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Thip Khao
Laotian, Thai
Seng Luangrath more or less put Laotian food on the DC map, and her Columbia Heights dining room is where it started. The menu swings wide, from crispy coconut rice salad to warming soups and curries, and the "jungle menu" keeps things interesting with grilled chicken hearts and rice-fermented pork belly. Sticky rice is non-negotiable. Dinner only, casual, and built for sharing, meaning the more people you bring, the better your night goes.
Five honors, in evidence:
The record strongest first
- The New York Times The Restaurant List
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Washington, D.C., Right Now
- Washingtonian #42 · 100 Very Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants Around D.C.
One number, weighted & current 83
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
- Crispy coconut-rice salad Washingtonian, 2026
- Muu som Washingtonian, 2026
- Banana-leaf-wrapped fish Washingtonian, 2026
Nearby in the record closest first
- Queen's English Chinese Eat · 88
- Letena Ethiopian Eat · 64
- La Tejana Mexican Eat · 84
- Purple Patch Food & Drink Filipino Eat · 82
- Ellē American Eat · 85
- Taqueria Habanero Puebla Mexican Eat · 74
- Martha Dear Mediterranean Eat · 64
- Bar del Monte Italian Eat · 79
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