4 August 2021
I still remember years ago when I went to the Embassy of Laos here in DC to get a visa, and was asked by the clerk, “why” — absolutely deadpan. The answer was: “food” of course. After a wonderful few days in tourism-oasis Vientiane, a town that I really fell in love with — especially the food at Doi Ka Noi — I have not had much Laotian food since. Not because I didn’t want it, but after experiencing it there, I feared the “Japanese restaurant syndrome” where nothing matches the real thing. Plus the relative dearth of Laotian restaurants…
For years I thought about trying Thip Khao, as it’s one of the highest regarded Laotian restaurants in the country. I noted when the restaurant’s proprietors visited Doi Ka Noi in Vientiane, and have kept it in my mind. Then the pandemic…
As things started to reopen, I started to think more about it. And it was optimal that a good friend of mine also enjoyed Southeast Asian cuisine, so we decided to give it a go. We arrived and as it was a surprisingly mild day in midst of DC’s usually sweltering summer, we opted to sit outside — although sweltering heat and humidity would recall Laos quite well!
Even before we started, one aspect of this dinner that really annoyed me is the “90 minute maximum dining time” rule they have. I find that very inhospitable, first of all, making the experience very rushed. A mere 90 minutes (unlike the usual 2 hours practiced by most restaurants that do a time limit) is extremely difficult to complete a dining experience comfortably, especially if the slowness is caused by staff…
And of course, with the 90 minute clock ticking down like the Doomsday Clock, the staff could not bother with us. Took ages to just get a drinks order in, and even longer to get a food order in — despite the place being empty at the early hour we arrived. Again, with the Doomsday Clock ticking away…it felt like the Sword of Damocles hovering over us all night.
Lucky I wasn’t dining alone, or else it would have really soured (the wrong sour) the evening. A good conversation continued in the meantime. And well, after all that, finally the food started to arrive. First up was muu som — the sour (the right sour) pork belly.
I have to say the “souring” (fermenting) of the pork belly was absolutely fantastic, getting well into the flavour — enough to make a strong showing, but not enough to scare people off. This is DC, after all. The fatty portions of the belly, which I wish was more prominent, was absolutely excellent, carrying the excellent essence of the “souring” process; however, the lean parts were a little tough — likely overcooking of the already dessicated “sour” meat.
What was a little surprising was the sticky rice offered came wrapped in a bowl, and not in the traditional thip khao namesake of the restaurant. Apparently not just a COVID-era thing, but I learned later that too many customers ran off with them as a souvenir! That’s too bad, as I remember their ubiquitous and welcoming presence during every meal I’ve had in Laos — and as I write this review I am looking at the one I brought home from Vientiane (paid for from a street market, mind you).
As we got about 2/3 of the way through this one dish, the rest of our order cascaded onto the table quickly. First up chuenh paa sa moun pai — the crispy catfish…
Sadly this didn’t work at all, as it was unpleasantly dry and non-oily — which is a challenge for a rich fish like catfish. Over-sanitised for the DC crowd? If that’s the case, then why not use a less oily fish instead of ruining the brilliance that is catfish? And plus, it wasn’t very hot when it came out, which made it even less appealing.
This perhaps also explains why they used salmon for the moak (steamed inside banana leaves) dish, which we decided against because of the choice of fish. Anyway, the weak dish of the night — by far — as the best thing on this plate were the herbs we addictively siphoned off before finishing the fish.
At pretty much the same time they presented the sai oua — pork sausage — one of the staples of Laotian cuisine. Now this herb-accented treat, on the other hand, was absolutely delicious. Lovely pork, course the way I love my sausages, with abundant herbaciousness that really brought out the meat with or without the fantastic green chilli sauce. A huge winner here, one of those dishes of which I can eat several plates!
And the third dish they brough at that same point was the nahm tok — the pork shoulder salad. A bit of a misnomer really, as it’s basically all pork shoulder under a bed of inviting herbs. This again was absolutely delicious, a wonderful combination. Southeast Asia does pork shoulder so well, and this was another porcine gem. But once again, an integral part was all that fresh herb on top, and snacking on the mint and cilantro brought back so many memories of travelling in Southeast Asia — where you get far more quality green herby treats than in the US. Another winner!
Over some time (tick, Tock…oops) we polished off all 4 dishes — and left not one leaf of mint, stalk of cilantro, or slice of onion on the dishes. They did the supporting ingredients very proud, a lovely freshness that again recalled my trips to the region. Although the menu was confusing in what rice was offered — apparently with all these dishes we were afforded one more sticky rice and one white rice — it worked very well for us. Nevertheless I wish they noted which dishes come with what rice (or no rice) a little clearer on their instruction-laden menu.
That was good, the dishes were mostly quite excellent. And we decided to close with a wee dessert — the only one they have on offer, the khao long (rice pudding).
I stuck mostly to my iced coffee as a dessert (perfect for sitting outside), as I’m not a dessert person as my readers know. Plus, not the biggest fan of kabocha pumpkin. I enjoyed the coconut aspect of the flavour profile here, reminding me also of how much I love closing a meal with haupia growing up in Hawaiʻi, but it was a sticky warm dessert when I’m overheated sitting and dining outside, so I happily let my friend finish it.
Thip Khao easily lives up to its reputation as one of the best examples of Laotian cuisine in the country. Some of the dishes were absolutely fantastic (the miss on the catfish was unfortunate), they certainly do pork well here — and being a lover of porcine goodness that sits very, very well with me.
What sadly didn’t sit well with me was that ticking Doomsday Clock, which was uncomfortable — especially with the staff-caused delay at the beginning. We ended up going way over the 90-minute maximum, and thank goodness we ate very early so there was little enforcement. But I cannot imagine how we could have finished this in 90 minutes (tick, Tock…) without uncomfortably shoving food into our mouths — likely wasting food — and skipping the dessert/coffee. Again, I understand why they are doing this, partly to maximise seatings (especially during the era of distanced tables), but being rushed so much to eat somewhat betrays true hospitality in my book.
Another minor annoyance: Thip Khao only uses the Tock reservation system — one which I’ve voiced my displeasure about for many years as a diner-unfriendly system. Granted (if you know you know), I understand the frustration of reservation no-shows, being a former restaurant operator myself, but many of these systems are designed so poorly they add a layer of annoyance that could dissuade a person from trying a restaurant. If I was dining alone this evening, I imagine it would sadly have been elsewhere.
Saying all that, I would still very much recommend Thip Khao for the food, as it is good — especially considering the dearth of Laotian cuisine in this country. However, for me I think it’s a once-and-done experience. Life’s too short (tick, Tock…); I would rather wait until I make it back to Laos to enjoy this fabulous cuisine again, where I feel comfortable and unrushed, without a ticking clock telling me otherwise.
Thip Khao
3462 14th Street NW
Washington, DC
melhuang1972 