I've heard so many good things about the food here, especially their larb and papaya salad, so I…read morefigured, why not? I needed to get my Hmong food craving FIXED!
This is a small Hmong mom-and-pop market offering Southeast Asian groceries, water, and made-to-order food. The store carries the essentials you'd expect from a smaller Hmong market. There aren't really any fresh vegetables, but they have mostly packaged goods and other items you'd typically find at an international Asian market.
I originally came in wanting the beef larb, but quickly noticed they had quite a variety of larb for $18, including raw or cooked beef, raw or cooked shrimp, cooked chicken, and raw tuna. I initially ordered the raw shrimp larb but quickly changed my mind and went with the tuna larb instead. The young man helping me had no problem making the switch since he hadn't started preparing it yet.
I also ordered the Lao-style papaya salad for $12 and the pig ear and intestine stir-fry for $18. It had been YEARS since I'd had pig ears and intestines, so I figured I might as well satisfy that craving too!
They have two full-size picnic tables with umbrellas outside for customers who want to sit and eat. I took mine to go since I was having a lunch date with my daughter and grandkids.
Now, the tuna larb was ON POINT! I ordered medium spice, but just a heads-up--their medium definitely leans HOT! Even with the heat, it was delicious. The seasoning, herbs, and flavors were all on point.
The papaya salad also hit the spot! It came with noodles, which I enjoyed. Again, I ordered medium spice, and again...it was definitely on the hotter side! But the flavors were still delicious and exactly what I was craving.
Unfortunately, the pig ear and intestine stir-fry wasn't what I expected. I felt like they skimped on the actual protein and used yellow onions as filler--and I mean A LOT of onions. There were way more onions than I would have liked. Well, I guess it did one thing: it definitely KILLED that craving!
Overall, I'll definitely be back for the larb, papaya salad, and to try some of the other items on their menu. The flavors were authentic and satisfying, and that tuna larb alone is worth another visit. I personally wouldn't recommend the pig ear and intestine stir-fry based on my experience, but everything else has me wanting to come back and explore more of the menu!
Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the papaya salad.