We're big fans of fancypants Duangrat's Thai country cousin Rabieng. We'd read about their Thai Dim Sum Brunch, but only recently were we able to muster the energy for a good 25 minute drive just to enjoy our first meal of the day. DCist ran AC’s review of this brunch last week.
Those interested in checking out the brunch should note that some of the thirty dishes on the dim sum brunch menu are simply scaled down versions of regular menu items, and other dishes are offered on the regular menu as appetizers. Though we were admittedly disappointed that the brunch menu wasn't a total departure from their regular menu, it's a fun way to try a number of items that you might not normally order at dinner when their whole fried fish is competing for your attention.
We started off with the chive dumplings. Doughy on the inside, crispy and bubbly on the outside, these represent some of the best dumplings in the area.
Another standout was the marinated beef strips with sticky rice. The rice was a little bit dry for sticky rice, but the strips of beef had an amazing coating of spices and a crisp texture.
The “Som Tom” papaya salad was good, but we’ve had spicier and more flavorful renditions of this Thai classic.
The Grilled Green Curry Shrimp Satay erred on the side of savory instead of too sweet. And the shrimp had a nice grilled char.
We were a bit disappointed by the Bangkok St. Peking Duck Rolls, as a plain flour tortilla was used instead of the sticky, pliable rice paper crepe that is normally used. Nonetheless, it's hard to resist roasted duck, scallions and hoisin sauce.
The Crispy Tofu Triangles served with a sweet chili dipping sauce are a common appetizer at Thai restaurants, and AK can't ever get enough deep fried tofu. We were hoping that we might absorb a few beneficial isoflavones to cancel out some of the duck.
But Rabieng's great contribution to D.C. area Thai cuisine is the Rice Cake with Coconut Pork Sauce. It's also listed on the regular menu as "Tidbit" under "Old Time Classics." Slightly puffed rice was densely packed into a thin and crispy cake and paired with a deep red sauce of minced fatty pork with rich coconut curry.
And the guava nectar, though from a can, was a refreshing brunch alternative to OJ.
For a Thai dim sum brunch, go to Rabieng:
5892 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, Virginia
(703) 671-4222
—AC & AK
We love, love, love the dim sum menu at Rabeing! We haven't been in a while and your pictures made me hungry (And we just ate dinner!).
ReplyDeletedid you eat all of this in one sitting?
ReplyDeletePerhaps the perspective in the photos makes these look like large dishes. But these are all small plates (think Thai tapas) that were priced at about $3 on average. Just so there's no confusion, I'm not denying that we're total piglets, but, in this instance at least, the amount of food we ate was actually quite reasonable for two people.
ReplyDelete