Padaek

 A Note: Hello constant reader, Tim here, providing a rare peek behind the curtain of FCB DC. Figured we owed you an explanation for our lengthy hiatus. Andrew and I typically have very little input or interaction with this blog or our instagram. We rely on our our team of writers and editors to make our reviews the stellar final products you see here, free from any slurs and filled to the brim with meticulously placed oxford commas.  That being said, we felt we owed it to you, our beloved fans, to step out of the background and address the situation directly.  To be honest, after The Casual Pint, our faith in the dining experience was drained, and we could not bring ourselves to eat at a restaurant ever again. We continued to live our lives, cooking delicious meals at home. Satisfied but lacking a certain zest. Until. Both Andrew and I were in car accidents. At first this seemed like just bad luck, but we soon realized, this was GOD (Good Old-fashioned Dining) reaching out to us and violently shaking us awake. If we had died with our final post being about The Casual Pint, all of the sacrifices and advancements throughout history would be for naught. We knew what we had to do, and on this Easter Sunday, GOD has risen from the dead. 


For FCB DC's big return, we decided to visit Padaek, a Laotian and Thai restaurant in Seven Corners. Padaek has long been on our radar, as it and Chef Seng Luangrath have quite a reputation in the DC area.

    Chef Seng Luangrath

Padaek is very unassuming, tucked between a cigar shop and nail salon in a strip mall behind the Home Depot where one of the Beltway Sniper shootings occurred.  We went for lunch around 1pm, and there was only one other group in the small but cozy space. 


While you can almost always catch Andrew in a suit and tie, I am more of a soup and Thai guy myself. So we wanted to ensure we branched out and explored the Laotian offerings on the menu. This was more difficult than anticipated as apparently Thai and Laotian dishes are very similar. What was clear were the Laos beers on the menu, so we made sure to order those, dark lager for Andrew, light for me. Laotian or not, both of our interests were immediately piqued by the small plate, Sai Oua (spicy herbal pork sausage, charred green chili sauce, served with sticky rice).  For entrees, Andrew went with AWK / ORM (spicy herbal stew, fish sauce, green eggplant, wood ear mushrooms, chili, dill, served with sticky rice) and I ultimately decided on the PAA TOD (crispy fish, spicy chili-lime sauce, lemongrass, mint, dill, cilantro, onion, tomato). 

   Sai Oua

                                                                          

The beers arrived first, and both of us were surprised at how good they were, especially the dark lager. After a short while, the Sai Oua was brought to us, and within milliseconds of our first bites, the trademark FCB grunts of pleasure that have not been heard in far too long started leaking from our lips. The sausage was cooked perfectly with a subtle spice that was augmented by the fantastic charred chili sauce. 

       Paa Tod

       Awk / Orm

The entrees arrived shortly after, and I was immediately taken aback by the sheer mass of fish in front of me. I can't deny eyeing Andrew's stew with a tinge of jealousy. But we eventually swapped bites, confirming both dishes were great.  Andrew's had a good spice to it, while I was cursing myself for not asking for mine to be extra spicy. It was still delicious, but sometimes daddy needs a little kick. We scarfed down our food until our tummies touched the table.  

After paying our check, Andrew and I grabbed some mint toothpicks from near the entrance and strolled out into the beautiful spring-time Saturday looking like the first google image result on a search of "satisfied boys." All in all, it was a great experience at Padaek, and we will surely return.


Tim's Ratings:

Overall: 4/5

Food: 4.5/5 - everything was excellent, but a slight ding for the lack of spice in my main dish

Drink: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4 /5

Service: 4.5/5 

Dining Company: 5/5 - very proud of Andrew for going with the awk/orm for his dish rather than his usual asking if they have chicken tenders. 


Andrew's Ratings:

Overall: 4.5/5

Food: 4.5/5

Drink: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Service: 5/5

Dining Company: 2/5




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