Lao cuisine has burst onto the London food scene, thanks to a fiery, feisty pop-up from one of the capital’s favourite cooks, Saiphin Moore of Rosa’s Thai Café.
Taking up temporary residence in what will become the next Rosa’s Thai Café opening in Victoria, Saiphin has decided to travel east of her Thai homeland and introduce Londoners to the flavours of the little-known star of South-East Asia.
Running until the end of February and located a mere three-minute walk from Victoria station, Saiphin and her tiny team of chefs prepare everything on charcoal in an even tinier kitchen.
Sharing is at the very core of a menu built around smaller plates and mix-and-match dishes including:
- Isaan mini sausages (saigrok-isaan)
- Eggplant salad with fresh herbs (yum-makuer-yao)
- Spicy liver salad (tub-wan)
- Dressed papaya salad (som-tun), one of Laos’ most iconic dishes
- Chargrilled seabass (pla-yang) with chilli dip, fresh herbs and vegetables
- Spicy mixed mushroom soup (tom-zaap)
- Saiphin’s home-pickled salmon (pla-som)
- Seafood salad and glass noodles (yum-woon-sen)
- Banana leaf-steamed white and black sticky rice
- Freshly-made coconut ice-cream to finish
Drinks include a selection of wines, homemade ice-teas, gourmet coffees and ice-cold Chang beer. The pop-up café also offers take-away and delivery via Deliveroo and Take Eat Easy.
The limited edition pop-up is a personal project from Rosa’s Thai Café’s Head Chef and co-founder Saiphin who hails from Phetchabun in northern Thailand but whose family origins lie in Laos. A land-locked country nestled between Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, Laos has a rich cuisine with countless regional specialities naturally fused with inspiration from its neighbouring countries. Lao cuisine has ultimately evolved from the country’s field workers cooking seasonally with indigenous and fresh local ingredients, creating stunning dishes with bold flavours on a tight budget.
Providing the perfect light, fresh and healthy bite, but with unrivalled flavour, this could be the start of a Laos revolution!
