I had a craving for the Lao version so off we went to one of our favorite eateries...
over in Chollas View, in tha' hood...
where everything looked pretty much the same, including the Vietnamese Spring Concert poster (circa 2007) which had a Prince/Morris Day looking dude one it. The Vietnamese version though.
The red rooster Sriracha sauce was replaced with this brand...
Bert and I ordered two iced coffees, both made pretty strong...
Out of sheer habit and also because of Bert's craving, we had to have the Nam Khao, now on the menu instead of a "secret item". Notice any differences? First of all, no dried red chilies (which I actually liked crumbling on my rice in scant quantities). Secondly, no finely chopped peanuts, which gave it another layer of texture. Thirdly, it wasn't as crisp as I remembered it to be. That being said, it was still quite tasty, but not exactly the same as previous visits. Perhaps there was a reason for this, as we would soon find out...
I was also surprised to see rau ram (aka Vietnamese coriander), which has long pointy leaves, among the lettuce leaves, mint and cilantro sprigs. It has a strong flavor but went well with the crispy rice dish.
Bert's Seafood Soup (#17), an egg noodle soup with mixed seafood which he really enjoyed.
TC's order of Pad Thai with Chicken hadn't arrived yet (the photo is out of order since it shows only two sausages instead of three)...
Even though we had Nam Khao, I wanted to have sticky rice with the Lao sausage...
Yes, go ahead make all the dick jokes you want.
Get it out of your system...
((cough)) Theon Greyjoy ((cough))...
Yikes...
Now THIS....was...GOOD. Three BIG links for only $7.00 unlike the ONE measly link we had the night before at Krua Thai for $5.00. The sausage looked and tasted handmade with natural casing, filled with pork, pork skin, rice, lemongrass and curry paste. The sausage had a bit of a crumbly texture and wasn't densely packed. But that flavor...wow.
Although it wasn't quite on the same level as the Issan sausage from Supannee House of Thai, we thoroughly enjoyed this sausage very much.
Last on the table was TC's "go to" dish, even in a Laotian joint. The sauce was delicious, the chicken pieces plentiful, and the noodles had a nice chew/bounce to them.
I couldn't believe that big container of sticky rice was only $1! These prices are pretty reasonable. You wouldn't find prices like this in the hipster areas. They'd be charging twice as much, so thank goodness it was hipster free...
Underneath the window where you pay...
A Vietnamese religious candle, a jade Buddha, a few framed bills, a coin slot collection for Leukeumia and of course, packets of pork rinds. No fried pig ears that day.
So Bert asked the young man who served us how he'd bee working there (since he was a new face) and he mentioned that they took over after the previous owners RETIRED!
Whaaaaa.....!!!???!!!!
Yes. Retired.
Well, that would explain all of the new people that we saw that day. First the young guy (the server), than an older man who was busing tables, then a woman was also serving, and then a old man who came out from the back room, plus another older lady in the back.
The food was still pretty good with the exception of the slightly less crunchy and peanut-less Nam Khao. As you saw, everything looks the same, including the revamped menu. The new young guy was friendly and was efficient and prompt with his service.
I certainly wish Mr. Robert Bavongkhoun and his family the best. He and his wife were always so nice and welcoming to their customers. Their adult sons, Johnny and Scottie were also quite friendly. The last few times I went, it was usually Johnny (the younger one I think) who was there.
Previous visit to Asia Cafe:
"Asia Cafe updates their menu", May 2014
I'm so glad that we tried that sausage. Three pieces was quite generous and we would be sure to enjoy it the next day...
4 comments:
Looks good CC! It's been a while sicne we visited. The last time the food seemed a bit tired so perhaps it was time They were really nice, hard working folks.
hi kirk - our lunch was pretty darn good. i hope the new folks do well here and that the regulars keep coming.
Not that I like sriracha (has sugar that I can taste), but knock offs of sriracha (like TREET instead of SPAM) are just wrong. We were going to stop here a few weeks ago and were sidetracked, now will have to try the 'new' chef.
hi cathy - i have to try my other old favorites here to make comparisons as well. see if the new chef is up to par as the former owners.
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