Chefs Seng Luangrath, left, and Bobby Pradachith want Hanumanh to feel like a Laotian night market. (Photo courtesy of Hanumanh)

By DCist contributor Holley Simmons

Fans (and soon-to-be fans) of Laotian food rejoice: The team behind Thip Khao in Columbia Heights and Padaek in Falls Church is getting closer to opening their third restaurant, Hanumanh, set to debut in Shaw within weeks.

At the space—directly next to Dacha Beer Garden and Café—chefs Seng Luangrath and Bobby Pradachith, her son, will serve small-format dishes inspired by their Laotian heritage.

“We wanted to offer people a new experience than what we already offer at the other restaurants, one that lets us tell another story about our culture,” Pradachith says.

Like Thip Khao and Padaek, the menu at Hanumanh will be dominated by flavors common in Laos cooking, including lemongrass, ginger, shrimp paste and galangal root. Pradachith says guests at the forthcoming restaurant can expect herb salads made in a mortar and pestle, steamed and raw fish, and dishes cooked over a charcoal grill.

The menu will be predominantly vegetable based, though there will also be some meat and offal offerings. Many dishes are meant to be eaten with your hands. “The menu has more rustic, country-style dishes inspired by our childhood,” Pradachith says.

Luangrath and Pradachith have received local and national recognition (including a Bib Gourmand nod from the Michelin Guide) for popularizing Laotian cuisine, which is less common in American dining than that of neighboring Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand and Vietnam.

Hanumanh will seat about 40 guests and is anchored by a long bar where bright, on-theme cocktails will be served. A large, vibrant mural depicts the restaurant’s namesake—a Hindu and Buddhist monkey god—playing in a river. It’s meant to inspire a high-energy atmosphere that the team hopes will mimic a Laotian night market.

“The exposed brick wall reminded me of alleyways in Laos where you’d see vendors selling jewelry or silk clothing or something cooked on the grill,” Pradachith says.

He adds that the space is designed to be casual enough to accommodate all members of the community. “We want all different types of people to come in,” Pradachith says. ”It should be a very welcoming space, which reflects the generosity of Laotian culture.”

Hanumanh will be located at 1604 7th Street NW.

This post has been updated to reflect that the Hanumanh name is also based on a Buddhist god.