Took an extended walk a few weeks ago to check this place out before getting groceries, as it's supposedly some of the best Thai in South Arlington and had to verify that. Was seated by a delightful young lady, and found the decor and layout to be quite pleasing; modest by elegant. As for the fare, it was indeed quite worth the walk. Ordered a bowl of Tom Yum and the Pad Thai Mun Goong. The Tom Yum was solid and quite flavorful, a flux of tangy lemongrass with the oniony sweetness of steeped scallions, and enoki mushrooms to provide some heartiness. The Pad Thai Mun Goong was a chef specialty pad Thai made with stir fried rice noodle, prawns shrimp tomalley oil (a crucial element for this version), egg and bean sprouts, naturally topped with green onions, peanuts and a lime for squeezing, and this also was quite phenomenal. Savory, sweet, a little tingle of sourness from the citrus in the mid-palate, and the juicy, briny shrimp balancing the dense carbs and rich flavorful sauce. All-in-all, I was well pleased this visit. As this is Padaek's second location, I hope they don't expand too much further/quickly and compromise on quality. read more

Padaek - Arlington - Tom Yum Soup - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Absolutely delicious! Was looking for a restaurant for Friday evening and stumbled upon Padaek. Made a reservation for 8:15pm. We walked in and the restaurant was lively. They had a band and singers and folks were up dancing. We found out this is an annual thing and not something regular. We didn't realized they closed at 9pm so felt a little rushed. My friend and I shared the Pad See Ew with beef and the Pla Makham. Both dishes were so good and packed with flavor. We saw some good looking dishes being delivered to other tables and can't wait to return to try them. read more

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Stopped by Padaek on my way to DC and was impressed with their dishes! Started off with one of their seasonal specials, the tea leaf salad. It kinda reminded me of a tangy version of pesto but the fermented tea leaves were tasty with the mix of fresh veggies and crunchy nuts/beans. The pad phet catfish was what impressed me the most! The sauce was a very herbacious brown sauce that was savory and spicy. Catfish pieces were tender and so were the eggplant pieces. Sauce was addicting and went well with rice. Also tried the crab noodles after reading great reviews about it. It definitely was tasty with the oyster-sauce and soy-sauce based flavor profile, but didn't wow me like the catfish dish. The egg noodles were chewy and I appreciated the generous serving of shiitake mushrooms. Besides the physical presence of crab meat, there were not other crab flavors featured. I was too full to try any desserts but the white rabbit ice cream sounded good. The restaurant is pretty big and spacious with indoor/outdoor seating. Lots of parking in the lot. Staff were polite. read more

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Super tasty Lao food restaurant. We had ordered take out before. This is the first time I ate in. This restaurant is nice and spacious with an open kitchen. We got there late, at 2:15 pm for lunch and they close at 3 pm. Their last order was at 2:35 pm. We ordered the crispy rice salad with the sour pork, our favorite, and a seasonal soft shell curry. Both are delicious. We also ordered a banana coconut cake for dessert, it came with ice cream, also delicious. Service was good. Parking is right in front. read more

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Came here for dinner shortly after experiencing its food market on Sunday. The dishes were tasty except very salty. The chicken was amazing and grilled (taste wise) to perfection, though it looked a little burnt due to the glaze. However the ribs was a bit strange. It was a cross between too little dry seasoning and too much contrasting sauce... kind of hard to explain. The dishes presented well - super colorful. read more

Padaek - Arlington - Grilled chicken - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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We went for lunch here to meet one of my friends wife who always knows the best places to go eat and this place was no exception. The food was amazing, plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and at we day our waitress told us if we wanted to order soon as they just had a big party come in and didn't want our order to be delayed if it was put on after theirs and I saw the party come in and was thinking that exact thing just before the waitress mentioned it, so I really appreciated that she mentioned it. Another great thing was that she brought us water as soon as we sat down and made sure to keep the glasses full. Great food and great service, inside a mall type area with plenty of parking. Definitely a place to go often if I lived in the state. e. read more

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This place was a good find! Food was so herby and savory that fits to our taste buds. We love every bite of the Nam Tok with the sticky rice. The Drunken Noodles are just as good in its own way. Really enjoyed the squid salad appetizer. The herbs, citrusy and savory taste of our ordered food were really reminiscent of the food we used to have in Asia. The service was also incredibly good, their rapport was a good level of customer service. They also helped us with deciding and explaining the food. The place was amazing! They have indoor seating only at the time we visited but for sure during summer they have some outdoor seatings as well. We will go back to try the other menu! Best food and experience! read more

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Came back again for lunch recently and whewww. So good. Thai Tea ($6): a little too sweet for my tastes. More of the bright orange and less concentrated tea flavor but good and not too icey. Khao Soi: okayyyy, I won't say it's the best in Nova, but it was really good. What I LOVED was that they grill the chicken thighs then add it in which makes it even more flavorful. I do prefer it with rice noodles instead of the crispy wonton noodles on top and in it (they only use wonton noodles) but I appreciated the subtle oyster sauce flavor in the fried noodle balls on top. And the presentation was great. Siin Savanh (beef jerky): this was my favoriteeeeee. It was so freaking good and flavorful. Could've eaten this for five days straight. And the portion size is plentiful for the appetizer price. Egg fried rice: super delicious again. Basic but good and a good portion Chicken spring roll: good but not my favorite. They almost remind me of lumpia (almostttt) I would recommend this place hands-downnnn. The service is always great and the food is amazing and fresh. I think the Sunday buffet is inconsistent which is like to try. The decor here is also very cutesy. read more

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Good food and service. 4/5 veggie dishes were really good. Tea leaf salad was fantastic. Red curry had a nice tang to it. Really enjoyed the Naem Khao Tood (lettuce wrap with crispy coconut). Rabbit Sundae and Mango with Sticky Rice for dessert were delish! (Pad Thai was too sweet.) read more

Fantastic spot offering both Thai & Laotian dishes under one roof. I came very hungry and was promptly greeted by a friendly hostess. Wait staff were attentive to water refills and making sure I had everything I needed. For food, I started off with the Chuenh Taohu which is fried tofu with a sweet tamarind sauce. Even though I was hungry, I realized it could've been a meal if I just added rice--delicious! Next, I enjoyed the Mee Kathi which is a fresh coconut curry with plenty of herbs & vegetables. Not too heavy or strong--very good. I ultimately got boxes to go for both and enjoyed them the next day. I'd say the Fried Tofu was an excellent leftover, but the curry is best enjoyed fresh (at no fault to the restaurant). I really appreciate Padaek is on InKind as it makes dining out a little easier on the wallet. I will most certainly be back to try the rest of their menu! read more

Padaek - Arlington - Chuenh Taohu - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Such a great Laotian restaurant with amazing food, super friendly service, and clean well designed interior. This is practically a monthly stop for our family. We love sitting on the outside patio is the spring/summer. To start, the spring rolls and chicken satay are both outstanding. Some of our favorite entrees are the fried rice, khao soi gai, and a very underrated and seemingly unexciting, but spectacular entree is the piing gai khao laam (whole chicken), which is very tender, flavorful (lemongrass + tumeric) served with grilled coconut rice and ginger sauce. This is a huge portion too, which can easily serve two people. Overall Padaek is such a great spot with great food, people, and convenient location. Really looking forward to our next visit and many more! read more

If you're on the fence about visiting this place, GO! Some of these dishes were the best versions we've ever had. The chicken satay and chicken wings were so flavorful and delicious. I recommend ordering both! The tom yum and entrees we ordered (one was a special and the other was a noodle curry) were fabulous. The service was amazing and the space is so cute and doesn't feel stuffy at all. This is our new go to for southeast Asian food. YOU HAVE TO COME HERE!!! read more

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First of all, this place doesnt need more good reviews. Second of all, I can't officially say or admit I was here as I was not supposed to be here and there could be consequences, why I am in pen name on these reviews. Anyway. I had the pork appetizer dish. The spice and herb combo was something I have not had before in a good way. Almost like szechuan in terms of spicy enough to sweat but delicious to keep eating. The green chili paste dip is there on the dish for you to add MORE spice as needed. I drank 3 full glasses of water and an old fashioned. They delivered the food and drink promptly, I would say 10 minutes for the food and 4 for the drink, and this was a busy time. On a Monday and the restaurant is 3/4 full is a good sign. That is all I have for you. Five stars for the new use of my taste buds. But I wasnt here officially. read more

Padaek - Arlington - Pork appetizer - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

i stopped by padaek with a large party of 18 on a weekday, and honestly, the restaurant was incredibly accommodating. i want to give a big thank you to the staff for being able to seat such a large group on short notice. i called the restaurant earlier that day to see if it would be possible, and they let me know that the kitchen closes at 2:45 pm. as long as we ordered before then, we would be able to get our food, so we made sure to arrive before 2:45 and placed our order right away. we ordered a variety of dishes, including classics like red curry, drunken noodles, pad thai, and a few chicken entrées. everything was delicious. the spice levels were just right, the flavors were great, and all the dishes tasted distinct and true to what we expected. the interior decor of the restaurant is also stunning, very clean and welcoming. our party was seated in a private room off to the side, which made the experience even more pleasant. the service was quick, and we had our food within about 15 to 20 minutes of ordering. all of the staff were incredibly kind and attentive. i would definitely come back here and highly recommend checking out this place. read more

Padaek - Arlington - chicken dish - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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High quality Thai food with a variety of authentic dishes served with amazing hospitality in a welcoming environment. Located in a decently sized mall with plenty of parking, Padaek, stands alone in its own structure, although at the time we went was not clearly labeled. Despite not seeing the name plastered anywhere, the grand door you see welcomes you to this amazing Thai experience. As you step into this medium sized eatery, you will be instantly immersed in scents and fragrances typically used in Thai cuisine including coconut, lemongrass, and chilis. Your nose will lead you in, your mouth will water, and your stomach will ache for it to be satisfied. Fortunately, the staff is quick to greet you and seat you down despite no reservations. They'll hand out the menus which are easy to look through as the items are classified by food type (starters, salads, noodles, rice, curry, soup, main dishes, and drinks) and a nice list of highlights in its Chef's Recommendations section. We ordered a few items to get a true Padaek experience. Satay - three skewers of 5 big pieces each of well marinated, juicy chicken thigh grilled to perfection with a spicy peanut sauce on the side. A crowd favorite, especially for those who can't take spice Pad see ew - flavorful flat rice noodles stir fried with broccoli and succulent pieces of shrimp. Familiar flavors to your typical pad see ew yet still distinct enough and worth a try. Crab noodles - freshly made, balanced dish with plenty of protein and vegetables. The longevity (long) noodles make this a fun one to slurp down! Aom - extremely flavorful soup packed with vegetables and a side of sticky rice to balance the flavor and textures. A very shareable dish and one to warm you up on cooler days. Thai iced (green tea) - delicious familiar flavors but subtle differences with the use of green tea as opposed to the traditional black tea. The drink felt less heavy yet still had the creaminess from the condensed milk. Overall, with Padaek, I find the elegance is in the details - the complexity of ingredients in their dishes create a balance of flavors, texture, and temperature; the openness of their table staff lead to a better understanding of the dishes and their origins, and even the quality of their napkins elevate the entire dining experience with each wipe of your lips from the sauces you've been savoring and devouring. As an out of towner, I was so grateful to have had a chance to experience this meal and will be for sure one of our highest recommendations next time around. read more

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I love love love the food here! I don't think I've had anything I didn't like but there are favorites. Top 3 would be the crispy fried rice lettuce wraps, San oui pork sausage , and any curry. I do think the service could be better but the food is great. Drinks could be better also. But the flavors for food are delicious and refreshingly new. read more

Fantastic place for Thai/Loaition food. Beautiful restaurant with friendly service. It's very popular, so make a reservation. They have both a special menu and regular menu. All the dishes are so good. Don't forget to leave room for dessert. Just off Glebe Rd with plenty of parking. read more

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Really glad Padaek opened up in Arlington. I have been a fan of Padaek in Falls Church for a long time. The location is great with a lot of parking and the restaurant is very spacious. They have a full bar with seating, booth styles, tabletops, outdoor seating options. The kitchen is not hidden and you can see how busy it is in there. One of my favorite dishes during my visit was the chicken wings Peek Gai. The tamarind sauce and the spices had the sweet, tangy, spicy all in one. I don't think it was overly spicy and the pickled cucumbers that came with it complimented it well. For my entree, I had the Pad thai mun goong. The sauce was a bit too sweet for me, but the shrimp and peanuts helped balance the dish better. The thai iced tea had fresh coconut milk on the top and it was refreshing. They accept inKind as a method of payment here if you are trying to get a good deal. Overall, the service was great, the food was great, ambiance too was great. I would come back frequently. read more

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This restaurant is hands down one of the best Laotian/Thai restaurants! My friends brought me here because they frequent this place. The place is spacious with very nice decors. We had a reservation and got seated immediately after being greeted warmly by the host. Our server Ploy was sweet and very attentive. The food was A M A Z I N G. Very flavorful and super delicious. The satay was tender and really went well with the peanut sauce and pickled cucumber. Nam khao thadaeu (fried coconut rice salad wrap with different herbs), pad thai mun goong (rice noodles with shrimp, peanuts, lime), and deep fried bronzino with turmeric coconut sauce were soo good. Glad I had the mango sticky rice. We almost did not get it because we were so full. Their mango sticky rice was heavenly - the best I've had - warm, sweet, bursting with flavor. The experience was awesome - great food, service, ambiance. Deserves more than 5/5! Highly recommended. read more

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Unfortunately have to mark down some stars based on my recent experience. I came with a friend who is celiac and he has had a great experience eating at the sister restaurants with no issues getting gluten free dishes. The menu for this place online has a number of items listed as gluten free optional (meaning we can request them to be gluten free). When we arrived at the restaurant, many of the items listed online as gluten free turned out not to be gluten free, and the menu was changed to say that they only had "gluten friendly" not gluten free options. We had some back and forth with the server to clarify what this actually meant as it turned out many of the dishes listed as gluten friendly were pre-marinated with gluten sauces, and made our orders carefully. I am Burmese myself and there was a Burmese rice noodle dish that does not have gluten apart from an optional fried topping, so I was unsurprised that it was listed under "gluten friendly." Despite us emphasizing that a member of the party was celiac, the noodle dishes was served to us with the fried topping. Instead of remaking it and just omitting the topping, they said they couldn't make it gluten free. I wouldn't be as disappointed if the online menu accurately reflected the in-restaurant menu, or if the items they listed as "gluten friendly" were actually gluten friendly. It's one thing to acknowledge that cross-contamination is a possibility, and another to call something allergen friendly when it straight up contains the allergen. read more

Surprisingly good vietnamese and laotian food. It's in a strip mall off Glebe but don't be fooled by the commercial location. Excellent, hole-in-wall quality food with all the conveniences and cleanliness of a chain. The service is prompt and attentive. Also, the word is out because it was packed on a Sunday night. Non-stop business. Reservations recommended. read more

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Amazing dinner experience at Padaek! I was visiting Arlington and went with some family members for a dine-in experience. The interior is clean, well-designed, and has plenty of tables. The wait staff was attentive and very kind throughout the evening. We had several dishes including the fried tofu appetizer. Highly recommend-it was fresh and sweet! We also got chicken Pad Thai which was some of the best I have ever had. My husband ordered the Khao Soi Gai (coconut curry) which had a slight kick but wasn't too spicy. Very flavorful! My brother in law ordered the Piing Gai Khao Laam which was an entire rotisserie chicken! He commented that the serving sizes which much bigger than you would find in other DC restaurants. I would recommend for anyone looking for a flavorful dinner! My only critique is that they don't have free refills on soda (only cans). read more

Padaek - Arlington - Chicken and Sweet Rice - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I have only ordered take out here but one day it is my mission to actually eat here. Service is wonderful and the couple of times I've ordered the food has been more than delightful. I have ordered the jaew bong fried rice was shrimp and the tom yum soup with shrimp. Both sooo yummy!!! Oh, also try the Thai tea limeaid. It was like a very family oriented restaurant, I love the feel of the place! read more

Excellent Lao food in the NoVa area if you are looking for good Lao food. We ordered takeout from Padaek when they first opened and wasn't impressed - most likely still needed some time for them to get used to the flow of things. But came back again to dine in after about 2 years since opening and really impressed how far they've come. I never tried the location in DC but heard great things. If you want good Lao food, with classy dining environment, and away from the hustle and bustle of downtown DC, then this is the spot for you. My personal fave was their papaya salad and the red curry. Definitely will try more things on their menu. Bonus that we can walk here from our home! read more

Padaek - Arlington - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

One of Chef Seng Luangrath's restaurants, which have been the heart of Southeast Asian cuisine's rising profile in the DC area, this is a gem of a restaurant - casual and intimate, tastefully decorated in Lao fabric upholstery and colorful tiles, with an electric vibe, friendly service, and an ever changing specials menu anchored by its Lao and Thai staples. There is an inventiveness and finesse to the dishes that make even a squid steak as light as a salad and as satisfying as a full entree. The crispy rice salad (Naem Khao Thadeau) is my family's hands down favorite dish - there is no other salad or dish like this - so flavorful without being overwhelming, lightly baked pieces of crispy rice tossed with Lao sausage and greens - one of the most satisfying tastes in any dish - and all this in a salad! The white rabbit dessert is playfully sweet without being too heavy - a playful rendition of white rabbit candy. This is arguably one of the culinary gems in Arlington, and while its location is right on the edge of the Arlington - Alexandria border, this culinary masterpiece is right in the center of the culinary heart of the city. read more

Padaek - Arlington - Burmese Tea leaf salad (laphet thoke) - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Had the tum lao papaya salad, and crab noodles. Food was tasteful and good portions. The crab noodle had a really rich flavor. Prices were a little higher than other Thai restaurants, but overall the experience was good. read more

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Thai food is one of my very favorite. We came here for dinner the other evening with friends who have been several times. I read the reviews from others. Frankly, I do not understand the rave reviews of the food. I understand (I have not been to the Falls Church location) that people really like the original one. Sadly, this is not even a good Thai restaurant. The restaurant is located in a relatively non descript mall on S. Glebe near Mt Vernon Ave/Arlington Ridge Rd. The parking is ample and makes access to the restaurant very convenient. We stopped inside to speak with the host and the inside decor is done in very good taste. As it was a beautiful evening, most everyone was sitting outside. And we did too. The outside tables and chairs are well maintained, comfortable and make eating outside very pleasant. Our server was friendly, helpful, patient and welcoming. We ordered both the chicken and vegetarian spring rolls for appetizers. The vegetarian one was not special in any way. The outer dough was a bit greasy and the veges inside had no distinct flavor at all. I'm vegetarian and didn't have the chicken rolls, but they didn't look any better. I ordered the Tum Yum soup. This was beyond disappointing. Tom Yum soup has all of the flavors-salty, spicy, sweet and sour. I enjoy trying this in nearly all of the Thai restaurants where I eat because achieving just the 'perfect' balance is very challenging. OMG, other than salt and they did provide extra spice for me, there was no sour or sweet. It was one of the least enjoyable Tom Yum soups I've experienced. The tofu in the soup was very well prepared, as it was in my entree. My main was Drunken Noodles with tofu. The tofu was well fried, firm on the outside and soft on the inside. But it was not cooked with the dish and so did not have the chance to sponge up the sauce. The noodles were well prepared but the dish overall was truly meh. My wife had the crab fried rice. The rice was nicely prepared but the crab was tasteless. Our dessert mango sticky rice was also disappointing. The mango was really sweet and delicious. But the rice and the little bit of sweet sauce in which it was served were not up to my expectation. The staff are wonderful, the place looks nice. But there are many Thai restaurants nearby that provide much more satisfying meal. read more

Stopped by Padaek recently to have lunch. We had originally made a reservation for their all you can eat weekend menu but we were told they weren't offering that when we were seated. It was fine tho. We decided to order from their al la carte menu. We ordered a few items of their seasonal menu, including the pork and shrimp sausage build-your -own summer roll dish and the Chinese pork and egg noodle dish. We also ordered the fried catfish. Our favorite items were the summer roll and catfish. The summer roll dish reminded me of a similar dish I had in Hanoi. The catfish was super crispy and light and was served on a sweet sauce. The noodle dish was a little too salty for us, even the marinated egg was super salty. We also tried the Thai iced tea limeaid, which is always fantastic. The restaurant was beautifully decorated and had plenty of seating. There's also plenty of parking available. I look forward to coming back and the trying other items on their menu. read more

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Went there Saturday Thanksgiving week. Not much crowded. We ordered sweet iced tea and hot tea Then we ordered Duck lab and Neem khao. Both were good . I had better laab elsewhere . Our pork was good so was the fried fish . But the fish was spicy for our palette. Noodles was the best . We had been to the falls church Padaek. This place is good too . read more

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The original, OG Padaek in Falls Church is one of my all-time top 5 places in the DMV, so I had great expectations for this place. The location is great. It's so big, you can probably fit like 5 to 6 OG Padaeks in this new location. The decorations and all the staff made us feel a little like we were back in Southeast Asia. The parking lot out front was giant, so you wouldn't need to worry about finding a spot. But how's the food? Imagine you have an older sister who's a spectacular chef, and your whole family praises her. She focuses on tasty food that's affordable and on making customers happy. That's the OG Padaek in Falls Church. Then, there's you who's trying to be like your sister, but it's just not that easy to live up to your sis. You have a lot of money, so you build up a fancy place. The people who haven't had your sister's food love yours. That's how I feel about this place, Padaek Arlington. The food isn't bad at all, but there's no way to beat the OG Padaek. Okay, let me judge objectively without comparing. The quality and flavor of the dishes were inconsistent from dish to dish. Some were good. Some were okay. Overall, all the dishes felt like they needed some fine-tuning. What do I mean? The fried rice felt too wet, if you know what I mean. The beef salad had an overwhelming taste in one direction - like sour and not balanced spice-wise. The crispy rice salad was both too wet and sour - it wasn't crispy at all. The sausage and samba were great. It was different, but I like this difference. Samba was phenomenal. Mont Hin Gar was okay. Tea leaf salad wasn't the best I've had. The beans were soggy and not crispy anymore. Will I be coming back? Probably not because it was quite expensive for what I got. I felt like I paid most of it for the atmosphere. For your context, though, I'm a picky Southeast Asian when it comes to food. If your food bar is not that high, you'll probably like it here, objectively speaking. If you've never been here, at least give it a shot! People have different takes, so maybe you'll like it. read more

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My friend and I enjoyed a lovely dinner (with a 10% discount) after seeing a play at Avant Bard. The space is beautiful and service was seamless and attentive. I made quiet ooh and aah sounds with every bite of the meal. We ordered Nam Khao Thadaeu, Chuenh Taohu, and another delicious dish with chicken and egg noodles. We went home with a nice quantity of leftovers. I truly cannot wait to recommend this restaurant to other friends. It's a gem! read more

Padaek - Arlington - Nam Khao Thadaeu (fried coconut rice salad wrap, pork sausage, peanut, mixed herbs) - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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The new standard for good Thai food! It's clean, it's nice, it has all the good smells and tastes! The menu had me wanting to come back again before I even chose what I wanted. My friend and I both loved our meals and want to bring everyone here. Quite possibly the best Pad Thai I've had, and the Khao Soi was so good too! Will definitely return with friends! read more

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Sooooo delicious that we wondered why it took us this long to eat here! Everything was so amazing - from appetizers to entrées and a dessert....its a perfect dinner. read more

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The BEST customer service and delicious food Walking into this restaurant I knew the food would be good but didn't expect such great service Immediately, I was seated and taken care of by multiple servers and was served water quickly. The service was so good it almost felt like I was on a TV show or they thought I was an undercover food critic. They gave me great menu recommendations and food was served to me at an incredible speed. They brought me 5 sauces/sides to try on top of the food including chili oil and other delicious additions I'm certainly going to be back read more

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Padaek is a Laotian restaurant I had heard great things about. It's in a strip center, so there's plenty of parking, and it has a large enough dining room that I don't think you would need a reservation unless you had a really large group. I went with a friend during restaurant week and had a fantastic meal! We started with the sakoo (tapioca peanut dumplings, 7/10)) and chicken wings (9/10). The wings were outstanding, and we loved the sauce. I was a huge fan of the sakoo, especially the peanut filling. For mains, we had the sticky glazed ribs (100/10, literally falling off the bone as we picked them up, delicious sweet sauce) and the catfish curry (3/10, well-cooked but shockingly bland). We didn't know what to expect from the dessert, the bua loy (10/10), which was tapioca, squash and taro in coconut milk, but we both adored it. It wasn't too sweet, it was very rich, it was earthy and flavorful - I loved it! I can't say enough good things about it. I would definitely come back after this experience! The food was fantastic overall - the only miss for us was the curry, and the ribs and dessert in particular were fantastic. Service was good, portions were solid, the drinks looked fun, and we felt like the restaurant week menu gave us a chance to sample a lot of great options! read more

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Really good Thai/Laotian restaurant in Arlington! Same owner/chef as Thip Khao in Columbia Heights (which is incredible and tons of unique dishes). We ordered the chicken satay, crab fried rice, shrimp pad thai, and crispy basil with chicken. All of them were excellent, but our favorite was the shrimp pad thai. Will absolutely be back soon! read more

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Food is absolutely delicious just like the original Location. Derive is also wonderful. I got pork and rice which is my favorite. I really like the spaciousness of this location in contrast to the original. The server was a little odd as she didn't seem very familiar with the menu. She just recommended the priciest items. She also said they had no caffeinated drinks but clearly I ordered the green tea. Which was really tasty. I would definitely be back. read more

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The food is amazing -- fresh, brilliant in taste. The service is incredible. Everyone there is just so nice and attentive. I would recommend this place. It's the best Thai Food in Arlington, in my opinion. I usually sit outside because there is a breeze and it feels private. read more

Padaek - Arlington - Curry soft wheel crab! Delicious. - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Went here with family and they were kind enough to seat us on short notice. Parking was easy and the place is very nice and spacious inside. I would absolutely recommend this place and go back. The prices are reasonable and the food is absolutely amazing. The only think we didn't love were the fish cakes, but everything else was fantastic. The chicken satay was juicy and perfectly cooked and seasoned, the spring rolls were crispy and so was the fried fish. We also got ribs from the special menu which were fantastic. The flavor combinations were very unique across the different foods we tried. I wish their dessert menu was a little larger but this place is great! read more

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Last night we paid a visit to the Padaek in Arlington Ridge on S. Glebe. There's another Padaek in Falls Church. We arrived shortly after the 5pm opening to a modern smartly decorated restaurant. Service was excellent: affable and responsive. JP started out with the Lost in Oaxaca cocktail, a potent blend of mezcal and tequila. But hey, wait a sec, aren't all tequilas mezcals? Actually, mezcal is a term for tequila that is distilled from agave in a Mexican state other than the five states where tequila is distilled. I ordered the Thai Iced Thai since I didn't see any coffee on the menu. I had Thai Iced Tea years ago, and pardon the pun, it just isn't my cup of tea. Too sweet and pungent. We ordered the Tamarind Glazed chicken wings, which were actually a combination of party wings and drumsticks. These are quite good, the best dish we had on this visit. JP ordered a noodle dish with pork belly. He could have selected tofu instead of prok belly. This dish was okay. I opted for the curried Kaho Soi (Gai). It was so-so. Way too many noodles. Really skimpy on the pieces of dark meat. Not a big deal, but I like the mustard greens and pickled onions to be delivered on a side plate along with the kaho soi bowl. Padaek just dumps the sides in the khao soi beforehand. This place is spendy for what you get, so we probably won't be back. read more

Padaek - Arlington - Khao soi - Laotian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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