01 The TripPacker's Review
Pen Laos: Being Laotian for lunch
Just mentioning the names somtum, khao nieow, and gai yang are enough to get Thais drooling and their appetite going. If you feel the same, Pen Laos is one shop you don’t want to miss if you happen to be in Khao Yai. Although these typical Thai dishes can easily be found almost anywhere, finding a restaurant that prepares it just right is hard to find.
Make sure you always
- A counter with fresh vegetables is available for you to serve yourself.
- The weekend brings in a lot of customers therefore service will be slow and parking space may be full.
Here is a list of dishes that you will want to order once you get a table at Pen Laos. First and foremost is Somtum Thai Sai Poo – Thai papaya salad with crab. This dish has the right amount of intense spicy, sour, and salty flavor. If you are not a fan of crab, you can order the dish without any. Second dish is Larb Moo Tod – fried pork salad. The ‘larb’ salad is made with small bits of rice that add flavor and texture, and many herbs. For meat eaters, don’t forget to order Sua Rong Hai and Gai Yang Korat. Sua Rong Hai is grilled beef, and Gai Yang Korat is grilled chicken Korat-style. Last recommended dish is Phad Mee Korat – stir-fried noodles Korat-style. All of these dishes are best eaten with sticky rice. Unlike other somtum restaurants, Pen Laos only provides black sticky rice because of its greater nutritional value than white sticky rice. These five dishes should be enough to keep you full (and possibly coming back for more later). While waiting for your food to arrive, quench your thirst with a refreshing glass of honey-lemon soda.
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Somtum Thai Sai Poo - Thai papaya salad with crab
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Larb Moo Tod - Fried pork larb salad
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Phad Mee Korat - Stir-fried noodles Korat-style
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Black sticky rice
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Honey-lemon Soda
If you were wondering why a restaurant in Thailand is called ‘pen laos’ (translated: to be Laotian), it’s because the group of friends who opened the restaurant all have Laotian roots. The restaurant is open-air and fairly big. Despite the size, the restaurant fills up very quickly on the weekend because of its good food. This also means that the waiting queue is long if you come late.
02 General Info + How to go
Pen Laos Restaurant
| Address | : | 7/1 Moo 10, Phansuk - Kudkla Rd., Musi Sub-district, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30130 |
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| GPS | : | 14.543450, 101.334467 |
| Contact no. | : | 083 461 3666 |
| Website | : | http://www.penlaos.com/home |
| Recommend menu | : |
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| Numble of table | : | 60-70 tables |
| Opening Hrs. | : | 09.00- 18.00 |
| Payment | : | Cash |
| Parking | : | In front of the restaurant |
How to get there
From Bangkok, take Mittapap road to Nakhon Ratchasima province. Drive past the intersection to Pak Chong district a little further and stay left to take the overpass to Thanarat road. Continue towards Khao Yai for another 10 or so kilometers. Turn right on ?? road and you will see the restaurant nearby Primo Posto.
