All Good Things Must Come to an End...

Effective Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Dear friends and loyal patrons of Rabieng and Duangrat's Market, as we near the end of our lease after an extraordinary 40 year run, the Duangrat family has made the bittersweet decision to sell and consolidate these two businesses and to pass the proverbial torch.  The new ownership is not affiliated with the Duangrat brand or family.  

It has been our pleasure to serve you our unique style of regional, street food & homestyle Thai cooking and to make fond friendships & memories along the way.  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all so much for your loyalty, kindness and support.  Without you, the opportunity to pursue our passion of sharing our native Thai culture & cuisine would not have been possible!  

The silver lining is that the legacy of Rabieng will live on in the original Duangrat's Thai Restaurant around the corner, where we will incorporate many of Rabieng's signature items that you know and love.  We also intend to retain all of our employees, so your continued support will mean the World to us!  

We will continue to post updates here and at duangrats.com, so please check back.  We hope to see you soon!

With heartfelt appreciation and gratitude,

The Duangrats

Follow us @instagram!

@rabieng_thai

July 2017 Washingtonian "Eat Great Cheap Issue"!

Check us out in the July 2017 Washingtonian 

"Eat Great Cheap Issue"!

"The dishes we crave at this worn-around-the-edges 

dining room are ones we haven't found anywhere else in the area!"

2016 Washingtonian Best Cheap Eats!

Hey Washington, we're still the BEST & we're still a BARGAIN, thank you form your support!

#rabieng #washingtoniancheapeats #bestbargainthai #bestthaiinva #esanfood

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New "Maha Raja" Beef Curry Noodle Soup

Often called Guay Tiew Kaak in Thailand, which literally translates as "Noodles of Indians", this distinctive, aromatic noodle soup is like none you've ever tasted!  We call it Maha Raja, and as the name suggests, this particular native noodle soup was born in the Southern region of Thailand, where Thai cooking is often influenced by the exotic spices & rich curries of neighboring India, Indonesia and Malaysia.  The curry broth in our Maha Raja is rich in flavor, yet delicate in composition.  The mildly sweet flavors of coconut & peanut are perfectly balanced by the tangy spice of chilies, garlic and lime.  Rabieng's Maha Raja noodle soup is an authentic homage to the original with tender stewed cubed beef, thin rice noodles, sprouts, fried tofu, boiled egg, crispy shallots.  Not many, if any Thai restaurants in America serve Guay Tiew Kaak, so what are you waiting for?!

New Esan-Style Papaya Platters!

Hi friends!  Rabieng finally welcomes the fresh air of Spring with our new, refreshing & delicious deluxe Papaya Platters!  Each platter is loaded with Rabieng's cool & fiery Papaya Salad and Esan (Northern Thai) favorite fixins' of pork rinds, shrimp chips, roasted peanuts & sticky rice- how cool is that?! We're not done yet- customize each platter with your favorite protein:  Soft Crab Tempura, Grilled Shrimp, Fried Calamari, Crispy Wings, Moo Yaw (Thai Spam), Esan Sausage, Jerked Beef, Grilled Quail.  Come enjoy the best Papaya Salad outside of Esan, only @ Rabieng!

Deluxe Papaya Platter, served with Esan fixins' (pork rinds, shrimp chips, roasted peanuts, sticky rice) 
and choice of protein (pictured here with crispy wings)

Rabieng named in Washingtonian Magazine's "100 Best Cheap Eats"- June 2015

Once again, Rabieng has made the list of "100 Best Cheap Eats" in the Washingtonian Magazine!  

"When in Falls Church, Eat Like a Thai" at Rabieng, 

the home of Thai country comfort cooking …

Weekend Dim Sum!

Don't miss Rabieng's weekend Dim Sum & Noodle Soup lunch! 
Every Saturday & Sunday from 11AM to 3PM. 

Made to order, our Dim Sum menu of 30 snack-sized plates is sure to please every palate!  No waiting for cold food on a cart! 

Nam Prik Ong- another deliciously quirky appetizer!

Nam Prik Ong (Roasted Tomato & Ground Pork Belly Dip) 

A home-style snack dip of Nan Province (North). 

Nam Prik Ong is a roasted paste of ground pork belly, tomato, red chilies, garlic & shallots.  Its taste & texture is reminiscent of a spicy Bolognese sauce.  Served with traditional sides of crisp carrots, cucumbers, romaine leafs & fried pork rinds for dipping.  Don't ask us how the Thai food gods think up such ridiculously quirky, yet delicious food pairings!  Just come in and try some for yourself!

Spicy Beef "Boat" Noodles!

Come savor a bowl!  We've added Spicy Beef "Boat" Noodle Soup to our daily lunch menu!  The nickname "Boat Noodles" is derived from the fact that this ever popular "meal-in-a-bowl" is the signature product of the famous Thai Floating Market in Ratchaburi, Thailand.  At this canal-based market, vendors hawk various products such as freshly prepared food, fresh fruits & vegetables, right out of their boats!  The Floating Market is a must visit tourist destination and THE place to enjoy an authentic hot & hearty bowl of "Boat Noodles".  If you can't make it to Ratchaburi, just come to Rabieng!

There are many varieties of Thai noodle soups, Rabieng features six of the most popular!  Each is prepared according to its own traditional recipe of specific protein, noodle-type, garnish and a composed broth of particular spices & seasonings.  Thai noodle soups are served to the table already bursting with flavor!  It is customary to tweak to personal preference the four essential Thai flavor profiles (sweet, sour, salty and spicy); just ask for the condiment tray.  

Home of the original "Boat" Noodles- Ratchaburi, Thailand

Vendors on the "Floating Market"

Rabieng's Spicy Beef "Boat" Noodles- rice noodles, tender slices of flank steak, Thai meatballs, crispy pork rinds, basil, sprouts & celery in a savory, Five Spice beef broth

Rabieng's Northern Style Mieng Kham Leaf Wraps!

As Fall approaches, we have been working on a few additions to our repertoire of indigenous Thai fare.  Rabieng is proud to introduce our version of Mieng Kham- a traditional leaf wrapped, finger snack originating in Northern Thailand.  Translated, "Mieng Kham" literally means, "morsels of food in a bite".  

Mieng Kham is an old world snack consisting of a small sampling of natural ingredients, each specifically chosen to tantalize the four flavor profiles of Thai cuisine:  sweet, salty, sour & spicy.  Traditional Mieng Kham consists of:  Betel leafs, dehydrated shrimp, toasted coconut slivers, roasted peanuts, diced red onions, Thai chili peppers, ginger, and limes (with peel).  Simply add a smidgen of each to a leaf, a dab of Mieng sauce (a caramel of fish sauce and palm sugar).  The finished product should be a bite-sized leaf wrap.

As odd as these ingredients sound individually, the resulting combination is comparable to the filling of an "Almond Joy"- crunchy coconut & salted caramel!  While we have tweaked the ingredients just a tad to suit our desired taste & texture profile, Rabieng's Mieng Kham is a homage true to authenticity.  Try it with a cold beer!  

Mieng Kham is simple, yet complex, delightful and delicious!  It is no wonder that this rather "primitive" food remains a popular Thai snack today.  

Dehydrated shrimp never tasted so good!  Yes, that's a tiny wedge of lime with peel.  Wrapped up and ready to enjoy!!!

Washingtonian Magazine Cheap Eats 2013 Award

We made the list!  Washingtonian Cheap Eats Award August 2013 issue.  Come check us out and thank you for your support!  Click on the magazine image to read more:

It's Fall, welcome back!

Hello friends!  Rabieng welcomes you back this Fall with some adventurous additions to our menu.  We know that nowadays, you can get Pad Thai just about any where.  That said, Rabieng always strives to offer you more than the expected- an authentic taste of the obscure, indigenous food of local Thai natives.  

Some of our most delicious & satisfying foods aren't complicated, in fact, they're just snacks.  We've added some savory Thai "street-style" snacks that you're not likely to find elsewhere.  Like many things you would find off the "streets" of Thailand, some, will bring out the Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmerman in you!  But at $5 each, it pays to be adventurous!  

We'll keep these snacks a surprise until you get here, but let's just say, if you like good ol' American snacks like chips & dip, beef jerky, Rice Krispies treats & corn nuts- you'll be in for a treat : )  

By popular demand, Nam Kao Todt is on the menu!

Nam Kao Todt is one of the more elaborate Thai spicy salads (Yaam) to prepare, combining two primary components:  the Nam, which is Thai cured (lime, garlic) pork sausage and the Kao Todt, which means deep-fried rice.  The Nam sausage is pulled into bite-sized morsels.  Curried jasmine rice is hand formed into balls then deep-fried, creating what resembles the texture of Rice Crispies- airy, puffy, crunchy rice.  The rice balls are then crumbled into bits & pieces and tossed with the Nam in a bowl along with fresh chilies, lime juice, fish sauce & sugar- enhancing the four principle flavor profiles of Thai cooking:  spicy, sour, salty and sweet (respectively).  Peanuts & dried chilies are tossed in for good measure ; )


The enigma & allure of Thai cuisine lies not only in adherence to the aforementioned flavor profiles, but also the harmonious fusion of otherwise totally random ingredients.  If you love spicy, authentic, country Thai cooking- then Nam Kao Todt is a must try!


It is perhaps the complexity of these ingredients and tedious preparation, that Nam Kao Todt seldomly appears on the menus of Thai restaurants outside of the Kingdom.  We bring you this special dish to Falls Church, VA at Rabieng- home of Thai country comfort cookin'!

Rabieng proudly serves Fat Tire Amber Ale!

"Named in honor of our co-founder's bike trip through Europe, Fat Tire Amber Ale marks a turning point in the young electrical engineer's home brewing. Belgian beers use a far broader palette of ingredients (fruits, spices, esoteric yeast strains) than German or English styles. Together with co-founder, Kim Jordan, they traveled around sampling their homebrews to the public. Fat Tire won fans with its sense of balance: toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness". -New Belgium Brewery

Musings on Restaurant Week & prix-fixe Thai menus...

In case you're wondering why Rabieng (and Duangrat's) does not participate in Restaurant Week, it's simple- we believe in offering the customer our full menu and the freedom of choice.  After all, it's your money and your belly, why leave it up to someone else's discretion?  

More importantly, our a la carte prices are already an outstanding value!  In fact, we are perennially awarded Very Best Bargain restaurant by The Washingtonian Magazine.  With our guest check average of $12-$15 (lunch) and $20-$25 (dinner), you can easily build your own 2-3+ course meal  for well less than  Restaurant Week promo prices (usually $20 lunch, $35 dinner- per person).  

No doubt Restaurant Week offers excellent dining value for trying out that "expense account" restaurant you've been saving for a special occasion.  The bottom line is, no need to wait for a "sale" or occasion.  Drop by Rabieng anytime for a homestyle Thai meal that will leave you and your wallet smiling!

"Songkran" (Thai New Year's week ) is here April 11-17!

In Thailand, the Thai New Year is marked by the week-long water festival known as "Songkran".  The splashing or dousing of anyone and everyone with water stems from the ancient Thai belief that the purity of water washes away evil & misfortune, replacing it with good luck, prosperity and happiness.  Needless to say, this is a much anticipated ritual during Thailand's hottest month!