Naem Khao, a salad of crispy rice, coconut, sausage, green onion, peanuts, and lime, at Thip Khao. (Alicia Mazzara)

Bon Appétit‘s annual list of the 10 best restaurants in America comes out later this month, but they start with 50 nominees from around the country. And Columbia Heights’ Laotian restaurant, Thip Khao, made the cut.

(Yes, this the same list that ranked Rose’s Luxury the best new restaurant last year, causing the daily reservations line to balloon to truly absurdist lengths.)

Thip Khao opened in December to wide acclaim, featuring a menu that stays true to the Southeast Asian country’s cuisine and doesn’t shy away from the spice or, er, less-than-common ingredients. The extensive Let’s Go to the Jungle! section of the menu includes steamed pig’s ear, grilled chicken heart, crispy fried intestine, salmon head soup, and crispy snakehead fish, among others. It is the second venture from Chef Seng Luangrath of Bangkok Golden in Falls Church. From our early review:

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.

We liked it so much, we went back twice, for the savory Tapioca pearl dumplings and the fiery laab.

Bon Appétit agreed, extolling the Naem Khao, siin hein (sun-dried beef), ping lean (grilled beef tongue), and sticky rice, as well as the rotating specials of “hard-to-find Laotian traditions (such as the “temple tray,” served for Asian New Year).”

The next closest restaurants on the list are Richmond’s Southbound and Philadelphia’s Townsend. Bon Appétit‘s top ten comes out on August 18.