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Pha Khao Lao serves San Diego's next great noodle soup
Find the city's best expression of Lao cuisine in the vicinity of Rolando
Lao style khao soi: a pork rice noodle soup
It didn't used to be the case that I spent much time distinguishing neighborhoods such as Rolando Park or Redwood Village. Time was, I might go looking for food in these areas once or twice a year, then casually lump them in as parts of City Heights or the College Area — if I mentioned them at all. But from a food-lover's standpoint, this part of town is getting tougher to ignore. Call it Mid-City or Greater Rolando or College South, or any made up name you want; it's rapidly becoming one of the most interesting and diverse restaurant destinations in San Diego, home to an abundance of African, Mexican, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian cuisines.
I was only a couple weeks removed from enjoying Somali food at newly opened Bisbas Restaurant when I wandered into Pha Khao Lao Cuisine, a new Lao eatery that finds a home in a shopping center just off Chollas Parkway in what's officially called Redwood Village — formerly known as Darnall.
If the boundaries of these mostly residential neighborhoods are lesser known to most San Diegans, I suspect Lao food is, too. I've made a few efforts to single it out in this column over the years, but must admit that I've characterized it mostly as an adventurous cousin to Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. The landlocked Laos fits neatly between these two nations on the Indochinese Peninsula, and shares many overlapping dishes, ranging from papaya salad to pho to larb, which Lao spots traditionally make using tripe.
A Lao restaurant in Redwood Village
So yes, Pha Khao Lao does add "cow entrails" to its beef larb ($19) and "chicken entrails" to its chicken larb ($15). If you're that sort of adventurous, bon appetit! However, for evidence Pha Khao Lao wants its food to be accessible to a greater audience, you needn't look further than an entrail-free third option: duck larb ($35).
But you really should look further. Because the folks behind this restaurant are clearly proud of their culture, and determined for us all to fall in love with a broad variety of Lao dishes. And you can officially consider me smitten.
Nam Khao crispy rice lettuce wraps
My first recommendation would be to visit with friends, and start by sharing an order of Nam Khao ($19). Served on a flat basket, this refers to make'em-yourself crispy rice lettuce wraps. In other words, you get crispy fried rice prepared with a mix of onions, green onions, fried garlic chips, chili peppers, peanuts, and a mild pork sausage, plus basil, cilantro, banana blossoms, and lettuce leaves so you can wrap it all into a leafy, textured, and dippable handheld treat.
Even better, I would point you to the Khao Soi Luangprabang. I'm sure many of us have tried a northern Thai curried noodle chicken dish called khao soi, but this is entirely different. This Lao khao soi is a pork rice noodle soup.
Friends, consider this your next favorite noodle soup, right up there with tonkotsu ramen and Taiwan beef noodle. Warmly spiced and relatively light, its flat rice noodles act as vessels for a simple yet sumptuous broth swimming with more onions, garlic chips, baby greens, chipped pork, and the occasional bursting peppercorn.
Dishes like these may remind you of other Southeast Asian cuisines, and you may find familiar wok and noodle stir-fries across this menu. But with a little exploration, the distinguishing characteristics of the Lao palate will start to become apparent.
Mok Kai, chicken steamed in a banana leaf
I won't pretend it's all easy to embrace. More challenging for me was the Mok Kai ($14), which is a lightly curried chicken steamed inside a banana leaf. Apparently, I'm no better prepared to appreciate the texture of steamed chicken than I am tripe. But I have no regrets trying any of it. Because when you're lucky enough to live in a place where you can find fine examples of what people like to eat halfway around the world, you owe it to yourself to expand your culinary horizons. And when a place turns out to be as good as Pha Khao Lao, you revisit often, whatever the name of the neighborhood.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Pha Khao Lao serves San Diego's next great noodle soup
Find the city's best expression of Lao cuisine in the vicinity of Rolando
Pha Khao Lao serves San Diego's next great noodle soup
Find the city's best expression of Lao cuisine in the vicinity of Rolando
Lao style khao soi: a pork rice noodle soup
It didn't used to be the case that I spent much time distinguishing neighborhoods such as Rolando Park or Redwood Village. Time was, I might go looking for food in these areas once or twice a year, then casually lump them in as parts of City Heights or the College Area — if I mentioned them at all. But from a food-lover's standpoint, this part of town is getting tougher to ignore. Call it Mid-City or Greater Rolando or College South, or any made up name you want; it's rapidly becoming one of the most interesting and diverse restaurant destinations in San Diego, home to an abundance of African, Mexican, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian cuisines.
I was only a couple weeks removed from enjoying Somali food at newly opened Bisbas Restaurant when I wandered into Pha Khao Lao Cuisine, a new Lao eatery that finds a home in a shopping center just off Chollas Parkway in what's officially called Redwood Village — formerly known as Darnall.
If the boundaries of these mostly residential neighborhoods are lesser known to most San Diegans, I suspect Lao food is, too. I've made a few efforts to single it out in this column over the years, but must admit that I've characterized it mostly as an adventurous cousin to Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. The landlocked Laos fits neatly between these two nations on the Indochinese Peninsula, and shares many overlapping dishes, ranging from papaya salad to pho to larb, which Lao spots traditionally make using tripe.
A Lao restaurant in Redwood Village
So yes, Pha Khao Lao does add "cow entrails" to its beef larb ($19) and "chicken entrails" to its chicken larb ($15). If you're that sort of adventurous, bon appetit! However, for evidence Pha Khao Lao wants its food to be accessible to a greater audience, you needn't look further than an entrail-free third option: duck larb ($35).
But you really should look further. Because the folks behind this restaurant are clearly proud of their culture, and determined for us all to fall in love with a broad variety of Lao dishes. And you can officially consider me smitten.
Nam Khao crispy rice lettuce wraps
My first recommendation would be to visit with friends, and start by sharing an order of Nam Khao ($19). Served on a flat basket, this refers to make'em-yourself crispy rice lettuce wraps. In other words, you get crispy fried rice prepared with a mix of onions, green onions, fried garlic chips, chili peppers, peanuts, and a mild pork sausage, plus basil, cilantro, banana blossoms, and lettuce leaves so you can wrap it all into a leafy, textured, and dippable handheld treat.
Even better, I would point you to the Khao Soi Luangprabang. I'm sure many of us have tried a northern Thai curried noodle chicken dish called khao soi, but this is entirely different. This Lao khao soi is a pork rice noodle soup.
Friends, consider this your next favorite noodle soup, right up there with tonkotsu ramen and Taiwan beef noodle. Warmly spiced and relatively light, its flat rice noodles act as vessels for a simple yet sumptuous broth swimming with more onions, garlic chips, baby greens, chipped pork, and the occasional bursting peppercorn.
Dishes like these may remind you of other Southeast Asian cuisines, and you may find familiar wok and noodle stir-fries across this menu. But with a little exploration, the distinguishing characteristics of the Lao palate will start to become apparent.
Mok Kai, chicken steamed in a banana leaf
I won't pretend it's all easy to embrace. More challenging for me was the Mok Kai ($14), which is a lightly curried chicken steamed inside a banana leaf. Apparently, I'm no better prepared to appreciate the texture of steamed chicken than I am tripe. But I have no regrets trying any of it. Because when you're lucky enough to live in a place where you can find fine examples of what people like to eat halfway around the world, you owe it to yourself to expand your culinary horizons. And when a place turns out to be as good as Pha Khao Lao, you revisit often, whatever the name of the neighborhood.
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