Café de Laos

Some of the region’s finest Vietnamese cuisine is served up right here in South Philly, and now the neighborhood can boast of a rarer find: Laotian fare.

Northern Laos is very close to Vietnam — which, like Laos, was once under French rule. And although the cuisine is similar, Laotian fare is unique in a number of ways.

Laotian dishes tend to be spicier than other Asian food and often feature galangal, known as blue ginger in Laos. It has a sour, peppery flavor and is often removed before a dish is served. Other ingredients that frequently take pride of place in Laotian cuisine are lemongrass, basil, coriander, lime juice, turmeric, chopped peanuts and cashews. Laotians also prefer sticky rice to steamed rice with their dishes.

Chef Michael Raethong, 45, opened Café de Laos, on South 11th Street, five weeks ago. Although he and his wife live in Berwyn and own two suburban restaurants, family and friends who live in South Philly help him at Café de Laos.

His niece Christyna, a senior at South Philadelphia High, greeted us on a recent visit. She showed us to a roomy table, placed leather-bound menus before us and opened our wine. She was dressed in an eye-catching turquoise and gold silk native gown.

The restaurant has about 16 tables but is roomy and bright, trimmed with carved mahogany, colorful Thai-Laotian artwork and silk floral arrangements. My husband and I arrived around 6 p.m. and, by the time we left at 8:30, the restaurant was filled with the new faces of South Philadelphia, particularly urban professionals who have moved into the neighborhood. Pot, Raethong’s knowledgeable friend, served and explained all the dishes.

We sampled two soups, and both were winners. Called tom yum, they are prepared with a hot and sour broth, lemongrass, galangal, mushrooms, lime juice, basil and hot chili peppers. Gung ($5.95) was a deep, oversized bowl filled with large shrimp and sliced mushrooms with a dash of turmeric, which gave it a deep rosy color.

Kaeng luang ($5.95) was the Laotian version of vegetable soup, described as peppercorn soup. This one was brimming with sliced chicken, large shrimp, haricots verts, baby corn, sliced mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers, snow peas, sliced red onion and julienned white turnips. I removed the two hot green chilis before I dove in. Both soups were first-rate and most satisfying. Each ingredient was either sliced thin or julienned, giving careful attention to eye appeal.

The French influence was evident in khao krib pak moor ($7.95), five fat rice-noodle crepes filled with seasoned yet not spicy ground chicken, minced turnips, chopped peanuts and sweet red onion. They were rolled like manicotti and served at room temperature with a slightly sweet and tangy dipping sauce, shredded romaine, julienne of carrot and cucumber and chopped peanuts.

Raethong used pan dan, a green herb with a delicate aroma akin to jasmine, in making two of the crepes green. The noodles were light and transparent and just melted in my mouth.

The Laotian hors d’oeuvres platter ($12.95) was a triumph of color, tastes and textures. Compartments were filled with homemade spicy pork sausages, Laotian beef and pork jerky, spicy pork salad with shredded vegetables, dried shrimp, thinly sliced fresh lemongrass, cashews and papaya salad.

We continued our Laotian feast with duck laab ($9.95), which is always served with sticky rice. The duck was cooked to a succulent perfection, diced and mixed with shredded vegetables. The sauce packed only a slight kick. We removed the red hot chili peppers before we dug in. This dish also was prepared with shallots, lime juice, mint, basil, chopped scallion and rice powder. The combination of herbs was outrageously delicious.

Christyna told us it is traditional to eat sticky rice with your fingers. It arrived in its own little steamer basket, the rice wrapped in saran to prevent it from drying out. I placed some on my plate, pulled it apart with my fingers and enjoyed the delicate, toasty jasmine-like aroma and flavor.

I have eaten whole fried crispy fish in Asian restaurants throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, but I have never seen or tasted anything like the jumbo red snapper ($24.95) Raethong prepared for us. The fish tasted as if it were just pulled from the sea and weighed at least 3-1/2 pounds. The chef deep-fried it to perfection and shaped it like a crescent moon. The flesh was juicy and tender and the skin crispy and grease-free, with a bit of added crunch from the crushed peanuts. We ordered the fried garlic sauce on the side.

I urge you to try this award-deserving entrée and ask for the sauce on the side, that way the fish stays crispier.

The next day, I called Raethong. Why did he open his Laotian restaurant in South Philly?

"Washington Avenue is blooming," he said. "There are Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants here but not Thai or Laotian. Friends here said they wanted Laotian cuisine. The progress of the area is wonderful, and people in South Philly love ethnic food."

Three tips of the toque to Café de Laos.

Café de Laos
1117 S. 11th St., just off Washington Avenue
215-467-1546
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Wheelchair-accessible
BYOB
Open daily for lunch and dinner