Soups from the Mekong to the Menomonie

At Vientiane, cheerful family-run service offers up massive steaming bowls of Laotian and other Southeast Asian soups that delight every taste sensation.

by

Following just south of Milwaukee’s Menomonie River runs National Avenue, which might be more accurately dubbed International Ave, with its flourishing immigrant enclaves including most notably Mexican, but also Hmong and Lao. It is the latter we are exploring here, from a table at Vientiane Noodle Shop on National near the 35th Street bridge in the eclectic neighborhood of Silver City.

At Vientiane, cheerful family-run service offers up massive steaming bowls of Laotian and other Southeast Asian soups that delight every taste sensation. Sweet, savory, spicy, bitter and sour flavors dance among medleys of creamy, silky, chewy and crunchy textures, always brimming with freshness and umami, coalescing in a meal experience that leaves no desire unfulfilled.

With so many soups and other dishes to choose from you can never bore of Vientiane, and you certainly needn’t feel restricted to the Pho, which is widely available elsewhere. There’s opportunity to thoroughly explore the extreme culinary variety of this rich tropical region of Earth. Still, don’t sleep on the Pho either, as it is among the best in town.

For something different, however, I would suggest trying first the Khao Poun noodle soup. An authentic complex mixture of rich ingredients produces a spirited and balanced soup. To dig into this meal is akin to receiving a warm hug from a loved one. A coconut milk, red curry and galangal base (a peppery and slightly minty cousin of ginger) is further enriched by lemongrass, the all-important Thai chili for spiciness, and kefir lime leaves, which add an unparalleled and unique bright citrus tang to contrast the rich coconut. Plenty of pulled chicken, sliced bamboo shoots and carrots create the proper body for a full meal. A topping of fresh scallions, cilantro and self-service bean sprouts, Thai basil and fresh lime, give a finishing touch of watery crunch to offset the starchy rice noodles. Plus, it is plated beautifully, featuring new extra large bowls—this soup is truly a fine work of art.

The Perfect Soup

For a few dollars more, another magical soup option sans noodles is the masterfully concocted Tom Yum Goong, a staple soup of Thailand that some consider to be the most perfect soup that humans have yet achieved. It shares some ingredients with the Khao Poun but rests in a base that adds sweet-and-sour tamarind and shrimp stock to the coconut, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves. The protein and umami is provided by a generous portion of peeled fresh shrimp and whole tender mushrooms rather than chicken.

Feel free to doctor up any dish to your liking with a tray of fixings such as hot chili oil, savory fried garlic, sweet hoisin, and of course the ubiquitous sweet and spicy Sriracha.

Vientiane Noodle Shop is named after the capital of Laos, a city which the owners describe as laid back and friendly, and this absolutely tracks. Nobody rushes you out and your server may even crack a joke or two with you if you seem open to the banter. The decor includes paintings of ancient temples, photographs of dancers in traditional ceremonial garb, framed textiles, hand-woven basketry, and other cultural clues that send diners on a mental adventure of Laotian ambiance. With your imagination stirred, you very well may be transported to a bustling outdoor cafe along the Mekong River.

According to Milwaukee County demographics, about 3,000 Lao and nearly 13,000 Hmong live in the county, part of the over 70,000 Hmong in Wisconsin. It is a tremendous feat and stroke of good fortune that so many of this indigenous group from the jungle hills of Laos made it here, escaping a genocide following a brutal civil war where they sided with the American CIA in their “Secret War,” only to be left behind to be slaughtered en masse by the victorious Khmer Rouge. Milwaukeeans are indeed lucky as well that the Hmong, along with the Lao, landed on our quirky and humble shore of Great Lake Michigan to share with us their taste of the tropics—minus the ever-present mosquitos!