Ma Der, a Laotian phrase meaning “Come Eat,” is the central statement that defines Ma Der Lao Kitchen. Located in Oklahoma City, this informal, family-style restaurant perfectly encapsulates this mission. After trying the elevated cuisine served here, its easy to see how Chef Jeff Chanchaleune is a perennial James Beard Award contender and why Ma Der Lao Kitchen was listed among the 50 Best Restaurants in the United States by the New York Times. Keep reading to find out why you need some Laotian food in your life, and what makes Ma Der Lao Kitchen an absolute must try in Oklahoma City.

What is Laotian Food?

If I had to wager a guess, you probably don’t have a Laotian restaurant in your hometown. While this cuisine isn’t as well-known as Italian or Mexican food, it really deserves to be.

Laos is a mountainous country in Southeast Asia between Vietnam and Thailand. If you’re a fan of either of those cuisines, you’ll find some familiarity in the similar ingredients and preparations used in Laotian dishes. Lemongrass, fish sauce, and curry paste all help flavor Laotian food and provide a delicious base for this mountain cousin of some of your favorite Asian cuisines.

What We Ordered at Ma Der Lao Kitchen

As per usual for my reviews, we ordered a range of different dishes so we could really try a lot of Ma Der Lao Kitchen’s menu. Here’s everything we ordered, complete with their menu descriptions:

Sticky Rice (Khao Niew) – Steamed glutinous rice. It’s your vessel to scoop up other dishes. Eat with your hands. Don’t be shy.

Chili Dip (Jaew) – Choose one: roasted sweet chili (jaew bong) or charred green chili (jaew muk phet) (We had both)

Crispy Rice Salad (Nam Khao) – Seasoned crispy rice, chopped cured pork sausage, Medley of mint, cilantro and green onions, ground chili, lime, peanuts, served with lettuce

Grilled Beef (Peeng Seen) – Lemongrass marinated beef rib fingers, toasted rice powder, jaew som, pickled shallots, and herb medley

Fried Chicken (Chuen Gai) – Fried wingettes and drumettes Add Red Curry Fish Sauce +$2

Coconut “Soup” (Naam Vahn) – “Sweet Water” Dessert. Chilled coconut soup with jackfruit, palm seed, and coconut jelly

We also had the rotating dessert, which was a Mango Pavlova at the time we visited.

How to Enjoy this Laotian Food

Keep in mind that all the dishes are served family-style, meaning that they are meant to be shared by the table instead of each person ordering their own entrées.

If you’re familiar with West African food, you probably know Fufu: the starchy vehicle for most dishes. The Sticky Rice (Khao Niew) is very similar. You pinch some of the rice off with your hand and use it to envelop a main like the Grilled Beef (Peeng Seen). You can then add some sauce or chili dip onto your handful of Laotian delicacy.

For the Crispy Rice Salad (Nam Khao), you spoon some of the rice salad onto a lettuce leaf, essentially making a small wrap. Just like the sticky rice, don’t be afraid to add some sauce or chili dip to your new lettuce wrap.

• Top tip – The Chili Dips and the dried peppers on the Crispy Rice Salad are seriously spicy. I enjoy spicy food and even I was sweating at times, these are really not for the faint of heart!

What We Had to Drink at Ma Der Lao Kitchen

Beerlao Gold – A smooth 5% Lager brewed in Hatxayfong, Laos from Khao Kai Noy rice, known for its aromatic and sticky qualities. This Northern Laotian beer has a slight, tamarind-like sweetness that contributes to its unique character.

Seasonal Snaiquiri – Their “seasonal snaiquiri” when we visited was flavored with rambutan, a Southeast Asian fruit similar to Lychee.

My Favorites from Ma Der Lao Kitchen

This is one of the rare times I really can’t pick a favorite. I would recommend essentially everything we tried. The Grilled Beef (Peeng Seen) and Fried Chicken (Chuen Gai) were each truly exquisite, the Crispy Rice Salad (Nam Khao) was also equally excellent, and I would have any of them again in a heartbeat.

I feel like I really must highlight the Coconut Soup (Naam Vahn), possibly the most unique dessert I have ever experienced. Can you say you’ve ever had soup for dessert? The sweet coconut broth and fruit jellies were the stuff of dreams, and really reflect the best of modern gastronomy.

Some Criticisms

The criticisms here are going to be really few and far between. I found almost everything to be virtually flawless. Don’t forget to be aware of the heat from the chilis I mentioned earlier, but I even enjoyed those.

The only dish we thought needed some work was the rotating dessert: the mango pavlova. The meringue was a touch too brittle, and personally I am just not a big meringue guy. Overall, these were not big problems for our dining experience and they certainly didn’t dim Chef Chanchaleune’s brilliance.

The Final Verdict

Ma Der Lao Kitchen is a truly exceptional restaurant. Sometimes I feel like I’m a harsh critic, and I was really blown away by the food here. Laotian food truly is the Southeast Asian cuisine I didn’t know I needed in my life, but now I’m counting down the days until I can try it again. If you find yourself in Oklahoma City, this is the place you need to try!

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