Chef Deth Khaia: Our chef de cuisine is no newbie to Lao cooking, having catered traditional Lao dishes served with his own twist at events for Lao Heritage Foundation and Legacies of War, Deth also had hosted khao poon pop-ups around the DC area including it's only Lao restaurant Thip Khao. A pastry chef by training, Deth also has an eye for plating and arranging that doesn't detract from the new yet familiar flavors he serves up.
Ninja Foods: Papaya Salad Sauce aka "thum sauce" in mild, medium and hot.
kohk and sahk: You'll recognized this Cali-based company's brightly colored labels by their namesake logo, the mortar and pestle that's essential to Lao kitchen. Run by Thip who recipes were learned from Lao women in his homebase of DC/VA.
Ma Der Food Co: Also serving up a variety of ready-to-eat jerkies, this Dallas-based company has Texas beef on their side and boasts all natural ingredients.
Sapsap: Hailing from Mailwaukee, sasap (formerly called Mama's Eggrolls) is run by Alex Hanesakda. This is a company all about their sausages, shipped to us were sai gok, Lao-style bratwurst and SapSap sticks.
Khaolaam LLC: Georgia based, the folks behind Khao Laam have also made appearances at Lao New Year festivals serving up the famous coconut milk sticky rice dessert served inside bamboo shoots. Because they use fresh coconut which has a tendency to go rancid quickly, orders are shipped express and must be placed in the freezer or refrigerator once received. In other words, make room in the icebox and make sure someone's home.
********************************************************
Ninja Foods: Papaya Salad Sauce aka "thum sauce" in mild, medium and hot.
may have started with the infamous thum mak hoong in mind, but can be used to make anything into thum, literally. Made with shrimp paste provides a sturdy base for all kinds of thum, while leaving room to add additional ingredients to adjust for taste. Packaged in a plastic bag inside a black light-safe container, serves u and can be stored at room tempurature until ready to eat, but must be refrigerated while opening. Warning: be prepared for the smell once you open, it's real.
kohk and sahk: This Cali-based company is run by Thip bases his products from recipes learned from Lao women in his homebase of DC/VA. The standout labels are brightly colored with their namesake logo, the mortar and pestle that's essential to Lao kitchen. Offers a variety of jerkies, including seen heng, seen savanh and pork flavors as well, they're prepared to be eaten straight out of the bag but can be flash fried for crunch.
The jaew bong comes in a oz plastic container, and is a glossy wet sauce compared to Ma Der's version (don't wear white if you're struggling to open it) that holds up well for the minced galangal smoked chillies, a very pronounced flavor that's perfect for a ball of sticky rice.
*Banana Chips were also sent, but they mysteriously got all eaten up during the course of all the dishes being cooked, before they could be used. A dangerous addiction.
Ma Der Food Co Jerky, Jaew Bong and Sai Oua. Also serving up a variety of ready-to-eat jerkies, this Dallas-based company boasts all natural ingredients. In additon we were sent jaew bong and sai oua.
has Texas beef on their side. Each version also comes in a spicy flavor, however the Spicy Pork is bit more spicy than the Spicy Beef which has been described as tasting like a bite of jaew bong, yummy. Perhaps the crowd favorite of jerky was the Seen Toop, a smashed version that yields a shreddy-strandy texture even after frying that chews easier than the denser-cut seen heng or the super thin seen savanh. In addition their jaew bong, like all their other products, comes in a seal-tight plastic- and-foil bag, but contains dried shredded pork (called moo foiy, although we like to call it pork fuzz) resulting in a sweeter, smoother paste-like sauce.
Sapsap: Hailing from Mailwaukee, sasap (formerly called Mama's Eggrolls) run by Alex Hanesakda. This is a company all about their sausages, shipped to us were sai gok, Lao-style bratwurst and SapSap sticks.
The sour-cured sai gok was almost akin to som moo, so it could also be used to make nam khao and would provide a more robust flavor thanks to the grilling. However it's the non-tradtional sapsap sticks and their a Lao-style bratwurst, that makes them stand out. Both have a finely minced filling inside a sturdy casing, that blisters well on the grill and pan frying. The brat can be eaten as such, by itself or on a roll, and definitely tastes like Lao flavors though we can't quite put our finger on one prominent ingredient. The hot-dog sized sapsap sticks are flavored with kaffir lime leaves and are spicy (cut them up if you're not sure), must be refrigerated but can be eaten straight out the bag as is, although we prefer them with burnt edges.
Khaolaam LLC: Georgia based, the folks behind Khao Laam have also made appearances at Lao New Year festivals serving up the famous coconut milk sticky rice dessert served inside bamboo shoots. Because they use fresh coconut which has a tendency to go rancid quickly, orders are shipped express and must be placed in the freezer or refrigerator once received. In other words, make room in the icebox and make sure someone's home.