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Years ago, a couple was shopping at the Giant supermarket near Bangkok Golden in Northern Virginia when they decided to give the restaurant a try.

They were both vegetarian and scanned the menu. Restaurant workers told them the kitchen could also prepare Lao dishes and offered to make them laab tofu, a dish of tofu with herbs and soy sauce.

When they were finished, the pair asked to speak to Chef Seng Luangrath. They shared how much they enjoyed the dish, had never heard of Lao food before and were unaware it even existed.

In that moment, Luangrath shared a mission she has detailed dozens of times since. Lao food is not a secret, she told them, and it鈥檚 actually a major part of the D.C.-area culinary scene.

Initially reluctant to introduce the public to her culture through food, Luangrath now strives to do just that through her restaurants in Northern Virginia and D.C. It鈥檚 a deeply personal goal that鈥檚 thrust Lao food into the national spotlight.

鈥淚 want people to know, if I say, 鈥業’m from Laos,鈥� it was like, 鈥極h yeah, I know Laos,’ and ‘Oh, I had Lao food before,鈥欌�� Luangrath told 蜜桃视频app.

Luangrath and her family fled Laos during the Vietnam War. They spent two years in a refugee camp in Thailand before arriving in the U.S. in 1983.

Luangrath started cooking for her family when she was 14. She was shy and fearful of speaking in public, and learned a lot from her grandmother. Her grandmother was the first to teach her to cook, so the dishes at and honor not just the Lao culture, but also her family.

鈥淲e came from a country where we were taught not to showcase our food, because we were afraid no one else would like to eat it, because of the spice and also the funkiness,鈥� Luangrath said.

Lao food wasn鈥檛 mainstream, and it would have been easier for families in her parents鈥� generation to open Thai restaurants, Luangrath said.

The cuisines are similar, but Lao recipes use a different fish sauce, lots of shrimp paste and chili peppers that make it spicy, she said. Sticky rice comes as a complement to the main dishes, not as a dessert, and Lao food features fish and proteins that are grilled or steamed rather than fried.

As she considered her next steps, Luangrath had a gut instinct tell her that she needed to expose more people to Lao food and her culture.

鈥淭he most important thing is having my identity back,鈥� Luangrath said. 鈥淭elling people who I am without being shy about it. I鈥檓 Lao and this is Lao food I鈥檓 cooking for the people.鈥�

Using that same confidence, Luangrath changed the name of Bangkok Garden in 2017 to , which is a type of fermented fish sauce.

In 2014, she opened Thip Khao, which she described as the home of the Lao Food Movement. The restaurant earned 鈥淏est New Restaurant鈥� recognition from Bon Appetit Magazine, and Luangrath has been featured in other major publications, including The New York Times.

On Thursday night, in Baan Mae鈥檚 small downstairs kitchen, Luangrath prepared shrimp laab and helped shape a popular snack.

Now, instead of on a secret menu, as she offered the couple casually wandering in years ago, Lao food is prominently featured.

And she鈥檚 working to keep it that way.

鈥淪howcasing my family, the history, the culture,鈥� Luangrath said. 鈥淭he most important thing is putting Laos on the map.鈥�

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