Spicy Lao Kitchen — Restaurant in San Diego

I started going here day 1 when it opened on its soft opening week. I ordered two items that night, both appetizers. It took an hour to get them. My friends ordered as well and it took longer. The eggrolls are delicious. They were piping hot and had a really nice dipping sauce. The beef skewers were very tasty and have a really killer dipping sauce. But the skewers were refrigerator cold. I gave them my feedback and left, not asking for anything. It is a soft opening, so I expected things may have gone wrong.

Day 2 I got the drunken noodles with chicken. This dish was absolutely terrible. I returned it and gave them my feedback. The noodles were overcooked and mushy, there was not enough sauce, and the chicken was overcooked and dry. When I tried to give my feedback, the owner stated that is the way it is supposed to be served without even trying the dish I was served. I gave back almost the entire portion. She did offer to recook it, but I declined since she stated that it was the way it was supposed to come out. I requested a refund and I received it.

Day 3 I tried to order another dish off the menu. The owner that gave me the refund on day 2 got belligerent with me, accusing me of scaring her employees, and got another manager to come out and talk to me. Ultimately he refused me service, we fist pumped that it was okay, and I left.

I heard later that the owner has bad mouthed me for offering feedback and even returning a meal during their soft opening.

It is two weeks into their opening now. I have not been back since being refused service, but have heard that the cook and service times are still well over an hour on most orders.

There is no point of sale system at this restaurant. Every order is manually written. This may be part of the lack of efficiency.

I have respect for folks who want to open a restaurant. My family had a number of them for many years. But the biggest part about it is to be able to take feedback and incorporate it into being a better business. These folks do not take feedback well, even if it is given to help them be better.

I will not be back, even though my favorite microbrew pub is right next door.

Tom

• I am now seeing the management has responded to my review a year after I originally posted.

Speaking poorly of me, over a year after the review, without cause is not nice, and not what folks want to see. I offered my opinion, both good and bad, during your soft open.

I truly hope you are doing well, as well as the business. Congratulations on the point of sale system! Even today, I remember some of the great food I tried at your...

Walk-in: Greeted by staff to find somewhere to sit down. The register counter is filled with products sold by either the owner or someone else; I am unsure. I saw people come in specifically to buy the beef jerky presented at the register, which is nice.

Experience: Came in with my family. We ordered the Lao Pho, Lao Sausage, Pad Sa Ew, Tom Yum Chicken, Eggrolls, and Spring Rolls.

The Lao pho can be done better. Usually, Lao pho is jam-packed with seasonings and spices, and you don't have to add anything because it is just THAT GOOD. Unfortunately, it is a good 3/5. The broth is okay, but you have to add to it to make it better.

The Lao sausage was okay. I am not sure if it was supposed to be presented differently or not, but it definitely needs to be done traditionally. The casing was thin, and it doesn't have that snap that Lao sausage usually has. The filling just fell out, and the flavor was just not present. A solid 2/5.

Pad Sa Ew is just Pad Sa Ew. Good flavor and not oily. The noodles weren't stuck together, which is good. 4/5

Tom Yum Chicken is basically the same as Chinese takeout wings. Flash fried outside and moist inside. I was kicked with the Tom Yum flavor! 4/5

Eggrolls can use a bit more meat. I might as well go vegan if I was eating these. It was nice crispy outside, though, and it was filled nicely. 3/5

Spring rolls were... terrible. They should have offered two options; a veggie roll and a regular roll with noodles. Yes, the spring roll looked nice with the all veggie interior and the token shrimp on the side, but it was so big for no reason. This is definitely a dish that needed to be kept simple. The peanut sauce to go along with it was very thick and was basically peanut butter consistency. A solid 1.5/5; this is a dish that needs to be kept simple, for sure.

Our experience with the food was not good. The menu is simple, but the food is not in terms of adding more flavor and also just keeping certain dishes simple. For the amount you pay, it definitely somewhat doesn't reflect what you're about to consume.

I wish this business to do well...

My favorite dish growing up was khao piak sen, which is also listed on their menu as an udon soup. Food here is definitely authentic, traditional Lao food. I've tried many items on their menu which is pretty good, but by far khao piak naturally is my go to. It comes as a hot, fresh 32 oz authentic, homemade chicken soup with freshly prepared tapioca udon noodles, plenty of chicken. The great thing is they use a combination of traditionally prepared white and dark chicken meat. The white meat is not dry and is all savory. I personally like to add 3 slices of lime for a hot and sour flavor. Truly no other spices needed, other than crispy chili oil and sriracha if you want spicy and sweet. I mainly stick to the chili oil. It also comes with long bean sprouts and finely chopped greens you can add. A great dish for any occasion, especially perfect for cold and rainy days. Their khao piak is a perfect ratio of soup, noodles, and meat. I've been to most Lao places in San Diego, and I definitely recommend this place to anyone. People here are great, and my coworkers love the Lao sausages, and this pairs perfectly with sticky rice and...