After the very first customer at Laos in Town paid the bill, owner Nick Ongsangkoon and executive chef Ben Tiatasin placed the dollars in a woven fish trap and hung it from the ceiling for good luck. Look up in the main dining room of D.C.’s newest Lao restaurant in NoMa, and you’ll see the cluster of baskets, strung with traditional ribbons and flowers, that represents wealth and prosperity for restaurants in the Bangkok natives’ culture—an homage they hope will spell the future for their first joint venture.
Ongsangkoon and Tiatasin are riding a wave of Southeast Asian food’s growing popularity in D.C. Ongsangkoon, who moved to Virginia as a teenager, is a co-owner of Soi 38 in Foggy Bottom, which brought his memories of Bangkok street food to downtown Washington. Tiatasin switched from a business career to stints at Bangkok Golden (now Padaek) in Falls Church and Thip Khao in Columbia Heights, the D.C. area’s golden standard of Laotian restaurants, owned by mother-son duo Seng Luangrath and Bobby Pradachith. Tiatasin fell in love with cooking Laotian food as a manager there, then honed her chef skills at Esaan in McLean, Va.
If the popularity of these spots—which champion heady flavors like fermented fish sauce and delicacies like alligator and pig ears—is any indication, Laos in Town shouldn’t have trouble filling seats. (Thip Khao’s forthcoming sister restaurant, Hanumanh, isn’t far behind them.)
The restaurant’s dishes take shape from childhood memories, homeland favorites, and recent trips Ongsangkoon and Tiatasin have gone on, together and apart, to learn the secret of Laotian food. Tiatasin was around 6 years old when she began cooking with her family, but it wasn’t until adulthood that she studied how to mix Thai techniques with Laotian ones. In addition to taking formal classes, she and Ongsangkoon spent a lot of time with locals.
“We learned from the real chefs in the street food stalls as well as in nice restaurants,” says Ongsangkoon. “We rented a car and if we saw something we liked, we’d stop and ask them how to make it and write everything down. We’d spend 40 minutes eating noodle soup on the curb and practicing the techniques.”
Almost every dish uses Laotian spices the restaurant imports for the sake of accuracy, striking a balance between lemongrass, galangal spices, homemade chili paste, ginger, and fish sauce. While Thai and Laotian food share culture and common cuisine, Thai food pulls in Indian and Vietnamese influences from stir fry to coconut milk. Laotian food is “more pure, more exotic,” Tiatasin says. Sticky rice, rather than Thai’s steamed version, accompanies most mains and is meant to be eaten without silverware.
The idea, Ongsangkoon says, is to share the soups, noodle dishes, and meats (or the extensive vegan menu) family style. A whole grilled fish comes belly-up in tamarind and tomato sauces. The herbed pork sausage gets its flavor from house-ground spices and a green chili dipping sauce. Desserts are fruit-forward: mango sticky rice, caramelized banana ice cream.
Ongsangkoon is especially fond of the Nam Khao, a lettuce wrap of chicken and crispy rice, and the deep-fried quail, which—apart from its popular eggs—is a rare find in Thailand and Laos. The chef’s favorite is the LIT Signature Salad, her take on a more traditional papaya salad for “a new generation.” She adds bean sprouts, green beans, pork loaf, and crispy rinds to the fermented fruit base for bold taste.
Taste of Laos also pays tribute to Southeast Asian culture in a sleek, monochrome dining room lined by strips of birch trees, shelves of chili sauces, and a mural that traces highlights from the owners’ travels. An expansive marble-topped bar, which faces the 95-seat restaurant, has a second patio-side counter for outdoor accessibility. Pedestrians who might just be strolling by can order Laotian beer and craft cocktails featuring banana, lemongrass, or chili-infused syrups without having to come inside.
Tiatasin also promises additions to the menu in the coming months, including pig ears, catfish, and pork rib soup. Watch Laos in Town’s social media accounts for details.
“I’m Thai, but I fell in love with Laos cooking,” says Tiatasin. “Many Thai restaurants here adapt pad thai and other dishes to be more friendly for diners. I don’t want the flavors to change—I want Washington to feel the authentic thing.”
Laos in Town is located at 250 K St NE. Hours are Monday- Thursday from 11 a.m.- 10 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m.- 10:30 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m.- 10:30 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Happy hour pending.
