D.C. will be getting its first full-fledged Laotian restaurant when Thip Khao (3462 14th Street NW) officially opens in Columbia Heights in the old Thaitanic II space. Thip Khao is the latest venture from Chef Seng Luangrath of Bangkok Golden, which features both Thai and Lao cuisine. DCist stopped in during Thip Khao’s soft opening and left with a very happy tummy. We run down some of the highlights from our meal below.
Thip Khao means “rice basket” in Lao, which is fitting since sticky rice is a hallmark of Laotian cuisine. A tiny woven basket of purple-tinged black sticky rice accompanies each meal. The back of the menu features pictures on how to eat your food, using the rice as a utensil. Vegetables are another a popular conveyance; the Naem Khao, a piquant salad of crispy rice, bits of savory pork sausage, lime, peanuts, and cilantro, is best ferried into one’s mouth on a carpet of tender leaf lettuce.
The Pak Nam, a salad of ethereal fried watercress leaves, cubes of sweet mango, and plump fried shrimp drizzled with a puckery tamarind dressing was enough to make this avowed watercress hater think twice about the vegetable. The leaves turn translucent and nutty after a dip in hot oil, rustling like dried autumn leaves against your fork. It’s one of the many surprising combination of textures and flavors diners will encounter on Thip Khao’s menu.
Sakoo Yadsai are another pleasant surprise. The descriptions on the menu sometimes leave something to be desired—what could a combination of tapioca, peanuts, and radish bring? The answer is a sticky little ball of deliciousness. Bits of slightly funky preserved radish and pork are stuffed inside a warm tapioca dough and topped with a pop of crushed peanuts. Think of it as sort of savory mochi.
As a fair warning, Thip Khao isn’t messing around when it comes to their spice levels. My dining companion and I ordered the Laab, an herbaceous salad of chopped meat or tofu and rice, at a medium spice level. The first few bites were nicely warming, but watch out: that fiery sensation on your lips will catch up to you. It’s a burn that builds, so order with caution. Cooling drinks, like iced soy milk with Pandan leaf or fresh coconut juice from a whole young coconut, help soothe an overheated tongue.
Thip Khao was scheduled to open this week, but the grand opening has been pushed back to early December because of a family emergency. The restaurant has been hosting a series of preview dinners this month, with seats occasionally opening up on Twitter or Facebook. Keep an eye out to see if you can snag a last-minute spot. Otherwise, mark your calendars for early December, as a meal at Thip Khao will be well worth the wait.
