Lao Thai - Incredible Laos

I have always been thoroughly impressed by the endless supply of great Asian restaurants in Winnipeg. Not only do Winnipegers have a large number of choices, but the majority of them are of a high enough quality that I can routinely recommend. One of the keys to the further development of a food scene is the onset of subtheme restaurants. That is, once a specific culture or regional cuisine is established, individuals from specific regional or country variations start opening up their own variety and take on food. This is what I found recently at Lao Thai, an tasty eatery in North of Winnipeg that serves up mighty tasty Lao cuisine.

Found on Selkirk Avenue in the North of Winnipeg, the restaurant is not much to look at initially. A small hole in the wall in a less than desirable area of town does not scream confidence for a high quality restaurant, but diners will be surprised by the classy modern sheen that fills the modest five table establishment. The interiors are clean, bright and decor functional.

The cuisine of Laos definitely takes hints and inspirations from Southeast Asian cuisine. The most obvious comparison would be to Thai, upon which Laos food shares a number of similar dishes such as Pad Thai, Green Curry, etc. Its proximity to Vietnam also means a significant number of Vietnamese flavours and cooking styles finding its way onto Lao plates. Finally as part of French Indochina, a surplus of French influences also can be seen in their food. The menu at Lao Thai is a nice mixture of traditional Lao food as well as popular Western Thai options. I appreciated the large pictures and descriptions associated with each dish offering me a window into what I should be expecting. Varied and deep, there should be enough here for most customers.

A distinctly Lao invention is the Papaya Salad, a main dish consisting of unripe shredded papaya combined with tomatoes, fresh chilis and tossed in chili oil and fish sauce. I loved the freshness of the papaya and its contrast to the mouth numbing heat from the chilis interplayed by the cooling sensation from tomato. Crunch is given by the still unripe fruit as well as the addition of peanut on top. Balance of flavours is found with the use of the salty and sweet fish sauce. Delicious.

Lao Pad Thai (Shrimp) was not what I was expecting. Being familiar with the Thai equivalent, this Lao version is saucier and wetter resulting in a more stew like noodle dish. Here Lao Thai takes tender glass noodles and mixes it in a tomato and tamarind based egg broth. Richness is found through the use of egg in the sauce while balance of flavours is achieved with their liberal use of spicy chilis that contrasted well with the sweet, salty and savoury sauce. While initially dubious, I actually preferred this version to the traditional Thai equivalent finding it more flavourful and aromatic.

Lap is sometimes described as the national dish of Lao. Rice, bean sprouts, onions, cilantro and spicy peppers are combined with slices of marinated chicken thigh in this wonderfully tasty dish. The marriage of different ingredients worked well to create a umami of flavours that was accentuated by the addition of cilantro and lime leaves which gave a cool minty aftertaste to each bite. The liberal use of fish sauce and chilis worked to augment the inherent flavours of each ingredient. Unique and tasty!

Lao Thai is a fantastically unique find in Winnipeg and should not be missed by anyone looking for a unique twist on traditional Western Thai food. Ignore the somewhat meager looking exteriors as the food here is excellent. Balance of flavours result in a robust and surprisingly light meal that tickles all the senses. Only caveat is the liberal use of chilis might be a turnoff for some, but do note that the spice level is customizable (from 1 to 5). Do yourself a favour and get some traditional Lao food here!