Food

Cheap Eats 2009: Rabieng

Great food, low prices, lots of fun.

Why go: This offshoot of the Thai dining room Duangrat’s is both more relaxed and more consistent than its sibling. The kitchen is at its best when it goes off the pad-Thai track and turns out rustic, gutsy curries and stir-fries.

What to get: “Dumplings” of hollowed-out lychee bulbs filled with caramelized pork; galangal-scented chicken soup; shrimp-and-pork dumplings; fried-catfish salad with chili and lime; roast pork in a fiery red curry; grilled half chicken infused with smoke and lemongrass; coconut-tapioca pudding.

Best for: Family-style dinners.

Insider tip: If you’re sensitive to MSG, tell your server and the kitchen will leave it out.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

>> See all 2009 Cheap Eats restaurants here

 

Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.