I Eat Lao Food – Laab Het

Instagram Post 12/18/2018

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The first time I tasted anything from I Eat Lao Food was when they popped up at the Queens Night Market. I was blown away. For real. Clearly, they would be a major hit on the food scene and anyone who has sampled their wares can attest to that. If you like Northern Thai food (Isan Thai), you ain’t had nothin’ until you’ve tasted Lao food, and more specifically the recipes turned out by these remarkably talented folks.

This is Laab Het (you might see “larb”), a spicy Laotian salad of sautéed mushrooms (het), chilies, a mixture of herbs, and toasted rice powder. (Toasted rice powder is exactly what it sounds like: start with raw sticky rice, toast/roast in a pan, then pulverize; it adds a definitive crunch and a nutty flavor that’s classic laab.) The unique character of each of the ingredients is balanced against each of the others’ to create synergistic perfection. Use your fingers to pinch off a bit of sticky rice (it comes in a mini steamer woven from bamboo) and pick up a bit of laab. Savor and pledge your eternal devotion.

But you have to act fast. I Eat Lao Food is at North 3rd St Market, 103 North 3rd St (of course), in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for only a while longer. I seldom say this, but: Go. There. Now. (Um, unless it’s a Tuesday 😉).

More to come from I Eat Lao Food. (But don’t wait. Really.)