Lao Café — Restaurant in London

My visit to The Lao Café was a huge disappointment. From the moment we walked in we were met by a young man who appeared somewhat frustrated and fed up that we had walked in. There was no friendly smile and warm welcome but an abrupt questioning of whether we had booked or not. He showed us to the table, and we were then just left. I got up to look for menus. The unfriendly service continued when I went to search for the toilets. I asked a young Thai girl working there. Once again, I got the same tired look, and she just grumpily pointed to the stairs and that was it. Her attitude was similar to the young man who greeted us. And that I was bothering them. The food was tasty but very small portions. I am fully aware that West End restaurants are not cheap and I am mindful of the running costs. But to pay £15 for a few small slithers of meat I feel is somewhat steep. We ordered more as it was clear that we would not be full on one dish and rice. We spent for two people with wine just over £100 and for a mid-week, ‘not special occasion’ simple meal this was way too much in my opinion. I may be a little more comfortable with such prices if we were immersed in a welcoming, warm and friendly environment. Or in a fine dining restaurant. But add in the very poor service and the feeling that any request to the staff was seen as bothersome and annoying, well it's unacceptable. This is seen as an easy-going café style eatery and once again I can justify such prices. Thailand and much of that region is famous for its genteel, welcoming and happy people. The famous 'Thai smile' was not seen once on this occasion. It’s such a shame as the food was tasty and I’m mindful that this style of Asian cooking is rare to find in London. I may come to terms with the high prices taking into consideration the running costs and food prices. But what I can’t accept is rude service showing no concern for the diner and their welfare. At no point were we asked how the meal was, no friendly chat and interest in our welfare and dining experience. The empty plates were ignored for quite some time and no goodbye and thank you when we left. I have worked in restaurants and have experience of a busy serving environment. Again, if I’m paying over £100, I want to really experience something special. Manners and good service should be the very least. I...

Recently visited London from Bangkok Thailand over the Easter holidays.

My family and friends were looking for an early evening meal and my kids especially were missing food that tasted from home. As we were in the Covent Garden area we headed to Lao Cafe which my sister in law had recommended.

Despite the name of the restaurant much of the menu is made up of food that would not look out of place in a Thai (Isaan - northeastern) restaurant.

The menu is pretty petite but all of the dishes we tasted were genuine flavours you'd find in SEA and well executed.

As I said the taste is genuine and so can get spicy - you can always ask them to turn it down with the number of chilli (usually we stick with only one or two) but the food they serve would not be out of place if you bought it from a street stall in Bangkok (this is not Thai or Lao-lite food that other places serve).

Of what we ate I'd recommend the Moo Nam Tok (sp) and the similarly flavoured minced Larb duck version. The papaya salad was beautifully balanced in flavours successfully balancing the holy trinity of sweet, sour and spice. Although for myself I'd preferred if the papaya had been pulverized a bit more so it had a little less bite to it but I was the only one who grumbled.

The poussin was also tasty but it's a two person portion and we didn't think it was vfm to order another. I understand the reasoning behind poussin but I think if they sourced fresh free range chickens they could get similar succulence and flavours but also more meat which could be easily shared among more people.

But please don't let those minor gripes make you give it a miss. We all enjoyed the food and the service and probably the best benchmark for authenticity was that both our young boys ate their food without a grumble and asked...

Whenever I travel, I always seek a little comfort of home by searching Laotian restaurants wherever I am as they’re very rare to find. To my surprise, Lao Cafe was the only one that came up in the area I was looking. Despite having doubts, I decided to visit and try it.

To my surprise, of all the many Laotian restaurants I’ve tried in many places (New York, Miami, Paris, Atlanta, and more), Lao Cafe have moved to my (personal) #1 Laotian Restaurant. I truly felt at home. Lao Cafe goes beyond just curating an elaborate menu. As I sat there and ate, my home sickness faded and I felt so peaceful and happy. You are truly getting Laotian flavors and food we (Laotians) eat at home and at gatherings.

The Sai Gork Lao was top tier. Perfectly cooks, great flavor, great texture and pairs perfectly with sticky rice. I had it with the Kao Jee (Grilled Sticky Rice) and it was perfect.

The Beek Gai Tod (Fried Chicken Wings) were so delicious. Fried chicken wings and papaya salad with sticky rice is my favorite combination. The flavors of the chicken compliments the spicy from the papaya salad.

For the Papaya Salad (mandatory), I had the Tum Puu - Pickled Crab. I’ve had different variations in different places, but the one I had here had the most perfect balance all tums should have. Perfectly spicy, but sweet and citrusy, salty and fresh. The pickled crab added the best touch and finding the salty balance from the pickled crab can be tricky if not balanced correctly with the other flavors. This version captured my memories of my uncle making this at family gatherings.

Lastly, thank you to the staff who were extremely accommodating and attentive during my visit. That you to the chefs for making me feel at home.

If you never tried Laotian food, this is the perfect...