We were in the OC and it felt like a bazillion degrees. It was 10 in the morning and we were getting hungry, so where to go? I had a couple places in mind; though it was just too hot for most of what I had in mind. The Missus had a favorite of Hers, Song Long in mind. And then it came to Her....what would be perfect on a hot and humid day; it had been a while since we'd been to Vientiane; no not the city (though we loved it there); but Vientiane Thai Laos, which we had first tried in 2009 and really enjoyed. So, we drove on over to Westminster Avenue and the strip mall that hosts this little restaurant. Man, has parking always been so bad in this strip mall?
Anyway, the restaurant has changed over the years; it looks much more up to date, though we were hoping that the food would still be the same.
The young lady who served us was adorable, so sweet, and nice.
And of course we started with what was perhaps my favorite version of Nem Khao outside of Vientiane (the city).
Everything was so sparkling fresh. The Missus loved the amount of pork skin and sour sausage in the dish. I wasn't so thrilled as this was not quite as good as what I'd had here before. I thought the rice, instead of being crisp, was on the harder, more chewy side....not bad mind you; just not as crispy, though it was crunchy as what I'd had here on previous visits. There was till that nice sour-sausage-smoky-savory thing going on; but it didn't have the light, faint coconut flavor I recalled.
The Missus wanted Her favorite dish here; the Koong Chae Nam Pa, raw shrimp salad.
These days; the wonderful garlic-lime-fish sauce-chili sauce is now served on the side. Of course it was poured over everything. The shrimp were chilled, with just the amount of toothsomeness you'd want. The tomatoes were perfectly ripe and sweet and tangy. This was every bit as good as what we remembered.
The Missus also wanted Her Lao Style Papaya Salad.
By the time my attention went to this dish, the Missus had almost devoured the whole thing. Not as much salted crab as I recall; but man, this was so perfectly funky and savory; with a stiff spiciness....and again those tomatoes; though this time it had been perfectly bruised in the mortar and was so tender and sweet!
We had decided to add one more dish for the meal and asked the young lady for a suggestion. She recommended the beef salad. Asked how we'd like it done, I said "raw"....she looked up in surprised and said, "are you sure?" And I said, that's how it is traditionally, right? To which she nodded......and it turned out to be the right decision.
And it turned out to be the right decision. Unlike other versions where the meat is minced or chopped and served; this one was pounded in the mortar, making the texture wonderfully tender; like a good tartare. The rice powder added a nice nuttiness; the citrus the acid. The real bonus was the tripe which was surprisingly soft and buttery.
This was just the perfect meal for a hot and humid day. While other tables were getting pad thai and curries (and one dude seemed so hungry he was eating a plain bowl of rice!); we were cooling off with traditional Lao dishes.
It's good to know Vientiane Thai Laos Restaurant is still doing well nearly ten years since we first visited.
Vientiane Lao Thai Restaurant
10262 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove,CA92843
Hours:
Mon 11am - 9pm
Tues 10am - 9pm
Thurs 10am - 9pm
Fri- Sat 10am - 10pm
Sunday 10am - 9pm
Closed on Wednesdays
nice road trip!
Posted by: kat | Monday, 26 August 2019 at 08:46 PM
It was Kat!
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 27 August 2019 at 07:28 AM
I don't think I've ever seen anyone just scarf down plain rice. Not even soy sauce?
Posted by: Junichi | Tuesday, 27 August 2019 at 09:05 AM
A Hispanic Guy was scrafing up just plain rice Junichi....the Missus was cracking up!
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 27 August 2019 at 09:50 AM