Had not been to Duangrat's in about seven years but it had been a favorite spot for Thai back when I lived in Arlington. The food today was very disappointing, the drunken noodles (kee-mao) were swimming in oil and had zero flavor. The only thing we tried that was worth eating were the lychee pork dumplings! The seafood rice soup consisted of two calamari rings and one shrimp floating in chicken broth :( Â Sad to lose an old favorite but will not be returning. Tara Thai and Busara are much better options, then again, I cannot think of any Thai places which wouldn't be an improvement ?
Review Source:Atmosphere was absolutely gorgeous!!! They have chandeliers and everything was styled so beautifully! The food was amazing! We tried many things on the menu because it was our first time there!!! The pad Thai was incredible. The plantain appetizer was so good! The salad dressing was just to die for and their desserts were great too! We got the sticky rice!!! The service was really good because every server was helping us. Our water was never empty and they took great care of us!!! I will definitely be back and i highly recommend eating here!!!
Review Source:I've only eaten here once thus far. The whole crispy fish served with rice and your choice of sauce is delicious. The fish is flounder and can be ordered in three different sizes. At the time,the only size available was small which is enough for two. Â We also ordered calamari for appetizer. Not bad, but nothing to rave about. Service was good and decor/ ambience is nice. Â Very unassuming from outside. I can't wait to go back and try other dishes!
Review Source:4.5 stars. Even though the outside of this restaurant isn't too fancy, the decor inside is upscale and classy and the servers wear white shirts and ties. They have a great list of signature dishes and you must try the Chianmai chili pork - crispy fried strips of pork that aren't too spicy - and the Bhram - chicken in a spicy peanut sauce. We also tried the Thai hot pot with seafood - just so so  - and the farmer's curry -a deliciously spicy green curry with eggplant and tofu. Lastly, we had the jumbo noodles with chicken and calamari which was a nice change from my usual drunken noodles. Everything was a bit pricier than most Thai restaurants in the area and the portions were a bit smaller than usual, but the quality was above and beyond most other restaurants as well. I want to come back to try their crispy whole fish dishes that sound good. Make sure you check out their Thai grocery store, also called Duangrat's, just around the corner and within walking distance.
Review Source:wow, i was pretty much over Thai food until I had Duangrat's. Â Goodbye Thai Square. Â This is the real deal. Â I haven't had a lot of the dishes yet to give a comprehensive review, but I could tell from my first lunch dish, Wild Beef, that they are doing things right. Â if i find something that's not up to par, i'll update the review.
Review Source:My first experience w/ Duangrat's was about six years ago while on business here in DC via Michigan. Â I had a hankering for the kind of Thai likely not found in the 'burbs of the Motor City. Â My concierge, without hesitation directed me to Duangrat's- that was a good sign!
His recommendation did not disappoint!  What I love about this place is that it simply exudes premium quality throughout- from the physical décor, to the menu, the courteous, unobtrusive staff & service.  Dining at Duangrat's is an experience- it's a destination & special occasions kind of restaurant that you can actually afford to enjoy on a whim.  Unlike the plethora of Thai restaurants I have been to, which are about as sophisticated as Panera bread, Duangrat's is all substance. AND form to boot .  You can tell that that the place was built to last (25 years +), lots of handpainted artwork & murals, crystal chandeliers, hardwood chairs, heavy flatware and of course- white tablecloths. Â
The food here is like nothing I have ever had in a Thai restaurant.  You can tell that the menu is culinary/ chef driven- not "cookie cutter" Thai- conjured up by a line cook.  While most Thai restaurants qualify shrimp, calamari & maybe Tilapia as a "seafood" restaurant, Duangrat's offers Sea Bass, Flounder, Red Snapper, Rainbow Trout, Wild Salmon, lobster, oysters, soft shells crabs, etc...On a recent visit, my colleague and I shared some odd, but delicious "Lychee Dumplings"- actual lychee fruit stuffed w/ caramelized pork- hard to describe, worth your try though.  Our entrees were "Bhram"- a peanut chicken curry w/ just the right amount of sweet & spicy, without being overwhelmingly either.  My favorite was the "Phuket Shrimp"- which were rightfully billed as JUMBO shrimp, Panko breaded & tossed  in a chili & garlic sauce.  Each shrimp was like the size of a lobster tail!  This dish was absolutely AMAZING!!!  Oh one other thing, these were both from their "Signatures" page and that night, a glass of their house wine was included w/ each of those entrees- SCORE!
I could go on and on about Duangrat's, but I'll just say- this place is a Thai institution in the DC area and if you haven't tried it- you haven't experience real Thai cuisine this side of the Pacific! Â Fortunately, my work has transplanted me in NoVA, so I have become quite regular : )
4.25 stars rounded down to 4.
Went here with my in-laws and husband a couple months ago. Â I really enjoyed their lychee dumplings, Thai iced coffee, Changmai chili pork, and Panang chicken. Â the lychee dumplings are definitely something different but well balanced and worth a try. Â The Changmai chili pork was succulent with the perfect texture although I did find it to be a tad bit too salty. IMHO I think a lot of Asian restaurants add more salt than they normally would because the American palate loves its NaCl. All of their sauces are very complex flavor-wise and I'd love to try more of their curries.
Perhaps my only reservation about Duangrat's is the price...I found the food at their family-style sister restaurant Rabieng to be just as good and cheaper. Â Nonetheless the restaurant is worth trying and a good experience for any Thai aficionados in Northern VA!
I loved Duangrat's. Â They were a little expensive for Thai food, but their menu was really extensive and everything we got was really tasty.
We tried:
Lychee Dumplings - The fruit stuffed with meat, which was amazing. Â Not something I would normally think of, but it was great!
Sweet and Sour Shrimp - The sauce was light, and the shrimp had just enough breading to be crunchy without being overfried. Â A lot of vegetables too, really tasty.
Chicken Basil - I thought the sweet and sour shrimp dish was a little better, but this was still very good and very spicy. Â
All in all, a great experience. Â Would recommend to someone else.
Well I haven't had too much awesome Thai in the NoVa/DC/MD area yet so I was feeling down until the boyfriend suggested Duangrat's as an option for date night. After about 30 minutes of looking for it due to him remembering the name totally wrong we found the joint. After all the upscale modernist Thai places I'd been to this place was a breath of fresh air with very typical Thai decor. Let me explain, I'm used to kitschy decor in my Thai restaurants with tacky bold colors and eclectic Asian furniture (yeah I didn't even know that could be a theme until I decided that was the best way I could describe this motif). So I naturally liked the ambiance of this place being very intimate and traditional even down to the employee uniforms!
As for food well we decided to share some calamari to start with and those things were a sizable portion of crispy and deliciously hot fried goodness with some sort of dipping sauce that tasted to me like tamarind. In other words yum, though the waitress that brought it out spilled one piece that landed on me and bounced to the ground she was so apologetic that I started feeling guilty for not dodging out of the way of the falling food. Onward to the main courses we go! I decided I was fed up with crappy overpriced renditions of the normal Thai menu so I decided to go and order something more unusual thus the red curry roasted duck with rambutan and basil it was while the bf went with his usual chicken pad Thai (seriously I think this may be the only thing he ever orders at Thai restaurants which is okay because I usually end up eating his food when whatever I order doesn't agree with my tastes.) They were both served a bit after we were finished with the appetizer and in huge portions, the one thing I have issue with is I had a huge bowl of curry and a tiny little portion of rice to go with it. Come on now rice is the cheapest thing to make surely you can give me some more without charging an extra $2.50 for it?! Also while I appreciate huge portions I really would rather just have a well thought out portion at a lower price point. The red curry was super spicy and the duck well crisped in my entree with an abundance of rambutan though I think the dish didn't really mesh well with that since it was just a burst of sweetness every time I bit into one instead of what I pictured as a spicy dish mellowed out by the sweetness of the fruit. The Pad Thai is well executed here, not too greasy and excellent flavor.
Total check was about $40 for two which to me is expensive for Thai but alas that seems to be a usual occurrence for me as a new resident to the DC area. Water glasses were small but refilled posthaste. So far I'm a fan of this place even if it is a bit spendy for me.
Hole-in-the-wall awesomeness. The Tom Kar Gai is fantastic! Â The curry (all of them) are perfection. The appetizers (all of them) are delicious! Â You cannot go wrong here. Â
I drive 30 minutes to come here and it's worth the hassle. You're greeted with hospitality, the food is authentic Thai food (Passion Fin: no, Tara Thai: no). Â This is among my favorite Thai places.
Delicious food. Careful service.
The place was pretty empty and relatively quiet but it was late on a weekday. We had an appetizer of lychee dumpling (delicious but a tad too sweet). Then two entrees, Salmon with Ramen which was very good as well as a pork dish. Â All was very very good.
The service was very thoughtful. Â It would be a great place for an intimate meal.
I cannot wait to go back and try something from the extensive dessert menu.
The food here was amazing, better than most other Thai places I've been to around here.
But it was a little weird here, with the somewhat more fancy restaurant, waitresses dressed to the nines with no smiles. Â Service was great, no problem there, but I don't think any of them cracked a smile. Â Must be a cultural thing? Â I digress (can I use that here? Â Well I did and I don't care.)
Really tasty Thai with quick and attentive service, well worth it!
Don't let the name fool you! Duangrat's offers great service of yummy, generous portions of  thai entrees by beautiful, colorfully silken- clad women in a quiet shabby chic environment for a mere pittance. You'll be in and out in less than an hour, unless you linger over your wine or cocktail. What a bargain tucked away in this unassuming location.  Although you'll be tempted to order from the traditional list-- pad Thai, chicken satay in traditional peanut sauce, etc., try venturing off the beaten path for more exotic fare. Your taste buds will thank you. The wine list is just ok, but pairing those lightly sweet Rieslings, viogner, marsanne-roussane, or sparkling varietals with spicy Thai just plain works!
Review Source:This was my first time at Duangrat's Thai and I have to say that it was a great experience! I got there right when they opened for dinner service around 5 and the place was empty......(this is great, the zombie pox has taken over... more food for me!) Now I didn't realize this at first but the place is kind of umm themed as in all the women  there wore these very long very tight fitting skirts (sarongs?) I didn't mind, I felt like I was being served by the cast of Ms. Saigon....yes i know I just insulted two completely different cultures....sorry...I meant to say the cast of an Ang Lee movie....anywho,  I started with the chicken satay with a peanut dipping sauce (mental note, those are NOT finger bowls) and toast points...(2nd mental note....Toast points are not for throwing...they are not boomerangs and will NOT return to you) It was well done , great sauce for the chicken and the points on the toast were sharp enough....
Next up I had  a pork dish that came from the fiery depths of hell itself, It's called "Chiangmai Chili Pork" which in layman terms means "pork from loin of diablo". Basically it's Panko breaded strips of tender pork loin wok-tossed in our scintillating signature chili-garlic sauce, greans & asparagus...oh and when I say scintillating I meant holy crap that's spicy hot, i want my mommy now.
Remember those sarong dresses I mentioned earlier? No? Ok, look up two paragraphs.. Got it? Yes? Cool, Well those dresses kind of makes it hard to take long strides so all the hostess and servers have to shuffle in tiny steps so as I am burning my mouth off I had to wait for the water woman shuffle...again, and again, and again.
The pork was spicy but excellent! You could cut it with a toast point.
For dessert I had the most amazing vanilla mousse terrine I have ever experienced...I need a moment............................................Â..................................................Â................... ..................................................Â..................................................Â..................................................Â.....Ok, I'm back....yup, simply amazing. That dessert is better then sex.....and when I say sex I mean lesser quality vanilla mousse terrines..... nuff said.
Over all I give Duangrats two snaps, a twist and a booty shake...
We came here on a friends recommendation. Ordered 2 Lychee martinis -I loved them but they are very sweet(they come with a frozen lychee ice cube. Hubbie had a MaiTai very pineapple-ly, he prefers Sakoontra's.
Ordered the Drunken Noodles because everyone on Yelp seemed to love them-I found them very oily, sweet, lacking flavor and un-spicy (even though I requested HOT) The fried crab was okay-prefer Sakoontra's. Hubbie loved the fried fresh oysters. The green curry was dark, thick, rich, flavorful and spicy with real eggplants-something I WILL return for!
Service was very good.
The interior is high gloss red with lot of mirrors. The bar reminds me somewhat of a 60s tiki bar. Next time we will have drinks at the bar before dinner. It's a nice place to dress-up and eat with friends.
I love Duangrats! My fiancee and I always come here when we crave Thai food. We usually come during the lunch hours because i always order the Seafood Jumbalaya! Its like 10.49, and comes with a small salad and a little spring roll. i don't like the roll, but I like the little salad. The dish itself is enough to get me pretty food though. I've had other dishes, but its kinda like, when you want to go to a thai place just to eat pad thai. It's just always good or you go specifically for that dish!
He usually gets dishes with rice. They're usually always good.
The only thing I don't really like is how I feel like the staff kinda stares or hovers around you... But I definitely wonder why yelp doesn't rate this restaurant higher!
Great restaurant! Go here!
First place I ate at when I visited DC.
This place was recommended by my friends' coworkers.
I'm living in Boston right now and I REALLY missed asian food.
I came here and as soon as the server welcomed me with her slight asian accent, I was sold. Â
We got the drunken noodles (delicious! don't see how it's different from see ew though), the fried fish, prawn, whatever seafood combo  (it was okay. the fish was sort of chewy), and the panang tofu curry (AMAZING).
Basic thai flavors. Â Robust and delicious. Â Nothing amazing, but nothing bad either. Â Seeing as how what you see if what you get, I'm definitely a fan.
Great service and FAST food. Â Surprisingly so.
I always thought that Duangrat's set the bar for Thai in the Northern VA area, maybe even all of DC Metro area.
They have a cool place there with their decor and it's always clean. Â For a restaurant that's been around for many years, it's been maintained really well. Â I've noticed that the older spots in NoVA usually don't go updated and cleaned up. Â They're always on point with service, getting the food quickly, refills, you name it.
Their Beef Basil is amazingly good, and if you're not in the mood for that go w/ the Beef Drunken Noodle, another solid dish.
Granted this place is one mile from where I live, but I'll go to this place from all over the area.
Came here for a group lunch so perhaps this is not a fair review. Â However, looking at other reviews, they seem to be all over the board. Â I will return for a dinner or lunch.
- Service and prices were typical.
- No chop sticks
- Nothing stood out with exceptional flavor, presentation or authenticity. Â It was like everything was just "unremarkable". Â We had shrimp rolls, spring rolls, tofu and veg table dishes, pad Thai, beef dishes, etc. Â
Until next time, I'd say go across the street and check out vannipa thai....
Once we walked into this restaurant, we were greeted by what seemed like an army of thai women in traditional wear. This place must be great I think.
Ambiance: 4/5. Traditional, comfortable booths.
Service: 4/5. Attentive and professional.
Drink Mai Tai: 2/5...weak, really weak.
Entree: Lobster Drunken Noodles: 2/5. Just OK. Description states "whole grilled lobster 1.25lbs..with rice noodles" this was about half its weight in an almost inedible head and a couple of pieces of tail.
Farmers Vegetables: 4/5. very good and spicy in a good way.
Value: the vegetable entree was a great value whereas the lobster dish wasn't.
Would I come back? Perhaps. If we did, we'd be sure to try some of the entrees Yelpers are recommending like the grilled fish in banana leaf.
We hadn't been to Duangrat's in years. Â While we always liked it, I guess we didn't like it enough to go more frequently LOL! Â We decided to go on a Saturday around 5 p.m. Â One of the reasons we end up going to Duangrat's is because my aunt lives nearby so when we offer to take her to dinner, Duangrat's is an easy choice. Â Yes, on Saturday, we were there not only with my aunt but also with my dad.
Duangrat's has an extensive menu. Â This is both impressive and overwhelming at the same time. Â If you're with someone who is having a hard time deciding what to order, I suggest you approach it this way --- Ask them if they want chicken, seafood, pork, beef or vegetarian. Â Once you've narrowed that part down, ask if they want spicy or mild. Â With seafood, you have to go the extra step of asking what kind of seafood they like.
I also suggest taking a look at their specialty dishes. Â IMO, you can't go wrong ordering off that menu. Â Yet, for some reason, none of us did that on this visit.
After everyone decided what to have, here's what we ended up with:
For soup:
Tom Yum with shrimp --- my husband likes this soup due to the spiciness and the generous shrimp portion.
Corn soup with crabmeat --- my dad liked this and was surprised to find it to be on the sweet side with a generous amount of crabmeat.
Chicken vermicelli soup --- This is what I chose. Â The vermicelli is made from bean thread noodles, the chicken is ground meat and the stock is plentiful. Â This is a good soup to have if you aren't in the mood for spicy food.
Main courses:
Grilled fish in banana leaves --- This what my aunt settled on. Â The fish used is boneless trout which comes out tender and flaky. Â The sesame tamarind sauce adds nice flavor to the fish. Â (A side note --- this entree is on the expensive side.)
Sea scallops and bok choy --- My husband had this dish. Â He was impressed with the scallops---a generous portion properly cooked. Â Other ingredients were water chestnuts and oyster sauce.
Shrimp potpurri --- My dad ordered this. Â It consisted of shrimp with bean thread vermicelli noodles, onion celerly and ginger. Â While he enjoyed it, he found the portion size to be too much for him.
Pad Sie-Ew --- After reading Yelp friend Leslie L's like for this dish when she goes to Thai restaurants, I just had to try it. Â Duangrat's consists of jumbo hand-cut rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, egg and your choice of either vegetarian, chicken, beef or pork. Â I chose chicken. Â This was a mildly flavored yet filling dish.
Desserts:
Duangrat's has an amazing dessert menu. Â It goes way beyond the typical Thai restaurant dessert menu. Â There is so much more than mango with sticky rice. Â I tried "Kahlua Eskimo". Â This consisted of coffee ice cream, a splash of Kahlua, candied peanuts and whipped cream---very tasty! Â My aunt and husband had creme brulee which they both enjoyed. Â My dad had mango sorbet which had a strawberry sauce as well as fresh strawberries on the side.
All that said, the one big downside to Duangrat's is that service can be really inconsistent. Â Sometimes service is prompt and efficient while other times it is slow and lackadaisical.
So, I recommend going when you're not in a rush and go with the flow---however it happens to be when you're there. Â It's well worth it for some great Thai food!
**3.5 Stars**
Well, this was a chance happening! Plan was to go to Raaga, but the usual story of my life, I reached there JUST as they closed for the afternoon.. sigh (need to spend less time in the shower maybe?)
Anyways, I did not regret the choice! Food was great! We had a lychee martini (don't hate - it was 3:00 in the afternoon, yes - BUT it was a Saturday!) and boy- Did i love it! It was strong yet sweet and girly - with a lychee Ice in it that I loved slurping on like a kid ! :p
Here is what we got -
- Chicken Laarb - succulent chicken, minced and spiced to perfection with a great seasoning on it. Loved it
- Som Tum Salad - I liked it, but nothing beats what Pasara (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/pasara-thai-alexandria#hrid:K4n2CNuHCWJSZzj1Hn_orQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>) does!
Chicken Basil Fried Rice - Had a nice basil flavor to it and I liked it a lot. Light and refreshing!
Sweet & Sour Shrimp - Was good, but not outstanding, my sauce was too heavy and gummy :(
The Horapa Chicken - Was the yummiest dish of the evening! I loved the flavors in the dish, absolute favvv!!! :) :)
I will come here again - but only if Pasara isn't an option that day! :p
+ Decorations
+ Pad See Ew is awesome
+ Presentation of food
- Staff isn't very friendly
- Trying to be too creative - lychee dumpling in particular
I think management is trying too hard to make this a top notched Thai restaurant in the area. I like the diversity though... lychee dumpling is definitely creative but not really the best combination in my opinion
Stars are being subtracted because of the staff/host/management there not being very friendly and giving looks at guests who dine there. The food is good though and that should be the most important. Would recommend carrying out in that case!
This place kind of looks like a dump from the outside, but that is deceiving. Â It's nice inside.
I was there to have a spice-off. Â I took a date here and enjoyed it. Â I love spicy food and so did this girl...we had a bet going on who could eat the spiciest food....
I ordered something called "Hua Hin Fish Market" which had red snapper, jumbo shrimp, sea scallops, calamari, mussels, littleneck clams and
jumbo rice noodles sautéed in roasted chili-basil sauce... That was really good.  I asked them to make it "thai hot," and it was kind of hot, but still we poured tons of the extra hot pepper powder and sauce they had on it, each trying to get the other to say "uncle"...  I would definitely order that dish again.  We shared it, and with one appetizer it was enough for both of us.
We had also ordered something called a "salmon purse" appetizer, which was crispy wontons with curried salmon and potato filling. Â Not amazing, but pretty good.
I went back a second night and ordered some standard thai fare: masuman chicken, pad thai and drunken noodles. Â All were tasty, though they were best when hot.
Service is a bit spotty.
Also, it seems a bit pricier than other Thai places around, though they do have an interesting menu. Â Regretfully they also follow the Chinese food take-out practice of charging for additional tiny bowls of rice...
Definitely worth going though. Â I want to try some of their other dishes...
Came here for lunch on a weekend. The lunch menu is a bit odd in some regards. Particularly the fact that they don't have Pad Thai on it. So, instead of getting that my girlfriend got the drunken noodles. I ordered the Pad Thai anyway.
here's the thing, the drunken noodles were listed as one pepper in the lunch specials, it is MUCH spicier than that. I really liked the level of spicy but it was overdone for my girlfriend.
The Pad Thai was literally swimming in oil. I love oil as much as the next guy but damn...
I probably wouldn't come back...
After years of having Duangrat's on my radar I finally had a chance to come and it was great! Â The cuisine here is a bit more upscale than most thai places so there were some dishes I've never seen before. Â Since we had an adventurous group we ended up getting a few appetizers and entrees to share. Â A nice array from "deluxe" pad thai, to duck, to pork stuffed lychees. Â The pad thai wasn't particularly great but I thoroughly enjoyed all of the appetizers and the duck was excellent.
My only complaint really is about the service. Â It wasn't that busy but it still took quite a long time to receive each course, or to have drinks refilled. Â The server would just vanish for extended periods of time and it caused the meal to drag on. Â This wouldn't be so bad had we night been sitting outside with a cold front coming in. Â In retrospect, it's probably more desirable to eat inside and enjoy the decor rather than subject yourself to a brisk evening viewing of Rt 7.
Prices are a bit high to be a regular go to thai place, but for a semi-special occasion, or a nice break from the usual thai fare, Duangrat's will provide an excellent and unique dining experience.
Flavorful food. Relaxing atmosphere. Great company to share it with. Could you ask for any better way to start the weekend?
Thai is one of my absolutely favorite cuisines, but for 10 years the car has just sailed by Duangrat's. That finally ended when I with Jeff W.'s UYE with Kevin L., Tony P. and Anson P. for the end of Thai Restaurant Week (RW) celebrating the Thai New Year.
If someone told me I was going to spend Friday night dining outside along Leesburg Pike in Bailey's Crossroads, I would have died laughing, but it actually wasn't that bad. The access road (and few trees) provided a decent buffer so I didn't feel like I was eating in the middle of rush hour traffic - but if I returned I would probably opt for a table inside where the decor and ambiance simply elevate the elegant feel this place has. Besides, by eating outside we missed out on the special music and dancing they had as part of the New Year celebrations. :(
FOOD
Dining family-style, we opted to share several apps and entrees which was a fantastic way to get the feel for several of Duangrat's offerings.
Appetizers
Lychee Dumplings w/ spiced pork filling: I'm a huge lychee nut and have on a number of occasions have eaten them by the bag full, but if not for the group decision, I probably wouldn't have ordered them. Yes, good thing that instinct was overruled. These were awesome! The texture & sweetness of the lychee complemented the pork stuffed inside nicely. It was from the special RW menu, but I hope to see it on the menu again. Then I won't have to share! :)
Pork & Shrimp Dumpling: very flavorful and steaming hot
Calamari salad: perfectly cooked with a nice spicy kick
Fresh Rolls: Another one that I could have cleared the plate myself; lovely tamarind sauce covering fresh rolls of BBQ sausage, egg, cucumber and other goodness
Beef Satay: I did not partake, but everything on the plate disappeared so I'm going to judge it was good
Entrees
Grandma Duangrat's Duck (1 pepper): It'd been so long since I'd had duck (let alone duck prepared this well) that I was quickly in rapture over the succulent flavor. I personally didn't find the sweet & sour sauce had much heat to it - but I frankly didn't care. When I'm in a future mood to splurge, I will be back for sure for the duck.
Chaingmai Chili Pork (3 peppers): Another of Duangrat's signature entrees of panko-crusted thin sliced pork loin; I found this had almost no heat but the pork was juicy, there was no oil saturation of the crust, and the green beans and asparagus were nicely crisp. If you aren't into duck, you can't go wrong with this one.
Pad Thai Supreme: This was basically pad thai on seafood steroids. Also off the special RW menu, the normal pad thai ingredients were a soft landing pad for all the shrimp, scallops, mussels, and soft-shell crab. A solid, tasty dish, but I'd probably not order again and instead choose to try something new.
Garlic Calamari Croquettes with Spicy Noodles (1 pepper): Our final selection from the RW menu, squid stuffed with shrimp and crab and lightly fried. It was just OK. The slices were too large to just eat so you had to cut them in half. Squid was maybe a tad overcooked and the filling mushy, but the ramen noodles had a nice bit of kick to them and were actually one of the few advertised spicy things that actually was. Nothing was really wrong with this dish, but I probably wouldn't order again.
SERVICE
Very attentive and obviously eager to ensure a happy dining experience. Several people waited on us at different times, but mostly it was the one non-Asian waiter. He was very friendly and even helped Anson and I get a bit of cultural education while we waited for the rest of the bunch by helping us figure out what determines when Thai New Year falls. (Still puzzled by the whole lunar solar year thing.)
My only negative was the slowness with which food came out to the table. It seemed to take forever, probably at least 1/2 hr after we finished our appetizers. But at least when it did arrive it was steaming hot, so that was good.
OVERALL, I had a great time and will be back, but probably more for special occasions and out of town guests as the price point of the dishes I'm most interested in really kicks Duangrat's out of the realm of truly casual Thai dining options.
This Thai establishment has been here as long as I can remember. Â I used to work a few miles up the street and frequented this place. Â Having since moved out of the area, I haven't been back for a while. Â JeffW's UYE brought me back on Friday. Â The physical restaurant has not changed much, but other parts have change quite a bit since the days that I frequented it. Â Their decor inside is now ornate and themed. Â The tables have fine silveware and plates. Â The service was attentive.
We started out with an assortment of appetizers. Â The lychee dumplings were distinctive. Â The combination of savory and sweet was excellent. Â The beef satay was nicely grilled with a delectable coconut curry dipping sauce. Â The fresh rolls were also very savory with a nice sweet hoisin sauce. Â The shrimp and pork dumpling was also quite good. Â I also ordered a calamari salad that was spicy and tangy. Â The calamari was al dente and the salad was refreshing with a kick from the spices.
Our entrees were the Grandma Duangrat's duck, Changmai chili pork, and a seafood pad thai. Â The duck was excellent. Â The savory flavor really stood out and the sauce was a great complement. Â The pork was nice and crispy, but not much heat even though it was rated 3 peppers. Â The seafood pad thai had some nice soft-shelled crab that was very good.
The wine selection was a little sparse. Â I picked a Jadot Pouille-Fuisse that turned out to be mediocre. Â The bouquet was weak and the expected melon/peach hints were understated and overwhelmed by the citrus and tanins.
Overall, it was a pretty good meal and the food was every bit as good as I remember it. Â I need to come back and sit inside to enjoy the live musical and dance entertainment.
This was my first UYE (unofficial Yelp event) since coming back from Detroit. Â It's good to see that some things stay the same (Kevin, Jeff, and Tony) despite being away for awhile. Â Although, it is also nice to meet some new people (Marianne).
Apparently, April 15 marked the end of the Thai New Year. Â Marianne and I were present for a Wikipedia reading on the subject while waiting for the rest of our group to arrived. Â I don't know about her, but I was lost after the mention of a lunar solar calendar. Â And here's to the white server who tried his best to figure it out for us.
Our group shared a bunch of appetizers. Â The lychee dumplings were interesting and tasty. Â They took lychees and stuffed them with a pork filling. Â This will eventually lead me to take more fruit and stuff them with meat product or take meat and stuff it with fruit. Â What could go wrong? Â Their version of the summer roll tasted like a Peking duck roll sans duck. Â Not bad. Â The shrimp and pork dumplings were good but nothing special and the beef satay was good.
We opted to go for some dish splitting since most of the dishes are served family style. Â The Grandma Duangrat's duck has always been one of my favorite dishes here and still is. Â It's half a duck in a sweet sauce with crabmeat on top. Â Faux pas of the evening: Â Kevin asking "do you eat the duck fat?" Â My response: Â "wha?" Â However, Jeff replied more eloquently with "is that even a question?" Â The chili pork that was ordered was not spicy at all. Â Weak. Â The pad thai supreme was a good sized portion of pad thai, although smaller than I remember. Â It looks like it could feed 2 or 3 people. Â Not the best pad thai you're going to get, but it was still satisfying. Â The last dish that was ordered were Calimari croquettes on top of ramen. Â A decent dish but I would probably just order the calimari appetizer instead. Â
The service was attentive but the food was slow getting out. Â I'm not sure whether it had to do with us sitting outside. Â It was noticeable when Jeff and I dropped out of the conversation as our brains were being deprived of glucose. Â Also, they had a little performing area inside with a Thai dancing demonstration as well as live music.
This place is still one my go to places for Thai food and remains a good place to take loved ones for special holidays or occasions (hint hint: Â mother's day is coming up). Â I would definitely recommend calling ahead to see if they have live music or dancing demonstrations going on. Â Also, I would recommend sitting inside, unless you really want to be outside or you're a smoker.
Ok all you Thai food fanatics, if you like Thai food then you must check out Duangrat's. Me and Yana are major fans.
Yana and I started our search for the best Thai food in the area about 2 years ago and everytime we find one we really like than its replaced by another. Duangrat's remains on top of the list. We have not had everything but we have fallen in love with the Panang (Reggie's fav) and the Rainbow Trout wrapped in banana leaf (Yana's fav). The Panang Beef is delish. It is thicker than most panangs and has a sweetest to it that is heaven. Seriuously Yelpers, you must check this place out.
Other delish items that are a must try is the Tom Yum soup which is pretty good but Yana likes the Tom Yum at Thai Regent in Adams Morgan/Dupont. The Seafood Salad is good but I would say that Thai Regent has a slight edge. You also must try the Thai Ice Tea and the Sticky Rice with Mango. All the food is good here but that Panang is awsome.
I will say that unlike most of the thai restaurants in the area, Duangrat's is a little more pricey than most but well worth it.
If you want good Fried Rice or Pad Thai, I'd recommend passing this place and head towards Falls Church at Pilin Thai (116 W Broad St. in Falls Church) or Thai Pilin (8385 Leesburg Pike in Vienna).
Fried Rice was WAAAAY too oily. Big pool of oil at the bottom of our container. I didn't bother trying to decipher the taste, but it just wasn't there either.
The Pad Thai was a little better, but for the money you pay, there are definitely better places to go.
Interior looked nice and spacious...as well as outdoor seating. And with all the awards from past years hanging proudly on the wall, I was sorely disappointed at the quality of the food.
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