Chef Bob Somsith opened his first brick-and-mortar eatery, Lao'd Bar, in East Austin next to Sign Bar on April 24.

In a news release, Somsith said he is excited about the unique menu he created by blending his Laotian and American roots to create Lao'd Bar.

Somsith, who founded Sek Se Fud Ko in 2018, formerly known as SXSE, said he closed the food truck at Vacancy Brewing to transition his team into Lao'd Bar.

In the news release, Somsith said some of the dishes that were offered at Sek Se Fud Ko can be found at Lao'd Bar—plus a lot more.

New dishes include:
  • Lao’d Smashburger featuring a Lao pork sausage patty, jeow bong aioli slaw, rice-fermented pickles, bacon and cheese
  • Lao’d Dog featuring a fried Lao sausage with jeow bong aioli and Lao’er-kraut
  • Coconut Escolar Ceviche using cured escolar tuna, coconut water, coconut cream, and coconut vinegar garnished with pickled red onions and fried garlic—all served in a coconut bowl
  • Waterfall Ribeye made with grilled and sliced Angus ribeye, crying tiger sauce, lahb seasoning and herbs
  • Lao Poké Bowl filled with ahi tuna, sesame fish sauce, lahb seasoning, wasabi furikake, jasmine rice, pickled veggies, herbs, cucumber and charred lime
A full bar is also available at Lao'd stocked with popular Laotian lagers, Southeast Asian-inspired cocktails and frozen drinks like the Mekong Sunset Freeze made with mango, coconut, pineapple and rice milk.