In a city like Washington, with its myriad embassies, universities and employers, there is certainly no shortage of restaurants, and just about every cuisine on the planet is represented. With Thai restaurants being nearly ubiquitous in America these days, we have come to learn what to expect when eating at one, which is why it’s so easy to find fault with Bangkok Joe’s.

It certainly wasn’t for lack of visual appeal. The spring rolls were undoubtedly more attractive than the usual stubby-looking morsels found in most Thai restaurants—these were shaped more like long, thick drinking straws. However, they struggled to exude much flavor, and I had to rely on the dipping sauce, rather than using it as an accent.

My wife’s spicy basil rice bowl (with tofu) was tasty, but despite having asked for the spice to be toned down to “one star” (usually not a problem at Thai restaurants), her request was apparently overlooked and the dish was far too hot for her taste. She didn’t discover this until after the waitress came to check on us, about a minute into the meal—before the capsaicin really had a chance to throttle up on her palate. I, however, love spicy food, and found it to be quite flavorful at “one star,” but if it were thrice as hot, I’d wager it would have turned my iron intestines into mush.

I had the Siamese pork rice bowl, a gingery dish with very tender meat served with pickled vegetables. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the basil. The problem was the vegetables; there were just too many of them. The pickling was very sweet, and overpowered the dish. They should have been used as an accent, rather than dominating the bowl.

The bottom line: Despite its visual aesthetics and prime location in the Washington Harbour development, I can’t give Bangkok Joe’s more than three stars.