Padaek — Restaurant in Falls Church

Just came back from a late night dinner with a friend and her family. Wow! Very tasty. We had their pad thai (shrimp), one of their Laos curry/stew dishes (can't remember the name), the crispy rice salad, a fried tilapia dish, and some skewered beef sticks, and one other dish I unfortunately do not remember much about.

Pad thai was great, and while it was only the fourth or fifth time I've had any, I have to say it was probably the best I've had so far of those four or five. My more experienced friend and her family said it's not the best, but still pretty great, so their judgement is probably more accurate. The chicken it came with was cooked very well; not chewy or dry in any way.

The curry was decent, but it didn't blow me away. It was interesting in that it had something of a sourness to it (friend's dad said it may be cooked with dill or something). I'd like to try more of their Thai curries next time I visit.

Crispy rice salad, as everyone has reviewed, is wonderful. They serve it on a plate, and you wrap it in lettuce leaves and eat it. I couldn't get enough of it.

The tilapia was a little bit lacking in flavor, but they have additional spices available if you want to kick some of the heat up. Texture-wise, it was some of the best tilapia I've had. Would definitely recommend if you're a fan of tilapia.

The beef was alright; I wasn't too interested in it, and I had a bite, but not something I would order on my own. Certainly nothing bad about it, though.

The last dish was very interesting. It sort of tasted like a wakame salad, which I love, with a good amount of heat behind it. Served cold, we ordered it under Mild heat, but a lot of our group were still very surprised at how spicy it was. I enjoyed it, though, and I took the rest home with me.

Most of the meals were price right around $10, so I would say that it may be slightly more than I would personally pay for most of the meals, but you do get a good amount with them. I know I'd be frequenting it if they were closer to the $6-7 area, but I'm also a poor college student. ;)

Overall, very good, and reasonable price. A sizeable selection of choices for you to pick from, so I'm definitely planning on coming...

Phenomenal Laotian and Thai food served in a cozy, hole-in-the-wall spot tucked into a mini shopping center! Although I live in DC and am 100% reliant on the metro, Padaek is absolutely worth the trek into Virginia -- the staff is super friendly, and every item on their menu is executed to perfection. My friend and I came by for a Saturday evening dinner, and we were absolutely famished. We split the paa tod and khao poon, both of which were phenomenal. The khao poon, or red curry rice noodles, was super flavorful, with a heavy umami, creamy, and almost cheese-like richness. The raw cabbage and mint leaves gave the dish some much-needed freshness and crunch, and the squeeze of lime really helped to bring the whole dish together. It was perfect for sharing, and they even brought out a ladle and two small bowls to split the dish without us having to ask, which was super sweet of them! I wish there was a little more curry in the dish, since the noodle / filling to soup ratio seemed a tiny bit off, but it was delicious nonetheless.

The paa tod was similarly phenomenal. The dish included four fillets of perfectly tender, perfectly fried catfish topped with fresh Thai basil and served with a side of garlic chili sauce and white rice. The fish was absolutely incredible; I generally find catfish a little bit tough and too fishy, but they somehow managed to make it super tender, flaky, and juicy. It was the perfect contrast against the crispy, yet light, fried outer shell. The herbs helped to lighten up the dish was a hit of freshness, and I'm genuinely obsessed with the sauce. It was a tiny bit too salty, but I loved the balance of acidic, sweet, garlicky, and spicy flavors.

All in all, I can't recommend Padaek enough! The food is amazing, staff is super friendly, and the space is super cozy. It does trend a smidge too salty, but the flavors more than make up for it. I've also heard that they have a few other items on their Arlington Ridge menu, so I can't wait to make the trek out to their other location to try out the rest of...

Can't decide between the mainstream Thai or the spicy Laotian? You can order both here! The dishes are authentic and bursting with flavor. As you may expect, the restaurant isn't fancy at 7 Corners.

Highly recommend the Pad See Ew (similar to drunken noodles without the fish sauce). The scrumptious flat noodles coated in soy sauce with chunky fried tofu with bits of fried egg, and chinese broccoli similar to asparagus hit the spot! I'm typically not a big fan of the dense and dry fried tofu, but the one from Padaek was so delicious that I gobbled up all the pieces.

If you enjoy spicy, venture into the Laotian dishes with Khao Poon. My mouth was on fire when I got it at Thip Kao!

One thing to note - the food doesn't come out at once for the table, you'll get your dishes as they come out in dribs and drabs. It took us about a 1/2 hour to get our food in a group of 5.

Best part? You don't need to make a reservation. In fact, they don't take reservations for group less than 6. I was able to do an easy walk-in with a group of 5 on a bustling Fri night. This wouldn't be possible at its sister restaurant - Thip Kao. I was hassled dining solo for a table without a reservation there. It felt like a rushed and diluted experience.

I definitely prefer the no frills, low-key Padaek over the fancier and more popular Thip Kao. Padaek is much homier and feels more authentic. Glad I found Padaek in McLean's backyard in Falls Church. Looking forward to...