This Thai restaurant is very authentic! I've been here twice! They actually had a Groupon being offered awhile back. This was one of the few good  Groupon experiences I've had:)  I really enjoyed the spicy seafood fried rice. I like it spicy and most restaurants in general don't actually make it spicy. Here if you ask for Thai spicy that's what you get! It was soooooooo flavourful and spicy at the same time. I had a party of goodness going on in my mouth.  My guests had the pad Thai and the chicken Thai basil. They both raved about how good the food was as well. I will be back for sure as long as the quality does not dwindle down:)
Review Source:This is great place for a reasonably priced and well made dinner. Obviously not the fanciest Thai in the area, but despite other reviews we had wonderful service. We used our groupon and still made it out under $30 with two entrees and sodas. Food came out quickly and hot on a pretty banana leaf lined plate. If you live in the area and are looking for a nice quiet dinner and don't want to break the bank check it out!
P.s.. I don't mind that the menu had some misspellings.. All part of the fun! Read the description of drunken noodle.
We came here for a friend's birthday dinner because they said they saw good reviews for this restaurant. I thought I should give it a try by ordering my favorite dish "Pad Thai". The wait wasn't long at all probably because we arrived around 6pm on a Saturday. Their menu has a lot of misspelled words and incomplete sentences for the entree description. I ordered pad thai, my boyfriend and one of my friend ordered pad see ew and my boyfriend's sister ordered drunk noodle. It wasn't a good experience just because my dish was way too salty. One of my friend asked for white rice and they never bring it or even bother to acknowledge our needs. My boyfriend's sister dish came out when we were all almost done with our plates. They never even remember to bring it out until we asked for it. I will definitely NOT recommend this place at all.
Review Source:Poor customer service.
1.) Â My friend did not receive his rice when he asked multiple times. Â
2.) Â I had to remind them about my drunken noodles dish twice because they forgot. Very disappointing. Â
3.) Â Had to ask for change after paying.
4.) Â The server does not listen.
If you are looking to starve this is the place to go to. I will not be returning to this restaurant.
Definitely authentic Thai food. Â Me and my wife had the shabu shabu hot pot, which was on special for ten dollars off. Â It was great, had a selection of meat and seafood, and a heaping large bowl of vegetables, noodles, and mushrooms.
Also, the dish comes with a selection of four different and very tasty sauces to dip with. Â Overall, everything was fresh and tasty.
The owner was very hands on, helping serve food and make sure everything was ok. Â This is a nice touch. Â If you are looking for some authentic thai fare in falls church, Vannipa gets it done.
Some of the best Thai food we had in the area! The Papaya Salad was incredibly fresh and light and the Basil Chicken and Tender Pork Garlic Sauce were full of flavor. Both dishes were generous in size especially considering the $10.00 costs.. A word of caution, 2 chilli peppers are really hot and this comes from someone who puts crushed red pepper on pizza and pasta before tasting it.  If you don't like real hot food, tell them to tame it down. The atmosphere was pleasant and the service was  friendly and good. Went there on a Groupon but will go back again without one.
Review Source:This place is ehhh at best! The local at lake Barcroft really talked this place up so I decided to give it a try. The menu on their website does not reflect the menu that you get at the restaurant... They obviously haven't updated it since changing management. The wait staff was slow even with a half-full restaurant. The food was not as spicy as expected. The portions were small and the taste was quite boring. I would recommend Bangkok 54, not far away if you are looking for good Thai.
Review Source:I hate writing bad reviews for small restaurants because I know how challenging it is to survive in the restaurant business.
However, I was highly disappointed w/ Vannipa Thai. Â I ordered the Pad Thai and Duck Rolls and was bored out of my mind. Â Lets not forget that they were also 20 minutes later than the expected delivery time (which was already for an hour long wait). Â The duck rolls were cold when I got them. Â I can imagine they'd be better if they were at the right temperature (unless they are supposed to be cold, which in that case, is a thumbs down for me).
The pad thai was utterly tasteless. Â I wonder if they forgot my sauce.
Definitely not going to order from them again. Disappointing.
So I walked across from here, and noticed a "Under New Management!" Sign and was intrigued. I went in finally today, and talked to the Manager. Apparently they were under new Management on November 1st, and I asked them what they have done differently. So there are all new management (obviously), chef, and staff. He said they hired a chef who cooked much more authentic Thai, and they use all fresh ingredients, they don't use foods out of cans. So I've been meaning to try more Thai noodle soups, my only other experience was Sila Thai which was not that great.
I tried the Floating Market beef noodle soup at the recommendation of the waiter, who said it's a very flavorful noodle soup. To my delight, it was a very tasty and delicious noodle soup. It's a refreshing change to try Thai Noodle Soup since I usually go with Pho or chinese noodle soups. Thai foods are the "bolder" and more flavorful of the Asian cuisines, and their noodle soup is no exception. This noodle soup packed a lot of flavor, and a lot of meat. There was so much beef that mid-way I realized that I shouldn't be rationing like I do with pho, that I could eat all the red meat with each bite to my heart's delight. That I did, they  have big chunks of beef, and beef meatballs. The broth is very flavorful, and has more of a slight sourness taste to it, but not overwhelming. I say give Thai Noodle Soup if you haven't tried it before, finally I had a decent one, and maybe I'll try the pork version of it too next time. For the adventurous types, you will enjoy this soup.
I agree with other Yelpers that this place knows how to make some awesome pad thai. However, their specialty dishes like Crispy Duck, Crispy Chicken and a deep fried fish dish were pretty disappointing. I mean, really disappointing. All the dishes were dry, cold and salty.
I would definitely recommend sticking with your usual choices, such as pad thai, which ironically, seems to be their specialty.
Pros
- friendly waiters, the two guys that served us were very nice.
- filled our water promptly
- brought us extra plates to share our foods
- nice decoration inside restaurant
- The price was reasonable
- the crispy duck was really good and spicy
- MOST IMPORTANTLY they did not charge us for extra rice! I don't know if they forgot to charge us or what but every Thai place I go to, they would give us a little tiny bowl of rice (1/2 a cup) that is not enough to eat with the entree.
Semi-Con (its not actually that bad)
- small place
- the place with empty on a sunday night
- the portion size was small (I guess this is why it was cheaper than other thai places)
Overall, I will go again if I was in the area
Dicey one way parking lot with a lot of different cultures: Iranian place, Chinese duck place, Latino places. Basically across the street from Duangrat's market. Fish cakes and floating market soup it is! Fish cakes were homemade and a little flatter than usual, not as good as Bangkok 54's market made ones, more spicy. The soup was less sweet than usual, made with more celery and vegetables, served with a nice tangy spicy sauce. I started dipping my meat, then just poured it in. Very good. Waitress told me the one at Thai Gaang Wan in Springfield is the best. LOL
Review Source:With only 30 minutes to eat dinner, I got chicken pad see ew to takeout. They made my food in about 10 minutes and I ate it in 5. The portion was huge and delicious. I can't figure out what it is, but there is a distinctive smell to Thai food. At just over $10, it was a great deal.
Service 5/5
Food 5/5
Value 4/5
My family and I came here for lunch on a weekday and was surprised to find it empty, due to its rave reviews. Â The inside was clean and the decor was colorful and welcoming. Â Our friendly waitress was accommodating and brought out extra plates since we decided to share our entrees family-style.
BEEF PAD SEE EW ($8): One of the better ones I've had in the NoVA area; the vegetables tasted fresh, but the beef could have been juicier and darker (aka more marinated)
ROAST DUCK CURRY ($12): A decent portion with tender/fatty duck, basil, tomatoes, and pineapple; I just wish the curry was thicker and creamier!
MANGO STICKY RICE ($5): As stated in many other reviews, this dessert was scrumptious! Â The sticky rice came out very warm with plenty of coconut and sesame and the mango was sweet and refreshing. Â I'm drooling at the moment...
Overall, wonderful service and great food. Â I will be back!
We ordered a delivery from Vannipa Restaurant tonight, and we are very happy with the experience. All the food was flavorful and cooked well, and it was not as pricy as in some other Asian delivery places. We ordered duck rolls, moo ping (grilled pork skewers), beef pad thai, and chicken green curry. The duck rolls were just OK (i don't know why other reviewers rave about them so much; the wonderful duck taste gets totally lost in those rolls). The grilled pork was awesome: soft, juicy, perfectly cooked, with a nice smokey flavor. The pad thai was very nice too, not dry, with a nice balance of flavors. The green curry was spicy and very aromatic, with kaffir lime leaves adding a great depth of flavor. Will definitely order again or visit the actual restaurant soon.
Review Source:I visited my Thai friend who lives here for 15 years. I asked her to pick her favorite Thai restaurant here and this was the place she picked and took me here.
  We ordered, " Moo Ping" (Thai grilled pork), Som Tum Tod (Fried Papaya Salad), Crab fried rice, Pad Ka Praw.
  All of them were excellent, except Som Tum Tod was a bit lower than other but still good.
  The place and service was very low key but the food was right on. So the next time that I visit D.C, I will definitely come back to this place again.
Given all the rave reviews, I was looking forward to eating here. Â We ended up here after Rabieng (our normal favorite) didn't have A/C after the huge storm. Â I called Vannipa and they assured me their AC was working. Â I wanted to go somewhere comfortable bc we were meeting my friend who's 8 mos pregnant.
Once we arrived, it became clear that eventhough their AC may be working, they weren't really using it. Â It was hot as hell and the interior is really weird. Â Long story short, the food sucked, the service was AWFUL and they gave us an entirely wrong dish but did not offer to fix. Â We couldn't even complain about it until getting up from our chairs to ask for the check bc no one came back to our table after delivering the food. Â Thai food from the mall is probably better than this place.
Definitely head to Rabieng just down the street for great food and awesome service.
Pad thai and pad se-wee is good. The fried rice is very spicy. I would recommend duck roll as appetizer. Overall, the food is good but not outstanding.
I went there for lunch in a group of 5 with living social voucher. They charged tips automatically (20%) which I was not quite comfortable with. I don't mean to pay less tips but I think I should have the choice.
Quite possibly one of the best Thai restaurants in the region. Don't be fooled by it's hole in the wall appearance and horridly strange interior decor - this place is not to be missed.
Parking is pain, but once you get past these external factors you'll realize that sweat is rolling down your face and your tongue is singing the joys that are the multitude of flavors their food provides.
They don't really offer the greatest service or atmosphere, but it's about the food people - trust in the Drunken Noodles and other fine dishes such as the Pad See Ew and you will walk away full and pleasantly surprised.
My wife is an addict and I'm only slightly less enthusiastic because she always seems to pick the slightly tastier entree when we go there for lunch or dinner.
They recently introduced a not too shabby "learners" menu for lunch that can provide you with a guidepost for getting into the otherwise obscurely named and vaguely understandable entrees. Lunch is a very reasonable price for anyone interested in experimenting at low cost ~$7, dinner is around $10 a plate for the average selection.
:::Saturday Lunch Review::: 4.5 STARS:::
Appetizer:
-Spring Rolls
Entrees:
-Chicken Pad Prig King (2 orders)
-Chicken Pad Thai
**All of it was Thai Hot
Service:
No issues
My hubby has been in search of the perfect Pad Prig King dish similar to a one that he used to eat when he lived in AZ.  He's finally found it!  As a result, w/in  a bites of his meal he stated that this is is new favorite Thai spot.  He's even willing to drive from Burke to Fall Church... Culmore to eat.  (He's not a big traveler.)
Vannipa's loses half a star is due to portion size. Â Ironically, b/c it was a weekend we ordered off the dinner menu due to the restaurant policy. Â I can't image what the lunch portion is like. Â Yes, as other Yelpers mentioned this place is reasonably priced; however, the PORTION SIZES are MODEST. Â Therefore, is it really that reasonable if you're ordering two orders? Ehh... but my hubby loves this place, so we'll return and I'm looking forward to trying the duck rolls. Â
Request: Â
Please add summer rolls to the menu!! Thks!!!
Simple.
Pros:
Oh the food was GREAT! Went here for father's day and I was certainly pleased. Food was very tasteful, flavorful, and came in pretty decent proportions.
What I ordered:
Duck Rolls - One word. De-li-cious
In fact, we Re-ordered another serving while eating our main course because it was just-that-good. ESP. on the weekends when Peking Gourmet next door is packed. What a great alternative to satisfy your Peking duck cravings !!!
Calimari- Could live without. Not to shabby. A little on the oily side.
Beef Pad Thai - Big dish. Came out with a brown coloring of the noodles. Flavorful and not satly.
Seafood Lac Na? - ( sorry for butchering it ) but was AMAZING noodles were soft with a smoky taste from the Wok. Oh best dish of the night HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for an alternative of a noodle dish. *non spicy*
Panang Chicken Curry - Not the best I've had. Chicken was slightly dry. Could live without.
Cons:
Small small restaurant.
Seats were worn down and cracked
On fathers day. A day I would think they would have more workers only ONE waiter and ONE bust boy. Service was slightly slow but I couldn't complain - I felt bad for the young girl running around. She did the best she could!
OVER ALL: I would DEFIANTLY come back (:
Was in search for some simple eats on Friday night.  Was in  Alexandria, had just finished the Marshall Ross discount store crawl and decided to give Vannipa a chance.  The reviews from my fellow Yelpers looked quite promising.  I trust you guys,, so why not give this place a try?
First, have you ever seen the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau? This is what the inside of Vannipa would remind you of. It was like an undersea cave constructed of sheets of jagged rock. Â I'd have to assume, however, that it was all faux because the partition between our table and the next was particleboard jigsawed and fauxed up to resemble jagged rock. Â The tans and blues made it like an undersea world for me. Â It was more like a much-to-dark seafood restaurant and not a Thai one. Plus, it was hot as the dickens in there. Â Just fans to keep us cool and with the dishes I ordered, I needed the AC.
I went with my two ol' reliables - drunken noodles and pad krapow. Â Chicken and beef respectively. Â
The drunken noodles were as the menu described - 3 stars spicy. I've started to enjoy my Thai spice now, so I said, "Bring it on." Â Boy, was it both delicious and spicy. Â The best part of this dish was the panfried tomatoes - they had begun to caramelize - they were both sweet and smoky, but the taste of tomato came through nicely. Â You have got to get this dish.
The krapow was delicious too. Â You may recall this is one of the many Thai basil dishes. Â Two components should standout - the heat of the pepper (usually bird eye chilis) and the basil. Truth be known, the heat showed up, but the basil didn't. Â I think this was due to the lack of basil in the dish. Â It was still good, through.
Just two dishes tonight and we're out...
I promise to come back and try a few other dishes at Vannipa. Â Maybe next time I will try a seafood dishes in homage to my old friend, Jacques.
High quality foods for a bargain price.
Because of the cheap prices we were able to try a little bit of everything. Â We started with the larb gai followed by crispy duck basil and pad kee meo. All were delicious. Â The mango sticky rice is a MUST. The sticky rice comes out piping hot and the mangos perfectly ripe. Soooo good. Come here with a big appetite and sample a little of everything your belly and wallet will be happy customers.
I'm going to change my status to read, Vannipia would be my choice for my last meal on earth, that's just how good the food is. I've been to this place once before and remembered that the food was good and very authentic.
After a long week, I decided that I wanted a good tasty meal to accompany me while watching multiple episodes of Two and a half men. Vannipa, being right down the road from my house was my first best option. The people there are very friendly, they smile and make you feel welcomed as soon as you walk through the door.
I wanted to go with the same meal I had the last time which, I think was the Vegetarian Pad Priow Wan. It was so good I remembered the taste so many months later. I sat at the bar and ask for a few non spicy recommendations and the bartender pointed out a few things that he thought I'd really like. I decided on the Pad Thai Rayong. Man, the smell that emitted from that container was enough to make me want to bust open the box and eat it with my fingers as I drove the 1.3 miles home. Once I got home took a quick bite I felt that I was being transported to SE Asia.
This dish was simply amazing!! It had a twist to the traditional Pad Thai, I think it was the type of noodles, but it also combined real crab meat and jumbo shrimp. I think I finished the meal in less than 8 minutes and I usually eat slow. I didn't even have time to chew it let alone savor, I just inhaled the meal in record time. That's when you know you had a good meal.
If you like Thai food, Vannipa is where it's at.
Oh, this is more of a takeout spot rather than date spot. Sure, they have tables but the restaurant is small and located in a strip mall. Â I wouldn't suggest that you dine in unless of course, you just can't wait till you get home, which well be understandable.
The lunch combos here are a scanty portion that come with a mini Tom Yum soup and a small spring roll. If you're expecting to be filled up from their lunch offerings you'll be sorely disappointed, but the quantity of food is reflected in the price. I noticed this from the only other table in the restaurant at the time and ordered a full lunch entree of SUPER SPICY!!!! Beef Pad See Ew instead.
My party of four was the only other table in the restaurant at the time we placed our order, but it took a noticeable amount of time for the food to arrive. And when it did my entree was already heading to room temperature, but not so much that it warranted a complaint. The dish itself was okay. The beef remained tender, but the broccoli could have used some more cooking. The noodles themselves lacked a punch in flavor that would make you come back wanting more. But overall I was satisfied enough for the price and I could even head back into work fully energized without any fear of a food coma.
The service felt a bit unusual. Our waiter seemed to be a timid person. Also the decor is quite interesting here. I imagine that after-hours it can be turned into a laser tag arena or a night club, although it seems that karaoke is their thing.
I feel like a jerk giving a relatively low review when everyone else is giving 4 or 5 stars.
My time spent at Vannipa Thai was less than stellar. From the bad mood of my table, to the loud and incessant chatter of some self important guy at the table next to us: the atmosphere left something to be desired. And the restaurant wasn't crowded: but we were sat right next ot a guy whose voice traveled the entire restaurant (so moving tables would not have helped).
Ordered fried rice, some chicken and vegetable dish, a drunken noodle, and a pad thai. Also got some satay and an order of spring rolls. Satay came out with four skewers, and spring rolls came out with three, so there was some awkwardness as to who got the short end of the stick at the beginning. Spring rolls were good, but I wouldn't call them amazing. Satay was fine.
My pad thai came out slightly cold in parts. When I mixed things around, it was a warm in some and not as warm in others. Made for some inconsistency, but otherwise it tasted good. Drunken noodles were apparently very hot (despite being asked to tone them down to medium).
Everyone finished their meals and walked away satisfied: it was good (not great) Thai food... But the general consensus was that this just was not super memorable, and I don't think I'd drive through 7 corners traffic to get here any time soon... Though I will probably give it another chance eventually. Maybe my visit was that one mediocre experience  out of 30+ good ones.
OK OK OK OK
I am impressed.... this place is not somewhere you would expect great Thai grub... BUT WOW Â
This place is amazing... the duck rolls lived up to the hype... all the food was fresh, spicy but flavorful something most chefs forget, priced GREAT for the portion sizes and its a small hole in the wall feel that everyone knows about!!!!
The perfect mix for a winning restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!
I started coming here around six months ago, not long after returning from a rendevous in Thailand. Â I have to say, this place is pretty legit.
There are a lot of thai places in the area, even next door to me, but I find myself back here more often than not.
Tasty Food, Decently authentic, awesome prices, great staff.
That adds up to a win in my book.
Great service, good, fresh food, and plenty of water refills. We had an enjoyable evening of great Thai food - yummy spring rolls, pad se eew, and drunken noodles (spicy). Not feeling the music in there which was some soft adult contemporary, love hits, although it was kind of funny!!
Will definitely be back!
It's been awhile since I've had good Thai out, so this one really hit the spot. Â We went on a Friday night around 7 and while it wasn't empty, we were seated immediately. Â The servers were super-attentive (though not pushy) and very sweet. Â The manager peaked in on us a couple of times but never interrupted our dinner. Â Based on previous reviewers' suggestions, we tried the following dishes:
-Duck rolls (two rolls - the wrap was thicker than I expected and overwhelmed the duck a little bit for my boyfriend, but I thought the balance was great; also, not fatty)
-Shrimp patties (yes, admittedly a little weird in concept. Â I don't usually go for fried stuff, but these were not overly greasy and had a good shrimp taste)
-Duck red curry (Very good duck - might be the first time I've actually ENJOYED duck and wanted to eat the whole dish; only a little bit of skin/fat which was easy to peel off if you want to; next time I might ask for the spice tray)
-Drunken noodles (yum - deviated from our tradition pad thai choice due to reviews and are happy we tried it)
-Panang curry with pork (got this one to go and might have been our favorite - right amount of spice for me)
Rice came with the curries and was nice and sticky. Â I definitely have this place on my list of places to which I must return!
-
Good things come in small packages. For $7 at lunch, my meal was a recommended portion... so I was hungry a few hours later. But, the food was delicious and pretty.
The service was attentive (filled up those waters, including mine with no ice!). It's a small restaurant and it was lunch time so when two of the orders were incorrect, they brought back the correct orders in under five minutes... steaming hot!
4.5. Had a great meal here today. Went with my fiance for lunch at about 3PM, needless to say it was empty. None the less, we were not swayed and wanted to see how good this place was for ourselves.
We started with the Spring rolls - they were extremely crisp, slightly greasy and well flavored. I would get them again.
The Rice with lump crab meat was delicious - it was not spicy, it was not saucy, but there was something about it did not make my fiance want to ask for those things.
The Chicken with Cashew dish was good, although not spicy. I had to ask for the spice tray, which was fresh and much better than at other Thai restaurants. With a little bit of a heat this dish was a home run.
Service was good, the ambiance is good and the prices are good as well. Overall a great experience.
Our first experience here was very good, despite walking into a nearly empty restaurant on a Tuesday evening. I was a bit skeptical of all the orangehead 5-star reviews, but even the legitimate reviews seem to agree this place was good.
The interior is exactly like Mint (the previous restaurant) even down to the decor, and furniture. They've got these cool, unique swiveling seats. Anyway I compared my pictures of both places and pretty much the same.
The food however I believe was notably different. My previous review of Mint was not that it was bad, but that it was rather forgettable. Vannipa's food popped in mouth with surprising flavors.
Tom Yum - not a fan of sour soups but my wife liked it.
Pad Thai - looked exactly the same except a little smaller in size, however the taste was full of flavor. I believe the key to their Pad Thai was the sauce.
Kao Pad Ka Prow - the fried rice was delicious and the strong flavor of the basil really set this dish apart. I loved it.
Sticky Rice and Thai Custard - the custard was very sweet, but that was balanced by the taste of the rice which seemed to have a hint of salt. I'm not sure what they put in it, but it wasn't just plain tasting rice.
Wife mentioned she liked this place because it was less greasy than other places. I on the other hand am not bothered by copious amounts of oil, so either way I was happy.
Portion are what I was describe as moderately sized, but gratefully the dishes are also moderately priced. Dinner prices average $8, there are some $10 selections and $12 selections.
We were going to purchase $25 coupons for $10, but because of our last minute planning we didn't get a chance to. Definitely going to come back though and use this coupon ($35 min.) to order a variety of dishes.
Our waitress had difficulty with English but was otherwise very attentive. The manager was also nice and even offered to refill my wife's white peach drink...even though the sign says no refills.
While we were eating, the manager told us that the chef used to cook/cater for people FROM the White House...a slight distinction of being a chef IN the White House. Anyway regardless of White House, redbrick house, or townhouse...the food here was delicious.
Billy Thai here....Wow.....after reading other reviews I DID NOT KNOW that the chef came from the White House? :)
Just got kanom jeeb goong $6 (dumplings a tad on the small size) and the pad rik khing chicken and it was delicious.....the sauce was clumpy and not too spicy and they threw in jalapenos and ONLY $8 as I reminded the manager where as most Thais charge $10.95.
This place seems to have a following already and should put bad memories of Mint and Neisha far back in the mind. :)
Being Thai, I can say that the foods here were really delicious. They can make the foods authentic or fusion upon your request. You just have to ask them about it. The owner (not the cook) used to cook for White House so she definitely has talent and passion in cooking. In term of the taste of the foods, this is probably one of the best Thai restaurants I have tried so far in comparison to the popular Thai restaurants in New York or Chicago.
The ambient and services were satisfactory. I would give three to four stars for the services and the ambient. However, because of the deliciousness of the foods, I think this restaurant deserves five stars.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
