A Lao and Thai eatery in Arlington has captured Washington Post praise once again in a list of the D.C. area’s 40 best restaurants.
Longtime food critic Tom Sietsema lauded Padaek, located at 2931 S. Glebe Road in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center, both for its offerings like fried blue catfish with tamarind-pineapple sauce and for its ambience.
Offerings spotlighted in the review include Chef Seng Luangrath’s “turmeric-tinted” grilled chicken, served with sticky rice and taro in a banana leaf, as well as the chopped chicken larb salad, seasoned with lime juice, lemongrass and red chiles.
The eatery, a sister to the original Padaek at 6395 Seven Corners Center in Falls Church, “does its best to make you forget you’re eating in a suburban shopping center,” Sietsema wrote.
“A jungle of banana plants outside, giant paintings of tropical flowers inside — the lush decoration whets your appetite for adventure before you even see a menu,” the review says.
This isn’t the first time the restaurant has caught The Post’s eye.
Sietsema first praised Padaek in a November 2023 review shortly after the business opened. Less than a year later, the restaurant made The Post’s list of the 26 best new D.C.-area restaurants.
Sietsema also listed the Falls Church Padaek as one of his favorite bargain eats on Reddit in 2022.
Only a handful of other Northern Virginia eateries made The Post’s top 40 restaurants list this year. These included Rice Paper in Falls Church — located in the Eden Center at 6775 Wilson Blvd — as well as Feru Bar and Restaurant in Alexandria and Mama Chang in Fairfax City.
