Toronto’s Newest Lao Restaurant Just Opened & Will Transport You To Southeast Asia (PHOTOS)

Toronto's restaurant scene is getting a taste of Laos, and it's bringing all of its tangy and tropical freshness.

This downtown street oasis will transport you to Southeast Asia the minute you walk in the door with decor straight from Laos and recipes from the country's markets.

Owners Jason Jiang and Seng Luong previously founded Sabai Sabai, a Thai restaurant, but this time around, they're ready to share their own culture and stories through Lao food.

"This food just to us feels like home. You know, when the smells and flavours just instantly transport you to your childhood," Luong told Narcity.

"This is something that we can't readily find anywhere, and in restaurants in Toronto, there are very few places that actually do very traditional style Lao food. A lot of them are mixed with Thai and Vietnamese, so we really wanted to set ourselves apart and do a Lao restaurant."

Jiang and Luong were both born in the capital of Laos and immigrated to Toronto's west end, where they grew up in the city's food scene.

Toronto is known for eclectic tastes born from the city's diversity, but Jiang and Luong didn't think Toronto was ready for Lao food – until now.

The Space

Lao Lao Bar was designed to mimic the feeling of Laos, and the restaurant is filled with small nods and tokens from Jiang and Luong's travels and home.

The space seats 110 guests with a main dining room, a private dining room, a bar, and a lower-level lounge with speakeasy vibes.

The man dining area and bar are lit with stunning parasol lights from France that hang like beach umbrellas over the low-level tables, and in the corner, you can spot A fiddle leaf plant brought straight from Jiang and Luong's home.

Dinning area at Lao Lao Bar.Brooke Houghton | Narcity

On the right side of the room, a long bar stretches across the space facing arched windows beaming in natural light.

Dinning room bar at Lao Lao Bar.Brooke Houghton | Narcity

The private dining room is intimate and cozy, with two long tables and lights made from fish traps straight from Laos.

Private dining area at Lao Lao Bar.Brooke Houghton | Narcity

Past the kitchen, a red silkscreen from Luang Prabang Laos shades the chefs busy at work, and then there's the lower-level lounge.

The intimate space has a red leather couch front and centre, a collection of artwork hung from the ceiling to the floor, a handful of tables and a small bar.

Lower level lounge in Lao Lao bar.Brooke Houghton | Narcity

Food

The menu is a robust collection of Lao dishes with a Toronto twist, and there are plenty of small and large plates to dive into hands first.

Although you won't want to order just one item — the menu is meant for family-style sharing, and while cutlery is provided, you're more than welcome to use your hands.

A table of dishes at Lao Lao Bar.Brooke Houghton | Narcity

All the dishes are fresh and flavourful, and in most cases, you can customize each bite to your taste with raw herbs like mint and cilantro, toasted nuts, side sauces, lime, and peppers.

The Tapioca Dumplings ($13) are one of the most popular items on the menu, made with shitake mushrooms, preserved radish and palm sugar.

This vegan dish is eaten in a lettuce wrap, and you can add peanuts, herbs, and chilli pepper to your liking.

Tapioca Dumplings from Lao Lao Bar.Brooke Houghton | Narcity

The Lao Sausages ($20) are made up of hand-chopped pork belly and pair well with a side of sticky rice.

You can grab a chunk of the sausage and a scoop of rice and dip it into a tomato, eggplant or chilli sauce for the perfect bite.

Lao Sausages from Lao Lao Bar.Brooke Houghton | Narcity

Another standout item on the menu is the Crispy Coconut Rice Salad ($23) with fried coconut rice and fermented pork.

This dish is also eaten in a lettuce wrap with the additional choice of a basil leaf, and you can garnish your wrap with herbs, peanuts, lime, and chilli pepper.

Crispy Coconut Rice Salad from Lao Lao Bar.Brooke Houghton | Narcity

Drinks

The bar has an impressive cocktail and wine list with plenty of tropical flavours.

The Vang Vieng Lagoon ($17) is made with coconut rum and simple pineapple syrup and basically tastes like an elevated piña colada with a smooth finish.

The Golden Triangle and The Vang Vieng Lagoon at Lao Lao Bar.Brooke Houghton | Narcity

The Golden Triangle ($18) is slightly less sweet and tarter, with pear soju, amaro nonino and pomelo juice.

Lao Lao Bar officially opened on March 1, 2023, and opens at 4:30 p.m. every night.

Lao Lao Bar

A cocktail at Lao Lao Bar.

Brooke Houghton | Narcity

Price: 💸💸

Cuisine: Lao

Where: 5 St. Joseph St., Retail #5, Toronto, ON

Why you need to go: To try the fresh and tropical flavours of Laos right here in Toronto.

Menu