Grilled Whole Fish
Laos In Town

Laos In Town

250 K St NE, Washington, DC 20002, United States

Wine • Fish • Salads • Laotian


"Laos in Town is an airy eatery with some great tasty dishes that is not afraid to bring on the heat. The restaurant is a wide open space decorated with items evoking its country of origin. There is lots of space and lots of light which is relaxing but also lots of hard surfaces which can make it a bit noisy. We started off with the Fighting Tiger cocktail which we really enjoyed. The couple next to us wished they could taste the alcohol more but we liked it's light and fruity nature. We were able to taste some new dishes which may not be on the regular menu. The first was Mieng Kana which was a very tasty combination of flavors and textures. It was supposed to be eaten all at once as a mouthful but, though I have often heard that I may have a bit of a big mouth, I found it pretty large to eat all at once. However many bites it may take you, each one will be delicious. The next dish was also served with a lettuce wrap. It was Nam Khao and it packed an awesome punch of lip tingling spice. Yum! Next we had the chun seen which is listed as one of the favorites. We definitely enjoyed the sundried beef and the sriracha sauce but found the sausage a little bland. One of our favorites was the pla tong na which was super crispy fish in a delicious sauce. For dessert, we tried the mor kang which arrived on an adorable little boat. We enjoyed the dish, including the shallot crunchies on the top. All the food was tasty and I loved how they artfully decorate their dishes and incorporated beautiful edible flowers. Parking can be a little difficult but street spaces are to be found if you are patient and willing to drive around nearby blocks."

Anteprima

Anteprima

5316 N. Clark St., Chicago 60640, 60640-2290, United States

Beer • Salad • Cheese • Drinks


"Starters: Wood grilled octopus was amazing. I would 100% come back just for this appetizer. Wife and I were indecisive on whether to get the spicy mussels or the octopus, and the server recommended the octopus. She was absolutely correct! Perfect amount of char and seasoning. Pasta: We decided to do half portions of the smoked and sweet corn ravioli and the bolognese. This is where I get somewhat annoyed about the food. The raviolia was very good. You get a nice balance between the smoked ricotta and sweetness from the corn. HOWEVER the portion size was tiny, especially for $15. 5 individual ravioli. That's $3 per ravioli!! It was smaller than the appetizer. The bolognese was only okay. Lacked depth but the pappardelle was cooked nicely. Main: We both got lamb chops and this is where the disappointment continues. Wife's lamb chops were cooked as requested, medium rare. I asked for the same, but mine were delivered well done. I noted this to the server, she profusely apologized and sent in a request for a new dish to be brought out. It came in only a few minutes. I will admit the service was 5/5. There were multiple times where the server and front of house would swing by and apologize. I really appreciated the attention to detail and service. The lamb chops overall were only okay. Common with the pasta, it was just a small portion, especially for a main dish. The char was a little bit too much, even when cooked to the correct temp. Dolce: This is where the service continues to impress. We ordered the tiramisu and to our surprise a tiramisu and pana cotta were brought out. The FOH kindly comped desert and gave us an extra, the pana cotta. The pana cotta was absolutely amazing. It was on the same level as the octopus. The tiramisu was a little disappointing. It was quite soggy at the bottom, moreso than a regular tiramisu should be. There was standing liquid. I would not get this again. Overall: The service definitely is the saving grace of our experience. While the food overall was okay, the octopus and pana cotta were amazing. I would come back here but wouldn't go out of my way. Wife and I traveled all the way from the loop area and probably wouldn't make the trip again, but if we ever find ourselves in Andersonville again, we'll drop by."