Two restaurants in Arlington and three in Falls Church made the grade in Washingtonian’s new “100 Very Best Restaurants” list.
Regulars in the local dining scene will be familiar with most of these spots, all of which were also highlighted last year. They range from a Vietnamese restaurant in Falls Church’s Eden Center to a popular French-inspired establishment on Langston Blvd.
Arlington
No. 42: Padaek
This Lao and Thai restaurant debuted at the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center in October 2023 and has been picking up local accolades ever since. In 2024, the establishment ranked in The Washington Post’s list of the best new restaurants in the D.C. area, and chef Seng Luangrath won “Best Restaurateur of the Year” at the RAMMY Awards last year.
“You can thank chef Seng Luangrath for popularizing Laotian food in DC — and across the country,” Washingtonian wrote. “Her crispy coconut-rice salad mixed with peanuts, herbs, and sour pork is rightfully famous, but lime-punched salads, fragrant soups, and banana-leaf-wrapped fish with herby coconut curry are also highlights.”…