Former Pho Tank space?

Anyone been to the new cafe in old Tank space yet? Just wondering.

I am pretty sure that I read a short blurb about a newish place in the old Tank space in the Reader a few weeks back (although I can't find anything on-line which makes me wonder if I'm losing my mind)...they certainly mentioned that the chef used to work at Tank. They also mentioned the use of Vietnamese bacon in the spring rolls which I thought sounded rather good. I was thinking of stopping by after work tonight but I can't remember the name of the place and am not 100% that this is in the old Tank space.

Anyone remember what the name of this new place is?

It was featured in the Reader a few weeks back and it'll be online soon.

Very solid.

Cafe Lao
1007 W. Argyle St.
(773) 275-5092

Paul Tyksins wrote:It was featured in the Reader a few weeks back and it'll be online soon.

Very solid.

Cafe Lao
1007 W. Argyle St.
(773) 275-5092

Ah, so it is Cafe Lao. I thought so, but was not sure. I seem to remember reading some less then positive reports of Cafe Lao here, but I think I will drop in tonight to check it out for myself.

I posted a very brief account of going in for take-out. My main observation, which was not part of the Reader's take on it, was how many items were priced well into the teens and $20s. It was just surprising for a fairly bare-bones storefront whose menu and general affect did not suggest that the kitchen was doing or even attempting a Pasteur-esque upscale experience. What I ate was perfectly adequate, but I did not test any of the fancier stuff.

The hot pots are in the $15-$25 range. Other than that, it's right in line with Argyle pricing.

Paul Tyksins wrote:The hot pots are in the $15-$25 range. Other than that, it's right in line with Argyle pricing.

Paul, in the Reader review, there was a mention of a dish that was the chef's favorite (or something like that) - you don't remember what it is do you?

If not, no problem. I'm sure I'll find something that tickles my fancy.

The owner's favorite hot pot is the salted duck.

The beef tenderloin stir-fry is amazing.

I often eat at Cafe Lao. My experiences have been pretty variable but they have good Pho, friendly but at times neglectful service, and some fairly good appetizers.. I do not see it as a Le Colonial kind of place in terms of their culinary aspirations, more as a neighborhood Vietnamese place capable of pretty good food at times. Since they opened I have been faithfully going there because I like their Pho, but I have to warn the reader that there have been times that I have shown up there in the middle of the week and find it closed, despite their posted hours. If you are headed that way calling ahead might not be the worst idea.

I appreciate the tip about the stir fry and will try it the next time I am there.

Well, I did make it to Cafe Lao yesterday afternoon and had a pretty good meal, even if it wasn't really what I felt like. What I originally felt like was something along the lines of the Goi Ga (Chicken Salad) at Cafe Hoang or the Lotus Root salad at Tank - perfect hot weather food, in my opinion. What I didn't particularly feel like was pho, which I normally prefer to consume when the temperature is down a bit (or a lot). I should also mention that I was working on a somewhat limited budget and couldn't really afford to spend much more then $13-14 including tax and tip.

In hindsight, this probably meant that I should have thought twice before heading to Cafe Lao, seeing as some of the reports here mention that a) a lot of the dishes are in a higher price range and b) the pho is the best thing there. However, I was interested to try the Beef Tenderloin stir-fry mentioned by Paul in this thread and I thought the springrolls mentioned in the reader review sounded good too, so I thought I'd try a new place instead of heading to a regular haunt.

When I arrived it was fairly early (about 6 PM) and the whole street seemed pretty deserted - considerably more so then I have ever seen it before. It was almost eerie (obviously, as Tuesday is never a particually busy night). The restaurant was similarly unpopulated - when I arrived there were no costumers and the staff were all watching TV, playing computer games and, in a case of the chap that I think was the head chef, having a nap at one of the tables. I felt a little bad to be interrupting this idyllic scene and the staff didn't seem very happy about it either - the waitress rolled her eyes as she bought me the menu and returned to take my order no more then 20-30 seconds later. I probably should have taken this as a sign that the place was not running at the top of it's game and made my excuses and left, but I soldiered on. I asked for a minute or so more to peruse the menu and, in response, the waitress flipped the menu to the Pho page and told me to order something from that. I politely declined and she headed off for a minute or so to let me check out the menu in a little bit more detail.

As has already been mentioned, a lot of menu items were either a) only in Vietnamese, b) out of my price range for this meal (a lot of dishes were $20-30, including the appetizers) or c) both of the above. The dishes that were in English were fairly standard rice/noodle dishes that didn't appeal to me all that much at the time (although might have sounded great at another time). I tried to track down the Beef Tenderloin stir-fry that I had my heart set on, but couldn't locate it (maybe I just had a Mr. Magoo moment and missed it?) There was a "Beef Stir-fry" section on the menu with about five choices, but only one of these menu options was in English and it did not sound like the tenderloin. Normally, I would just pick one of the remaining four at random and hope it was a good choice, but they were all in the $15-25 range, so I wasn't particularly keen to take that risk. When the waitress returned to my table, I enquired about the beef tenderloin stir-fry as a final effort, but she told me that they didn't have it (I don't think she really knew what I was talking about though - her English was fairly basic and my Vietnamese more or less nonexistent). I quickly tried to think of a way to mime 'tenderloin' but thought better of it. As the waitress once again flipped my menu to the Pho page, I was starting to come around - after all, I had already heard that the Pho was good, even if it was not what I was originally hoping for. I ordered a bowl and an order of Spring Rolls.

Things actually got better from here, as both items were really rather good. The fillings in the Springrolls tasted very fresh and had a nice large amount of mint in there (one of the flavors that I had been craving all day) although there was no bacon in there, as mentioned in the Reader. The Pho was very good as well, no better then what you would find at, say, Tank, but certainly not much worse either. Still, it didn't really hit the spot - I couldn't help but think that I should have just ordered the Springrolls and popped over to Cafe Hoang for my main course (As it was, I figured that the only way to be truly satisfied was dessert, so I popped over to the New Hong Kong bakery for a delicious Litchi pasty - now that hit the spot)

Upon leaving the restaurant, I concluded that I would return sometime on a busier night when I had a bit more spare change in my pocket to try one of the hotpots (the salted duck does sound good) or later this year when my Pho craving kicks into high gear. I didn't have a great experience, but this was mainly down to my own circumstances - it's hardly the restaurants fault that I didn't have too much cash and didn't feel like one of their specialties. I'd also be interested in visiting with a Vietnamese friend to try and solve some of the mysteries of the menu. Still, I probably won't return in a hurry.

Edit: Ye Gods, thats a lot longer then I had planned it to be - sorry.

I should have clarified that the beef tenderloin stir-fry is an occasional special. Apologies.

Paul Tyksins wrote:I should have clarified that the beef tenderloin stir-fry is an occasional special. Apologies.

Don't worry about it! Is there a specials board there (I don't remember seeing one) or do you need to ask about availability?

There's a specials board on the West wall.

Hi,

It appears Cafe Lao has closed or at least it is doing a fine imitation.

Regards,