Lao City Thai - Haymarket

That is a super small restaurant for a cheap food. the staff was delightful, eating was excellent, plentiful and very good priced. it is also byo that made our meal even more of a bargain.

Tiny little place that loses a lot of customers to the restaurant next door, Doodee Paidang. This is not fair, because it is equal to the task. The task being authentic, spicy as, interesting, extreme eastern Thai/Isaan/Lao food. Authentic it is. The Thai women next...to me were sweating. The smiling waitress didn't try to suppress her laugh when we told her we were happy with spicy food. Indeed, after 2 years of living in Thailand I thought i was. No, I was wrong. This is the real deal. Don't be shy to try something new the wok is hot and therefore spicy, the chef has done this before. The fish is fresh, and exquisite with the salads on top. This is not a place to impress your girl. It is a place to impress your friends because you are down with authentic, local restaurants. Beware. The English of the staff is not so great. Double check your order. If you change your order, make sure it has been changed, not just added. It will save any hard feelings afterwards.

I went with an Isan Thai native and she assures me that this is food like they cook at home. Now that may be good or bad but as an Anglo-Saxon Australian who has travelled widely in China, I thought it was good to very...good. You won't see this kind of food in an Asian fusion TV show feature, it's not fancy but it's the real deal. The service was smart and friendly no doubt helped by a conversation in Thai. I notice the restaurant has a 4 start health rating from Brisbane council and it all looked clean to me. Not a lot of tables (10-12) inside and only 2 outside. They also do a good business with cheap eats from a bain marie which you can take away.

Papaya salad with mixed condiments menu choice number 10. Light and refreshing. Just what I needed to fill the gap until dinner time (it stopped in about 2pm). I look forward to trying another dish.

Tasty, affordable food. Service is basic, but friendly