Vientiane Cafe is...

 is known to locals as a Lao and Thai fusion restaurant. Established in 2002, we became the first restaurant in the Philadelphia area to offer Lao dishes with a twist. Vientiane Café fills the room with the aromas of lemongrass, kaffir leaves and Thai basil; which has its influences from Southeast Asia’s unique blends of sweet, spicy and salty. We use the freshest ingredients daily and herbs grown in our very own backyard. 

Some may ask “What is the difference between Lao and Thai?” The main difference between Lao and Thai would be “Sticky Rice (kao-neow) aka Glutinous rice.” Sticky rice is a staple in Laos, it accompanies many dishes. Here at Vientiane we serve sticky rice with many of our entrees or you can request it as a side dish. Also, in Lao cooking we use flavors from a very traditional fish sauce called “Padek” which is fermented fish. You can find our “padek” sauce in our Green Papaya Salad upon request. Due to our popular demands for vegan and vegetarian we limit our uses of “padek.” Lastly, Lao food is very spicy by using lots of fresh Bird eye chilis aka “mak phet.” 

When visiting Vientiane, try our famous Basil sauce flavored with smokey paprika, garlic and chili… Vegetarian Naam salad which is a lettuce wrap made with crumbled coconut rice tossed together with cilantro and scallions… or our most popular, “KING SOUP”, made with red coconut curry broth mixed with vermicelli and vegetables. 

We at Vientiane look forward to seeing you!!