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IrelandAlfie's limits its Thai curry steak frites to five nightly
Eater goes behind the scenes in Georgetown, where a massaman-covered rib-eye is only part of a market-driven Thai kitchen.
Eater
Story of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 197,108 views a day, 10 times a normal first day on this channel (19,309).
Why Alfie's in D.C. Is Serving Only Five Thai Curry Steak Frites a Night
Things we can learn from the video
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- 1:12Fresh market deliveries shape a changing menu as the team works through opening-week constraints.
- 4:45The team portions the limited rib-eye special, explaining that Alfie's isn't becoming a steakhouse.
- 7:01Chef Rudy hand-shreds green papaya to create the uneven texture he wants for som tam.
- 8:03McCoy explains the low-and-slow preparation of gaeng hang leh, a northern Thai pork belly curry.
- 12:20The rib-eye is cooked and plated with green peppercorn massaman curry and fries.
- 13:43Sewansecott oysters are served with a house-fermented chili seafood sauce.
Why put such a tight limit on a steak people want to order? At Alfie's, the answer is about keeping the restaurant's identity intact. "We're not going to become a steakhouse overnight," sous chef Ian Ko says as the team portions a prime rib roast.
The Washington, D.C., restaurant's Thai steak frites pairs rib-eye with green peppercorn massaman curry and fries. Eater's behind-the-scenes film had drawn roughly 150,000 views in its first 14 hours, already far beyond the channel's usual full-day audience for comparable uploads.
But the film doesn't stay with the steak. Chef-owners Justin Ahn and Alex McCoy build their menu around Mid-Atlantic ingredients, including produce from their own farm, using Thai techniques. Market deliveries determine what makes it onto the freshly printed menu.
In the kitchen, Chef Rudy shreds green papaya by hand, explaining why the uneven texture matters for som tam. McCoy prepares gaeng hang leh, a northern Thai pork belly curry that cooks low and slow. Later, oysters get a house-fermented chili seafood sauce.
Eater catches the team during opening week, after a two-year renovation transformed an empty Georgetown shell into the restaurant. Ahn says the first day's sales reached only half of what they had expected, a useful counterpoint to the bustle of prep and service.
The steak has another firm boundary besides its limited availability: McCoy says the kitchen serves it medium rare, without taking requests for other temperatures.
Published on Trari
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What viewers say
@Eater, you always know exactly what I need. I'm surprised this place has never caught the attention of my nose. I've literally walked by that alley on my way to the waterfront park. Now I'll walk a little slower and maje a stop.
@nia2275See it on YouTubeThey know the real Thai papaya salad , we cut and use the knife to shred it like in the vid !
@faylitaelsSee it on YouTubeFeel like that curry would hit with some rice included
@JMorefireTMSee it on YouTube
3 more comments
That steak tho. Made my mouth water 🤤
@thebomb78See it on YouTubeWould love to know how much a menu cost at Alfies. Then i can start saving money :)
@sunny-side-up12345See it on YouTubeOnly a great Chef can use the word "funkiness" to describe a dish and still get you to salivate for it
@007diego2See it on YouTube
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- Channel
- Eater
- Subscribers
- 4,050,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 3,006,975
- Channel views, pace per day
- 391,003 (on a normal day: 338,445)
- Video published
- October 26, 2026
- Video views so far
- 150,818 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 197,108
The numbers
The Alfie's film passed Eater's usual first-day audience well before its first day was over.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which ingredient does Chef Rudy hand-shred for som tam?
Rudy hand-shreds green papaya, emphasizing the uneven texture it gives the salad.