Pho Thai Lao Kitchen

The waiter sucked. He got my order wrong then didn’t even offer a discount or to replace it. Then he tried to short me a dollar in change, which I guess he was automatically taking for his tip.
But the older lady there whom I saw briefly in the beginning was very nice.

The owner is a lovely lady who takes real pride in her food, and eating here felt like we were getting a home-​cooked meal. She and her husband are Thai and Lao, and I gathered that it’s the northern (Isaan/​Esan) Thai style of cuisine. If you’ve heard of Somtum Der, Larb Ubol, Zabb Elee, or even Pok Pok Ny in NYC, those all specialize in Isan Thai food. The menu at Phở Thai Lao Kitchen is fairly large, and arranged somewhat geographically with Laotian and Thai food.
I loooove Isaan Thai food, with the complexity of sweet/​sour/​salty/​spicy/​umami all coming together. Northern Thai food is a lot spicier, with more funk (fish sauce!) and acidity. If all you know of Thai food is pad thai, pad see ew, and tom yum soup, then this will be a big change for you; it’s like comparing bland, colorless New England cuisine (sorry, everyone, I spent 8 years there and there’s only so much clam chowder one can take) to spicy, rich Southern cooking. Light years between them. Similar analogy: American Chinese food vs. Sichuan Chinese food — completely different flavors, styles, dishes, etc. There’s a small primer for you.
Anyway, you’ll win if you order the Northern Thai and Laotian dishes here, because that seems to be the food they execute best. Sure, you can get your spring rolls/​Thai iced tea/​pad thai/​curries, too, but the spicier stuff has some of the more winning flavors on the menu. For example, the larb! Note, this is a sour, hot, and funky dish (I’m usually partial to duck or pork larb), and you can spoon the meat into the lettuce or have it over sweet sticky rice — or both! And with all that said about the more adventurous food, they also make a great Pad Thai, though expect it to have a different sort of sauce than your average Pad Thai: a little gloopier, a little zingier.
If you like spicy food, and more specifically, Isaan Thai food, Phở Thai Lao Kitchen is your jam. The servers will explain to you that «Thai spicy» here is REAAALLLY SPICY. I’m used to spicy food but a level 3 on their scale makes my face sweat. It’s delicious, it’s cheap, and it’ll help clear out all your head tubes. Hooray for Phở Thai Lao Kitchen!

I’m a fan of their salty crab papaya salad. This is a Cambodian, Thai, and Lao dish that’s spicy and has a unique taste. Usually you enjoy it with sticky rice and/​or meat.

Good food a 1 spice level is none soooooo just so you know

Okay, so here’s the thing about this place. it’s typically a hit but can be a miss depending on who is cooking that day. It’s a small family-​owned restaurant and everything is made to order, which I love. Although the inside of the restaurant is quite small with just a few tables, it is clean and nicely decorated with lovely thai accents all around.
My favorites on the menu: pad kee mao or their veggie basil fried rice, but their classic pad thai is really good too! portions are large and ingredients are typically very fresh.
The reason I give it a 4 instead of a 5 is because the consistency of the flavors are not the same each time. Sometimes the basil fried rice is really plain and you can tell it was not mixed thoroughly with the sauces and flavorings, which can ruin the meal. Also, even if you call ahead to order, and they say 30 minutes to pick it up, you usually have to wait another 10 – 15 minutes once you get there.

This place is delicious. level one was supposed to be mild but very hot, I just couldn’t stop eating it was so tasty. I enjoyed my meal very much.

Cute little place with an authentic feel to it. Could use some more curb appeal because it is a bit tough to find. The food was good but the spice level was immense. Level 1 is level 5 so may be next time I should not get spice at all. Wings were delightful and dessert was such a unique coconut milk cup that is so good that it is unexplainable!

I was introduced to this appetizer that can be a meal by itself, it’s called «Lao crêpe». it is very light but filling. a very good alternative to the usual appetizers.
I was told that this was voted as one of the best appetizer in New Jersey

Unilocalers– I am disappointed. Not only did I have to endure below average food and snarky service, but so did my three guests.
I’ll start with the good: authentic and cozy little set up, shrimp pad Thai, Thai iced tea, and Vietnamese style spring rolls.
The ugly: beef broth soup and chicken wing pieces were way too salty. the crêpe with bean sprouts and chicken were ironically under seasoned. The green coconut curry was ok in flavor but they were real cheap with the beef. The sticky rice was a hard, lifeless lump served to us cold. The coconut dessert is way too greasy.
BUT what was even worse than the dishes mentioned above was the fact the 50 minutes we waited until we were served. The family of three who came 20 minutes after us was served before us. When I asked the waitress why, she said it because you have a party of 4. (Really!!!) For 100 bucks, I am beyond disappointed and annoyed. Though not her fault, I think the waitress could have handled things better
I will not return. If you’re hungry and don’t want to put up with mediocre food, I suggest you don’t come.

I enjoyed the food here, if I am in the area I would definitely go back. It was a new experience for me. I’m used to Thai food and I have many Laos friends but this is my first time having Laotian food in a restaurant. It’s different from what I’m use to, I did appreciate that and thought the food did taste good. The fresh chili on the side that they give you is awesome, super spicy. My only complaint is the the food did take a while to come out considering I was the only table. The décor could use some updating but that’s just my opinion.

What a delight, different, refreshing, a real treat.
They started me with a small complimentary spring roll, which was nice.
Since I had never had Lao food I stayed with that side of the menu (if coming for lunch you may need to order from the dinner menu to see all the Lao offerings). Had the Lao crepes (rice crepes filled with sprouts and chicken topped with herbs), which was really refreshing.
Then had the Larb Gai (chopped chicken, tons of herbs) served with rice (I think sticky rice is traditional but I got plain white rice). BEWARE the spice, they say it all over the menu but it is no joke. I like things pretty spicy and got it 2 out of 5, and it was HOT. Would probably do 1 next time. Unless you like spicy, do as they suggest and get spice on the side. The Larb was very good. Some chewy pieces which I think were the gizzards, would probably order without these next time.
If ever back in the area will definitely try some other dishes.

I went for Laotian food but don’t much care for Phở Thai Lao’s version, nor for that matter am I sure how best to review what I ate. I have eaten and prepared plenty of southeast Asian food before and have a good sense of traditional ingredients, flavors and preparation techniques and have eaten much better. But I took a moment to reflect instead on the politics and history of the Thai/​Lao food cultures and some other examples of Laotian food in an effort to be fair, just in case I was missing something.
Laos and Thailand share a border and plenty of history, some of it not so friendly. The Lao accuse the Thai of annexing their land (the Isan region of northeastern Thailand where more Laotians live than in all of Laos) and since 1942, subjugating Lao traditions to forced «Thaification.» Some Lao claim this assimilation includes cooking and food traditions that many of us in the West view as Thai — but which the Lao claim as their own.
. Ok. So there are competing claims to authenticity — but should this matter when it comes to how well the food is prepared and presented and how well the food eats? On reflection I don’t think so. Authenticity aside, after trying 2 appetizers, 4 main courses and dessert — on the food alone the experience was a 2.0 at best; the food looked gray and unappetizing, and the ambience (dingy and tired) did not improve the overall experience. I had:
— sticky rice — the Lao staple — this version was seriously dense — almost clay-​like and difficult to mold, but nicely presented in traditional baskets.
— Lao crepes ($ 6) — thin and crisp and flavorful (I liked these the best) but where was the stuffing? A few bean sprouts and maybe a teaspoon full of crumbled chicken, and a tablespoon of so-​so dressing.
— fresh spring rolls ($ 7) — stuffed with the ubiquitous bean sprouts and just a tiny bit of shrimp, but otherwise bland. The accompanying sauce was flat,
— larb pla ($ 14) had nice fermented fish flavor and good spice (level 3) and a decent crunch. Overall the best main course, but where were the fresh and cold vegetables/​counterpoint to the heat and crunch of the fish? All we got was a small wedge of iceberg lettuce — which I am pretty sure does not grow in Laos.
— fermented spare ribs– e-​saan ($ 12) were fried to death — not sure where the bone ended and the meat began — mostly inedible.
— softshell crab special ($ 16) in basil with 1 crab — no visible basil and a sauté of cabbage and broccoli that was boring — as in stewed to death boring and flavorless — and the crab was unpleasantly textureless on the plate and the palate.
— pad kee mao — flat rice noodles with shrimp ($ 14) were ok but uninspired, with 3 shrimp (really?) and the same boring vegetable stew that came with the soft-​shell crab special.
— Ka-​nohm-​Krok ($ 5) — fried coconut/​rice flour cups — the texture and flavor was great but the oil used for frying was old and left an acrid flavor on the palate.
I think PTK’s glowing reviews from 2012 are dated and showing their age. More elaborate and vibrant versions of Laotian cuisine are available today in more pleasant venues with comparable pricing. see e.g.

The fact that this is as good as Lao gets in NJ is not enough to earn my patronage — despite the fact that the Thai/​Lao music videos on a centrally placed TV screen were moderately entertaining. WIGB? No, but I am intrigued enough to keep eating Laotian cuisine elsewhere to test the limits of this food tradition, which promises so much.

I don’t think anything I write will give this place the justice it deserves, but I’ll give a little synopsis at least. This was the most authentic Thai I’ve ever had. I’m not of any type of Asian decent, nor have I ever visited Taiwan, so I don’t really have any street cred in that department-​but I have eaten a lot of Thai food and this place was very different from other places I’ve visited. The food is all prepared by one woman in the kitchen, and she has a lot of faith in her brand. Also our waitress was really informative and knew a lot about the dishes served there. She made sure to ask each table whether or not it was their first time there, and took it upon herself to warn people about how spicy their food was. And let me tell you, it was spicy! I am no stranger to spicy foods-​at a typical Thai place I usually choose a 5 – 7 on their scale of 1 – 10. This place I chose a 1 and it was still very very spicy for me! Don’t get me wrong, spicy does not mean it wasn’t delicious. But I did have to take some breaks from eating my soup! But they use so many fragrant herbs and spices here it was unbelievable!
On to the food-​for appetizers my boyfriend and I both got a soup-​I got the Tom Yum with coconut milk and he had it without. We both got level 1 spicy and both had a hard time finishing the bowls because they were so spicy. But so delicious! We also ordered their Lao Crepes (not spicy) which had bean sprouts, chicken and scallions inside and some kind of peanut sauce on top. They were so yummy! My boyfriend doesn’t love veggies at all but ate up almost all the bean sprouts inside these crepes. We also had the Koong Ka Bork appetizer which was really just shrimp rolled up in a wonton wrapper and fried but they were very tasty and the shrimp was the perfect texture. I had the soft shell crab special as my main dish which, again, was not spicy. It was done in a roasted garlic sauce that I was practically drinking with a spoon it was so good! My boyfriend tried to be bold and order his seafood Pad Kaprow at a level 2, which he was able to finish but he struggled. The seafood was so well prepared though-​the mussels really had a wonderful flavor and the calamari he had was not the least bit rubbery or overdone. This experience was absolutely wonderful-​our waitress really was fantastic. She was so proud of the food they served there and was so informative about the foods and spiciness. She was also very on par with the waters she served. We also ordered their Thai Iced Tea which was to die for. Everything was so great about this place. It is very small though so if you’re interested on trying it out, try going on a less popular night. We went on a Thursday and were able to get seated but I’ve read reviews about people being turned away at the door so be warned!

We were drawn to Phở Thai Lao due to Unilocal,but the experience was not as great as we expected. Our Thai spring roll appetizer came out scorching hot and our meatball appetizer was bland. I thought the meatballs would be marinated or spiced in a sauce, but they were simply plain meatballs. My Pad Kaprow was supposed to have spicy basil in it but I detected no flavor at all. Our server was a nice woman, but the food did not live up to the rave reviews.

I suggested this place based on lots of positive Unilocal reviews, but unfortunately my friends and I were disappointed on a recent visit. It was a humid summer day and the restaurant was HOT. The small window AC unit was no match against the heat, and we were sweating it out during our meal. What we were not sweating from was spice. Based on fellow Unilocalers’ reviews and the signs posted in the restaurant advising that their spice levels are five times the normal restaurant’s, I expected them to spice it up. I’m not sure if we ordered wrong (we weren’t asked about spice levels at all, but assumed everything was seasoned/​spiced to some degree), but everyone felt their dishes were bland. Most of the appetizer portions are small as well — we were a party of 4, and our spring rolls and meat skewers came out in portions of 3.

Excellent Lao-​Thai restaurant.
1) They are one of two Lao restaurants in NJ-​NY. So make sure to get at least one Laotian dish.
2) The ambiance is excellent.
3) Service is wonderful.
4) Price is perfect.
5) Lao food is very unique from the rest of South-​East Asia and the world.
6) I loved the Larb Gai and Nam Kow. Both are from the Lao menu.
7) The restaurant offers spice levels. Which is very fun.

I’ve been to a bunch of Thai restaurants. None as delicious or authentic as this one!
Had the crêpe… Delicious!
Had the pad see ew… Delicious!
Had the sausage… Delicious!
Had the dessert at the end. Can’t remember the name (coconut dessert)… Different than anything I’ve ever had but also very good!
Was recommended to me by someone who loves REAL authentic food. Totally worth it. I will definitely be back!!!

Came here on our way home and pleased that we did! Very decent Thai/​Lao food. Unusual combination of both nationalities. Lao food served at room temprature.
My wife is Thai so we are a little spoilt and critical when it comes to Thai dishes! The place is a tiny place and the staff are charming. Friendly and attentive. Family run husband and wife who both cook. They have been in USA for over 30 years and she is Thai, he is Loatian.
We ordered Lao crepes for apps and Thai chicken wings, 3.5 stars. Crepes were tasty. We ordered Som Tum — Papaya salad Lao style, my wife would give 4 stars for this dish, yummy and spicy.
We also ordered Pad King with pork (3 stars) which was flavourful but not spicy enough for me which is my fault as I had read previous reviews about spice levels and I chickened out and asked for a little spicy instead of normal. We also had Nam Khao (3 stars) which is sausage over crispy fried rice which was tasty too but we have had better.
The Larb Gai is spicy and delicious!
On the whole a decent experience. We will definitley be back for another try. My opinion is that the Lao side of the menu is what will be the best and most unusual as the Thai side is pretty generic.
I did hear that the Larb pla (fish) is delicious so will try next time along with the Isaan sausage which I adore!
An important thing to remember here is spice level! Spice level is 0 – 5. If you can’t take spice please order 0. Their levels are much spicier than many other Thai places we have been. We ordered level 2 and that was so spicy for us and we can definitely eat spicy food.
Worth a visit when you are in the Maywood area.

My name is Stephanie Y and I’m a spiceaholic. You can guess my excitement when I read about this place where every review said: «Beware of spice!»
I came here with fellow Unilocaler, Kat B and we ordered up some Lao spring rolls, I went with the generic Thai spicy basil rice dish with veggies, chicken and shrimp (spice level 2 as suggested) and Kat went with a whole fried fish. We were both happy, although I definitely have had better Thai food.
First off, the place is a whole in the wall joint. Very casual and definitely a family affair. The menu consists of the usual Thai staples, but also has a page reserved for some exotic not usually seen Lao dishes along with noodle soups and curry.
I asked for suggestions for an app and I said not fried and sadly I was limited to about two items. As I previously mentioned, when it comes to spice, I say «bring it,» but the woman suggested I try spice level 2 on the app. The Lao rolls ended up pretty flavorless, but it soaked up the sauce nice and it was hot! I definitely could have done spice level 3, but not quite sure if I would have enjoyed it as much, since I believe the taste would have been all spice, no food.
My entrée was solid. To be honest, it was the spice that really made the dish unique, everything else was pretty standard. By the end, I have to admit, my nose was a running! Kat’s whole fried fish took about 30 minutes, but it was definitely unique and Kat enjoyed it, eyes, scales, skin and all.
Not the cheapest Thai meal you’ll have, but definitely worth a a visit, especially if you are looking to challenge those taste buds to a spice war!

As you can see by my check-​in I had dinner here a few nights ago and wanted to update my review. Apparently this place has become very popular as it was extremely difficult to get a table the other night. The tables were 100% full upon my arrival around 7:30PM so I gave my name and waited (outside) about 15 to 20 minutes before I was seated. During that time I must have seen four another couples come to the door, wine-​in-​hand only to be turned away.
This time I ordered the whole fried fish as my entrée and was much to my surprise was very disappointed; It was extremely dry, to the point of tasting something like fish-​jerky (If such a thing exists).
I decided not to let it hurt my five-​star review of this restaurant since I love it so dearly. I will just consider this dish a fluke, forget it ever happened, not order it again. (just in case)
I am a dedicated fan of this small restaurant, and owner deserves my 5 stars because everything else i have ever ordered has been awesome.