Vientiane Café
| Address: | 4728 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19143, USA |
| Phone: | +1 215-726-1095 |
| Site: | vientiane-cafe.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 13
RI
Ritesh Shah
What a surprise! We ordered take out through UberEATS and it was definitely a good choice! I hadnt ever tried Laotian cuisine before so I was on the fence about ordering in for my first experience. I usually like to go and do a sit down meal when trying new cuisines so I have a chance to ask questions before making a decision. In any case, I threw caution to the wind (I know - really wild over here) and ordered away and it was definitely worth the risk! I got the Vegetarian Nam Salad consisting of marinated rice, coconut flakes, mint, scallions, parsley, lime leaves, and chili - served with lettuce wraps! My friend ordered the Kings soup - vermicelli noodles with bean sprouts, shredded lettuce, carrots, mint, cilantro, scallions in a red curry coconut broth. Both were delicious and very flavorful! The dishes werent overly spicy but they definitely had a kick (which I enjoyed). I enjoyed the different taste profiles, especially the coconut in the salad - sweet but not too sweet! The servings were ample, and Im glad we were able to share and taste each others meals - able to understand the menu a bit better this way. I also appreciated that the menu has a lot vegetarian friendly options (which is a always a hit or miss with Asian restaurants) so Im looking forward in trying other dishes in the future. Pricing was also fair, and I think overall we made out like bandits - paying less than what I think the food probably deserves given how well everything was prepared! Definitely will be back!
NI
Nikolaj Christensen
On our anniversary, I was out of town and away from my wife who had a long night ahead of work ahead of her. I decided to surprise her with delivery from her favorite Philly restaurant (that should be enough of a recommendation for Vientiane right there) so I called but they don’t do delivery. However, after asking about maybe having them drop the food in a cab, their wonderful manager, Sunny, offered to drive dinner over to Center City herself. That was so thoughtful and kind, but what was even more over the top was that they also are cash only and I only had a credit card being in another state. So not only did they make a fantastic dinner for my wife, but Sunny took time out of her day to personally deliver it and with the good faith that I would pay at a future point! Lovely people. Great food. Truly a fantastic place.
RO
Robert Rossi, Jr
LOVE this place. Cash only, but I dont really mind that. We almost always order the same thing: King Soup (spicy coconut milk-base soup with noodles) and Pad Kee Mao (like drunken noodles if youve had them elsewhere, wide flat rice noodles in spicy sauce). Their curries are all delicious too, my favorite was the green curry with tofu. We finally tried a few new dishes this week and the spicy basil rice was really good. Tom Yum soup is great too. We go here a few times a month at least. Excellent vegan options. Most things if you order with tofu are vegan. As far as I know, the only thing that isnt vegan but is vegetarian are the dumplings, but double check.
A
A Private User
I have to say that I love Thai food and most forms of asian food in general. Whatever this was, it was not good. It was absurdly salty and didnt even have the flavors of normal Thai food. My girlfriend and I couldnt even finish the meal. The pad see ew was awful. The prices werent great or bad but paying anything for what we got was too much. The place is also really tiny and its pretty impossible to have a conversation since you practically sit on top of other people. Its just not worth it. Youd be better off getting Vietnamese food at the Vietnam Cafe down the street which is excellent.
MI
Michelle Lee
A new neighborhood favorite, Vientiane does have the usual Thai standards but the Laotian side of the menu adds some good variety. We got one of each: pad see ew and aw lao, a lemongrass and dill soup served with sticky rice. On a cold winters night, their ginger tea was fierce and fragrant. Besides the tasty food, its a charming place to dine: the decor is quietly charming, its lively but quiet enough to hold a conversation, and service is friendly. Great value for the price, too.
GR
Greg Avakian
The description of over-priced Chinese take out is either a competing restaurant jealous of the success of Vietienne - or a UPenn freshman from the boonies. As a New Yorker raised on Asian food and having traveled extensively, I can assure you that this beats any take-out Chinese in West Philly and competes favorably with any Southeast Asian restaurant in the city. Or in the country. Please try Vietienne, you wont have to guess why Im giving a 5-star review.
MA
Marc Manley
Ive only been living in West Philly for about two years and in that short time, the neighborhood has expanded to include some nice places to eat. And while Vientaine has been open longer than that, it has proven to be a consistent place to eat. Like any place thats good to eat around here, there can be a wait but thats never bothered me here. I cant recommend any specific dish as Ive enjoyed all that Ive had. Only note - bring cash as they dont recycle plastic.
AR
Artsiom Nnumolu
A nice Laos/Thai restaurant. The food was definitely above average, but not the best I have had, therfore a 4/5 and not a 5/5. The place is clean and has a pleasant relaxed atmosphere. The staff is very friendly and courteous. I had green curry which was pretty good. The papaya salad here is nice and tailored towards the western taste. The highlight would be the beef jerky with sticky rice, its a must try. I will come here and try other dishes.
JA
James Bradford
I only visited Vientiane one time during the Baltimore Ave dining out week, were you paid a flat rate for a set choice of dishes. I had an absolutely perfect chicken Pad Thai that night, but whats amazing is that I dined with a large group and not one person had a single complaint about any of their various dishes. This is the kind of place where youre going to want to have every course from appetizer to dessert.
NI
Nicholas Coffman
By far my favorite Thai place in the city. We have gone during dinner each of the three times we have visited and had really tasty food and good service. They had a "early bird dinner special" last time we went. I believe it runs until 5:30, or maybe 6:30. Highly recommend the soups, Pad Thai noodles, and red curry. Highly recommended. Also, you must order the mango sticky rice!
AL
alfonso bonaparte
More miss than hit lately. Recently had a greasy red curry which came with mushy jasmine rice, yellow broccoli, and fried tofu that was almost scorched and tasted like it was fried in really old oil. Id say 50% of the time this place is okay, but their prices are a bit high for the often mediocre food.
OL
Olivia Jeanne
Very good food and service. Best Thai curry Ive ever had was their "Panang" peanut sauce!! Other dishes very tasty too, but I wish the portion sizes were bigger. Wings were a bit undercooked. Nothing was even remotely "salty", so I believe the previous comment to that effect is planted by a competitor.
BI
Big Mama
Great authentic Lao food! We ordered papaya salad (Lao style) lao beef jerky, Grilled game hen with sticky rice. It was all amazing! The owners were so kind and generous! Yummy! Im a good cook and I know what to expect and very picky with my foods. This is what real Lao food should taste like!
