Good news, New Yorkers! You are about to be graced with the presence of a mighty fine ale from the far-flung land of Laos; having surveyed them all, with an extremely large sample size, I can tell you Beer Lao is the best of the South East Asian lagers, and both the light and dark version will be on sale at Khe-Yo by the time you read this. Oh, and there’s also a restaurant happening, too. Better tell you a bit about that as well while we’re here.
Khe-Yo is a restaurant from Laos native Phet Schwader and Iron Chef Marc Forgione, and will be offering what they assert is New York’s first Lao cuisine venue – guests sitting in an attractive exposed brick dining space on teak and mango wood furniture by salvage firm From the Source. The name means green, an you can expect plenty of fresh vegetables with the sticky rice staple forming the base of dishes that add protein almost as a garnish. During lunchtime Khe-Yo is opening Khe-Yosk, a handy hatch serving bánh mì, the South East Asian take on baguette sandwiches which are a legacy of French colonial times.
Interior photography, Paul Wagtouicz
Food photography, Noah Fecks
