Smile, because you'll be eating delectable dishes if you eat at Smile Lao Thai! I drive by this area all the time and had never ventured into this part of the shopping plaza until I saw all the lovely photos of delicious food here on Yelp. It's a small little restaurant off to the side a few doors down from Subway next to a pawn shop. They are still so new that they don't have official signage up, but don't let that stop you from enjoying their menu!
The restaurant is beautifully appointed with serene accents of dark wood, lush purple and jewel toned green. We were greeted warmly by the chef/owner who was also multitasking today as our server and we had our pick of comfy booths and tables.
The menu features a tour of various Southeastern Asian cuisines, with Thai, Vietnamese, and Laotian dishes. We had the vegetable eggroll appetizer and shared a tom yum fried rice and pad pet. The appetizer was decent, with cabbage, glass noodles, and carrot. It was fried until golden brown and served with a sweet sauce. The chef, upon hearing I like to kick up the spice level, brought out a condiment tray with sweet chili sauce, savory chili sauce, sriracha, and soy sauce. Awesome! I loved the combination of the different chili sauces with the sweet dipping sauce the rolls came with.
The dishes were a lovely sight to behold, with unique vegetables you typically don't see in your usual Thai restaurant such as Thai eggplant and beech(?) mushrooms. The tom yum fried rice was amazing, with tender chicken, vegetables, and the bold tom yum flavor running through the rice. I enjoyed the pad pet as well, a Laotian red curry dish, and I was excited to try a taste of Laotian cuisine. We talked with the chef, and it was clear she holds a lot of pride and passion in presenting real Asian cuisine just like you would eat if you were visiting one of the countries represented at this restaurant.
I also indulged in a rich, almost syrupy Thai coffee, a strong potent elixir that was smooth and had a perfect amount of sweetness. It was served iced in a large glass that was satisfying to drink with our meals.
Our total for the iced coffee, appetizer and 2 entrees was a little less than $30.
Stop by and try them out. They have lunch specials right now for $8, and this is probably the only place in the Phoenix area where you will find a true taste of Laotian cuisine!