thip khao

came to this place by accident being in the neighborhood, and a very pleasant surprise! i took the sausages as a starter, delicious, a bit spicy. and then the salmon in a banana leaf (moak paa) so good and healthy! i like the rice served in the little basket. all very pleasant

this was our first time trying loation food. it was very similar to thai food. we started with complimentary cucumber with a drop of spicy sweet sauce (was a bit like gochuchang)

we got ping-hua-jai-kai : grilled chicken hearts with picked radish. i have never had chicken hearts this tender. i am still wondering how they made it so tender.

then in-spite of several warnings from our server we ordered tam-muk-houng-phet-phet from junglee menu, which was extra spicy shredded green papaya salad with cherry tomatoes, padaek (fish sauce), lime, shrimp & crab paste, dried shrimp. -it was really spicy & sooo goooood. loved it.

and finally we got kua-mee : fried rice noodles shrimp paste in fish sauce caramel, eggs & peanuts. it was more like pad thai and little sweet and went perfectly with our extra spicy papaya salad. there are so many things to try and we didn't even get to try the sticky rice yet so will surely go back again.

for appetisers, we started with chuen peek gai, which was glazed chicken wings in sweet and sour sauce. in salads, we ordered laab chicken, which is chicken with minced salad, with toasted rice and chilli, scallion, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro, mint and rau ram. i truly enjoyed this dish for the variety of tastes which emanate from the use of multiple ingredients.

for the maia, we tried two dishes -- gaeng phet with catfish oob bae.

gaeng phet is red coconut curry, eggplant, green bean, bamboo, bell pepper and thai basil. it was an exquisite red curry and we tried it with catfish. and finally, oob bae is spicy goat curry stew, bell pepper, onion and cilantro. few places serve meat of goat and i enjoyed the meat here as it was succulent and the brown curry was delightful!

laotian food is rare and if you want to eat, this is the place you need to visit!

after much wait, i was finally able to dine at trip khao rather than having take out from them. during the week, the restaurant consistently has a wait. my friends and i decided to get a few dishes to share as we sat on the patio. our server was very patient with us and had the food served quickly. to start, we had the papaya salad with a vegetarian sauce instead of fish sauce. i though the salad was good, but it would've been better with the fish sauce. some of my friends were not a fan on the raw vegetables in it either. next, we had the chicken screwers and goat curry. the goat curry broth was very hearty, the broth nicely soaking up the rice. my friends seemed to like the chicken far more than the goat. lastly, we had the fried rice with tofu, which everyone loved. there was so much seasoning in the rice that gave the rice flavor, unlike other fried rice i've had before. for the portion sizes, the prices were a little steep for some of the dishes. i suppose that due to the restaurant being one (if not the only) laotian restaurant in the city, it's quite a treasure for the city.

fairly good food. i feel as if i have had better food in general. the coconut juice is very good. i was introduced to black rice here which was very good.

the meal i had last year at thip khao is one of those i think of again and again as one of the best dining experiences i’ve had in the district. i’ve been meaning to return for ages, but it seems that every time i’m in columbia heights there’s some new restaurant i just have to try. this is a problem in dc – so many new restaurants open every month that old favorites are often quickly forgotten.

being from southern california i thought i knew asian food pretty well but have never had laotian, so we decided we needed to try this as a family. our 13 year old son does not do spicy but our 17 year old daughter does;they were great accommodating our requests for sauce on the side. quail & chicken wings were delectable as were tofu & curry puffs in small plates. latter much like somosas. gaeng daeng with chicken was lovely also with khao siin/ muu haeng w/ beef, latter rather like orange beef in chinese tradition. we don't usually go for asian desserts but mango rice & avocado coconut rice were both excellent. hoping our daughter chooses a college in dc area so we can return often!

from the "jungle menu" we ordered the naem khao hu muu. an incredible mixture of crispy coconut rice, steamed pig ears, peanuts, cilantro, ginger, mint, and sour pork sausage was served with green leaf lettuce to make your own wraps. this dish was addictive and my favorite of the night. the pig ears were chewy with the cartilage, the rice crunchy, the sausage soft and sour, and all the herbs just added that extra element to each bite.

thip khao in columbia heights is the lao only sister restaurant to bangkok golden (thai/lao) in 7 corners. thip khao's food is amazing and often adventurous. there is even offal on the happy hour menu (duck heads, pork rings, pig ears). the bar is small so get there early if doing the happy hour. you'll notice that i don't rate 5 often, but for this one i am. we wrote about it in january at dcfud.com

awesome experience and was packed on a weeknight. salmon red curry, oxtail stew, and starter chili paste with cucumbers all had delicious, complex flavors. service was casual but attentive, including one of the city's leading gin experts at the bar. good patio. only thing i'd change next time is to ask for more spice!

so, my friends and i ate there last night and we had a great time. the restaurant is well appointed and the staff very friendly and attentive. i had the spicy fried rice with shrimp, and it did not disappoint. spicy means spicy over there.  at that location on 14th street, parking is hard to find with only street parking available so prepare to walk because undoubtedly, you'll be parking far.

with a growing roster of notable dc restaurants, it’s more important than ever to establish a niche. thip khao distinguishes itself with unique laotian cuisine, but also with a full roster of dishes that truly sizzle.

honestly, i did not know exactly what to expect of lao food when i walked into the restaurant. i had heard great things about bangkok golden, and i am always up to try new foods, especially ethnic foods. i was pleasantly surprised at how similar lao food is to thai. the kua mee, or fried rice noodle dish, to me reminisced one of my favorite dishes, pad thai, with its long noodles, chicken, bean sprouts, omelet slices, and lime on the side. the hints of tamarind, shrimp paste, palm sugar, and fish sauce in the kua mee were not so noticeable to me. while the dish pleased the palate and warmed the stomach, the noodles were not as flavorful as i would have hoped.

believe what you've heard... thip khao is as good as the rumors suggest.   great way to wash it all down. laotian cuisine is similar to thai with a lot less seafood since laos is landlocked.  

thip khao: laotian food in dc. excellent service and food! ordered moak pah, which was salmon covered in a spicy sauce and steamed in banana leaf. this comes with sticky rice and lots of raw crunchy vegetables. look forward to coming again!