Thai restaurant opens in Bailey’s Crossroads

Mum Aroi, the new restaurant that replaced Rabieng at 5892 Leesburg Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads features the cuisine of northeastern Thailand with a modern twist.

The manager, Bundit (Natt) Jitphaisan, recommends diners try yum pla dook foo (crispy catfish salad with roasted peanut, fresh mango, and red onion in a special sauce); crispy roasted duck sautéed with fresh chili peppers and basil leaves; and boat noodle soup with pork or beef meatballs, bean sprouts, Chinese broccoli, and crispy pork skin on the side.

He also recommends stir-fried baby clams with chili paste, basil, and spicy black bean and garlic sauce’ and kao moo daeng (sliced roasted pork and hard-boiled egg with rice topped with BBQ red sauce and special soy sauce).

Mum Aroi means “delicious” in Thai.

The restaurant will start serving alcohol next month as soon as its ABC license is approved.

Related story: The Duangrat family closes Rabieng

Mum Aroi, which means “delicious” in Thai, opened this week after the longtime owners, the Duangrat family, decided it was too much to maintain two restaurants. They are keeping Duangrat’s on Leesburg Pike and sold Rabieng and Duangrat’s Oriental Food Mart next door to Rungaun Tipaucha, Natt’s sister. The market will stay open under a new name.

Tipaucha, owns three other restaurants – all of them in Arlington – including Sawatdee Thai Restaurant on Clarendon Boulevard, Thai Square on Columbia Pike, and Crystal Thai on Arlington Boulevard.