Vientiane Cafe

Providing an array of traditional Laotian and Thai delicacies supplemented with a few fusion themed entrees, Vientiane Café served as a perfect Saturday night BYO destination.  The restaurant is located at 47th and Baltimore in the Cedar Park neighborhood of West Philadelphia. Although Vientiane is a bit of a trek from campus, it was definitely worth the walk.

We started our meal with appetizers: steamed shrimp dumplings and vegetable dumplings served with chili garlic soy sauce. The dipping sauce added the right amount of kick in flavoring. I preferred the shrimp to the vegetable dumplings.

The entrees lived up to their expectation. I ordered the yellow curry chicken with sticky rice.  Complemented with potatoes, broccoli, carrots and chili pepper, my meal tasted flavorful. Although I would have preferred a little more spiciness, I still enjoyed the entrée.

Next, homemade sausages had a very alternative flavor loaded with pork, spices, lemon grass and kaffir leaves. The kaffir leaves provided an undertone of lime while the lemon grass gave a varied consistency- definitely different from the average sausage!

Like the yellow curry chicken, the red curry chicken supplied both seasoning and kick. The meal was prepared with onions, bell peppers, chili, broccoli, carrots and sticky rice.

We truly enjoyed our Southeast Asian excursion. The items on the menu were reasonably priced and the restaurant provided good service. I would recommend the restaurant as a great location to host a BYO dinner. If you’re looking for some flavorful and exotic fare, Vientiane Café is the place to dine.

-Ashlee Burris