Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Han Lao's version of Khao Poon - curry and coconut pork broth soup with ground pork, herbs, bean sprouts, bamboo, and rice noodles
When Thom Chantharasy closed Han Lao last November, just after St. Louis County temporarily shut down indoor dining, he'd already introduced St. Louisans to Laotian cuisine two years prior, so he knew there was a market for it.
Photo by George Mahe
The future home of Han Lao in Maplewood
Now, after a yearlong hiatus, SLM has learned that a new iteration of Han Lao is slated to open next spring at 7219 Manchester (at Hope Avenue) in Maplewood, a nondescript corner across the street from Chantharasy’s other restaurant, the diminutive Robata. Situated in a former Church’s Chicken location, Robata somehow cranks out a broad menu of sushi, ramen, and 40 other Japanese appetizers and entrées.
Han Lao’s original location in Brentwood (1250 Strassner) also featured a number of Thai-influenced dishes. “I’ve always wanted to open a Laotian restaurant,” Chantharasy told SLM at that time. "I would have done this one straight Laotian, but I feel like a lot of people still don’t know what Laos food is, even though it’s very similar to Thai food. I had to throw in the Thai part just to get people interested.”
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
At Han Lao, larb gai (pulled chicken, herbs, red onion, cucumber, and bean sprouts seasoned with lime and fish sauce) is served with lettuce leaves that make perfect wrappers.
The formula worked. Han Lao’s menu didn’t bother to distinguish between Thai and Laotian dishes, partly because the bordering countries share so much with one another. So Laotian favorites such as larb gai, thum muk huong (green papaya salad), and nam khao (the cold rice and pickled pork salad that Chantharasy remembers from his youth) share menu space with Thai staples, such as pad thai, tom yum goong, and pad see ew.
The new location will pair that fusion with several pandemic-influenced pivots. Since dining rooms are shrinking in size, Chantharasy felt the 3,000-square-foot space was too big for a modern day restaurant, so Han Lao 2.0 will combine a grab-and-go market and a 25-seat café.
“If you like something you had in the cafe, you can take more of it with you for later,” Chantharasy says. “Since people are now preparing more meals at home, my plan is to provide ready-to-eat take-home items and even meal kits to make that job easier.”
The market will also sell sushi-grade fish (for making sushi or poke at home), as well as Asian spices, vegetables, and meats—items not easily found in standard grocery stores. “You have to go to South Grand or along Olive Boulevard to find things like this,” Chantharasy says. “There’s nowhere in the middle to get them. Now there will be.” In that regard, Chantharasy feels that he’s discovered an unfilled niche.
The market will also sell bubble tea (“not much of that in Maplewood, either,” he notes) as well as Asian beer and spirits, such as sake, Japanese whiskey, and soju. “I really feel there’s a market for all these things in Maplewood,” he says.
When Chantharasy owned Sekisui, the famed sushi restaurant on South Grand in Tower Grove South, patrons visited from all parts of the metro area. At Robata and its cross-street sister restaurant, Han Lao, he feels that he can attract an even broader range of customers.
