Kualao Lao Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in Lake Wales

Kualao is INCREDIBLE! It’s mine, and my childrens favorite place!!! Tonight, we got the steamed pork dumplings for the appetizer, then for my meal I got the drunkin noodles with steak in it and I asked them to cut up the peppers and onions small, and of course the kids got their favorite, spicy ramen! Which is HUGE!!!! So I always let them split it and they get full and still don’t finish! I usually order to go here, because it’s a small place and very nice inside and quiet and I have the kids always but they promised to behave, and they did, so we were finally able to get pics of it properly plated so I can finally make a good review. They do package to go orders extremely well though! The dining room has a wonderful atmosphere and everything is extremely clean! I’m a server and have been in the food industry all together for 18 years so I know a clean restaurant when I see one. And I currently work at LW Family restaurant, and have almost 2 years now, which is known for our daily deep cleaning so I really notice when places are as clean as us. Kualao also serves REAL STICKY RICE! No where I know of in Polk county does!!! And it’s so good! I order the sweet chili sauce to dip mine in. They also have it fried on sticks as an appetizer which is delicious as well, and their crab ragoon, is TO DIE FOR! I’ve tried a lot of dishes from here and everything is delicious! Another bonus is the prices are great with all huge portions!!! They even have Boba tea! The chocolate one is my kids fav! Mine as well lol So definitely give it a try and let them know amber sent ya! We go so much, I kid you not, all the people who work there know my name haha. I promise it’s worth every penny you spend and more, for the authentic Thai...

Trying some place new We were looking up Thai places and came to this because of the reviews, but I was not impressed with the food. We walked in between 8 -830pm a few groups were in, not busy. It seems like we took her by surprise, she was ready or sure where to seat us. I guess because they were closing soon maybe. My friend ordered something in the starter section that sounded or was described as a dumpling. Well when it came out, it looked very unusual to identify. Found out it was made of tapioca and stuff with a minced meat, there was truly flavorless gummy ball the "stuff" inside slightly tasty if not surrounded by gummy stuff. The vegetable soup was hot fresh and delicious. Yum. I ordered something described as Laos style stir fry noodles and I chose tofu as my protein. My friend had Teriyaki Chicken. her dish was a bit weak on flavor. It didn't taste bad but was not good to her because it was weak kind of bland as she said. My noodles have a light flavor not bad not great. All that and we drank water, which was terrible tasting tap anyway, all for almost 40 buck. Not impressive enough for me to spend money to try another dish, however if someone invited me and was paying I would be willing to try...

Repeat customer with 4-5 visits. Thai Basil Fried rice w/steak is my go to. The price is very reasonable and the portion is enough for 2 servings really. I will continue ordering this dish no matter what. I would enjoy it more if the bell peppers were seared or steamed with the meal. They seem to be added last minute and have more of the raw crunch instead of cooked in with the meal, like the basil that is cooked in with the meal. The atmosphere is extremely quiet and lacking. Almost like being in a library. Spicy Ramen Noodles were not spicy to me and bland for my taste, Chicken wings, Meatball Skewers, & Lao Pork Sausage appetizers were dishes that I won't order again. Not implying they were bad, just not to my particular liking. The house made Sweet & Spicy sauce is a must. It's a shame they charge $1.00 for a super tiny serving of the sauce but, the flavor really enhances the basil fried rice. I recommend giving them a try and tasting the different cultural style food if its a...