100 Very Best 2014
100 Very Best 2019This Southeast Asian restaurant has experienced its ups and downs—and chef shuffles—in recent years. Now the place finally feels on steady footing, thanks to Johanna Hellrigl, who in a prior life worked across Asia for a global organization empowering women. Hellrigl has expanded the menu’s Thai and Vietnamese scope—it now makes pit stops in Cambodia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and beyond. One Laotian dish looks like a corn dog but is actually a split lemongrass stalk stuffed with ground pork. Meanwhile, a vegan twist on massaman curry incorporates jackfruit and purple sweet potato into its rich peanut sauce. Moderate.
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.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
