Feeling a little salty! My wife and I went to SAAP because we are big fans of Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana and had high hopes for SAAP, so we went on my birthday. Ambiance was nice, nice views of the park next door, service was good, but the food was underwhelming. The papaya salad was just okay, maybe too fish sauce heavy. Our server strongly recommended the beef drunken noodles, which my wife then ordered. The noodles were underseasoned and the beef was overcooked and it was stringy. We live in North Raleigh, and get Asian takeout from Ni Asian, which charge half the price for their dishes yet are more flavorful and their beef more tender, so her dish disappointed. I got the lemongrass chicken, and it was pretty dry. I got sticky rice with it and it only came with a small dish of sauce, so it ate very dry. Overall, we'd be willing to try again, maybe it was an off night for some reason, but we're not impressed with the meal we had. read more

Must go back!! Yum!! X xxxxxoooooox xxxxooooooooo Good staff Great food Fun times Nicely decorated read more

Came here for dinner with a friend and this place did not disappoint! We sat at the bar and ordered a few cocktails, every drink was better than the previous one - love it! Food was flavourful - my favorites were the pork roll and spring roll. I would skip the papaya salad, lot of fish oil in it for my liking. I loved the taro dessert, so good! I was full but finished everything. Service was so great and quick, our bartender kept checking on us. This was $$$ and ambiance is nice, so definitely a place for a dinner date. I honestly would come back for the cocktails and spring rolls! Recommend read more

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Delicious food, variety and friendly servers! Several pescatarian dishes. My server Kena was especially knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommended! read more

Had an amazing meal here. There are so many gluten free options, including dessert! Our waitress mentioned that the pastry chef's wife has celiac disease so he prioritizes making sure there are good gluten free options. The service was incredible and very allergy informed, I felt totally comfortable the whole time. The food had great balanced aromatic flavor. We sat on the patio and this restaurant is right next to the downtown Cary park so we were able to look at all the lights as it got darker. The inside of the restaurant is very pretty as well. Highly recommend! read more

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I've been meaning to come here since I heard it opened. My favorite chef from Bida Manda has brought more culinary delights to everyone. My seafood curry had a lot of oysters, shrimp, and scallops. The curry was very flavorful. The rice was a little hard and tasted not very freshly made, though. The mantra (cocktail) was highly alcoholic and delicious. I probably drank it way too fast. We were a little disappointed by the honey wings. There were no dipping sauces and there were only six wings per order. The pho was flavorful and unlike the pho I've had elsewhere. Very meat-packed, though! The meat was tender, and the broth not too strong. We got complimentary shrimp chips, orange juice with lemon shots, and Valentine's Day chocolate fondue strawberries. Henry was our server and he did an excellent job, even helped box our leftovers up. The ambiance was nice and romantic, perfect for Valentine's. All in all, it was a memorable meal. Happy to celebrate Valentine's Day here! read more

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Great atmosphere, delicious food! I enjoyed the recommended dishes and had birthday celebration for my friends.

Amazing! Food, drinks, service, location (downtown Cary's park next door) are all top notch! Recommend reservations in the summer but don't miss the opportunity to try Pho Lao (GF option) and the Drunken Noodles. Bartenders make drinks that surprised us with the levels of amazing flavors. read more

Saap is a new restaurant in downtown Cary, NC specializing in Thai and Lao cuisine. It's bright airy modern space with great service. Very friendly and knowledgeable servers. W had 3 chicken dishes and the green curry seafood plus a wonderful chocolate dessert. A very fun evening - good food in a beautiful environment with great friendly service. read more

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Food was great. Service was fine. Taken back by the fact there is now a 3% surcharge for credit card purchases. Not happy with this at all and will really reconsider whether we will come back. read more

There are indeed similarities to Vietnamese food I've had locally. The Banh Mi was very good as was the vegetable plate. The service was mostly good and the ambiance is modern industrial. I do not like the modern industrial look or feel in that sound bounces off every surface and creates a nightmarish atmosphere for a person who has moderate hearing loss. The biggest drawback here is the location and its lack of available parking. There is a parking garage nearby, but then, it consists of numerous reserved spaces, library only spaces and it is still very hard to find available spaces. Drop me off at the door and I'm happy to dine here, I do not like the stress of finding a place to park. read more

We stopped in for an early dinner here. We started off with cocktails and it was The Mantra then the Tama Tama Rita for me and the Chantala Rising then the Mekong River Rush for my husband. For food we started off with the vegetable spring rolls then it was the lao herb sausage and chicken satay for me and the chicken basic and garlic stir fry for him. We had to try dessert so we ordered the Kabocha Squash and I got a pour of port wine. The service and food were both really good but it's expensive. It is a good addition to Downtown Cary. read more

Absolutely loved our experience at SAAP! It was a rainy gloomy day and we definitely had the coziest, most comforting meal. The flavors were bold and authentic--I highly recommend the Chicken Wings and Lao Herb Sausage for small plates and the Pad Lao with chicken and shrimp for large plate. The ambiance was stylish yet welcoming, and our server Kenna was amazing--so friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. You can really tell there's passion behind everything they serve. Definitely one of my new favorite spots in Cary! read more

Saap - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Really really ridiculously good tasting. I didn't realize the chef from bida manda had opened a new restaurant in Cary until I tasted the (perfect) shrimp chips on the table. We ordered a handful of small plates and were in disbelief! Of all the dishes we ordered, the seafood green curry was the most flavorful and memorable. Unless your dietary restrictions include shellfish, it would be criminal not to devour this dish. Below is my rating of amazingness: Seafood green curry 120% Crispy pork belly 100% Crispy coconut rice lettuce wrap 100% Ube colada 90% Crispy spring rolls 90% Purple sticky rice for dessert 80% Green papaya salad 10% The only plates that didn't impress me: green papaya salad (too much fish sauce imo) and mango sticky rice (lacking flavor and caramel-like drizzle which is present at Bida Manda. Ironically these are my favorite dishes at Bida Manda. I will agree on the noise level, as other reviews have commented. It was difficult to have a conversation, but honestly we were mostly talking about how delicious the food was. Despite the loud ambiance and 2 slightly disappointing plates I am giving 5and I hope to eat again soon. I have reservations at Bida Manda next month, I will be interested to compare the flavors! read more

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The best bite of food was the sausage along with the spicy paste they provided. Everything else was mediocre-faintly-Asian cuisine. Its Laotian food dialed down 98%, made creamer, and sweeter to fit the southern American pallet. If you're looking for something remotely authentic or even Laotian food with a twist of inspiration, run away from here. I also ordered one of the non-alcoholic drinks and it was refreshing and tasty, but mostly ice. Ambiance is super nice and cute though. Right near the downtown Cary park so it's a great place to eat and take a stroll afterwards. Service was fine. read more

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Yes! Yes! Yes! First off, the service was amazing- big S/O to Don our waitress she gave excellent recommendations and was very pleasant and attentive. The food was great, everything we had was a 10/10 *see photos attached. I'd say a must try is the Pork Belly Soup. The place itself was very cute, extremely clean. The ambiance was very lively and the room had a ton of natural light. My one point of feedback would be for the management team to add fans outside or something to help deter the flies for anyone choosing to sit on the patio. If you're located in downtown Cary definitely check this out. Also, we found out this place is family owned which made it extra special. They also bring a pallet cleanser at the end of your meal. Celebrity shoutout to their sticky rice. Honestly, I've had a lot of sticky rice and this was top tier. The purple sticky rice dessert is very good. read more

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Great location right next to the new Cary park. You can park at the parking deck but if it's a weekend then I would give yourself a lot of extra time!! The inside is fairly small and intimate, it would great for a date but also to meet up with a few friends. Some of the cocktails sounded so interesting but not really winter appropriate so I will have to try later! Every dish we got was so delicious and fresh tasting although they are pricey. Papaya salad was spicy but so tasty - I would recommend saving some of the shrimp chips they give you as a complimentary starter to eat with your papaya salad! The pork belly soup was so so good. The pork belly was chopped into perfectly crispy bite sized chunks. I demolished all the food. I can't wait to return and try more dishes! read more

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INCREDIBLE!!!!! We ordered quite a few things and each thing was amazing. Love the location right at the Cary park. read more

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I really wanted to like this place. I kept waiting for it to open and finally scored a reservation. The chef was at the door which was cool to see him. I started off with the Mekong River Rush. That was definitely the best thing I had there. Our waiter was also the bartender and he was great. Very attentive despite having to tend to a table and the bar. The chicken satay was amazing. I never rave about satay but wow. The summer rolls were ok. I didn't catch the charge the same price no matter what you have in it. We had the veggies. Should have ordered shrimp for that price. My son ordered the chicken lettuce wrap and was told the spring rolls would be veggie. They were not. Pork. That was swapped out immediately but not after he already took a bite. My son does not eat beef or pork. Waiter knew that and was apologetic. I had the Pad also which was meh and my husband had the kabocha squash curry which was good. I gave it this score because it is incredibly loud. I don't usually care but it was ridiculous and our reservation was at 530. Will not return because of it. Very disappointed. We like Myra much better as it isn't as expensive or loud! read more

Being a Lao American, I was excited to try Saap as there isn't many Lao restaurants or representation. When looking at the menu, it had all the traditional plates which hit home. I was a bit hesitant because Lao food is not meant to look elegant in any way, but the chef was able to elevate each plate while sticking to the roots of Lao cuisine. The beef jerky was perfect and it it even came with the staple sauces I've grown to love that aren't usually available. The sausage and larb were also really spot on. Now, I like to eat larb a bit raw so it was perfect for me, but some may not find it appealing. However, I would compare it to eating steak medium or medium rare. If you prefer steak like that, then you will have no problems, plus the lime will continue to cook the meat in the larb. Pho was fire, and the only misstep was the nam. Ours was made to serve for vegetarians, but the servers and management corrected that right away. Overall, the price point for the food did match the quality and the restaurant itself is a nice little touch to the neighborhood bringing a bit or South East Asian cuisine that many would never get to experience. There's a reason Gordon Ramsay said Laos was the top of his list for food and Saap will give you a bit of insight on that for sure! read more

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We came from Los Angeles and did a lot of research on specialty spots and SAAP exceeded expectations. The Pho Lao was the best bone broth Ive had, and the lettuce wraps will be a future must order now. Cocktails were great and bartenders were chill to make any ask! The chairs are SO comfortable (leather scoop). Staff could not have been nicer or more hospitality-friendly! read more

Always right at the top for me in Cary or anywhere. Just had a fabulous meal. I have celiac and menu is great for me and staff is always very careful and competent dealing with this issue. Beautiful ambiance and location. Great cocktail and crazy good dessert special with two types of mousse in chocolate dome, citrus, pomegranate seeds and crunchy meringue. A must go for me when in town. read more

What a treat it is to have the executive chef of Bida Manda open the new location in Cary! My partner and I went to try on Sunday during lunch. We love Bida Manda and had to give this place a try. The ambiance was wonderful with plenty of light. The decor is moderate and pleasant on the eyes! The service at the front desk was okay, but I also understand it is a new opening. My server was awesome! Very attentive and held great conversation. Now the food... quite literally can never disappoint. We did the Pad Lao with pork belly and Green Papaya Salad with Crying Tiger (we think it was ribeye based on how fatty it was) that was medium and medium spicy. The spicy will get ya, so if you don't have a great tolerance, proceed with caution! The sticky rice that came with the salad helps you cool down. Papaya salad tastes more fishy than Bida Manda's version (and some people prefer that), we certainly enjoyed it. Steak was very delicious, well cooked, fatty and juicy. Price is market price (it was $28 for 8oz). Pad Lao tasted quite similar to Bida Manda's dish. You can taste the flavor of the wok and pork belly amount was generous. Overall, 5/5! We would definitely love to come back and try more dishes at dinner time. read more

Saap - Interior - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Great food Great service A big shoutout to our server Noelle She was amazing patient and ever smiling Will be back read more

Saap - Noelle our server - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Delish Pad Tao with tofu. The "Kabocha squash with root vegetables" had no kabocha in it; and yes I'm sure I can tell :) Crispy rice was yum, and summer roll with shrimp good, just not best I've had, a little blander than usual. The compositions with coconut milk were tasty but too soupy (?) and heavy; the other ingredients got lost. We will order differently next time. The ice tea was great and very welcome. read more

I enjoyed the crispy pork belly starter, and a bahn mi sandwich. Both delicious! The server was kind, helpful and very attentive. The setting right on the Cary Downtown Park was perfect. read more

If I could give them six stars, I would. One of the better meals I've had in years. Service was impeccable, with dishes arriving at our table in an orchestrated manner. Ambiance is outstanding, with amazing views of Cary Park. I can't wait to go back!!! Whatever you do, you must order the Lao Sausage. I've had several variations prior to dining at Saap, but nothing will ever compare to this jewel. read more

You know how when a movie first starts off slow and boring... and you're waiting and hoping and believing it will get better and it never does? That was my experience at Saap :( I wanted to love this place so bad. Maybe I ordered the wrong dishes? I know it has potential so I'm leaving 4 stars.. I don't want to drag their rating down :( We got the beef jerky. I thought it would be some sort of play on jerky. Nope, it was straight up jerky. My husband liked it.. I was left confused and with jaw pain from chewing. I think this would be a nice little treat to give meat eating customers as they leave, not sure if it belongs on the menu. We also ordered the crying tiger- the marinated and char grilled chefs choice cut meat with papaya salad. The papaya salad was so nice and refreshing. The meat was terrible. It was not char-grilled..... Even got it at chefs recommended temperature- medium rare. It was a terrible quality meat. It came with rice, but it would have been nice to have some sort of curry or something along with it. Wanted dessert but didn't want to be disappointed again so didn't order :( The vibe is not what I expected. The flavors are extremely subdued and again, not what I expected because I absolutely LOVE their other restaurants- Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana. So yeah, left disappointed. But I want this place to succeed!! I want good Laotian food in DT Cary!!! They need more hip and laid back servers who didn't come straight from a chain restaurant. Fresher sourced ingredients- the meat was terrible. Something fixed with the vibe- maybe dimmer lights? Hanging fixtures and more decor? Idk, something is just off. . read more

There is no place quite like Saap. And Anne (owner), her kids, husband and the rest of the staff only enhance the experience. The food is amazing. Sit at the bar and talk with Owen or Grace (daughter of Anne) while the make a fantastic cocktail for you. Both make great margaritas from scratch. read more

Let me say that this restaurant has it all! Fantastic food! Top notch service and a wonderful ambiance. We had the spring rolls, fresh out of the fryer with a wonderful presentation. My husband had the Pad Lao and I had the Crying Tiger. The Pad Lao was perfect with the noodles cooked to perfection with a fantastic flavor. This was an ample serving size. My steak was a Prime NY Strip and I asked for my Som Tom (green papaya salad) to be and it was! Perfect like my Thai grandmother used to make. We ended with the Mango Sticky Rice (amazing) and the Passion Fruit custard (WOWZA)! Complimented with green tea and a bit of honey. I have to give props to the staff! The service is just top notch! Our server, Noelle, was simply amazing . read more

Saap - Mango Sticky Rice and Passionfruit Custard with Green Tea - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Saap is a Laotian restaurant conveniently located by Downtown Cary Park. We were lucky to get a seat during a busy Friday dinner service, but we'd recommend making a reservation. Our server was friendly and happy to help us navigate the menu and provide us with recommendations. We ordered the Green Papaya Salad, Pork Collar, Mee Ka Tee, and Seafood Green Curry. The Papaya Salad was a great start to our meal -- it was refreshing but also had a nice kick of spice to it. The Pork Collar was tender and smoky, definitely a standout pork dish that we'd recommend ordering. The Mee Ka Tee and Seafood Green Curry were both very flavorful and came in big portions! We really enjoyed our meal at Saap and look forward to coming back. A great spot for date night or celebratory meal! read more

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Everything was tasty, nice ambiance, friendly service, it was just a great location, easy parking

Been here before and still 5 stars in my opinion! I need to go more! Food felt healthy and fresh!

Finally got to come here after hearing great reviews about this restaurant! I came in for lunch and tried their chicken curry and pork belly Pad Lao. The curry was great with savory and mild flavor and has lots of vegetables in it. Love their Pad Lao! Read the description that it made of caramelized fried noodles and curious if it was "sweet". And yes it was! Similar like Pad Thai but on sweeter side! The pork belly just melt and mixed really well with the noodles. For dessert we tried their sticky rice mango and it's good. Too coconutty for me and lil bit too mushy but it's okay. Definitely will come back for trying their other dishes! read more

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Location was perfect. Food delicious. Service wonderful. Will go again soon! And will have to try at dinner time! read more

Saap - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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I'd been eagerly anticipating the opening of Saap for months as I was a huge fan of Bida Manda. I finally made it 2 months after opening for a birthday dinner with my fiancé and parents. Chef Lon has absolutely blown it out of the park! The experience was a 10/10 on every level. We collectively got the lettuce wraps, beef jerky, seafood curry, pork belly and ribs, chicken curry, and pork belly noodle soup. Every item was impeccably flavored, textured, and presented. I've had the lettuce wraps and pork belly noodle soup at Bida Manda and enjoyed them, but Saap's version was somehow even better. My entire group thought that the food was incredible. Portion sizes were quite large, and for the quality and quantity, prices were more than reasonable. The service that we received was likely the best we have ever had at a restaurant. I cannot say enough good things about Noel. The minute she came over, we could tell we would be in good hands. She was always there at the perfect time for food and drink service, never felt pushy, made fun and appropriate jokes at the right times, and overall just made us feel so comfortable. Slightly unrelated to service, but the food came out incredibly quickly and at perfect temperatures. The interior of the restaurant was beautiful. It was a nice mix of elegance and modern while still maintaining an air of comfort and casualness. I rarely notice or care about seating, but my mom and I both commented on how comfortable the chairs were. The only regret I had was not saving room for dessert. We are already planning to be back many, many more times. read more

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As a long-time Cary local, I've seen plenty of restaurants come and go, but Saap has truly raised the bar. The ambiance is top-notch, blending sophistication with views of the park that just can't be beaten. Service? Impeccable. Friendly staff that knows their stuff and makes you feel right at home. Let's get to the good part - the food. It's fantastic. Started off with the spring rolls and the sausage herb appetizer, which was an absolute flavor bomb. Followed that with two mains that knocked it out of the park, and some of the best cocktails I've had in a while from a restaurant. Saap easily outdoes the Raleigh competition, and I couldn't be happier they're here in Cary. Do yourself a favor: book a table, enjoy the meal, and take a stroll in the park afterwards. Trust me, you won't regret it. read more

This restaurant is a Cary gem! Love the food here. I've been here 3 times and have ended up getting the same things because I just loved them so much. Please never get rid of the seafood curry and papaya salad from the menu. These are my go to and so so delicious! The service has always been great and the food is served quickly. Really love the veggie chips that are served on arrival as well. I've always ended up going on weeknights and it's been packed. read more

Saap - Papaya Salad - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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The food was excellent! The service was happy and knowledgeable about the food. The restaurant was clean and the seats were comfortable.

First time having a Lao food . It was a pleasure surprise. The food was amazing fresh and delicious! I had the Lao salad to start with a taro color cocktail . They are very good match, both have the nutty flavor! For main course I had the catfish special. Wow it was a killer ! Both in presentation and Flavor ! Strong recommended . read more

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