By Adam Knudsen (April 3, 2005)

Recently I applied for a job at the Bangkok Blues Thai restaurant on 926 West Broad Street. I had gone there before and was taken in by the liveliness of the restaurant along with the wonderful Thai dishes. Bangkok Blues is so very different from a traditional American restaurant. Most restaurants such as Bennigan’s or Chili’s will have decent food but most of the people in there are occupied with watching the TV’s around the bar to keep up with their favorite sports teams. Bangkok is different. Open Tuesdays through Sundays, Bangkok Blues has music every night on weekdays starting at 7:30 and weekends at 8:30. The atmosphere is one that all ages can share with pictures and records of all the greatest rock and blues players covering the walls.

The owner and founder of the Bangkok Blues is Chai Siribongkot, a native of Thailand. Siribongkot got into Western music during the Vietnam War when he tuned into GI stations playing rock and roll. He quickly became hooked on this music and wanted to learn how to play it. His parents objected to his playing of the electric guitar, but that didn’t stop him. He left his house and joined a Thai rock band. He was then invited to the United States and played at ski resorts all over Denver.

He then returned to Thailand and played in the band Kon Dankwien, which was a very famous Thai pop band at the time. He performed in an album of theirs along with doing his own album, and then he returned to the United States. He first went to Los Angeles and found a fan base in the Asian community there. In Los Angeles he was told that he would become a very big music artist if he played in D.C. He got a gig in Thai Flavor and ended up playing there for eight months.

Siribongkot then started touring the United States as a solo artist, playing in Chicago, New York, Boston, Las Vegas, and Texas, with his guitar and backing tracks. With the money he made from his music he decided to return to D.C. and open a restaurant, Bangkok Steakhouse. He came up with the idea of combining American steak with the famous sauces found in Thailand, such as the Tiger Steak or the Steak Pad Thai. He wanted to have live bands in his restaurant, but could not afford it so he played with his band on Friday and Saturday nights.

When George Welling walked in to have dinner he thought it would be a good place to play with a few guys in his band, The Tom Cunningham Orchestra. He talked to Siribongkot about it and the owner then gave his band the name Siamese Cats.

Siribongat then changed the name Bangkok Steakhouse to the Bangkok Blues and booked artists from Wednesdays to Sundays. Tuesday is open mic night where any person can stand up and play with whoever is there.

The Bangkok Blues is a great place if you are interested in hearing good local bands and experiencing the tastes of Thai food. When the bands are good people will actually stand up to dance on the small 12 by 11 foot dance floor.

The best night to come in to experience the Bangkok Blues would be April 28 when the Siamese Cats are playing or the April 30 when the Jackson Street band will be playing with Siribongat and John Dickson.

The Washington Post said, "The unpretentious Bangkok Blues is among the best Thai restaurants in town."

So come out and grab a bite to eat and help keep this rare Falls Church restaurant alive, for it is one of a kind.