Kesone Thai Lao Bistro

We were in the neighborhood and watching our $$, there was a coupon on
for this place. We bought coupon the same day and went to eat there.
Our food came, I showed coupon to waiter, he said OK wait till you pay.
The food was OK, my sons was very bland for being spicy level 3.
When it was time to pay, he asked for my phone (where coupon was) came back and aked when we bought it, I told him today.
He then refused to take it and said I should have told him before we ordered.
He didn’t care at all, we won’t be back.
Even if we liked the food it is the principal of the matter.

My husband had the Namm Kao and loved it. I thought it was good, but admittedly like the lettuce wraps other places better. I ordered a Lao beef dish — I think it was dragon something. It came served over lettuce with the lime-​ginger sauce on the side. The cucumber was crisp, fresh, and cooled off the very tasty spicy sauce. The meal was well done and good. It was hot enough to make my nose run, but my husband asked for 3 spicy and it wasn’t really spicy at all. The Thai tea was perfect &I hubby liked the lime lemonade –it was carbonated though, which he loved, but it could be a surprise to someone.

It’s dinner time, I’m hungry for Thai and I drive by this restaurant. I pull over and give the place a try. That was my first mistake. Second mistake was eating the food. I feel like the owner/​manager/​wait staff have just stopped caring. They’re going through the motions of running a restaurant with the smallest amount of effort and interest. The plates were dirty, one of our water glasses had a SPIDER on it and the service was incredibly slow. Once the food came around, it was obvious that the ingredients were past their fresh/​ripe dates and the food was very bland. Nothing tasted good. Not even almost good. It was so disappointing that I had to pay to eat here. Never again! It literally left a bad taste in my mouth. Plus there was a frickin’ spider on our water glass! Can we please discuss how not OK spiders are in the kitchen?!

I can’t believe all of the poor reviews… glad I tried it before putting all of my trust in Unilocal.I’ve been passing this restaurant for a long time now, living just around the corner, and am so glad I finally tried it! I went with my boyfriend — he got the pumpkin curry special and I got the Namm Kao Vientiane. They were both super super delicious! I especially loved mine… like the other reviewer said — it says it’s «the one» for a reason. Really great mix of flavors — mint, lime, spice. My boyfriend really liked the curry… we’re big Thai fans but had never had Lao cuisine before and will definitely be back for more! Especially because the owner (I’m guessing) was really nice!
The restaurant isn’t super fancy but it’s not at all «gross» like some people said… but I also used to live in Chinatown in New York, so I’m used to not-​fancy restaurants with delicious food. I thought it was cute and homey inside.
PS. I had the Thai iced tea and it wasn’t at all bland… I really liked it because it wasn’t saccharine sweet like they usually are here!

This was my second time dining here and my experience was vastly different. Started with the Salad rolls that were fresh, tasty and beautifully presented. Yum! –this was a great start can’t wait for the real food now.
Out comes the NAMM KAO VIENTIANE which was amazing. Spicy (at 4 stars) crunchy goodness with fresh romaine lettuce leaves. This was the dish that raised my 2 star rating to 3 stars.
KING OF TIGERS lures you in with it’s promise of beef tenderloin marinated in lemon grass but it was an over cooked steak that lacked any flavor with the exception of the delightful sauce. It also didn’t come with Jasmine rice as promised. Seriously, don’t order this dish– it’s a disappointment.
PAD THAI Noodles– What can I say… it was good (better than other diners gave it credit for) but not in the excellent category either.
STICKY RICE served in a BAMBOO BASKET-​Yikes! Although the bamboo basket was adorable the rice was way under cooked. It never reached the sticky stage it was
Glutey & chewy. All in all not sure we’ll be back.
6 months ago I was here and had a much more delicious experience. Maybe it was what I ordered maybe it was an off night in the kitchen. If you come just get a double order of the NAMM KAO VIENTIANE it was the one consistently great item.

Kesone Thai Lao Bistro is in my neighborhood, so the
coupon seemed like a sign that we should try it. Sadly, as has been the case with other businesses that use that service, the food left something to be desired.
With $ 35 to burn, we decided to try a few things from each course. We started with a couple of fried appetizers (the tofu and vegetable rolls, respectively) and both were overly greasy and placed on a bed of stale shredded carrots. The sauces provided did little to enhance the blandly flavored appetizers, though my less discerning husband was happy to finish them for the both of us.
The entrees were an improvement, but still too salty with noodles that seemed overcooked. The vegetables were a cooked to the right degree and the protein tasted fine also. We wrapped up with dessert and also had some nice Thai beer with our meal.
Overall, the food was slightly worse than mediocre. The service was okay – not great, but not inattentive. There is very little ambience to the place, with TV playing in the background, but it’s not uncomfortable either. There was just so little to praise about the place a few major flaws that give me pause about recommending it to anyone else.

Service was sub-​standard, food was OK. Probably deserved 1 and ½ stars.
Drove here from Vancouver because I purchased a voucher on
. Twenty bucks for ten, pretty good deal, right? Well, I should have saved my money on this deal. I wish I’d have read some of the reviews on Unilocal prior to my purchase.
We arrived for an early Saturday dinner, around 6 pm. The place was nearly deserted, with only one other couple, and they appeared nearly finished with their meal. We were seated and asked if we would like hot tea and we said we would. We were served water and given menus promptly. Then time stopped…
It took at least ten minutes to receive our tea. By then at least three other couples/​groups arrived, followed by another. The waitress appeared to be working alone.
She dropped off water, menus and tea at the other tables before taking our order. By this time we had waited at least 15 minutes.
We placed our order for soup and one entrée each. I had the Won Ton soup which was very good and the wife had the Tom Ka soup (I think that was what it was) and she loved it.
Mind you that the waitress and cook had no idea we were going to share our entrees. That being said the first to arrive was the lettuce wraps made with pork filling. This was the hightlight of the meal from my perspective. Really tasty. Then about seven to eight minutes later our second entrée, Kang Mussaman, showed up. Two meals showing up that far apart is unnacceptable. Fortunately, as I said, we were sharing.
Now, as to the Kang Mussaman, let’s just say it was like GLOP in a bowl. It was just NASTY. It had a layer of grease/​oil separated around the edge and mushy stuff, that I think was potatoe. All in all, the WORST mussaman I’ve ever been served, bar none.
Lets just say that driving 17 miles, on a cold, wet, blustery night to Portland for Thai food left us terribly dissapointed at Kesone. We won’t be back.

Went here with my wife today for the first time. Overall the food was quite good. We shared excellent salad rolls for an appetizer.
My wife had the wonton soup, which she enjoyed very much. I tasted it too, and thought the wontons were very good, They were huge, and both the filling and noodle had a great texture and flavor. The broth was excellent.
For the main course I had Pad Kee Mao with squid, and my wife had the ½ Cornish hen. Both dishes were very good. Although I had requested 3 ½ stars of heat on my dish it was pretty mild as it arrived at the table. Almost immediately (without me asking) the server arrived with a tray of 4 different hot sauces. I selected some of the chili-​garlic sauce which added just the right heat and flavor to the dish. The squid was perfect and a generous amount. The broad rice noodles were good. The broccoli in both entrees was not as crisp as we like, but still good.
The prices were moderate. We expect to be back.

I usually stay on my part of town however I had a
gift certificate so we decided to give this place a try.
The feel is very intimate. Tables are close together and all tables can be seen from the cash register. There were NO tables in there when we arrived so we chose a table beside the window and proceeded to order.
Thai iced tea with vodka… mmmmm the great thing about this place is you can choose whether you get half and half or coconut cream in your tea. We all ordered one and were very happy.
The «golden bags» were delicious! Perfect crispiness and not so crispy that when you bite in flakes go everywhere. They were seriously stuffed with chicken and a great way to start the meal.
My boyfriend ordered the Mango Pad Thai… SO GOOD! It was boasting with flavor and the mango was perfectly cooked. I ordered the «king of tigers» which was a beef tenderloin with spicy ginger sauce, jasmine rice, and a few fresh veggies. Overall it was pretty good (especially the ginger sauce) but my complaint (and reason they only get four stars) is that my beef was clearly a sirloin, not a tenderloin, and was cooked well done; and I am a medium/​rare kind of girl.
All in all it was a good experience at a small mom n pop Thai restaurant. The service was great (not sure how it would be when the place is poppin’ though) and the food was good. I will definitely be back!

The best Thai food I have experienced in the three years I have been living in Portland. The people there are very friendly and the service is great. The atmosphere is cozy and the chairs are very comfortable.
The cream cheese and jalapenos are a great appetizer to start with. Kao Pad Kraw Pao is the best fried rice!!! The basil and blend of spices really gives your taste buds a nice party! And not to forget the pad thai and the Namm Kao!!!

Really good food.
But the service is just not good. I’m not one to care that much about service unless it is exceptional or disrupts ones enjoyment. Too bad.

Continuing our trynewthai marathon we decide to visit Kesone since we’ve driven past it several times and it’s right up the road.
The décor was nice, clean, and welcoming. The chairs were comfortable but it was SO HOT inside. Circulation of somesort would’ve helped or at least open the door. Hot food + hot environment does not mix. So hot that we contemplated leaving but instead, decided to ride it out.
The service was solid. The food was delicious. I ordered their special, pumpkin curry, and it was bursting full of flavor. My hubby, who always orders pad thai, said it was delicious.
We ended up getting at least half of it to go since the portions are huge. It was either that or the heat. could’ve been both. We’ll go back to give it another try. Hopefully, it was just a glitch in the system and the air is on.
Whew!

I would have given this restaurant a good review until what happened today. I’ve eaten lunch here four times and even recognise the staff. There’s an older woman who cooks in the kitchen, a middle-​aged woman (who I think is the owner), and her two late teen/​young adult sons.
Today I came in at about 4:45pm and was told by the younger dark-​skinned son that the restaurant was closed until dinner time. I was disappointed since I traveled a distance to eat there. «Next time» I thought. I also needed to quickly use the restroom so I asked, «Is it alright then if I use the bathroom?» The rude boy told me that the restroom isn’t for the public.
Needless to say, I won’t be coming back and I won’t bring my friends for lunch here anymore.

I found this place quickly after arriving in NE over a year ago and it’s still my ace in the hole. As far as neighborhood restaurants go I love this place. The salad rolls are works of art that come with a variety of sides to dress them in. My favorite dish is the Kang Mussamun I go with beef, moo… Their Pad Thai «to go» (I go w/​Tofu or Chicken) always looks as good at home as it does when I am served it in the restaurant.
The only inconsistency has been in how hot, spicy hot, the dishes come 1 – 5 stars can vary in heat at times.

This restaurant is one of the best in the neighborhood! I agree with the reviewer that said that the Namm Kao Vientiane is absolutely the best Lao «comfort food» that I have ever had!
Go there and experience it for yourself as all of the food is excellent and the prices are great also.

Came here towards closing time on a Monday night.
Service was really good — our waiter was prompt and polite, and I never felt like I was waiting for anything.
But the food was pretty sub-​par: the Thai Iced Tea was super bland, the spring rolls were overcooked, and the Pannang Curry was just bad. It could be that we ordered poorly, since I’ve seen such rave reviews for other entrees, but since curry’s a staple of Thai cuisine I was thoroughly unimpressed.
Oh well. If you’re looking for Thai in Portland, go instead to Sweet Basil. You won’t regret it.

If you are ever unsure of what to order your first time in to a place and something on the menu says «This is the one», go with it. The Namm Kao Vientiane is, in fact, the one. Everything else I’ve tried there has been quite good, but THE ONE is in the pantheon of entrees in Portland. Crunchy, sticky jasmine rice, coconut, lime, scallions, cilantro and your choice of chicken/​pork/​processed soy curd. Spicy to order. It’s really quite something.
The prices make sampling an option, but the portions might leave you with something of an embarrassment of leftovers if you get adventurous with less than a party of 4.
The ambiance leaves a bit to be desired — lighting is a bit overwhelming and the very fussy might wish for a bit more clean. But the food is as good as you could hope for.

Really loved this place. Ideal takeout for a cold and gross night, though I also thought the restaurant was lovely and would love to dine in sometime. When asked how spicy we wanted the Queen of Evil curry with squid and the yakisoba noodles, I said «all the way spicy.» I was glad not to be patronized. That stuff was HOT.
We also got the pork egg rolls, which were really subtle and flavorful, and the golden bags, which have an amazing name, and were a great, snacky appetizer. We spent $ 30 on dinner, which was a little more than we were going for, but we wound up with enough food for three days, so we got over it.

I had the pumpkin curry which was yummy!!! The sum thum (papaya salad) Lao style was not all that great considering that is my favorite dish at Thai cusines.
The décor is nice. I’ll would go again.

A few days ago, my friends and I randomly picked a place on Sandy for lunch. We noticed the sign… Kesone… (Thai/​Lao food), so we thought we give it a try.
The inside was spacious. The décor was simple. The hostess/​waitress was very attentive and helpful.
Pros:
— Namm Kao Vientiane (get it with pork!)
— Great service
— Coconut ice cream was good!
Cons:
— The Tom Yum soup seems to be lacking that zest/​sourness to it
— The Yum Nuae (grilled beef salad) wasn’t spicy enough and had a sweet after taste to it (First time I’ve experience it, not sure if it’s suppose to be like that)
— The Pad Kee Mao seem to be overcooked