Lao Cocina Opens in Bridgeport: Laotian X Puerto Rican Fusion Cuisine

Lao Cocina’s Loaded Fries, topped with pernil, pickled veggies, beans, cheese, cilantro, pink sauce, sour cream, and lime.

When the popular Venezuelan-meets-Mexican mashup, Mil Sabores, vacated their original brick-and-mortar at 2043 Fairfield Avenue and went onto opening a bigger restaurant further down the street, they left their digs to another tenant, even if it is for a limited run.

Lao Cocina, a Laotian and Puerto Rican fusion spot, that’s mostly takeout, is filling out the rest of that lease. Created by the husband-and-wife team of April Khanthaphixay, her husband, Daniel Colon, and Daniel’s uncle Sergio, they’re mixing their respective cultures for a new kind of concept.

Bridgeport natives, April Khanthaphixay and Daniel Colon (middle and right) with Daniel’s uncle Sergio are hoping their fresh, new concept takes off.

“We met through mutual friends and have been together for over 10 years,” Khanthaphixay says. “I grew up with his food and he grew up with mine. I learned how to cook his food. We love to go out to eat, go on double dates, stuff like that. We put all our ideas together and now we’re here.”

Already no strangers to entrepreneurship, as they own The Good Life, a portable luxury restroom company, the couple and Uncle Sergio got connected to their now new business venture through a friendship with Edwin and Yohana Mondragon.

Beef and cheese empanada

The Lao Rican Hero is a pernil sandwich with a Laotian twist. Think of it as an interpretation of a banh mi.

Tio’s Wings, sazon fried, then coated in sweet chili garlic sauce. If sweet chili isn’t your deal, there’s lemongrass pepper, and PB&J wings.

“We go to Mil Sabores a lot and they come here, too,” Khanthaphixay says. “They’ve both been super helpful to us.”

Now fully in the swing of things, the trio at Lao Cocina is busting out a mixture of tradition Puerto Rican dishes like Mama’s Favorite, a platter of pernil (shredded pork shoulder that’s seasoned, and cooked for six hours), rice and beans, plus sofrito seasoned ground beef empanadas, and tostones.

And from April’s Laotian roots, comparable to Thai cuisine, think along the lines of a red curry chicken (coconut milk, pineapple, red bell pepper, onion, basil, and cilantro) over jasmine rice, and a piping hot bowl of sliced beef pho.

While April jokes that the “Laotian ingredient is me,” her roots are reflected in a couple of dishes straight out of Laos, like this aromatic beef broth pho with sliced beef, rice noodles, bean sprouts, onion, scallions, jalapeños, cilantro, hoisin, sriracha, and lime.

Of course, there has to be a proper plate of pernil, too.

Peril and cheese filled egg rolls, Lao Rican Rolls (ground beef and cheese egg rolls), and their Lao Rican Hero—a sandwich with juicy, tender, flavorful pernil with pickled veggies, cucumber, cilantro, soy sauce, and pink sauce (basically mayochup) on a pressed Chaves Bakery sub roll are some of Lao Cocina’s eclectic fusions.

Fusion aside, they’re also having some fun with their menu by having off-the-wall stuff like pizza empanadas, a PB&J version, too, guava and cream cheese egg rolls, and taking the classic Puerto Rican malted barley soft drink, Malta, and using it in a float.

Back to that whole “limited run” part.

Even though they just started in January, they’re only in their space until June, as the building is being knocked down for redevelopment. Think of Lao Cocina as a test.

“Hopefully we will move onto a (bigger) restaurant like they (Mil Sabores) did,” Khanthaphixay says. “We really wanted to see how our concept would do and we’ve gotten lots of love and support, so it would be amazing if we could open something after this. We’re looking around here, and Fairfield Avenue is perfect, but we’ll see.”

April, Daniel, and Sergio said they’re even willing to explore options in Bridgeport, beyond, and entertain potential investors to keep Lao Cocina going past their June vacate date.

2043 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport
203.290.4373, laococina.com
Instagram: @laococina