A nondescript strip mall in Southwest Dallas is home to Overseas Market, a hole-in-the-wall spot with three or four aisles of tall shelves stocked with Lao, Thai and other Asian bottled, bagged, boxed and canned goods. And there are a couple of tables in a small alcove in the back that shares space with overstock from the grocery where you can order a freshly prepared meal from a menu of traditional Lao and Thai dishes. Score.
The menu offers several familiar dishes such as pad see eew, lard nah, pad Thai, kra paow, pad kee maow and pho, but we wanted something different. In the end we settled upon a starter, a side, some rice and a main, focusing on Lao over Thai.
We started with Lao beef jerky, which can be ordered with or without fat. We’re not really sure what that means, but we went with fat to save a dollar and hopefully gain some flavor, promising ourselves that dinner later would consist of a handful of raw kale and a glass of tepid water for penance. We were glad we did.
There were perhaps a dozen six-inch strips of twisted meat, chewy in a good way and marinated and seasoned in a wonderful sweet-and-spice olio of flavors. It took a lot of willpower not to finish them all off right there and then, but that would have just meant more kale later on.
Next, a side order of kau kai, a Lao-style omelet. The omelet was perfectly cooked with a hint of wok hei, with sauteed onions, tomatoes and green onions all flavored with what was probably a dash of sweet soy sauce. Extremely good, not too sweet or spicy, a satisfying dish of comfort food.
We added a side of sticky rice (because why not) and went with a small for $4. The portion that was brought to the table was big enough for us to ponder whether they’d brought the large by mistake (they hadn’t).
For our main we went with an order of laub, probably the most traditional of all Lao dishes, prepared with seasoned minced meat mixed with roasted ground rice, lime juice, green onions, cilantro and mint. There are several protein options available: beef, which can be prepared raw, medium, or cooked; duck; and chicken, all for around $12–15. Since we were sharing, we went with chicken over duck in order to please everyone. (The raw beef was similarly dismissed as an option out of hand. Some people are picky eaters.)
This, too, was a rather large plate, full of the chicken mixture and garnished with a healthy supply of bean sprouts, peppers, mint, lime and romaine lettuce leaves. The flavor was good, but it was served at room temperature, as is correct and should have been expected. Even so, it’s something to keep in mind. Don’t expect it to be hot.
When we were done, we had a bit of time to peruse the aisles of groceries. There's a decent selection of stuff to take home aside from the ubiquitous rooster sauce, as well as beef or pork nam, Lao sausage and beef jerky to go: a pound of the jerky will set you back $39, or $32 with fat. Sure, that’s a $7 savings, but you’d probably break even with the extra statins you’d have to purchase in the long run. Life is full of tough decisions.
Nestled in the back of the store is a small dining area where you can order freshly prepared Lao and Thai fare.
Hank Vaughn
We started with Lao beef jerky, which can be ordered with or without fat. We’re not really sure what that means, but we went with fat to save a dollar and hopefully gain some flavor, promising ourselves that dinner later would consist of a handful of raw kale and a glass of tepid water for penance. We were glad we did.
There were perhaps a dozen six-inch strips of twisted meat, chewy in a good way and marinated and seasoned in a wonderful sweet-and-spice olio of flavors. It took a lot of willpower not to finish them all off right there and then, but that would have just meant more kale later on.
Next, a side order of kau kai, a Lao-style omelet. The omelet was perfectly cooked with a hint of wok hei, with sauteed onions, tomatoes and green onions all flavored with what was probably a dash of sweet soy sauce. Extremely good, not too sweet or spicy, a satisfying dish of comfort food.
We added a side of sticky rice (because why not) and went with a small for $4. The portion that was brought to the table was big enough for us to ponder whether they’d brought the large by mistake (they hadn’t).
For our main we went with an order of laub, probably the most traditional of all Lao dishes, prepared with seasoned minced meat mixed with roasted ground rice, lime juice, green onions, cilantro and mint. There are several protein options available: beef, which can be prepared raw, medium, or cooked; duck; and chicken, all for around $12–15. Since we were sharing, we went with chicken over duck in order to please everyone. (The raw beef was similarly dismissed as an option out of hand. Some people are picky eaters.)
This, too, was a rather large plate, full of the chicken mixture and garnished with a healthy supply of bean sprouts, peppers, mint, lime and romaine lettuce leaves. The flavor was good, but it was served at room temperature, as is correct and should have been expected. Even so, it’s something to keep in mind. Don’t expect it to be hot.
When we were done, we had a bit of time to peruse the aisles of groceries. There's a decent selection of stuff to take home aside from the ubiquitous rooster sauce, as well as beef or pork nam, Lao sausage and beef jerky to go: a pound of the jerky will set you back $39, or $32 with fat. Sure, that’s a $7 savings, but you’d probably break even with the extra statins you’d have to purchase in the long run. Life is full of tough decisions.
1101 S. Walton Walker Blvd. Daily, 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
