Thip Khao Restaurant
| Address: | 3462 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA |
| Phone: | +1 202-387-5426 |
| Site: | thipkhao.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | 5–10PM Closed 12–3PM 12–3PM 12–3PM 12–3PM 12–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
AL
Alice Wang
Yesterday (12/5/14) was the grand opening of Thip Khao. I was able to sample some of their food at the DC Emporiyum event and Ive read a couple of articles in DCist, Washington Post, DC Eater, and other DC papers and blogs about this new restaurant. Also, Ive eaten at Chef Sengs sister restaurant, Bangkok Golden, which specializes in Thai and Laos food. So I was eager to try Thip Khao. Since it was opening night, the place was incredibly crowded. We had to wait about 45 minutes to get a table. We all ordered drinks of some kind and ordered a few dishes. Theyve got a bartender, Jack Caminos, who makes typical drinks like Thai iced tea and iced soy milk with Pandan leaf or coconut juice, but he also makes cocktails with a Laos spin, such as an Old Fashioned with tamarind and charred sugar or Thai rum with chilies. +Moak Pah: steamed fish wrapped in banana leaves, curry paste, and dill. We opted for flounder ($15), but we got sea bass ($19). +Ping: Grilled pork neck ($12) +Yum Muk Plee: banana blossom salad, steamed pigs ear, spicy tamarind sauce, cashew nut ($13) +Laab Gai: minced salad, toasted rice, garlic, scallion, cilantro, mint ($11). Sticky rice in thip khaos (aptly named for the Lao bamboo rice basket) and lettuce for comes out with most dishes. Most Laotian food is eaten with your hands, so dont feel shy about doing this here. You can wrap food into the lettuce to make wraps or scoop rice with the food. All the dishes were really good. I was even shocked by how spicy the yum muk plee ended up being. Even though I eat Chinese Sichuan food all the time, the level of this spice took me by surprise. I should mention that there is actually a separate menu for more adventurous eaters. Its called "Lets Go to the Jungle" and features dishes like papaya salad with crab and shrimp paste and chilies; spicy blood sausage; grilled beef tongue; fried intestines; and much more. The restaurant features Laotian/Southeast Asian artwork and pottery. Service wasnt too bad, but since it was opening night, dishes and drinks were forgotten or mixed up. One of my friends didnt get his drink, some of our dishes were mixed up, and we had to constantly ask for more lettuce and rice. Cant complain too much since it was their first night entertaining the lot of DC. Im sure service will get better with time. First come, first serve for the opening weekend. However, the restaurant is taking reservations for dinner starting Monday, December 8. Great for groups and communal feasting!
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Samantha Berg
Yum yum yum yum yum. A new favorite, for sure. Came here on a Sunday evening without a reservation around 7:00pm and managed to secure a table for two. The place was definitely busy and it smelled AMAZING inside. Neither of us had been here before so we over-ordered in favor of trying as many things as possible. Our server made some great recommendations and before we knew it, we had a table full of food in front of us. Tam Som (papaya salad): 5-stars. Shredded green papaya in a citrusy fish sauce with cherry tomatoes, Thai chilies, whole peanuts, and chunks of garlic. We ordered it medium and it packed a solid kick. More than I normally expect from something "medium", which as a spice fiend, I loved, but would have burned the mouth of someone wussier. Super fresh ingredients, not overly fishy, and I loved the potency of the garlic. My only, slight complaint is I would have preferred chopped peanuts to the whole peanuts as it gets more peanut into each bite. Chuenh Peek Gai (crispy chicken wings): 5-stars. Crispy chicken wings in a sweet and sticky chili sauce. Served absolutely steaming hot. Decent sized wings with a good amount of meat on them. Perfectly fried. Finger lickin good. Lao Curry Puff: 4-stars. Puff pastry stuffed with curried potatoes, tasted like a Laotian samosa. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Also served steaming hot. It could have been a little crispier on the outside, and the dipping sauce didnt do much for me, but still a fantastic dish. Gaeng Phet: 4-stars. Creamy red curry full of coconut flavors cut by the tang of shrimp paste. Filled with Thai eggplant, green beans, bell peppers, Thai basil, and bamboo shoots. Paired really well with the side of steamed rice. Paa Tod (crispy fish): 4-stars. Not the most unique dish Id ever had, but light, fresh, and well balanced. Crispy filets of snakehead fish with a salsa of mango, red onion, tomato, and cashews. The menu said "spicy mango sauce" but I didnt get any heat from this dish at all. The fish tasted very fresh and it wasnt overly fried, which kept the dish light. Overall, I was super impressed with the food here. There are so many awesome sounding options, especially on the Jungle Menu, and I look forward to coming back (and bringing more people!) to try more things.
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Carol Chan
Food was decent but service was horrendous. Never had I felt so unwanted in a restaurant. My husband and another couple came to Thip Khao as double dinner date. We were seated promptly for our reservation, placed our drinks+food orders, served in timely fashion. Dinner was going just fine... Until our waitress threw the check at us (around 45 mins into our reservation) and while my friend was still half way through her dinner. When we waved down our waitress asking for her the dessert menu, she hurried off then came back to tell us that they were out of desserts (yes at 6:45pm). Something didnt seem right with that response ...but hey we knew there was a giant crowd waiting and our waitress was eager to turn our table around - so we paid and left just as she wished. Stay away from Thip Khao if you want an intimate meal to catch up with friends or loved ones. They dont want that kind of shenanigans going in their business. Their business motto - Eat and get out!
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bryan schaaf
When I lived in DC I ate here often. I am overseas now but make a point of coming to Thip Khao each time I come back. Last night, for the first time, I had a disappointing experience. Dishes forgotten, drinks forgotten, my friend ordered a noodle dish that was so sweet he talked to the server about it. The server said they would fix it in the kitchen so no problem. The manager then came out after and explained it could not be fixed but that he could order something else so take a look at the menu and let her know. Later, she came by with the bill instead of asking him what he wanted as a replacement order. The menu has also been simplified with many of what I would have considered the more interesting dishes removed - no pounded snakefish, for example. All the elixirs behind the bar have also been removed. They still have the same cooks but it feels like a difference place.
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Skip Muller
Delicious, fresh, flavorful and inventive cuisine. The signature dishes of crispy rice salad, sun dried beef, papaya salad and larb (especially the duck) are incredible. The authentic and adventurous dishes from the "Go to the Jungle" menu present traditional use of animal parts and hot spices that will make anybody whos been to Laos feel like theyre back, and if you havent its a flavor and texture extravaganza well worth trying. I strongly encourage you to bring friends so that you can share many dishes and get a taste of things you might not order if you were by yourself, because its a wonderful way to try adventurous new things. There are also many vegetarian options, and many of my friends bring their kids here. Its never too early to introduce kids to exciting international cuisine!
