For my birthday dinner, I requested Bhan Mae Vane. I had heard wonderful things, and as a fan of Laotian food, I wanted to come with my family to see the hype. We came on a weekday evening, and it was packed! The sound travels here so that it can get really loud and busy. The inside is super casual with seating for large or smaller groups. The service by the staff was good. Our food came out quickly, and everyone was friendly and checked in on us. We ordered the Tom Kha, Nam Khao, Fried Clear Rice Paper Roll Wraps, Pineapple Khao Pad, and Geng Ka Ree. Everything was fabulous! Lots of great flavors and spices. The portion sizes were spot on. My favorite was the Nam Khao and the Fried Clear Rice Paper Roll Wraps. I love the bite-sized and sharing family-style. My companion and family also enjoyed it. If you like Laotian food, Bhan Mae Vane is a must-try in the East Bay! Find them off Webster Street with street and neighborhood parking. I look forward to going back! read more

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Do you like the funk? Our server explained to us the Lao version is more funky and fermented, while the Thai version is more mellow. We went with the Lao version. The Thai iced coffee was delicious and strong! As it should be. It did give me the jitters though because I'm a weak sauce. We were a party of ten and I was able to make rezzies via phone for a Friday evening at 6:30pm no problem about a week beforehand. The kiddos ordered à la carte, and five of us adults had the following: - BMV ultimate papaya platter with Lao sausage, angel wings and crispy pork. Crispy pork was legit, papaya salad definitely had that extra funk. The angel wings were crispy and meaty and my friends loved the Lao sausage. One even said "it's like tom yum soup in a sausage". It was very lemongrass forward which is not my thing, but that's my problem. I feel we could have ordered à la carte and that would have been a better deal than $75 for the platter. Some of it was fluff like the cabbage, rice and pork rinds. - Khao soy soup: Fiancé thought it would be creamy and coconut-y like the Thai version but it wasn't. I did enjoy the flat noodles but they were all stuck together. - Pia pla ka pow (fish with basil): Good one. The fish was moist and flavorful. The veggies were al dente and delicious too. - Sakoo: Unique! I enjoyed the chewy mochi exterior and the savory ground pork filling. It needed a sauce. I just used the chili sauce that was on the party platter. - Laab Gai: This fell flat for me. I'm not a huge fan of organs though. - Nam khao fried rice: One of our favorites! The crispy pieces really made this dish. Would definitely order this again. - Mango sticky rice: Served warm. Very sweet mango! - Purple rice with egg custard: Also served warm. This was ok. - Side of rice: HUGE serving! Unfortunately it was clumpy and hard, which means old. Street parking only. Get the nam khao and mango sticky rice! read more

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Came here on a rainy day with my family to enjoy an anniversary lunch. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is small, but it has high ceilings, and the tables were somewhat close together. They were not so close that you could hear other diners' conversations. The restaurant appeared clean and modern.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Parking can be difficult. It's street-side parking, and we had to drive around a bit to find a spot, but when we did, it was worth the short walk. Customer service was good. We got there right at opening, were seated immediately, and over the course of about an hour, the restaurant began filling up. We weren't always checked on, but that didn't bother me. Now for the food. We ordered nam khao rice, crispy pork belly, papaya salad Lao style, fried wings, sticky rice, and steamed rice. The nam khao rice was our favorite dish. It was incredibly flavorful and seasoned well, and the herbs and lettuce served alongside the rice were both crunchy and refreshing. They complemented the rice very well. I still think about this dish often. 5/5, would recommend. The crispy pork belly was my son's favorite. We also thought it was good, especially the dipping sauce that accompanied the protein. One downside is that it doesn't come with rice, which I find odd because most Asian dishes are traditionally served with rice. This is the main reason why we purchased a side of sticky rice and steamed rice. This is also the second Thai/Laos restaurant I've been to on the West Coast that sells rice separately from an entree. I find that odd. While it was delicious and had a nice crunch, it also left something to be desired. 3.5/5. The papaya salad Lao style ranked second for favorite dish of the day. I haven't had papaya salad in decades, and this took me straight back to Hmong New Year and my childhood. I respect and appreciate that Bhan Mae Vane delivers on authentic flavors unique to Laos food without holding back. It was served with cabbage, noodles, and pork rinds. 5/5, highly recommend. The chicken wings were mainly for my daughters, as they are picky eaters, but from a small bite, I would say they're good. I would skip them if you can help it, though, because there are other dishes worth exploring and trying. My daughters enjoyed them and had no complaints. They were crunchy, flavorful, and cooked well. With that said, because I only had a small bite, it doesn't seem fair to give them a rating. Overall, 4.5/5. I would return and explore their menu. Because the flavors are explosive in the nam khao rice and papaya salad, I'm excited to try more from them. read more

My daughter suggested this place that I would be interested as having served in southeast states during the Vietnam war. I love the food over there and I had the advantage of tasting it homemade so when I go to restaurants here I have a little bit more of an educated pallet. The menu is offering quite a few things that I would've liked to have tried, but there will be more visits in the future. So I got my order. I looked at it. The presentation was very nice. Everyone at the table shared with they were eating and I really enjoyed my experience here. I recommend this place to all who appreciate food from this part of the world. I'd like to return here soon. read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

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Previously a Chinese restaurant, now serves dishes with options in Laotian or Thai style. The food was delicious and portions hearty. Food came out quick too! On the main drag in Alameda. read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Crispy pork - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

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I dined at Bhan Mae Vane with a group of 8 and had the opportunity to try out a large variety of dishes. Between our group, we got Sakoo, Nam Khao, Fried Clear Rice Roll Wraps, Sai Oua (Lao Sausages), Crispy Pork Belly, Pad Kee Mao, and a large side of Sticky Rice. Of the dishes, the Nam Khao was a standout favorite for me. I loved how crispy and crunchy the fried rice was in the dish. There were so many layers of flavors and textures from the fish sauce, the peanuts, and the fermented sour pork. If there's one dish you must order when you stop by here, it's this one. Another dish I really enjoyed was the Sai Oua; I get this dish whenever I see it at restaurants. Although I've had Lao sausages which were very heavy in lemongrass flavor, the ones here did not have the same flavor profile. Instead, the ones here leaned more towards the spicy side. The crispy pork belly was another standout dish for me. If you enjoy Filipino lechon or Cantonese siu yuk, this is another must-order dish. The pork is well seasoned and has the perfect ratio of lean to fatty parts. Overall, I had wonderfully delicious meal. I would certainly recommend coming as a large group so you're able to order a wide variety of dishes. If you're looking for something to really excite your taste buds, head over to Bhan Mae Vane. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]It is a spacious restaurant with a loud atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The tables are spaced closely together so it feels a little tight, but the high ceilings help.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Nam khao - the flavors are nice and doesn't feel too heavy. The fermented pork is light and the peanuts and rice make up a lot of the texture. the rice is crispy, but it is the type of crispy where it sticks together. - pork rinds were fluffy crispy - juicy wings - fresh flavorful sausage - crispy and juicy pork belly Service:3.8 Ambiance:3.5 Food:4.5 The food came out quickly, but the service was slow. They were slow to refill waters. read more

Bhan Mae Vane - BMV Ultimate Papaya Platter - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

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We went here today about 12:30, no wait and seat right away, always great food with nice staff, had a pleasant lunchtime :) read more

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I've been on a tear lately. I've been finding really good eats. This is only my 2nd-3rd time eating Laotian food so I'm still getting used to it. I like how this place also serves Thai. Here's my take and my favorites: Food (5 stars) + Laos sausage is excellent. It has a hint of sweetness and lots of interesting spices that I cannot make out. Herby in a good way. + Nam Khao is a crispy coconut rice dish. It takes some getting used to as I was just meh the first time having it, but I'm loving it now. I likened this dish to a coconut fried rice with bits of meat. + Chicken curry is a typical Thai dish. I love how it stays piping hot even at the end of our meal. ~ Chicken wings are standard here. I can skip it next time. ~ Seen Lod is a dried beef dish that I thought was just mid. ~ Larb is a Thai salad with lots of meat. It has a hint of sour flavors likely from fish sauce and lime. It's OK for my buds, but not a favorite. Service/Ambiance (4+ stars) + We were a party of 6 and we were seated promptly on a Sunday evening + [[HIGHLIGHT]]Storefront is welcoming with its bright double doors with contrasting gray walls[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] + No problem parking in the back since the spa next door is already closed by dinner time read more

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Mid and expensive. Meat in the Khao Soy was tough and kinda going bad? Tom Kha was overpriced -- what do you mean it's $20 without meat and $4 to add chicken? Took longer to get appetizer than the entrees Pork egg rolls were basically meatless read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Appetizer Platter - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

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UPDATE: They kindly reached out to apologize and refunded us partially. -- The server and I talked in depth about my dietary restrictions while ordering and I was still served a dish with an ingredient that I should not have been. Another server checked with the kitchen and realized their mistake but it was too late. Both the cooks and server did not do the due diligence to check, and in turn I was left with an allergic reaction and health issues. I was offered a replacement of my original food and no refund. It was disappointing given I'd been excited to come try this place, and even waited around town for their afternoon opening hours. I will not be back and will not recommend to people I know. read more

My favorite dish when I go back home is khao piak so I had to try it here. Broth was flavored well, but it did not have too much noodles with chicken slices. It was mainly all soup. Thai iced coffee tasted similar to Vietnamese iced coffee. The crispy pork belly was yums and I usually have it with sticky rice and Thai chili pepper. Loved that they had a Thai chili pepper mixed fish sauce option. Parking is street parking so a little difficult. No wifi and clean bathroom that looks like a stock room. Will be back to try saku sai moo :) Thanks! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Good food, nice place, and very fast service![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is nice and spacious too.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It is good for groups, I saw multiple large groups.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

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First time here and definitely want to return! I ordered nam khao to-go. Fresh and delicious, plus a plentiful portion! A gem on Webster Street. read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Nam Khao - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

Really enjoyed the well-executed and authentic food here! The portions are also so huge! 10/10: green curry 10/10: crispy rice entree Would definitely come back to try the rest of their entrees and appetizers. Everything looks delicious. read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Geng Kiew Wan (Green Curry) - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

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Went for Mother's Day and was not disappointed! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is cute with good customer service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was delicious and portion sizes are quite large. We ordered pad se ew, pad thai, green curry, egg roles, rice ball salad, and the spicy fried chicken wings. Everything was flavorful and would order every item again. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]We came on a Saturday so it was super busy![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] However, definitely worth the wait. The yellow curry is so good and I recommend getting it with the side of sticky rice! The fried chicken wings were so crispy! The papaya salad took a really long time but worth it. It was delicious!!!!!! My mom loves this restaurant too! read more

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Food - Decent food with HUGE portions. Can add and remove proteins and the menu has great variety. Service - Fast service and friendly waitstaff Ambiance - [[HIGHLIGHT]]Standard restaurant vibes, good for small groups or even a casual date[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

This was our second time & food was great as always. Big servings so we enjoyed more the next day. Reasonably priced & good selection in menu. Nice Laotian place in Alameda. read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

Bhan Mae Vane is a top-tier Lao/Mien restaurant in Alameda. My mom is from Laos and says the food here is very authentic. I usually come with friends and order family-style. I visited last Friday, so this review is based on that experience. We arrived around 6:15 PM and only waited about 5-10 minutes for a table, which is quicker than usual. They're typically very busy during dinner hours. We ordered five dishes for four people: the appetizer sampler, sakoo, nam khao, beef red curry, and chicken with eggplant. The appetizer sampler includes fried tofu, shrimp in a blanket, and egg rolls (pork or vegetable). The fried tofu was a bit plain... even with the peanut and sweet-and-sour sauces, it lacked flavor. This is probably something I'd skip next time. The sakoo is a tapioca dumpling stuffed with pork. If you've never had it before, I'd recommend trying it at least once. I personally wish it had more filling, but it was still enjoyable. My favorite dish by far is the nam khao. It's a crispy rice salad with Lao sausage, peanuts, and crunchy rice bits, served with lettuce. It's easily the best thing on the menu--sour and salty with great texture. The combination of crunchy and soft elements, along with spicy, tangy, savory flavors, really shines. The beef red curry and chicken with eggplant were solid but unremarkable--around a B-. Overall, I'd highly recommend Bhan Mae Vane if you're looking for authentic, flavorful Lao/Thai food. read more

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First time coming in. Two of us went on a Sunday night around 7 PM. It was quite busy which was a good sign that people really like this place as it's the night before going back to work. We also noticed a variety of people from different backgrounds eating there. They have a pretty large space so we were sat within 10 minutes. We noticed that the workers are extremely friendly and efficient in the way that the restaurant is run. They took our order very quick and because it seems like lots of people are ordering different plates, there seems to be a big flow in the kitchen. We received our food pretty fast. We ordered the crispy pork belly, pad, Thai with shrimp and the khao soy, everything was super flavorful. I do think that the pork belly crispy skin was a little too crispy where it took a little bit more time to chew. However, the flavor was super good. We enjoyed the flavors of the soup with the pork balls and really liked their side chili and vinegar. I definitely think this restaurant is meant for bigger groups because the plates are big so I'm excited to go with more people so we can try more food. read more

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Little parking/street parking and will be a bit of a challenge Interior is minimalistic but clean and organized Went on Dec 23rd, yes it's busy but it will always be busy Very popular and very well worth the wait We walked in being the first 5 tables and after we finished ordering, the whole restaurant is filled and people outside waiting already Food and service is just wonderful I will say, unless you book ahead of time, just come in as soon as they open because there will be a long waitlist With the December rush, we didn't wait much and everything came out hot, fresh and delicious. My family loved everything and had so much leftovers. read more

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Let me start off with all the good things: 1. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Interior was beautiful, the sunlight filtering in through the windows gave it a bright clean energy[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] 2. My thai tea and pork egg rolls were delicious- I could have eaten an entire platter of them lol 3. The texture of the laap gai looked really good and my brother said it was nice and spicy (he ordered it 'medium') 4. The Phatty Combo was a good size!! Easily shareable for 2-3 people 5. The mango sticky rice was sooooo good!! My reason for taking away 2 stars was that I walked away from the experience stressed tf out. I had ordered the Khao Poon Gai and the menu stated it was vermicelli noodles. I'm expecting the noodles in Vietnamese cuisine since that's where I get vermicelli noodle dishes. The noodles that came out were really thick and not what I was expecting or wanting. I asked the server if she could take it back and she was confrontational about it. The way she approached the conversation literally made everyone at the table uncomfortable and she must have said something bc the manager or lead person came to the table to explain that the noodles were the Laotian version of vermicelli noodles, which is absolutely fine but I didn't want them and explained I didn't mind paying for them but I just didn't want them. So not only was my stress up from the first time but then I had to continue explaining why I didn't want something. TLDR: food was good, but when asked to remove something from the table, I felt like I was a bad person for having a preference read more

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So good! The place was amazing and the food was so yummy! The food wasn't too heavy like a lot of other Thai food places. It was busy so I would recommend planning on waiting for a bit. This is a place I would bring other people to! read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Noddles - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

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Highly recommend this place. So many delicious options of food! The place is clean and nicely decorated. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. They made some great suggestions, and everything was exceptional! Looks forward to going back. read more

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We were touring around Alameda and needed a break for sustenance. What a cute local place for delicious Thai food! We ordered pad kee mow with fried tofu and pad see ew with soft tofu. I asked our kind server if I could get it with soft tofu and she was able to accommodate my request. The portions are generous so one dish would've easily satisfied us both but we wanted to try both dishes. The servers are so nice and the food is so good! read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

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We came here for an afterwork dinner gathering with a group of 12, and made a reservation ahead of time. When we arrived, we were seated quickly. We ordered a bunch of dishes, so I'll review the ones that I remember. I had the Pad Se Ew, Pad Thai, Angel Wings, Spicy Wings, Tom Kha, and the BMV Ultimate Papaya Platter. Pad Se Ew, the fried flat wide rice noodles with black soy sauce, broccoli, and eggs. I really liked the flavor, and the noodle texture was to my liking. Pad Thai, the fried thin rice noodles with tamarind sauce, tofu, eggs, and bean sprouts. Unlike Pad Se Ew, this dish felt a bit mediocre, the flavor was pretty bland. Both Angel Wings and Spicy Wings tasted great; the crunch and seasoning were spot on. Tom Kha, a coconut soup with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and fresh mushrooms, chicken or shrimp. Really creamy and delicious. The BMV Ultimate Papaya Platter came with papaya salad, pork rinds, noodles, cabbage, and sticky rice. You can choose up to 3 proteins and a type of papaya salad, like Thai or Lao. We had the Thai Papaya salad with 2 crispy pork and angel wings. The papaya salad was really fragrant and paired well with the crispy pork, which helped cleanse the palate. The crispy pork had a strong umami flavor, with the rich fattiness of the meat itself. You could smell the roasted meat and rendered fat. aroma. Also, their Thai Iced Green Tea and Beerlao are worth a try! read more

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Been looking forward to trying this lao place, especially their specialty dishes. Restaurant is clean and aesthetic. Staff was attentive. Surprisingly there was no wait and plenty of open tables on a Sunday at 12:30pm, but was packed by the time we were done at 1:30. Sakoo consisted of 12 glutinous tapioca ball filled with savory minced meat, veggie and crushed peanuts. The laap see salad consists of ground beef with a small head of lettuce. I like that the beef was not seasoned with too much salt or msg because I didnt feel thirsty after eating the meal like I would from other places. Portions were decent for size, ranging around $18-20 per dish, also considering some dishes are not available at all Lao places. Hoping to come back to try the 3 meat platter and the other lao specialties read more

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We arrived here on a Saturday around 12:30 for lunch. There was a slight wait for party of 2. It was packed. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It had nice ambiance. Very big and and plenty of seating. It was also very clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were excited to try this place as my bf is Thai and Lao. Overall pretty close to being authentic and home made but it was more modern tasting. Would come back to eat and try more dishes. Got a nice selection of chilis and hot sauces which included sambal oelek, prik nam pla and chili flakes/oil. Ordered the Thai green tea. It was unique, I thought it was matcha but it was a different kind of green tea. The sakoo was unique and something I've never tried before. It was too much tapioca. I wish there was more meat. Pad see ew was classic and very good. Not super overly sweet with too much oyster sauce in Americanized restaurants. Vegetables were more like that of drunken noodle though and didn't have Chinese broccoli. The fried clear rice roll wraps were my favorite! So light and crispy. The fried rice rolls had great flavor and was so refreshing wrapped with the lettuce and mint. The mok pla was delicious. It was very strong in lemongrass flavor and spicy too. Fish was cooked perfectly and so soft. The spicy wings was okay. A little bit too much sauce for me. read more

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An absolute gem in Alameda! We had a table for two and the wait wasn't long at all. Service was quick and friendly, food didn't take long to come out and it was high quality and fresh. Inside can get loud but that's because it's usually very busy. The spring rolls were massive and well worth it as an appetizer, definitely recommend! Papaya platter is the way to go if you have 2-3. We got the pork belly, wings, and short ribs (a little extra $ but was WORTH). Everything was delicious, absolutely zero complaints. There is a reason this place has amazing reviews and is usually packed no matter what day of the week. Pictures speak for themselves. We will be going back very soon! read more

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From a takeout perspective, I'm rating 5 stars. I haven't had the chance to dine in yet but I can't wait! I was out with a friend looking for something to eat and thankfully they were still open in the area. They close at 9. Last chance to dine in is 30 minutes before closing and we missed that window, but we were still able to order takeout as last call to place a takeout order is 15mins before closing. I ordered the garlic noodles with beef and a side of white rice. My friend ordered the pad se ew and we both grabbed Thai tea for drinks. The flavors were immaculate and the Thai tea was really refreshing. We were able to wait inside the restaurant until our food was ready. The interior decor is bright and beautiful. They have these beautiful hanging lamps that I could not stop staring at. read more

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This place has had exception reviews from everywhere and on every list of places to visit when it came to Laotian/Thai food. However, I was a bit underwhelmed after all the hyped that was built up for this place. While everything was good, it wasn't particularly special. The sakoo was a bit disappointing as the flavors we not as complex as some other places I have been to before. The noodles were very standard Thai noodles and nothing particularly different than your typical Thai place. The Thai Green Tea was very sweet. There were some dishes we did enjoy. I would highlight their Tom Kha soup. Great combination of creamy and punchy. Soup was delicious. The quality of the tofu could be improved, but the soup itself was great. The papaya salad was pretty good and enjoyed the addition of the noodles. We went on a Friday night around 6:30PM and had a short wait. There isn't much street parking so be prepared to park a couple blocks away and walk over. The restaurant itself is big and clean. The staff were very nice and attentive. Overall, the hype of this place raised expectations for me that was not met, but the food is decent. read more

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My favorite Laotian restaurant in the Bay Area. Some of their dishes have a fusion taste of Thai and Vietnamese which are all of my fav Asian flavors. The restuarant is family owned and operated so they put pride and care into their accommodating service. Each dish is sizable and great to share family style. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The bright and pretty lights add a happy atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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I've been finding a restaurant that has authentic Lao food. So happy I came across this place online. My friend is Lao so I've had her aunty's homemade food and this place tastes like it came out of her aunt's kitchen!! I had to get the Lao papaya salad. I like that it comes with vermicelli noodles. Got medium for spice level. I was spicy but not burning yet. Also got the sakoo. I've never seen this in restaurants. I love the chewy outside and filled with savory ground meat. Also ordered the khao piek, lao sausage, sticky rice and short ribs. Everything was 10/10. read more

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I'm always impressed with the food here. Everything I've ordered has been very delicious and memorable. The restaurant is very spacious and quite busy on the weekend but the staff works hard to make sure everyone can get seated in a timely fashion. I came here with a group of 11 and they were able to seat us within 45 minutes. This place does not take reservations so YMMV. I've had many dishes here over the multiple times I've come including the Sakoo, Papaya Salad, Nam Khao, Tom Yum, Aou Nuer, Khao Soy, Pineapple Khao Pad, and the Mango Sticky Rice and I've never been disappointed. I do think the Tom Yum is one of the lighter versions I've had though. Price's here aren't the cheapest but the portions are decently generous. I was very surprised by the size of the Khao Soy specifically. This is definitely one of my go-to spots in Alameda when I'm in the mood for Southeast Asian cuisines and one of the only few places I've seen that serve Sakoo. If you've never been here, you should definitely come and try it out. Food: 4.6/5 Service: 4.6/5 Cost Performance: 3.7/5 read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Khao Soy - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

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Checked out this place after attending the Cape & Cowl comic con in Alameda last weekend. Lao dishes seem to be stronger than the Thai ones, but overall everything was very solid. Would probably skip the chicken satay next time, but definitely come back for the nam khao, sakoo, and amok. Tip: You'll have to ask for their version of nuoc cham/fish sauce for the nam khao and sakoo because it doesn't automatically come with it read more

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Place was busy on a Wednesday night, almost full capacity, but the staff welcomed my brother and me right away and got us seated quickly. The menu had a simple layout with a good variety of modern Lao and Thai dishes. We were pretty hungry so we ordered 4 entrees and some rice on the side. The food came out fast and everything looked great. Every dish hit the spot and was cooked well. My favorite dish was the Sakoo because of how fresh and meaty the little tapioca pearl balls were. It was savory, chewy, and crunchy all at the sametime. The fresh greens on the side and the spicy chilis from their sauce bowls on the table really brought it all together. The Khao Piek with Pork Blood Cubes was another winner in my book. The broth had a nice deep tasting broth and the chewy thick rice noodles made it hearty. Honestly, if that were the only entree I ordered, I would still have been more than happy. I could have dumped a whole bowl of rice in there just to soak up every drop of the soup. I am definitely coming back again to try more dishes. Next time I will bring more reinforcements so we can order the whole menu! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Decent ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Luckily my lady and I got seated pretty quickly, but I could definitely see the place filling up fast. It was her birthday, so I went all in and ordered a platter. If you're getting anything with meat (which you probably will), they let you know up front it's about a 30-minute wait--but honestly, it goes by quick. I ordered the papaya salad platter with chicken wings, Lao sausage, and pork belly. Everything was hella good--super flavorful. The wings and pork had the perfect crisp. I got the papaya salad at medium heat, and I'll say this--if you can handle spicy, don't go medium unless you're ready. That "medium" had my mouth on fire... but I like it like that, lol. I'd definitely recommend this spot. And on top of that, I feel like what I paid was well worth it--the quality and variety make it a solid choice. Service was great too--kind, welcoming, and helpful. read more

Bhan Mae Vane - Papaya Salad, Combo Wings Platter - Thai Near Me - Alameda, California

I've only been to Bhan Mae Vane maybe a dozen times. I try to avoid weekend nights because it's so busy. I've come at lunch. I've come at dinner. I love everything I've ordered. The flavors of the Laotian dishes are incredible and you have to keep returning to satisfy the cravings of the Nom Khao and Sakoo and other specialties dishes -- I love these two because I love eating them in lettuce wraps. I also love their pork belly and their Phatty special or Papaya platter to get this and angel wings and a few other items is a great way to get a sampling and share with others in your party. Everyone I have brought to Bhan Mae Vane is hooked. And you will be too. read more

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First time trying Laotian food and color me impressed! We ordered: - Thai green tea: omg I can't believe I've never had this before I'm obsessed. It's not matcha - it's floral, not grassy, and enveloped in a rich cream. Honestly this eats molly tea's lunch - aou nuer: beef with eggplants and two different types of mushrooms. A comforting stew balanced by bright herbs (dill?). Need to order rice separately! - sakoo: tapioca balls stuffed with pork and peanuts, served with lettuce and herbs. Such a fun texture - best for sharing, not as an individual meal - seen lod: beef jerkey that is moister and way more flavorful than grocery store jerky but similar texture with a tomato fish sauce and steamed veggies. The veggies were pretty bland but I couldn't stop thinking about the beef! - purple rice with egg custard: idk how they made this custard not taste like egg but it's the perfect soft texture to the soft rice and silky coconut milk. Second dessert stomach coming in clutch here Logistics: - indoor seating only with big tables suited for groups - limited street parking nearby. There's one public lot around the corner but it was already full for weekend lunches read more

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