Lao Café to open permanent London site
Saiphin Moore and the team behind Rosa’s Thai Cafe announced the launch of Lao Café, a permanent version of the successful pop-up they ran at their Gillingham Street site in 2015.
Set to open late 2016, Lao Café will occupy 60 Chandos Place, a stone’s throw from Covent Garden. The new restaurant will serve up a range of traditional Lao salads, curries and char-grilled dishes at the new restaurant. The menu will contain a mixture of dishes served at last year’s pop-up, alongside a host of new creations.
“Although my family migrated to Thailand from Laos, they did not abandon the traditional food and cooking methods,” Moore said.
“These recipes have been in my family as long as I can remember. This restaurant will celebrate my love for Laotian cuisine with every dish reflecting a specific memory from growing up in the countryside - from cooking meat over a charcoal grill to mixing salads with a wooden pestle and mortar.”
Designed in collaboration with hospitality agency Rebel Hospitality, the new restaurant will be spread across two floors, and will accommodate 60 covers in total. The design scheme will combine subtle elements of authenticity with a clean, contemporary look befitting the café’s central London location.
The centrepiece of the interior will be a modern mural based on an old family photograph from Saiphin’s childhood, as interpreted by London-based graffiti artist Mr. Cenz.
“This project is all about the menu,” Rebel co-founder Edward Francis said.
“And the subtle nature of the scheme will ensure that the bright, bold, vibrant food is the centre of attention and star of the show.”
The restaurant will take bookings when it opens later this year, with a certain number of covers to be reserved for walk-ins.
