My husband and I just moved to Madison, and used Yelp to start scouring the city's restaurants. Our first stop was Lao Laan-Xang and it did not disappoint! I'm not sure that I can say anything that hasn't been said, but couldn't pass up giving praise to this amazing restaurant.
We dined at the location on Williamson street - which other people have noted is TINY. I think I counted maybe 10 tables at most - some of them being only 2 tops. I liked the atmosphere, though - and we saw an older woman cooking in the kitchen in back. This only added to the experience!
The servers are extremely nice and were helpful in suggesting items off of the menu. We started with the Kang Gai for 2 (served in a very cool-looking dish that keeps it hot) and it was to.die.for. It had a few too many mushrooms for my taste, but that aside - the flavor was excellent & I enjoyed the soup just as much the next day when I reheated it. I've had Kang Gai at many other Thai or Laotian restaurants and this was the best I've had yet.
We also split an order of the crab rangoon. While it was tasty, I wouldn't say that it was anything above and beyond anything your average Chinese restaurant would serve.
My husband had the stuffed chicken wings in a peanut & curry sauce which was delicious. Huge portion - definitely could have been split both ways. The broccoli served with the dish mixed in the peanut sauce could have been a meal in itself.
I ordered the mango curry with chicken and it was honestly one of the best meals of my life. They adjust the level of spicyness to your liking, and medium definitely cleared out my sinuses. The chicken was perfectly cooked, the sauce was delicious, and the mango and potatoes were tender. A+
Overall, I'd give Lao Laan-Xang an A rating. The only thing keeping them from the A+ is that their sodas were served in cans vs. a fountain machine. It has absolutely nothing to do with their cuisine or quality of food, but there are few things I enjoy more than a delicious fountain drink with dinner!