Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage shouldn’t just end in May. You can continue learning about AAPI heritage and culture everyday and one of the most tangible way is through food.
Fried rice is the quintessential dish in many Southeast Asian countries. It is a comfort food. In Indonesia, for example, you can have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s always served with an egg, either scrambled or sunny side up with a side of krupuk (garlic or prawn flavored rice crackers). Fried rice or as known in Indonesian – nasi goreng – is a staple equivalent of Pho for many Vietnamese. For Thai people, Thai fried rice is known for its great use of basil. For those in Malaysia and Singapore, their fried rice is also known for a curry-based flavor or having a mix of seafood.
Just like barbeque, all fried rice is not created equal: it comes with different layers and influences. By understanding the different kinds of fried rice you have access to around the DC area, it will make you appreciate more the different flavors of fried rice and their culture. Also, it will make you want to go back for more. Here are some selections of beloved fried rice in some DC restaurants.
Thai Fried Rice
Basil fried rice and crab fried rice will be on the menu 99% of the time in any Thai restaurant in DC. Sometimes it is served with pineapple. In many Thai restaurants, they will also serve basil fried rice with crab meat. This is one of the best fried rice dishes out there because you get to enjoy some lumps of crab meat. While you can pretty much find these two types of fried rice in many Thai restaurants, head to Bangkok Thai Dinning on P Street near Dupont Circle for authentic family-owned Thai fried rice.
Indonesian Fried Rice
One of the famous places known by the Indonesian diaspora in the DMV to get Indonesian fried rice is The New Dynasty of P Street near Dupont Circle. Indonesian fried rice comes in different styles as well. Some people like to cook it sweet by using sweet soy sauce or known as kecap manis. You can find this style of Indonesian fried rice in BoBoko Indonesian Cafe in Harrisburg, VA. Some like it smoky like in The Tyger, New York City. But some, including the one at this hole in the wall take-out and super casual Chinese restaurant, bases its seasoning on sambal and shrimp paste (called terasi). Your fried rice will have a lighter red or pink color due to the chili paste instead of brown or white. It’s greasy, but so delicious. It makes you want to eat more.
Pork Belly Fried Rice
You can pretty much put pork (come on, bacon!) in any kind of dish and make it more appetizing. The same thing with fried rice. One of the best places to enjoy pork belly fried rice is at Baan Siam in Mount Vernon Triangle (MVT) in Downtown DC. The pork belly is deep-fried and served on top of the rice, while the rice is well seasoned with a smoky and basil flavor. Beware, Baan Siam doesn’t play with its spice level! 🌶︎🌶︎🌶︎
Salted Fish Fried Rice
This sounds like a crazy combination. Don’t say it before you try it. This could be one of the most memorable fried rice dishes you will ever have in your life because of that strong salted fish flavor. Salted fish fried rice is usually served with another protein – most likely chicken – to balance the overall flavor. You can get salted fish fried rice in pretty much any Chinese restaurant. Chinese fried rice is usually light in color and have a hint of sesame oil. The ones you can get at Full Kee or New Big Wong in Chinatown DC will hit the spot if you’re looking for salty and fishy fried rice.
Duck Fried Rice
If you love duck and fried rice, duck fried rice is the best meal you can ever have. There aren’t many restaurants that serve duck fried rice in DC but one of them is the one and only Lucky Danger in MVT by Chef Tim Ma. The flavor and fat from the duck meat cover the fluffy sushi-like rice. It’s light in seasoning with a great flavor of cubed carrots that are put in the fried rice.
Hong Kong Fried Rice
The fried rice at Tiger Fork at Blagden Alley is a whole fried rice. It has a great combination of every country’s fried rice! Scrambled eggs in the rice like Indonesian fried rice, checked. Delicious Chinese sausage, checked. Shrimp like in Singaporean fried rice, checked. It’s topped with fried garlic and scallions, what a treat!
Are you ready to try each of this different kind of fried rice this weekend? Let us know on Instagram and comment on our blog what you think of these fried rice!
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