Baan Mae

When I tell you my mauf exploded, mama ain't lyin'.We started out with the Hua Pii (Banana jicama blossom, tamarind sauce, Vietnamese mint, shaved egg yolk, peanut) - THIS IS THE SALAD YOU WANNA START OFF WITHNext we enjoyed the 1 TON (Wonton stuffed with chicken, shrimp, Tom Yum sauce, ground peanut, cilantro, fried crispy garlic) - crispy, steamy, just order it nowJaew bong wings, crispy fried chicken wings with a tangy and spicy sauce were my husband's faves Gaeng Phed (Red curry, lychee, snap pea, pea tendrils, butterfly pea flower Jasmine rice, with crab) - sweet and savory and just the ultimate mouth bombWhatever you do, don't you dare walk outta there without dessert.We enjoyed the Bua Loy, as sweet warm pandan coconut milk dessert with pumpkin, black sesame mochi, tapioca, and toasted pumpkin seeds - all I gotta say is - mama loved it!

4.5 Stars, ALMOST PERFECT!!! I'm a huge fan of SE Asian food, the funky, salty, sweet blends that make the food down right addictive! Baan Mae has these combos in spades.The small but fun space maximizes every corner. Groups larger than 5 might find it tight, but with the warm friendliness of the staff you won't mind. We came in on a winter night, tummies rumbling and ready to eat the whole menu....and we did....so let's jump in.Fi-Oao O'Fish boa sandwiches that are fried catfish, slaw, in a bun; and were so good we ordered another round (this place was made for sharing, but if you are more than 4, just double everything)! All of the dumplings are good, the shrimp dumplings and the tapioca dumplings were perfect little apps. We had the mushrooms het hoi nang lom which faded into the background because when that LAPHET THOKE TEA LEAF SALAD hit the table....the world shifted on its access!!! The Tea Leaf salad is a signature dish in Laos and they did it justice here! Slam dunk. The crab ped was delicious and clearly made of real crab, the sauce was bonkers good and we opted to get the rice noodles (instead of rice) to sop it up...and...ya.....you should too! We also got another red curry that came with blue rice and we didn't leave a drop.Dishes come fast and hot. Spice level is just right (enough that you might pause between bites, but you'll never turn away). We also got some cocktails that were solid but just order a Singha or two and lean in. What a treat!

This is such a cozy little restaurant serving up delicious food. The sakoo is delicious-sweet and spicy with a fun texture. Our fave was the crab curry which had a generous amount of crab. Paired with the vermicelli noodles it was a great meal for a cold day.

Chef Seng can do no wrong. I'm a loyal patron of (read: I'm completely obsessed with) ALL of her restaurants, and Baan Mae is no exception. Recently, Baan Mae debuted a weekend noodle shop during lunch hours called "555." As a soup aficionado, I knew I'd have to stop by. To start, I ordered the porky jerky which was super crispy, yet still very tender. As for my soup, I ordered the banh canh, a traditional Vietnamese soup with thick noodles in a pork, crab, and shrimp broth. It was SO filling and delicious. My husband ordered the boat noodle soup which was perfection. You can't go wrong with anything here!

I've had this place on my list for a long time after having it recommended to me by two people! Today, I finally visited with a friend for their weekend 555 noodle bar lunch, where you can choose from 4 soups for 15.55 each (or order anything off the regular menu, which is also available). I tried the wonton soup, while my friend ordered the Burmese curry special off the main menu. The wonton soup was lovely and perfect for a cold day - tasty pork dumplings in a slightly sour broth with a bit of chili on top. It was warm and comforting, and we finished the whole massive bowl, but the star of the show was definitely the Burmese curry! The pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth perfect, and it was in such a unique and flavorful and rich sauce. We immediately made plans to come back next month, which shows you what a good impression it left! The only real negative was that they seemed understaffed today, so service was slower and folks seemed a bit stressed. I suspect a lot of that is just it being so close to the holidays, so we'll see how it is in January. The only other bump we hit was that we ordered dessert, and they subbed half of it due to running out of an ingredient without letting us know beforehand so that we could not order it - we ended up not eating any as a result. However, they apologized and said they normally give a heads up if they don't have the menu item, so I really think this was related to being short-staffed this day rather than anything else.The space is cute, the menu is interesting and changes weekly (including frequent pop-ups from other chefs!), and the food was wonderful, so I'm looking forward to returning! Definitely recommend coming and ordering one of their meat dishes (I've eaten the sticky ribs at their sister restaurant, Padaek, and can vouch for them as well - fall-off-the-bone perfection!). It's hard to predict what will be on the menu, but that's part of the fun. It's a small space and they don't take reservations for groups smaller than 4, so it may be worth getting here earlier if you're dining with a small group. Glad to have tried this spot and looking forward to my next meal here!

My friend and I came because of the 555 Noodles, and it didn't disappoint. We visited on a Saturday, at noon, right when they opened. The owner, I think she was the owner, was very friendly, and made very good suggestions. Always came over to check on us, conversed with us during her free moments. We sat by the window in a small spot but it was just right for the two of us. We had two noodle dishes, mom's noodle soup "khao poon beef" and the banh canh tom cua, from the 555 menu along with the pun khao poon. So good but I think our favorite was the banh canh tom cua because the broth was thick and so were the noodles. Had a kick to it too so if you like spicy, this might be up your alley. Street parking of course in DC. I'd come back to try more stuff, I wish this place was closer to where I work so I could be a frequent customer! Thanks for the delish lunch!

Thip Khao was one of my favorite restaurants in DC so I when I heard the owners were opening another restaurant, I was very excited for it. Baan Mae meets the hype!! The menu was a unique mix of Thai + Lao and everything that we ordered was a delight. I really liked the sakoo, pork jerky, gaeng phed, and pun Khao poon. But truly all the apps and mains that we ordered were delicious. The only thing that we didn't like was the sticky rice dessert - the ice cream and mango were fine but the rice tasted a little... plasticky? The waitress was very attentive and helpful when we asked questions. And it's a cozy, wonderful spot.

One of my favorite spots in DC! You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, every single dish is perfectly made and delicious. They now have noodle shop during lunch hours, only serving a few apps and soups. I do still prefer their full dinner menu, but soupy noodles will be perfect for cold winter days. The staff are all very friendly and attentive. The ambiance is cozy and intimate. A must visit!

A very lovely dining experience with the most attentive staff. My husband and I overindulged in their small plates, main dishes, cocktail, and dessert. I am so happy we got a variety of items because each dish was full of different flavors. To begin our meal, we ordered the mak muang cocktails (Mango puree, Don Q Cristal rum, chili), which was so refreshing and you could taste the sweetness of the mango puree that was perfectly balance with the chili. Almost wish we ordered more!For starters we got the chicken wings and sakoo. The chicken wings were perfectly crispy and the Lao preserved chili paste was delicious. The sakoo came with 5 tapioca pearl dumplings that were filled with preserved radish and peanut, topped with chili, and cilantro. My husband for the khao soi with chicken and it was perfectly spiced and the noodles were perfect! I opted for something I had never had before- the kimin paa, a Southern Thai style pan fried turmeric Branzino that was topped with lemongrass, garlic, and tamarind salt. The turmeric coconut sauce that surrounded the fish was delicious and I could've had a whole jar of it! The green mango salad and butterfly pea coconut rice paired perfectly with it and helped balance the spice. I could not leave without having their dessert, and it did not disappoint. We got their sesame sticky coconut rice with white rabbit candy and mango and it was the perfect portion for the both of us to share. We pretty much rolled out of the restaurant- we were so stuffed and everything was delicious. I think we found out new fave restaurant in the District.

Such a great experience! Came to Baan Mae for dinner a week or two ago with a group of friends. First off - we had a reservation for 4 but wound up being 7. The staff were soooo accommodating and let us take over a whole corner, despite us being in the way of the host stand. They really went above and beyond to accommodate, which I really appreciate. The food itself was fantastic. We tried almost one of everything on the menu that evening, but highlights are the lettuce wrap entree and the wings. The wings are possibly the best I've had in DC, they're crispy, saucy, and just spicy enough without being overbearing. Cocktails were great as well! The space is cozy and comfortable, nothing super fancy. I'd go back in a heartbeat!