Laos in Town — Restaurant in Washington

Laos in Town is the PERFECT name! LAOS is definitely in town and I am in LOVE! Already a fan of Thai food, it was described as being similar but I must say they’re is a difference and while I love them both this experience was beyond what my flavor palette could have expected, in the best way!

Not only were the flavors there, you could literally feel how passionate the chef was and how much love and attention was put into each dish!

I had the pleasure of experiences Laos in Town with my business partner and I must say we were more than satisfied with our Dinner!

The space is beautifully decorated! Theresa art on the walls and even a market that sells spices and the soap in the bath room. The dining area was so spacious! They also had the oversized windows open so there was a lot of fresh air and natural light!

The service was amazing! Literally everyone I encountered was kind and helpful, from the the bartenders to the waitstaff to the managers! They checked on us throughout our time there and always made sure to give us details about each dish and drink we ordered.

Here are a few things that really stood out:

Mee Krob: The Mee Krob was SO tasty and flavorful! The texture combination created some kind of party in my mouth LOL! The crunch from the noodle and the fresh taste of the pomelo works together in the best way! 10/10!

Wild Ocean: OMG! OMG! There were lobster, there were shrimp, there were mussels, calamari, and spicy but savory basil and lemongrass sauce. Everything was fresh and cooked to perfection! One of my favorite dishes of the day!

Luang Prabang Chicken: This was some of the most succulent grilled chicken I’ve ever had! The herb marinade paired perfectly with the light charr on the chicken brining in an authentic taste! In addition to the seasoned green beans everything was covered in a roasted rice dressing that put this dish from 9/10 to 50/10! It was a DELICIOUS combination of foods!

Lychee Granitas: This was a semi frozen crystalline texture lychee vegan jelly… It was a VERY interesting texture (I did NOT like the texture) BUT the flavor was great! I’m LOVE lychee so I was torn. I would give it 8/10 only because of the texture!

My overall experience was one of a kind! I loved how nice everyone was! Everyone genuinely seemed authentically happy. I enjoyed the energy and on top of that the food was phenomenal! It was first time trying authentic Laos cuisine and I’m in LOVE!

I will definitely visit again very very soon!

Thank you LAOS in Town for an...

Great food, service and atmosphere.

Update. Had a second visit that is polar opposite from the first. Review below is for the second visit. Original review was all 5 stars for the Wok Noodles.

Latest visit…. Let me start off by saying the staff is fantastic, especially Julia. Now to the food review…. I had come here one previous time while visiting DC and loved it. I happened to be visiting from out of state again so i decided to come by for dinner. Last time I had the Wok Noodle and it was fantastic. That is what made me come back. This trip I got the Northern Noodle. Had this been the first dish I had I would not have come back. The description for the dish was “steamed and crispy noodle, chicken, onion, pickled radishes, cilantro”. The dish is also noted as PHET which is supposed to mean spices. When the dish came out it was covered in so much curry it was basically a soup (please note that there was no mention of soup or curry in the description). The chicken was a single fried drum stick mostly sunken in to the “curry soup”. The only flavor you got was yellow curry and there was so much liquid it difficult to eat the fried drum stick (which was soggy due to the amount of liquid). I ate about 1/3 of the Northern Noodle soup and just could stand it anymore. Decided to order a slice of the good looking strawberry cheese cake I saw when going to my seat. Ugh, disappointment strikes again. While the cheese cake had flavor, the strawberry sauce on top tasted canned and had set up like it might have had a little gelatin in it. The cheese cake might have had gelatin too as the consistency was close to a no-bake jello cheese cake. Maybe I’m being harsh on the desert because of the huge disappointment of the main meal. Will I try Laos again, maybe if I lived near by. As a visitor from out of town I might (if staying near by), but not likely as there are so many other options in DC. Now I’m off to find a snack somewhere as I am leaving...

Incredible food, incredible vibes, and incredible staff...I truly could not recommend Laos in Town enough! My vegan friend and I (a vegetarian) came here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon after seeing their exclusive vegan menu, and we were not disappointed in the slightest. We were seated immediately at one of the two-person tables next to the front door, and the first thing we noticed was the beautiful decor. Everything was a phenomenal fusion between traditional Laotian decorations and modern styles; it all came together into the most wonderful exciting, upbeat energy perfect for a weekend lunch or night of drinking. It was also so shocking and exciting to see an entirely vegan menu! My friend and I split the mieng kana tofu, three beautiful lettuce cup-esque appetizers made with a Chinese broccoli leaf, rice noodles, fried tofu, and an incredible, tangy sauce made from basil, mint, and lime. My friend tried out the khao yum tofu tod, one of her favorites from before she became vegan, and she was incredibly impressed by Laos in Town's ability to recreate the savory, delicious flavors in the traditional dish. I had the tofu orm, which includes fried tofu, Laotian eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, and basil in a light Laotian dill soup. The dish was light, fragrant, and packed with flavor, and it paired perfectly with sticky rice.

All in all, this was an absolutely wonderful experience! The ambiance, service, and food were all incredible. My one complaint about the entire meal was that it was quite cold, but the main door (which we were seated next to) was left open. Even so, I can totally understand the rationale, since they also had a few tables seated outdoors. I definitely want to come back to this fun, delicious, and all-around delightful restaurant, and I can't wait to try out some of Laos in Town's other vegan dishes and their incredible menu...