thip khao

after much wait, i was finally able to dine at tripkhaorather 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.

the meal i had last year at thipkhaois 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 withkhaosiin/ 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 naemkhaohu 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.

thipkhaoin 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

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

believe what you've heard... thipkhaois 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.