You won't EVER be disappointed with this food. PERIOD. As a college student, I would consistently…read moreswitch between their spicy tofu squash curry and their spring rolls as timeless classics. Among their other items, their mango sticky rice is AMAZING. Having origins from Southeast Asia as well, this food cart has done me a great service of bringing me closer to home especially on the toughest days. In addition to that, the woman who works tirelessly in the cart has recognized me and we've had many familiar conversations. I'm amazed that she can continue to shine as radiantly as she does despite always working so hard! People might complain about the wait, which I understand, but why don't you try rolling a fat spring roll seamlessly without tearing the delicate rice paper and see how long that would take you? I have mad respect for the incredible woman who is in their cart throughout the week, creating tasty and authentic lunch and in a quick and efficient manner as it can for a fresh spring roll. If you're trying to get food from the food carts on the State Street Mall, you won't regret this one, even if you have to wait a little bit. Luang Prabang, you have never failed me!

I visited Luang Prabang, a Lao-Thai cart on Library Mall, a few times earlier this year. They had a…read moreregular menu that included curries, noodles, and salads, but also a rotating daily menu, all at very affordable prices. The people working at the cart were really nice and accommodating, and were happy to modify any dish they could for ingredients that you can't or don't eat. The first thing I tried was the squash curry, which was a really generous portion size for $7, consisting of rice topped with a rich coconut milk-based curry filled with chicken, kabocha, and zucchini. It was really filling and tasty. But the real winner from the cart after a few visits was the avocado spring roll, which was $3.50 and the size of a burrito. It was basically a giant fresh roll filled with avocado, lettuce, cabbage, mint, rice noodles, cucumber, carrot, and peanut sauce. We got the medium spicy sauce, and it had a fantastic kick to it. Still can't believe something so large was only a few dollars, as it was such a great deal. Definitely worth trying this cart if you're looking for something to eat on campus.

Reminds me of a hidden gem in Elmhurst, Queens. Really tasty fusion menu, I ended up with a curry,…read morepho, and rangoons, with the blueberry wontons. For the folks confused about the menu, everything is best enjoyed getting items from each section instead of all Thai, all Chinese etc. The rangoons were fried perfectly and did well with a dunk in red curry. This was a take out order, but the people working at the front got to me quickly and kindly, and the interior looked really cute.

Really disappointing experience from start to finish. We were told the wait would be about 30…read moreminutes and ended up waiting 90, despite multiple tables waiting to be cleaned for long stretches. The whole seating process seemed incredibly inefficient. We asked if we could at least order appetizers at the bar while we waited and were told no because we were waiting for a table, which was frustrating. Service somehow managed to be both inattentive and overbearing. After we were finally seated, we waited close to 30 minutes while trying to order. Once the food arrived, though, our waiter was suddenly at the table every five minutes asking if everything tasted good (it did not). The menu is enormous, to the point that I genuinely don't understand how a kitchen could execute that many dishes well, especially when so many require different ingredients and preparation. Unfortunately, the food pretty much confirmed that suspicion. The curry was watery and almost completely flavorless. The Pad Thai tasted like ketchup. The duck was poorly cooked. The spring roll with an egg roll inside was tasty, but there wasn't enough filling and it was the only thing we particularly enjoyed. I don't mind waiting for good food, and I don't mind a restaurant being busy. But waiting three times longer than quoted, watching tables sit empty, being unable to order anything while waiting, and then getting mediocre food made this a pretty frustrating experience. I wouldn't come back.

The staff was really attentive and helped me choose my entrée. I went with the chicken spicy basil,…read moreand it was fresh with a simple, homemade flavor

I've never actually been in Thai Basil for a meal - but it's my go to Thai delivery place in…read moreMadison. It usually gets to my house pretty fast and it's always piping hot. I think their noodles are better than their curries. I also get the rangoon and satay pretty regularly, and both are delicious. I've also gotten the mango sticky rice a few times and that's always pretty good.

Super delicious! I came here with a large group and we were seated instantly. There are lots of…read morefood options. I got the drunken noodles. However, we ended up going family style so I was able to try other dishes like the coconut curries. We got medium spice, which was a good kick without being too much. Overall a great restaurant that I highly recommend!

Background: I've been to Thailand. Service was subpar and…read morenot warm. I request extra spicy for all my food. And it was not even spicy. Missing flavor from the shaking beef and the crab papaya salad. The papaya salad tasted like the papaya was not sliced at the correct time or prepped too long ago as it had a bitter flavor. It also missed more lime juice, peanuts, garlic and more spice. They told me they dont have any other spicy sauce besides the off brand sriracha sauce. I requested more spicy sauce again and she finally gave me chili oil. :/ rice was not warm. To be fair more like 3.5/5. Presentation is done well.

We are from Ohio and ate dinner here last night. Everything was absolutely fabulous! The staff is…read moresuper friendly and knowledgeable about all the dishes. We had the chicken satay appetizer that was big enough for an entree! The chicken was cooked perfectly and the sweet chili sauce gave it a nice heat. My husband had the Kung Pao shrimp and it was delicious. There were 10 BIG shrimp on his plate. I ordered the Pad Thai at the recommendation of about 4 staff members and it did not disappoint! HUGE portion! I have enough leftovers for two more meals and I can't wait to devour it! Definitely visit this restaurant if you are in Madison!

Lao food is amazing - who would have known! I really enjoyed everything plated in the photos. More…read morethan enough portions for just my wife and I with just the appetizers alone but my eyes were bigger than my tummy and sampled a lot. Galapao, pork buns, amazing!! Chicken Satay & Fried Rice was our next favorite dish. Egg Rolls & Chèvre Wontons were real good too. Sakoo Yat Sai, wife didn't care much for this one because of the texture but I enjoyed it. It's got a gelatin shell so keep that in mind before ordering. It was a weekday and although seated right away it was pretty busy and our entree took a while to prep. Our appetizers came out almost right away. The environment was comfortable and inviting. All in all this was an amazing food visit for us. Only wish we had this back in VA go here you'll enjoy it!

Love Sala! I have been eating here since it opened around 2008. Very authentic and homestyle…read moreflavors. The Lao dishes are spot on. The Curries are best in the area. The Som Tum with grilled chicken.... Delish!! The panang stuffed chicken wings are over the top. The Friday night gingered fish stir fry is ohhhhhh soooo good. Soups? Amazing!!! Great chicken egg rolls. And the best pan fried pork potstickers anywhere. Kudos to Sala Thai!!!

This is a quaint little place that has been well appointed in Thai fashion…read more This local dig is a must try when in the Fair Oaks neighborhood! Please remember it's CASH ONLY! This, I believe, helps to keep their prices very reasonable! It's excellent service but it also appears family ran, so don't be surprised if you have to wait a bit for some attention if it's busy. The jasmine tea was a perfect blend of sweet floral that came through on the nose and mouth. Egg roll was fried to perfection accompanied by an amazing Thai ginger sauce with a bit of heat that was appreciated. Chang beer was recommended and served with a frosty glass. It was a champagne light beer that had great taste. Pad se ew was cooked perfectly and served with a creamy soy sauce that had a hint of sesame/peanut flavor coming through. Veggies were al dente (yum) and chicken was tender.

Food was delicious ans service was great! Will visit again. Ambience was nice also. Serving is…read moreright for three.

I came here one evening with some friends. I ordered the pork Larb and they ordered spring rolls,…read moreduck curry, a shrimp soup, and pad Thai. My friend said that the curry was amazing and they definitely want to come again for that. My other friend didn't like the pad Thai that much and had to put a lot of sauce on it. They thought the soup and the spring rolls were decent and didn't have any complaints. Pork Larb is my favorite food and I really didn't enjoy the pork Larb here. It had carrots in it which I had never seen before and it was incredibly dry and sweet. They also didn't have sticky rice I could order unless it was the sticky rice for dessert with coconut milk in it which I didn't want. It also costed me extra for cucumber and lettuce which should automatically come with it (who eats Larb by itself???). As far as ambiance goes, it was kind of dark in there but the decor and atmosphere was okay. The service was very nice but they did forget some of our food at one point. I really like the server who brought our food though; she was charming and enjoyable to talk to. Overall, I see great potential with this place and really only wish the best. With some tweaking and recipe perfection, this could be a good, treasured spot in the area.

The 4 of us had 3 delicious entrees. Pad Thai, Volcano, and…read morea curry. All with chicken. Great service. Good place for a casual date night.

My husband got pad thai and I got drunken noodles. We eat a lot of Thai food and this was one was…read morepretty bad The sauce was different in a bad way for the pad thai and the drunken noodles were very overcooked and lacking in flavor. We would maybe give it one more try but we wouldn't be excited about it.

Hot-N-Spicy is one of my all time favorite restaurants which remains a cultural culinary gem!…read moreMadison, WI is beyond blessed to have Hot-N-Spicy which is the most authentic SouthEast Asian restaurant in the Madison area that shares the culture of countries like Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam with the community through their incredible delicious food/cuisine! They truly live up to their name "Hot-N-Spicy". The cultural significance of the chili pepper often represents hospitality, warmth, and resilience! They bring all the spice and don't hold back! If you are not used to spice/spicy hot dishes, I suggest you start at level one spice and work your way up. They will ask you on dishes made with chili peppers what spice level you want 1-4 and can even make it hotter also! Hot-N-Spicy is genuinely unique because they offer Issan food dishes and flavors that is uniquely from the Issan/Isan Northeast region of Thailand that is heavily influenced by Lao and Cambodian flavors with the use of heat, fresh herbs, and use of fish sauce that brings different flavors different from other regions of Thailand. Hot-N-Spicy used to be located in the back of the Viet Hoa Market. It is now located next door from the market in a larger space in the same strip mall that allows for a more comfortable sit-down seating experience of a full restaurant. I have tried almost everything on their menu and have never been disappointed! For appetizers, I love their angel wings which are deboned chicken wings stuffed with chicken, carrot, and bean thread noodles fried to pure crispy perfection! Their most popular selling appetizers are their amazingly addictively delicious crab rangoons! Their chicken satay is also a must try! I also recommend trying their beef jerky which is so delicious, it often sells out quickly during the day! Their main entrees are so outstanding, it is hard to order one entree! My absolute favorite that I recommend is their steak Laab which is the best Laab I have had in Madison! It is heavily influenced with Isaan flavors/culture with minced beef, tripe, red onion, cilantro, mint, fresh lime juice, rice powder, fish sauce and scallions. I love the beef steak Laab because it is unlike anything you will ever taste with so much flavor from a combination of flavors with hint of sour with the lime, salty/umami/pungence from the fish sauce, balanced with refreshing different herbs, texture with the tripe, while the toasted rice powder gives this dish a tiny bit of crunch/texture that gives a subtle nutty flavor! This dish is a minced meat salad traditionally eaten with your hands and sticky rice/vegetables like cucumber. I also really enjoy their Pad Thai, Pho, and Crispy Noodle Lad Na! Your visit wouldn't be complete without quenching your thirst with either their Thai iced coffee/tea! Hot-N-Spicy remains at the top of my list for Thai/Lao cuisine! If you are looking for true authentic flavors/traditionally prepared dishes, definitely try Hot-N-Spicy!

I recently visited Hot N Spicy again, and it was just as good as I remembered! The Summer Rolls…read morewith pork nem nuong were incredibly fresh and packed with flavor. The combination of romaine, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, mint, homemade daikon, and the crispy fried egg roll wrapper created the perfect balance of freshness and crunch. The nem nuong dipping sauce was so good that I ordered extra. I also tried the Panang Red Curry, and it was outstanding. The curry was rich, creamy, slightly sweet, and packed with flavor. I ordered level 1 spice, and it was the perfect amount of heat without overwhelming the dish. The homemade curry paste, coconut milk, basil, peppers, and jasmine rice came together beautifully. It's also been great to see this local business grow. What started as a takeout spot inside Viet Hoa Market has expanded into a larger space on Monona Drive, and it's easy to see why. The food is consistently delicious, the portions are generous, and the new location offers plenty of seating. If you're craving fresh spring rolls, flavorful curry, or simply a great meal, Hot N Spicy is absolutely worth a visit. Added bonus the service was AMAZING!!!

We happen to book the hotel across the street from this restaurant. They're take out only, so we…read morejust walked over to pick up dinner and walked back to eat in our room. What we ordered: 1) Drunken Noodle (Spice level-Spicy) delicious and would go back just to eat them again. 2) Tohm Khem (sweet pork) pretty good but have had better. 3) Papaya Salad (Spice level-mild) was pretty good, a little too sweet for our preference. 4) Chicken Wings- simple and crunchy, exactly what we wanted. Would recommend and revisit to try other items on menu.

I would have given 4 stars but I asked for no nuts in my Pad Thai and there were lots of peanuts…read more The flavor was okay. The egg rolls was not my favorite. The flavor wasn't something I enjoyed. I ate one of the two. I was not a fan of the duck sauce since it had a lot of peanuts in it. It is a me thing but I am not a fan of peanuts in general and have never liked them in my Thai food. Only ate 1/4 of the meal due to the peanut taste. I almost went back but was tired after my all day epic training.