“We went to check out the new Padaek in Arlington after having been to the Falls Church location a few times. This one is nice, service is amazing, and the food is good. Buuuuuuttttt, it's different...I like my food spicy, and knew to order it "Lao spicy". When it arrived at the table, I could see that it just had a bunch of chilis added. This gives it a bit of spice, but is more like a level 3 out of 5. It was just lacking the heat as when ordering spicy at the other location. Obviously, they don't want to overwhelm their guests with spice, but if you're asking for that level of heat, you obviously want it. Oh well...it's good, and the flavors are tasty...but the other location feels more authentic.“
“We decided to try out a restaurant that our buddies had recommended, but unfortunately, we found the food to be just okay. The flavors were a tad bit stronger than we had anticipated, but it was still pretty decent. In an attempt to explore new foods, we ordered the Hu Muu Todd (Fried Pig's Ears), but it was a bit tough to chew on. Nonetheless, we still had a great time together!“
“Make no mistake - this is the Padaek location to go to if you have a choice, not the Arlington one. The Arlington one is significantly closer to my place but I always end up making the trek out to Falls Church because the OG location is simply better. Recommendations: the Naem Khao rice salad is crispy, crunchy, savory and delicious - I recommend getting it with the tofu, even if you're a meat eater like I am. I order the Ping with pork shoulder literally every time, because it's a fantastically heaped plate of seared meat with a nice mildly spicy dipping sauce. It also comes with a bag of tasty sticky rice that makes a low-carb eater like me abandon my low-carbness, at least for one meal. Padaek Falls Church will always be on my list of places to take out of towners.“