That Luang Kitchen

Great Lao/Thai restaurant Robin & I discovered this afternoon in San Pablo: super cheap, with a couple of light dishes that suited us perfectly. On the left, Papaya Salad, on the right, Nam Khao, that rice dish we discovered in Oakland a couple of months back, with scallions, peanuts, preserved pork, and served with lettuce leaves so you can eat it like a wrap. Extraordinary versions which seemed effortlessly authentic. 

The pork tastes more like ham here. Also notice the puffy rice.

Great blend of texture, aromas and flavor. This would be ideal for summer time. Enough chile with these dishes that I actually broke a sweat--that hardly happens.

The Papaya salad has just a few ingredients. Notice the Thai chiles in this close-up. Very spicy. Sauce was a perfect balance of fish sauce and lime.

There's a jungle I can't wait to explore again.

So good. Can't wait to return. Place looks like a total dive, but the food is top notch.

A bit of a poor looking neighborhood, but there's a real scene happening on 23rd Street in San Pablo. About a block to the north is La Chona, that Mexican restaurant with the killer Birria I was praising last summer. We're going to have to check out all these places. Inexpensive and exquisite!