City of Rochester
News Release
(Thursday, April 19, 2012) – Neighborhood and Business Development Commissioner R. Carlos Carballada joined owners Sally and Tom Xomvimane today for the grand opening of Thai Lao Restaurant at 309 University Ave. in downtown Rochester.
Sally and Tom Xomvimane spent six months searching for a location for their new restaurant before deciding on this intersection at the corner of University and N. Union St., bordering the city’s Inner Loop.
The owners wanted to provide Rochester residents and visitors their version of home-cooked meals that they say aren’t offered by any other Asian/Thai Restaurant in western New York.
Thai Lao Restaurant features Southeast Asian food including Thai, Laotian, Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant specializes in spicy food and grilling instead of frying. Dishes range from grilled steak brisket with special hot sauce to spicy hot papaya salad and sticky rice, unique to Thai Lao Restaurant. Owner Tom Xomvimane touts the vegetarian entrée kao-phoon, a slow-cooking curry sauce made with coconut, that he says isn’t available anywhere else in Rochester. The restaurant offers take-out, and entrée prices range from $8 to the more expensive Thai Steak which costs $13.99.
The food at Thai Lao is made using traditional techniques including the use of weeded bamboo stick baskets. Thai Lao Restaurant utilizes local vendors and suppliers to prepare its dishes and special sauces.
Thai Lao Restaurant can accommodate up to 90 guests and contains a main dining area, bar and sunroom with private corners for larger groups.
“It is our pleasure to welcome this unique restaurant to downtown,” said Commissioner Carballada. “We are fortunate to have citizens willing to invest in Rochester and we wish the owners of Thai Lao much success.”
$75,000 has been invested in the opening of Thai Lao and six jobs have been created.
Thai Lao’s hours are Sunday, 12-8 p.m., Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., and Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
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News Media: For more information, contact Sally Xomvimane at 454-4882.