Padaek is a small restaurant with Thai artwork on the walls and simple furniture. It was a busy Sunday when we arrived, but we were seated immediately.
I ordered a glass of white wine as I perused the menu. The server didn't seem to know what was vegan, so she asked some people at the front, then came back to us. She basically said that very little on the Lao menu could be made vegan because it all had fish sauce in it. When she walked away, I noticed that some of the items she said that about were labeled vegetarian. That made me worry that they didn't understand the definition of vegetarian or vegan.
So, we thought it safest to stick with the Thai menu rather than the Lao. We started with an order of spring rolls. We didn't realize they'd be as deep fried as they were. You know when something is so deep fried that all you taste is oil and nothing else?! Yeah--it was like that. There was mung bean noodles, cabbage, and carrot inside, but you could barely taste it.
For our entrees, we ordered the Spicy Eggplant. I got mine vegan, no fish sauce, and extra spicy. This dish was really good. Japanese eggplant were sliced thickly and stir fried with onions and bell pepper with a chili-garlic sauce. It was served with white rice (brown rice was not an option).
We ended up hanging out there for a while to catch up and luckily the place was clearing out so we weren't nudged to leave.
I'd say this place is just okay. The fact that the vegetarian items are not vegetarian is not a good thing. The appetizer wasn't good, but the entree was, but nothing about the experience made me want to go back there in an area with tons of vegan options. And we both had upset stomachs afterwards. I'd say there are better places to dine than Padaek.
Padaek
6395 Seven Corners Center
Falls Church, VA 22044
(703) 533-9480
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