Word of Mouth: Rabieng

Reviewed by Todd Kliman

Rabieng

5892 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041
Phone: 703.671.4222

Cuisines:
Thai

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
None nearby

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Intimate

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Kid Friendly

Website:
Click here to open in new window.

Best Dishes
Lychee "dumplings"; chicken soup with galangal; shrimp-and-pork dumplings; fried catfish salad with chili and lime; roast pork in red curry; grilled half chicken with lemongrass; coconut-tapioca pudding.


 

Reader's Rating:
No Reader Reviews

From Kliman Online's "Word of Mouth"

It's rare that the proteins in a curry are equal to the sauce, but the braised pork in red curry at Rabieng is one of the exceptions. The lusciousness of the rich, creamy curry is amplified by the tender juiciness of the meat, which is sliced thick and shingled a la Sunday pot roast; the inclusion of rambuttan, a tropical fruit, lends much the same sweet, fruity component that Americans find in, say, a cherry sauce.   

Nothing else on the menu reaches such heights (then again, how many knockouts does any menu have?), but the kitchen, with its devotion to regional, country-style Thai, pumps out a succession of bold, brightly flavored hits: wok-roasted cashews and hot peppers, excellent dumplings, a salad of Chinese sausage and marinated cucumbers, and a stir-fry of crispy catfish with leaves of basil so thin and crunchy, they shatter on contact.

-June 24, 2008