Lao Der

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Lao Food in Irving Park

Chicago's food scene lost another person in it's ever shrinking food media collection as Steve Dolinsky has called it quits at NBC5 Chicago where he spent the last four years after switching over from ABC7 where he reported as 'The Hungry Hound' from 2003 to 2021. During his time as a "food reporter" for both news stations Dolinsky would often shed light on the city's smaller mom and pop operations, often of the international variety, as well as new up and coming businesses ran by younger up and coming chefs. I joined Steve for many a meals and consider him a friend so take my words for what you will but his absence will be missed. Especially by the crowd of Chicagoan's who might not be plugged into social media but do watch the news and like to try new restaurants when they learn of them. Steve taught many Chicagoan's how to dig deep into our world class food scene whether it was a hip and happening place like Siam Thai in the South Loop which was one of his last stories (we ate there together) or a mom and pop operation like today's stop. Lao Der recently became the only Lao restaurant in the city proper when it opened in April. This a place I'm positive Steve would've done a story on and deservedly so as Lao is a cuisine we were lacking in Chicago.

Recently Opened in Irving Park 

Considering that there's a nice sized Lao population in the Midwest it's rather surprising that Lao Der is the city's first true Lao restaurant. We have had pop-ups and ghost kitchens but not a brick and mortar such as this. There's a good number of Lao restaurants in Wisconsin and Minnesota but there's not a ton of them in Illinois. In fact there's only one in the immediate Chicagoland area out in Burbank but Spicy Thai Lao only has a few Lao dishes from a non-pork eating chef. So before Lao Der opened you basically had to drive all the way out to Elgin to get Lao food in the form of 'Sai Kok' or 'Laab Moo Lao'. It took a minute but the "Lao Food Movement" has reached the city proper. The "Lao Food Movement" was popularized by Seng Luangrath, the chef and co-owner of Washington D.C's Thip Khao, she's considered to be the "Godmother of Laotian Cuisine in America" as she was a pioneer in showcasing the flavors of Laos in the U.S. I still remember the first time I had Lao food as a college kid in Madison and then again at Thip Khao in D.C. I've been a big fan since then, so this is pretty exciting getting a Lao restaurant, and LAO SAUSAGE, so close to home.

Lao Sausage aka Sai Oua at Lao Der

Much like Northern Thai cuisine (and Isan too) Lao food is known for its bold and flavorful dishes that often feature a mix of sweet and sour and spicy and salty flavors. Much like Vietnamese cuisine it's known for a strong emphasis on a bounty of fresh herbs. Though considered simpler than it's Southeast Asian counterparts Lao food is often less toned down in terms of spicing. Whenever I go to a Lao restaurant it's a must to start with the Lao Sausage which goes by Sai Kok. Lao food is already underrated as it is so most people out there don't know the deliciousness that a piece of Sai Kok can bring. If you've had Thai sausage in the form of 'Sai Ua' or 'Sai Krok Isan' than you've had something similar but Lao sausage often features turmeric and almost always comes served the same way which is slitted, fried, and served alongside sticky rice and jeow som (sour dipping sauce). Lao sausage is excellent as is - it's herbaceous and often has a bit of funk. It should have heavy hints of lime leaf, galangal, lemongrass, cilantro, and shallots and it's typically less coarsely ground than most other encased meat but it really comes together with Jeow sauce which commonly consists of fresh garlic, chiles, lime juice, sugar, and fish sauce all ground together with a mortar and pestle. The Lao sausage at Lao Der, who's owners come from the hub of Vientiane, is served with 'Jeow Mak Len' which is a roasted tomato based jeow sauce with a thicker texture and it’s fantastic paired with a slice of sausage and some sticky rice. They also serve Esan sausage which are little balls of sausage full of garlic and black pepper flavor served with cabbage and peanuts and is also very good. 

Esan Sausage at Lao Der

I've visited Lao Der twice now and have enjoyed everything I've tried. It's a pretty standard menu as far as the Lao dishes go but they seem to do all the classics really well. The crispy fried Lao Wings further solidified my feelings of Asian fried wings being far better than their American counterparts. Perfectly sized wings (not too big) are tossed in a mix of fish sauce, sugar and tamarind and topped with crispy garlic. These are some of my new favorite wings in town right now. Both times I visited they had a couple specials which on one visit was a spicy Lao style beef jerky which was crisp from a trip to the fryer and pungent from the lemongrass, garlic and chili powder it was rubbed with before it was fried. It also comes served with their delicious roasted tomato based jeow sauce. With summer seemingly near I'm glad to have easy access to Lao style Larb - also spelled laab, laap, larp, and lahb. Larb is traditional minced meat salad that's considered the national dish of Laos. It's known for its bold and botanical flavors and can be made with a variety of proteins including beef, pork, duck and chicken tossed with lime juice, fermented fish sauce, ground rice, and lots of fresh herbs. The 'Lab Gai' at Lao Der will be a go-to of mine in those dog days of summer as it taste even better cold out of the fridge the next day. You can't go wrong with any of these appetizers. 

Lao Wings

Lao Der Jerky

Lab Gai (diced chicken) at Lao Der

I consider Southeast Asia to be one of the worlds great soup regions as every country there has some fantastic noodle soups, including Laos. While Vietnam is the birthplace of Pho it's not the only spot where it's enjoyed. Laos has it's own adapted version due to the close proximity of the two countries. Pho gained popularity in Laos due to an influx of Vietnamese people combined with the fact Vietnam and Laos share cultural influences including food. Lao-style Pho adds sugar and a unique set of toppings including lime juice, chili peppers in oil, fried garlic, and a roasted peanut sauce. I thought the 'Lao Pho Beef' at Lao Der was decent as is but it really improved with the addition of the condiments it came with including the aforementioned peanut sauce. The broth was subtle without the extra stuff but it improved greatly with it. They use a combo of medium rare sliced beef and meatballs neither of which stood out plus they seemed to have forgotten the roasted tomatoes listed with it. 

'Lao Pho Beef' at Lao Der

The Lao style chicken noodle soup is the better pick of the soups. It's listed as 'Khao Piek Sen' on the and described as "homemade rice noodle, onion and cilantro, fried shallots, black pepper, homemade chicken meatball served in flavorful chicken broth" - flavorful is an understatement. That broth is some of the richest I've come across in Chicago. It's clearly home made with the sliced skin on chicken it comes with cooked in it. It tastes like Khao Man Gai in soup form. Khao Man Gai being the Thai version of Hainanese chicken rice (poached chicken served with a rice cooked in the broth). There were two other standouts in this fantastic bowl of soup: the meatballs and the noodles themselves. You could tell the meatballs were homemade from their delicate shape and the noodles are also made in-house which is easily distinguishable thanks to a terrifically chewy texture. This might be the best chicken noodle soup in town but don't wait until you're feeling under the weather to try it. We need more Lao food in Chicago but we may not get it if Lao Der isn’t welcomed with open arms.

Khao Piek Sen at Lao Der

Lao Der
3922 N Elston Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(872) 241-4879
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