasing. I’m not sure if anyone else had mentioned this, but they are affiliated with Rice on 14^th NW; not a bad thing in my opinion, both restaurants are good.
Anyway, for me 4 stars, and as I mentioned in my opening, that gives Simple Home Thai Cuisine an average of 4 stars across 17 reviews. I’ll be visiting DC Noodles some time soon in hopes of having a similar experience.
–RS

Notice: As of Thursday, Jan 29, 2008 (possibly earlier), Simply Home Cuisine is no more. From the chilly vantage point of U St., you can observe paint buckets, tarps, and a construction crew rushing to morph this former Thai cuisine restaurant into DC Noodles. Expected to open February 1. [3 Stars — Average Unilocal rating at time of closure.]

My roommate/​platonic wife and I went on a date here last night. We arrived at 7pm on a Friday and were one of two couples in the place. By the time we left it was picking up. Neither of us are big drinkers so we passed on the cocktails. They seemed to have a good list going though.
We, being hearty eaters, were more concerned with the food. We started off with some crab meat spring rolls. They were fried and wrapped in a tofu skin. Not bad, but I don’t think I’d order them again necessarily. They were definitely freshly fried, which I appreciated. They came with a sweet dipping sauce.
We decided to split two entrees. The squid ink spaghetti with a green curry sauce and the red curry duck. Both were delicious. The red curry duck was slightly spicy, and sweet — flavored with grapes and lychee. Delicious. Served with jasmine rice on the side. The squid ink spaghetti came with prawns, scallops, and calamari. The scallops were slightly overcooked, but everything else was great. I would definitely consider ordering both again, though there were a lot of other options that looked great.
The presentation on both dishes was lovely, and the service was fast, polite and attentive. I’d definitely go back. Great date restaurant!
Without drinks, we each paid $ 30. So a little on the pricier side for thai food, but you’re paying for a nice vibe, nice presentation and interesting dishes.

i like to order delivery from simply home… they are pretty speedy and efficient. prices are decent but portions are on the smaller side. the presentation of their food is always pretty good.
if dining in, it’s a good date spot. definitely one of the most modern, romantic thai restaurants in DC.

The food at SImply Home didn’t taste simply home… the food was average, but the ambiance and décor was modern… the way I like it :) This is a great place for dates and out of town guest, but not a restaurant I for authentic Thai food. The entrees were ok… the tom yum goong was awful… clear broth with a few pieces of mushroom and 2 shrimps. I didn’t taste the lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves in the broth… very bland :(
I love how the bathroom was decorated… clean lines and very modern.

Wow, based on the glowing reviews here, they must have had an off night when I went. I had the orange chicken, which I expected to be somewhat sweet based on orange chicken at other Thai/​Chinese places, but instead, it was bitter. My husband loved it, though. He ordered the crispy pork, and it was disgusting! It looked disgusting, and it was really game-​y. He couldn’t even finish his meal, and he’s not that discerning. However, our friend ordered Panang chicken (not on the menu), and it was fantastic. Spring roll appetizers were good as well, So, a mixed bag. Still, with so many fantastic Thai restaurants in the area, I see no reason to return.

yummy! and love the presentation! great small group dinner & drink spot. order the crispy orange cashew chix, squid ink spaghetti, or sauteed chix w/​asian pumpkin… i can’t say its super authentic though. but i can say it’s a notch above the other thai restaurants in style & price & inching toward a more gourmet approach to thai…

If you love Asian food but need a change of pace from Sala Thai, Tara Thai, Thai Chef, and other established haunts, try Simply Home. The menu is much more creative – and slightly more pricey – than most other Thai food restaurants in the area. (Okay, I guess it’s not strictly Thai, but Thai with global influences …) Anyway, in the appetizer section, Pumpkin Empanadas can be found alongside Spring Rolls, while entrees include Squid Ink Spaghetti and some mushroom-​stuffed tofu steak I have yet to try.

This has a very modern décor, and is a great trendy spot to get your fix for thai food along the 14^th street corridor, yet I didn’t feel like you had to be dressed up «to be seen» to eat here. I had a delicious appetizer that was similar to shu-​mai served at dim sum, and for my main course, I enjoyed a delicious red duck curry that included the usual grapes, tomatoes, and peppers, but also had lychee– a nice, sweet, surprising addition. The service was leisurely and appropriate– not slow or too fast, and I didn’t feel rushed (we arrived at 8 pm and stayed until almost 10 pm, because we wanted to talk to our friends, not because the service was slow). We’ll be back!

Went here with a foursome on Saturday night and loved it. They take reservations and we only had a wait a few minutes to get seated. My mango martini was tasty as was the garden rolls and my crispy tofu. Everyone at my table loved their food. They let us linger after the meal. The space is beautiful and the service was great. It’s not as loud as Rice. All in all I would highly recommend.

This is a cool spot to catch a Thai food fix with some charm. Bring a date here and catch a happy hour special (usually 2 for 1 specialty drinks from the menu) some good eats with a un-​DC vibe. The service is good, the drinks are great, and the food is tasty but not overbearing. The décor is beautiful, the music is decent, but the seating is not menat for you to spend hours oogling over you dates clevage while she tells you about her wild college days. They do take out too so if you work in the area, it’s an option.

Excellent. Lunch deal was tasty, presented beautifully, and there was a great selection on the menu for vegetarians. The décor in the restaurant is gorgeous: I would love to decorate my apartment like that!

Simply Home caught my eye from the street many times before I actually had the opportunity to dine-​in. I thought to myself «This is clearly where people much cooler than myself dine and further raise their swankiness level…» To be honest, with the super-​hip modern décor and low lighting I thought the place was a lounge/​bar. Weirder still, I had ordered takeout from there many times before having the pleasure of walking through the door.
I had a perfect evening here. I felt completely spoiled by the experience.
It could have gone another way in another establishment. But not here. We were first seated in the backless low stools, but asked to be put in chairs (it was late, we’re lazy, etc.) and the our host/​server re-​situated us without so much as a blink. That set the tone – I was REALLY impressed with our service. I was looking over the champagnes, and Alex suggested a rose type sparkling wine. I ordered it, took a sip, found it too sweet, and just let it sit there. Our server noticed, came by and asked whether or not I liked it. After being a server for some years, I’m not very good at showing distaste for anything. I think I said «Uuuuuhhh…I wanted a dry champagne…» Alex pipes up «She doesn’t like it.» That glass vanished and he came back with another glass that was exactly what I wanted– I thanked him repeatedly. There was no extra charge on our check. Now that’s my kind of service.
The dinner menu for carry-​out from SImply Home is pretty casual, exactly what you’d expect from Thai take-​out. I was pleased to see a very different dine-​in menu, with many edgy and appealing choices.
The food was presented on unique plates, as if designed to give each entrée its own voice. The portions were perfect. Everything at this place is «correct.»
The appetizers were crispy deliciousness that I can’t exactly remember now. As soon as we finished, the plates disappeared.
For entrees, Alex ordered a chicken roulade, that was eyelash-​fluttering good. His brother, sticking to the take-​out comfort zone, ordered chicken fried rice. In fact, the chicken fried rice is not even on the dine-​in menu. Matt asked if he could order off the take-​out menu, and they said «Sure.» And yes, even the fried rice dishes at Simply Home are extraordinary. I ordered the green curry pasta with seafood and squid ink. My dish was creative, flavors beautifully balanced, and presented like a sculpture that wouldn’t dream of human consumption.
Aaah and then dessert. Mango sticky rice. No more needs to be said — I think you know where I’m going from this epic, raving review.
After dinner we ambled, full and happy, next door to Simply Home’s cute home décor shop, open at 10something pm. The shop carries one-​of-​a-​kind jewelry and art by local designers. Alex walked out wih a salt and pepper shaker that resembled male genitalia — still not sure if that was the designer’s intention. I walked out with a gorgeous necklace that the woman at the cash register, with no request to do so and despite the hour, warmly gift wrapped for me.
I lament, Simply Home, that I only have 5 stars to give ;).

This place was awesome. I have only been once on a Thursday for lunch, but the food was excellent. It’s reasonably priced too. The food is primarily Thai, well presented and delicious. The décor is way too mod for me and I generally hate loud concrete floored restaurants. The music could have been a little less dancy for a lunch hour too.
But once again, the food distracted me from everything I wasnt a fan of. Not often I can say that in DC.

Form trumps function in this stunning Asian fusion in the new U. Everything — from the food to the furniture — is a work of art. The food is not only beautifully served, but also perfectly prepared. Service is attentive but not overbearing. Downsides are just two. The furniture, while stunning, is not very comfortable. And the house music can be a bit much by the end of dinner. But all in all, it’s a gayborhood favorite of mine!

Can’t give it too many stars since I went when it merely had take-​out. The food was excellent and convenient gourmet-​style though the portions were a little on the small side. Coconut chicken soup was good and so was their Thai iced tea. Will definitely have to try their sit-​down style.

simply home cuisine, adjoining the thai-​accented simply home retail store, is so prettily dressed one might forget it has tasty, (mostly) thai-​influenced food and (hooray!) a full (if small) bar.
the space is beautifully designed, although those little stools look not so comfy to sit on. can’t vouch for the weekend scene, have only been on a weeknight. it used to be take-​out/​delivery only, and the prices went up with the expanded sit-​down dining room/​lounge, but you can still get take-​out from a separate menu — try the simply fries combo, seriously — and last i checked they deliver to most of east dupont/​logan/​U st. until 10pm — 202.232.THAI, menu online at
. will have to return on a friday.