LAOS: Thai Noy

Thai Noy is located in the Westover neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. Although they advertise themselves as Thai, we talked to them and the are actually from Laos (Thai food is better for sales). Although there is a lot of crossover in Lao and Thai cuisine, there are also some distinctly Lao dishes, and they’re on Thai Noy‘s menu. We called them and they prepared us a Lao feast.

On their appetizer menu, fresh and crispy spring rolls are both typical of Lao cuisine. We ordered the Crying Tiger, which is sliced and grilled flank steak served with spicy lemongrass sauce and soy sauce. Lemongrass, galangal, and padaek (Lao fish sauce) are key ingredients in Lao cuisine. This dish and Larb (also on the menu), is one of the most famous Lao dishes (Wikipedia: Lao Cuisine) and is spicy marinated meat and/or fish combined with herbs, greens, and spices. The dish may be served raw. Our Crying Tiger was very flavorful and spicy.

We also ordered Pad Thai and Panang, which they also have in Laos. The most emblematic dish they suggested we order was Kai Yang (barbecued chicken), which was slowly grilled chicken that was seasoned and served with sticky rice. We also ordered the recommended Green Papaya Salad to go along with it. According to Wikipedia’s entry on Kai yang:

Kai yang or ping gai is a dish originating from the Lao people of Laos and Isan (Northeastern Thailand), but it is now commonly eaten throughout the whole of Thailand. The dish is a standard staple of street markets and readily available at all times. Being a typical Laotian/Isan dish, it is often paired with som tam/tam mak hoong and sticky rice. It is also eaten with raw vegetables, and often dipped in spicy sauces such as Laotian jaew bong. The Laotian name for the dish is means “roast chicken.” In Laotian restaurants in the West, it is known as “Laotian barbecued chicken” or “ping gai”.

A whole chicken is often halved and pounded flat. It is marinated and then grilled over a low heat on a charcoal flame for a long time, but is not cooked to be burnt or dry. The marinade typically includes fish sauce, garlic, turmeric, coriander root (cilantro), and white pepper.

We thought that this dish was really delicious. The sticky rice really separated it from Thai cuisine. We read on Lao Food that this is one of the key staples of Lao cuisine, where the food is often raw or room temperature and served with sticky rice. Diners take small handfuls of the rice, knead it into a ball, and then dip it into condiments and eat it, along with fish or meat. The sticky rice went really well with the chicken, and it also came with a tangy sauce, which was probably tam mak hoong, which is a traditional sauce eaten with sticky rice.

Lao cuisine has many regional variations, according in part to the fresh foods local to each region. A French legacy is also apparent in the capital city, Vientiane, such that baguettes are sold on the street, and French restaurants (often with a naturally Lao, Asian-fusion touch) are common and popular.

The final dish we ordered was Wild Boar Basil, which the owners said was also Lao. According to Lao Food, hunted or wild animals are common in Lao cuisine, due to the proximity to the forest. We couldn’t find a lot of information on this dish, aside from the fact that it seems common at other Thai restaurants.

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