2020-04-01 Bon Appetit

PHOTOGRAPHS BY KATE GREWAL

Away – The Little Things

IT’S NOT MERELY the sakoo yadsai,
tapioca dumplings stuffed with preserved
radish and peanut caramel, nor the salat
hua pii, spicy banana blossom salad, that
make Hanumanh in Washington, D.C.,
an unmistakably Lao restaurant. For chefs
(and mother-son duo) Seng Luangrath and
Boby Pradachith, that comes through the
physical space. “We thought a lot about
the materials and the design,” Pradachith
says. “We wanted to really show how Lao
people hang out.” The wall murals depict
the story of Hanuman, the famed Hindu
monkey god celebrated in Laos for his
strength and service as well as his appetite.
(He’s the restaurant’s namesake; they
added the h to differentiate from another
spot—popular guy!) The restaurant’s exte-
rior is designed to mimic the grand entrances
of Buddhist temples in Laos. And the go-to
kitchen gadget in the restaurant is a meticu-
lously researched kok and sak, or mortar
and pestle. Luangrath and Pradachith are
known for introducing Lao food to the D.C.
area over the past decade with no-frills
Padaek (formerly known as Bangkok
Golden), hot-ticket dinner spot Thip Khao,
and fast-casual Sen Khao. But with Hanu-
manh, it’s all about the vibes.

Laos by

Way of D.C.

The moment you walk into

Hanumanh, you’re transported

to Laos—and that’s the point

by CHANNAPHA KHAMVONGSA

The Monkeys

To honor Hanuman

and infuse his

whimsical energy

into every inch of

the space, Luangrath

and Pradachith have

hidden monkey-

centric designs all

over the restaurant,

from the vibrant

decorative masks

on the wall to the

cocktail mugs.

The Stenciling

Luangrath discovered

local artist Henley

Bounkhong on,

yes, Instagram. After

finding out he was

also Lao, she tapped

him to design the

restaurant’s entrance.

He based his stencil

patterns on stunning

temples in Luang

Prabang, the heart

of Lao Buddhism.

The Kok and Sak

“It’s like the jungle Vitamix,” Pradachith says

of this Lao kitchen workhorse. He had a short

but specific list of requirements for the one

used at Hanumanh: clay (the natural grit is

better for pounding ingredients), cone-shaped

(so everything can pool at the bottom), and

medium in size (for easier handling).