Our Story

The food of Laos has not yet made it into the spotlight of the world stage. With only a handful of Lao restaurants in America, it is often compared or grouped with Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. You have heard of destination restaurants, Lil’ Laos brings the destination to you.  Described as a rustic version of Thai food, Laotian cuisine is a blend of salty, sour, sweet, herbaceous, fermented, and most importantly SPICY — all in one. A highly crav-able food experience revolving around the staple sticky rice. 

Lil’ Laos is a collaborative partnership between Sakhone Sayarath and Curtis Rhodes.  Sakhone’s upbringing in Laos gives her a chance of telling a story through food and authenticity with Lil’ Laos. Miami’s first Laotian pop-up restaurant. Sharing the “simple & valuable” flavors of her country with dishes that conjure up. Born in Laos and raised in a refugee camp for 8 years, she brings the memories of her childhood and her mom’s homemade cooking to life, adding her own style while staying true to her roots.  

You may know Curtis as the Executive Chef of Cafe Roval in Miami for the past three years. Born and raised in Hawaii, with an Asian cuisine background Chef Curtis was trained under master Chef Jean Marie Josselin, where he garnered a delicate coastal touch that has become his signature. He refined his seafood expertise and fine dining experience in Honolulu & San Diego before gracing Miami in 2007. For seven years as Chef De Cuisine of The River Oyster Bar in Brickell and Oak Tavern in the Design District.

Together, Curtis and Sakhone combine their passion for authentic fare with a menu of unique dishes that naturally complement each other. Traditional dishes include spicy papaya salad (tum mak hoong) with homemade fish sauce (padaek), lemongrass chicken charred to perfection, any one of the famous Laab dishes, and of course, sticky rice — a must in traditional Lao communal-style dining.