The name Seng Luangrath is well-known in culinary circles around the DMV. The chef and restauranteur has made her native Laotian food into a crave-worthy reality on plates in both NoVA and DC, with her original Falls Church location of Padaek, Thip Khao, and Hanumanh, which will soon reopen as Baan Mae.
With the new Padaek in South Arlington, she’s further elevated her cuisine as well the Thai food she learned to cook at the refugee camp to which her family fled from Laos. Better still, she’s hired a chef de cuisine who hails from Myanmar, Nyi Nyi Myint, to share his Burmese traditions. The result is an explosion of flavor that makes this second location, which opened for full service in September and added a full bar in October, stand out.
I didn’t mean to order a meal centered around pork, but it happened. Next time, I’ll have to try dishes like the longevity noodles with crab, catfish in a dill-flecked curry sauce, and a version of my favorite Northern Thai stew, gaeng om, on the menu here as “aom.” But I can’t apologize for the variety of flavors I was able to taste in a single meal.
When I think of Southeast Asian sausage, it’s usually the fermented Esaan version. Sai oua is a departure with its hearty combination of herbs and spices and coarse grind. At Padaek, it’s paired with charred green chili sauce that’s surprisingly unspicy.
My favorite crispy rice salad, nam khao (on the menu as naem khao thadaeu), does feature pink, tangy nam moo sausage, but the most important components are chili, lime, cilantro, and coconut rice. The combination adds up to one of the globe’s greatest socarrat dishes, in my opinion, beating out even paella and bibimbap. At Padaek, it’s presented with lush lettuce leaves, ready to scoop up the salad into wraps.
But the best surprise at the new Padaek is the gaeng hang lay, a pork belly stew that showcases Myint’s command of Burmese flavor. Though the name references a Northern Thai curry, Padaek’s version utilizes spices from India — Myanmar’s other neighbor — as much, if not more, than flavors from Thailand. With a dearth of Burmese restaurants in our area, the dish is an exciting addition to our options in NoVA. The same can be said for the whole restaurant.
2931 S. Glebe Rd., Arlington
See this: The 3,500-square-foot space feels bigger than it is, thanks to an open kitchen and covered patio. The smaller side dining room feels more intimate with its colorful paintings.
Eat this: Sai oua, naem khao thadaeu, gaeng hang lay
Feature image of naem khao thadaeu by Tyson Bateman
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