Cherylynn N.

3.5 STARS I'm boring so where did I get my spice? SE AZN food! It's hard to find a Laotian resto that isn't clumped in with Thai and/or Khmer cuisine so Lao Garden piqued my interest. Walk-in only. But if you have a party of 5+, rezzies are accepted. Back patio is dog-friendly. F O O D * Nam Khao: Crispy Rice w/ fermented pork sausage, peanuts, lettuce, herbs ($25): https://tinyurl.com/yn97yper Many rave reviews on socials saying this is the best nam khao and worth the price. The crunchy, chewy texture was on-point and they were generous with the naem, fermented pork sausage....but it was oddly bland, like they forgot to dress it with the spicy, punchy acidic dressing. * Thu Lith's Famous Saikoo: Steamed tapioca balls w/ ground pork, sweet radishes, shallots ($25): https://tinyurl.com/5n8xnhsz Saikoo is hard to find so this was a must order on our visit. The saikoo had a nice bouncy QQ chew and is filled with a ground pork mixture. Flavor leaned sweet. If you like Viet bánh bột lọc, this will be your jam. * Mok Pa: Steamed catfish w/ lemongrass, green onions, dill, steamed vegetables, jeow mak len ($22): https://tinyurl.com/yxrvnxjb The catfish was flaky and moist but the flavor was one note: earthy. I wished they used more fish sauce and aromatics (i.e. lemongrass and galangal) for citrusy umami. Served with steamed veggies with a traditional Laotian spicy roasted tomato dip that was not spicy at all. * Grilled Rack of Lamb (3 pc-$32): https://tinyurl.com/57hstz93 - Requested medium rare A touch overcooked but the marbled lamb was forgiving, it was still very tender with a great smoky char from the grill. Served with nam jim jaew that felt diluted as it was missing the bold spicy, tangy, salty, and slightly sweet flavors. * Sticky Rice ($8) Aside from the incredibly steep price for a single serving, they brought this with the apps so by the time our entrees arrived, the sticky rice had cooled and hardened. S E R V I C E Friendly and earnest. We had to flag them down for things but understandable since we were the only ones in the patio. We arrived for an early dinner and were the only customers at the time so it was surprising food service was slow with entrees taking 45+ minutes. A M B I A N C E Spacious and vibrant with faux greenery and flower walls. The back patio is partially covered. P A R K I N G They have a private parking lot in back but can easily be missed; take a right after April Rose Provisions. Overall, I had high hopes for Lao Garden but the flavors were far too mild for my personal taste. When I have Laotian food, I want to be punched in the face with funk, citrus/acid, and heat. Off day?

Daron C.

This place was SUPER cute , is a family owned restaurant run by 3 sisters sharing their late mom's recipes , & is FLAVOR BOMB.COM . We got the catfish (SO tender & unique & flavorful), the eggplant & shrimp , khao poon (coconut curry noodle soup), & this amazing Laotian dumpling dish called Sakoo Sai Moo. EVERYTHING was SO GOOD...Our favorite was the catfish (which I don't even usually like) as it was steamed in banana leaf and had this very earth, herbal flavor which we found so delicious. The eggplant and shrimp were cooked perfectly. The dumplings were so unique and is a must try at least once (there are a lot of dumplings). The Khao Poon coconut curry soup had juuuus the right amount of kick. Atmosphere is 5 stars...it's just really cute. Service is 5 stars. I just LOVE how it's run by 3 sisters and Mina on the weekend (one of the sisters) was an excellent host. Thanks go Chef Kat who came by our table to check on us as well. The best part is they are a part of the inKind network, so this entire meal was essentially paid for with inKind credits (less tax & tip). Do you want a FREE $25 to spend here or at other restaurants? AND get up to 20% back each time you dine out at participating restaurants? Really easy to rack up free meals! Click on my link to sign up for inKind & dine out at a participating restaurant! https://app.inkind.com/refer/PWW2TC9A See less

Phong T.

My friend (who's half Lao) was visiting from Atlanta, and since there's an abundance of Lao cuisine here in the Bay Area, we had to try one out! We narrowed it down to three and chose Lao Garden because of the positive reviews and authentic menu items. Lao Garden did NOT disappoint!! We visited during Memorial Day for lunch. PARKING There's a sign outside, but I missed it. Parking is available at the back of the restaurant as well as street parking. SERVICE Since it was a week day for lunch and it was a holiday, the restaurant wasn't at capacity. There was one server who was attentive and wonderful! We met the owner and head chef, Kanlaya, who was very friendly. I could see her passion for Lao cuisine and her desire for guests to enjoy it. FOOD We were pretty excited so ordered quite a few items to try -- we definitely had leftovers. Everything was DELISH. * Pandan Green Tea -- delicious! * SAI QUA (Lao sausage) -- made fresh. Meaty and herbaceous. It was grilled and charred. Yum! * THU LITH'S FAMOUS SAIKOO --My friend was waiting to try this, which was the main reason we chose Lao Garden. It was excellent. Under "Wraps," these are steamed tapioca balls filled with pork. The tapioca balls were fresh, soft, and chewy, while the pork filling was well-seasoned and balanced. It was served with lettuce, mint, and parsley. * MOK PA -- Steamed catfish with lemongrass, dill, onions, and wrapped in banana leaves. A favorite of mine! Light and aromatic. It was served with steamed veggie medley and jeow mak len (tomato dipping sauce with various spices). * EGGPLANT PRAWNS -- Seasoned and tasty. Eggplant and prawns cooked to perfection. Since it was lunch, there was a special for this entree. * FRIED CHICKEN WINGS w/ PAPAYA SALAD -- This was also a lunch special served with sticky rice. We were chatting with the owner, and she was kind enough to change it to Lao style, which is more pungent with the umami from fermented fish sauce. The wings were crispy, and the papaya salad was well-balanced and tasty. Discovering Lao Garden was a fantastic experience, and we truly enjoyed their delicious dishes. I can't wait to return and share this hidden gem with friends and family so they can enjoy it too.

Kyra K.

I'm a new fan of Lao Garden! One of my friends and I came here on our lunch break. We chose this spot for convenience, and we both couldn't stop saying it'll be on our work lunch rotation! We came on a weekday, and it was super quiet. There weren't many diners, so service was excellent! We were constantly checked on, and everything came out quickly. We both loved the vibes! Super colorful with bright and cute decor. Plus a spacious dining area with ample tables for various party sizes. It's also nicely lit inside. My friend and I shared the Nam Khao and Thu Lith's Famous Saikoo. Oh my gosh, these dishes were phenomenal! I'd never tried either, and I couldn't get over all the flavors. The Nam Khao was tangy and savory, and it was perfect with the lettuce. The Saikoo was so chewy, well-seasoned, and filling! We had leftovers for both, but appreciated how outstanding and fresh everything was. I look forward to coming back to Lao Garden with my friends and family. It's the perfect place for family-style dining in Berkeley. I recommend anyone in the area try it, whether you're familiar with or new to Laotian cuisine. Find them off San Pablo Ave. with metered parking in front and a parking lot in the back.

Thomas B.

The first thing you notice when you enter the restaurant is that you really get the feeling that you're in a garden. And the colorful lighting and the things that they have set around the room to represent Leo is really a wonderful first impression. We were quickly seated at a table that we wanted to be at and menus arrived with water almost immediately. I have to say everyone who worked there that we felt very special coming in there, and everyone greeted us. From the kitchen staff to the table servers it was very pleasant. Lao food is similar, but very different from Thai food so when you go there, but don't be expecting it to be a Thai experience. Enjoy the wonderful flavors of all the herbs and spices that go into making the sauces in the broth. And where Thai focuses on peppers and seasonings that are too hot for some people. The Lao food has very soft and vibrant flavors. We shared our plates. So we ordered the Nam Khao, Thu Lith Saikoo, Laab Gal, sticky rice, blue lemonade, and coconut mango with sweet rice. If I tried to pick a fav ... I couldn't because every bite was lovely. We will return and explore new items. The adventure continues. Ty Lao Garden. Until we return.

Irene C.

My friend introduced me to this cute spot. The food was great and the staff were friendly. I am fairly new to Lao cuisine. We tried the Vientiane Crispy Rolls, Thu Lith's Famous Saikoo, Thum Lao Lao, Kua Khao, and Mango Sticky Rice. Everything was so flavorful! We had ordered the Thum Lao Lao as medium spicy and that built up fast! I'd be interested in returning to try other dishes. Great neighborhood spot!

Aly C.

===TL;DR=== - Drunken noodle - Khaki poon gai ===TMI=== Beautiful garden interior with a photogenic wall. Lovely staff and good food. Love the flavor profile on the drunken noodle, Those that love their noodles extra thick and wide, look no further. On the other hand, can't go wrong with the classic red coconut curry with noodles and chicken! Creamy but not overly heavy. Both were great individual or sharing portions!

Rachel T.

Absolutely delicious food, you can tell there is love and pride in every dish. Perfectly seasoned and flavorful. I had the joy of coming here back in January and couldn't stop talking about the restaurant. The owner personally came and checked in on the table and introduced herself. She is very kind and has created a truly valuable place. Gorgeous plating, ambiance, and decor. You can tell a lot of thought has been put into it. I had to return, especially with how hot it's been there is nothing more refreshing than Lao cuisine

Jen N.

We happened to come here for our girlfriend's birthday celebration and it turned out to be a vegetarian day for most of us so this review is based on vegetarian entrees we ordered. One of our girlfriend did order a meat larb which we didn't try and I forgot to take a picture of. Upon entering, the place is decorated with cute fake flowers backdrop. We were the first ones there and got to choose where we wanted to sit indoor which was very nice. They had outdoors seating as well. We ordered as many vegetarian dishes as possible and I made a note on my phone but somehow some of the entrees in my notepad showed up bold and enlarged and some didn't and our waitress only wrote down what was bold and enlarged so we tried less than we wanted to. By the time we wondered where the rest of our food was and found out the reason, we didn't order the rest because it would take longer than the two hours we already put in for meter parking. A few of us ordered Lao tea and some lycee tea. The Lao tea I heard was super sweet so ask for more ice if it's too sweet to your liking. My lycee tea was sweet as well but not overwhelming sweet. We especially enjoyed the vegetarian larb and the vegeterian papaya salad with vermicelli. The pineapple fried rice and jackfruit salad was a little wet to our liking. We ordered two mango sticky rice and one the pandan sticky rice was better and the sticky rice fell apart more. Overall, this place is nice for meeting up with a large group and cute for a girls day out. There's street parking and meter parking and you may need to drive a few rounds around if you're not so lucky. The food was okay but food did take awhile once you order so give yourself time here if you go in a bigger group since it seems like there's one chef and one person running the place herself. But she's a sweetheart doing her best holding down the cute looking restaurant.

Victor G.

Lao Garden opened in Paisan's vacated space. Decor and seating totally renovated. Some seating outside. Back area not utilized. Parking available in private lot. Was seated promptly by Gia who was very helpful answering questions re food & how to reheat same. G very knowledgeable for the few years in the industry. Did eat in eateries G worked at but years or decades earlier. *stopped eating Thai food as it was too sweet, too "Americanized". Ordered. Food ready in 15ish minutes. Cooked to order. Offerings (Laotian): wraps, noodles, stew/curry, platter specials, desserts, small plates, chef's specials, fried rice, grills, roasts, soup, salads(yum, Thum, laab) Bites: seen savanh (12) -dehydrated pork pieces, flash fried. No hint of oil.. Very chewy. Frying can be skipped. Probably goes good with beer. (Too early for me.) -flavorful. Takes getting used to. Gang Phet Gai (chicken) 18 -stew like dish a mix of red curry, chicken pieces, green beans. Bamboo shoots, lemongrass & basil. -best eaten with rice but I passed. -nice alternative to classic curry. Slightly spicy, not overly sweet like American curry version. The herbs adds nuanced flavas.. I like.. Thu Lith Saikoo (22) should be shared. -similar principle as Nam Kao. House made steamed tapioca balls with ground pork, roasted peanuts, sweet radishes, shallots within. -place a ball within partial lettuce leaf. add drizzle of chili oil & other leafy herbs. Eat slowly, repeat. Prefer nam kao. Portion too big for me. Carbs an issue. 4.5 stars Worthy! Quality: Ultra. Quantity: reasonable for top quality-YMMV

Young K.

This is the location of the former Italian restaurant - Paisan - which I'm a little sad of their closing because they had a great budget friendly, delicious ribeye steak. But Lao Garden did a nice job of transforming the space - colorful, vibrant and cozy - which seems to be the trend among Thai/Lao restaurants these days. Not that I'm complaining. This space has a huge back area which they aren't fully utilizing. Perhaps if/when they become more popular, they can have a real "Lao garden" with a fountain and all. Staff is attentive and friendly, deserving of 5 stars. Their dishes were solid and on theme with the interior decor. I had ordered the Thum Lao Lao, which is basically Lao style papaya salad. For those that aren't familiar, basically they use a thicker/cloudier and more pungent fish sauce which they refer to as "funky". For those that are less into funk, they do have the Thai style papaya salad - Thum Tum Ma-Da, which tends to be milder since they use the clear, less "fishy" fish sauce. But to be honest, theirs isn't the funkiest in town, in case you felt adventurous but needed that stepping stone. I also ordered the Khao Poon Gai, which was good. The chicken was tender and moist, and loved the contrast of the fresh veggies and herbs to compliment the hot soup and noodles. But I had to inject some of the funk from the Thum Lao^2 to elevate it to what my taste buds have been calibrated to from eating my Laotian friends' authentic home cooking. Over all, expect a good dining experience keeping in mind that the flavors have been toned down a notch to accommodate Western palates.

Jane C.

Came here on a Saturday for lunch around 1pm. No wait for party of 2. The decor inside is super cute and girly. Service was quick. We ordered spring rolls, Vientiane crispy rolls, mok pa, Lao steak and Lao iced tea pandan. The spring roll was very light and fresh, it came with a sweet oyster dipping sauce. You could tell the veggies were fresh and good quality. The Vientiane crispy rolls were also delicious and flavorful. It has a nice balance and very refreshing to eat with the lettuce. The Lao Steak had a good grilled flavor however it didn't have much lemongrass flavor and was very small. The size looked like an appetizer but was $32. The mok pa had great lemongrass and dill flavor. It was wrapped with vegetables outside and the banana leaf. However it came out kind of cold where I had to ask the waitress if the dish was to be served cold. They sent it back and had it steamed longer since it was supposed to come out hot. Once it came out hot it was tasty with the tomato sauce and rice. The iced tea with pandan was great, had good pandan flavor and wasn't overly sweet. Overall would come back, it's a little pricey though.

Thanompong W.

Had an incredible time at this hidden gem of a Lao restaurant in SF! The flavors were so authentic, Service was warm and welcoming. A must-try for any Southeast Asian food lover!