Vietnamese cuisine is one of the cuisines that I have never tried in Dubai before, though I’ve tried it couple of times in USA. There are very few Vietnamese restaurants in Dubai. So this Friday, I had a dinner date with my hubby at LAO.
Located in the beautiful property of Waldorf Astoria in Palm Jumeirah, LAO is a Vietnamese restaurant. Their Vietnamese chef Mai, uses traditional cooking techniques with modern presentations developing unique and sensory experiences.
The restaurant is named after the Lao tribe that settled across Southeast Asia in 1st Millennium. LAO reflects the rich culinary traditions of the Lao people and heavily inspired by the natural beauty and intrinsic cuisine of Vietnam.
The restaurant is spacious and offers indoor and outdoor dining space. The outdoor dining area overlooks the hotel’s stunning central gardens. The interiors of the restaurant is contemporary, classy and sophisticated.
LAO has a huge open kitchen, a nice bar and a private dining area as well. The beautiful setting of the restaurant is good for an intimate dinner with family and friends.
Their menu is vast and diverse. We started with their drinks first. Their signature cocktails came highly recommended, so we ordered La Hanoi and Lao Mojito. Both of their signature cocktails were well crafted and tasted incredibly refreshing.
Being a vegetarian, I was not disappointed by their vegetarian options. Here’s my grassy perspective of the food in LAO:
While we were having our drinks, we were offered a complimentary platter of Rice Crackers with Yuzu Sauce.
Appetizers
As our appetizer, we ordered Banh bot loc rau or crystal dumpling. The dumplings were stuffed with mixed veggies and spinach. It was the usual kind of dumpling that you get in most of the Far Eastern restaurants.
Goi cuon rau or fresh roll(veg) was served cold and it was fantastic. Rice paper rolls were packed with mixed veggies, mushrooms and herbs. It was served with a tangy yuzu sauce.
Dau Xien Nuong or Tofu skewer was one of the many standout dishes we tried in LAO. I am sure even the hardcore meat lovers will relish their Tofu skewer.
Banh xeo which is also known as Saigon crepe is a popular street snack in Vietnam. It had crisp golden crepe filled with bean sprouts, veggies and garden herbs. This savory crepe was filled with amazing taste and flavor. And comes totally recommended.
Main Course
Vietnamese usually have soup as their main course and we decided to do the same. A Vietnamese meal is incomplete without having Pho or noodles soup.
We ordered Pho Chay which is a vegetable noodle soup. It had delicious broth with chewy noodles, crunchy veggies and fresh herbs. We loved the hearty Pho.
Pho xao rau thap cam or stir fried noodles with veggies was delicious.
As a side veg dish, we also ordered Rau Muong xao kang kong. It had stir fried spinach, garlic with Tofu.
Dessert
Nep or grilled banana with homemade coconut ice cream and peanuts tasted heavenly. What a great way to end our scrumptious dinner at LAO.
We truly enjoyed our dining experience at LAO. Loved the distinct and delicious flavor of the dishes that we tried. Our dinner was complemented by the impeccable service, beautiful ambience and warm hospitality.
For reservations call: 04 818 2222 or email Dubai.restaurants@waldorfastoria.com
P.S- All photos are my own,except the cover photo. The picture credits of the cover photo goes to LAO.
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