17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Lao cuisine takes center stage at Quincy pop-up this weekend
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Phaeng & Phiu's first outing will be a communal-style dinner including dishes such as kingfish with kaffir lime leaves, grilled quail with turmeric and lemongrass, red snapper souffle, and a brulee of coconut and mung bean. There are limited seats left each night even though the tickets for the chef's five-course tasting menu are $160 plus fees. Robert is planning another pop-up in Brookline on March 24 that he says will be 'more of a Lao-Thai backyard party' vibe. That pop-up will be announced on
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This weekend's quick-selling tickets are possibly a testament to Robert's experience and reputation. Rubato's chef and owner Laurence Louie, in
The pop-up is named after Robert's parents, who met when his mom was a 'ping gai' (grilled chicken) hawker across the street from his father's gas station in Luang Prabang, Northern Laos. Robert aims to recreate the flavors of his youth with some help from his mom, who lives in Providence. 'My mom would not consider herself a cook but she does have a few recipes I can't even try to replicate,' says Robert. 'When we started doing recipe testing (together) for Phaeng & Phiu, it was fun to formulate a lot of recipes she knew.'
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Phaeng & Phiu Lao Dinner @ Rubato HK Café, Feb. 21 and 22, tickets $160 each plus fees, wine pairing an additional $40, via
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