Photo by Jim Leff @ Chowhound

Nestled in the small Asian shopping community around 11th Street and Washington Avenue, Café de Laos stands alone as the only Thai restaurant. One night, when I was really hankerin’ for my favorite green curry, I wandered into Café de Laos. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting—it was a little more serene and fancy than I’m used to in a Thai/Lao restaurant, but I was happy to see some familiar items on the menu.

Café de Laos is a BYOB with an ample menu full of traditional Thai and Lao dishes. Red curries, green curries, yellow curries and Pad Thai are some of the dishes you might recognize, but there are other more exotic (and spicy!) options available to adventurous diners. I’ve visited a couple of times and have had a Thai Iced tea to satisfy my sweet tooth, Gang Kiew Wan (or Kang Kiew Warn depending on how it’s transcribed), a spicy green curry dish that I ordered with fried tofu, coconut soup, spring roll, and some other hot noodle dishes, but they also have various vegetarian, fish, chicken, beef and pork options, so there’s sure to be something you’d like. Furthermore, Café de Laos’ lunch special is a great option if you’re short on cash. It features three choices from a set menu for a modest price.

Café de Laos is a quiet and mood lit small space with friendly and helpful servers. The prices are reasonable for most items and the flavor is fresh. While the portions look a lot smaller than they are, both times I’ve visited I’ve left quite full. So if you’re looking for a tranquil dining experience and some great food, checking out Café de Laos might just be the ticket.

Café de Laos
1117 S 11th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 467-1546

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