312 W 8th St · Downtown Vancouver, WA
Lao Food in Vancouver, WA
Tiger's Garden is a thai & laotian cuisine restaurant and cocktail lounge facing Esther Short Park. Alongside the Thai menu, the kitchen serves dishes that come out of Laos and the Lao-speaking northeast of Thailand.
The overlap
Lao and Thai cooking share a border
Isan, the northeastern region of Thailand, borders Laos and shares much of its language and its cooking. That is why dishes like larb and green papaya salad turn up on Thai and Laotian menus alike, often under two different names for the same plate.
Sticky rice is the staple of that region — a short-grain glutinous rice that is steamed rather than boiled, so it holds together and is eaten by hand rather than with a fork.
Questions
Lao food, answered
- Where can I get Lao food in Vancouver, WA?
- Tiger's Garden serves Thai and Laotian cuisine at 312 W 8th St in downtown Vancouver, WA, facing Esther Short Park. Call (360) 693-9585 or order online.
- What is the difference between Lao and Thai food?
- The two cuisines overlap heavily, particularly with northeastern Thailand, which borders Laos and shares much of its cooking. Dishes such as larb and green papaya salad are eaten in both, under different names.
- What is the national dish of Laos?
- Larb, a minced meat salad dressed with lime juice and chili. Tiger's Garden lists Larb on the salads section of its menu.