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Editorial Review

Reviewed in the June/July '07 issue of Ciao! magazine

Lao Thai is perhaps the city’s best example of Laotian cuisine on the upswing. The wee 20-seat restaurant on Selkirk Avenue is actively seeking a more spacious location to accommodate its ever-growing fan base.

Lao Thai’s forte is soup. A majority of the selections are family recipes not found anywhere else in the city. Kao-soy soup stands out because of its unique tomato base and extra-thick flat rice noodles. It’s time consumingly made from scratch, and members of the city’s Asian community often stop here specifically for a bowl of this citric and silky soup. Souk-gai soup—a simple broth loaded with green onions, ginger, garlic, cilantro and chicken—looks unassuming, but its flavour is mind-blowing. Each spoonful begins with a fiery kick that clears your sinuses, then mellows into a tangy wave on the way down.

Seen-hang is a common Laotian snack, found only in Winnipeg at Lao Thai. The jerky-style pork is seasoned with lemon grass and chile, giving the meat a subtle balance of hot and sour. Its flaky dryness is a pleasing texture compared to the rubber quality of most jerkies.

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