By Stefanie Gans and Rina Rapuano
Elephant Jumps
Falls Church | Thai | $$
Things that don’t happen in real life: elephants jumping. Things that do happen in real life: finding a great meal at Elephant Jumps.
The Thai restaurant tucked into a shopping center down the street from Mosaic District is a discovery into a world beyond pad see ew (though the version here is certainly better than other neighborhood Thai spots). Specials on the blackboard are a good idea, as are hoy jaw, a mix of shrimp, crab and pork wrapped, fried and sliced into bites of savory crunchiness; fried shrimp in kicky, beguiling tamarind sauce; and a whole red snapper decorated in purple onion strips, shredded mango, whole cashews and a lot of sassy, in-your-face flashes of flavors. // 8110 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church
This post originally appeared in our November 2019 issue’s 50 Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.