Providence has its fair share of Asian markets, but let's face it, they usually have a similar variety of products. There will be kawaii asian snacks, specialty groceries, food mixes and the like. It's fun but begins to get old after a while.
Lao Thai is noticeably smaller than other stores and is almost inconspicuous on Chalkstone Ave. It has the same stuff as other Asian places, but compensates for its small size with a tremendous amount of variety including brands and packages that aren't available at other places. I went in looking for Tom Yum soup mix and saw at least 4 varieties of it. Was also excited to see a pho mix. They also had single serve and large tubs of varieties of curry mixes, bbq sauce and the like.
Although sparse, their snack section was also something to behold as I marveled at stuff like duck flavored and spicy seafood ramen, which I had never seen before. Also picked out some chili preserved mango. Checking out their exotic tea section is also an adventure.
I'm surprised I haven't been to this place more because small as it may be, it has a ton of good stuff. read more