I am extremely remiss in posting to this thread; I'm pleased at least to be able to bump it back up, though.
Lovely Dining Companion and I went for take-out a week or so ago and were taken with this simple spot. Kevin, the Laotian-born owner, was extremely helpful and eager for us to try the various dishes and so we tried to put together a variety of items. Unfortunately, since I didn't write anything down, my recollection of exactly what we had must suffer in consequence. Please don't let that keep you away.
Like tapler, we were initially suprised to see several apparently Chinese dishes to start. But one of the strengths of Sabai-Dee is its wealth and breadth of offerings, both hot and cold. We skipped past the Chinese dishes (full disclosure obliges me to admit that we presumed, without asking, that given their tags and appearance, they were in fact Chinese) and tried to select a variety.
Since we invariably have a refrigerator full of leftovers, we also tried hard not to overbuy. Which means we need to return to try some of the many, many other items that were on display. But we did end up with several apps and several main courses.
Among the former were Vietnamese-seeming rice paper-wrapped shrimp rolls (the dipping suace was a slightly sweet, dark soy-based sauce) as well as some tiny, deep-fried shrimp-filled rolls.
LDC also opted for soup, which appears fleetingly in the upper-right corner together with the condiments packed for its proper enjoyment.
Sadly, I recall too little about the soup to offer any description. I can say without reservation, however, that all of the above was quite enjoyable, if not exciting or revelatory.
Main courses included a red chicken curry (appearing first below) and a beef and eggplant "stew" (appearing underneath the chicken shot).
There were, as tapler's pictures well attest, an enormous variety of other items available and we are both eager to return and try some of them. The chicken curry, while reminiscent of Thai curries, was less "aggressive" (to choose a not-entirely-apt word), more subtly spiced. Very smooth, with an unexpected depth of flavor. The beef/eggplant dish was again, reminiscent of Thai flavors while, at the same time, distinguishable. As a general matter, my suspicion is that anyone liking Thai would like this cuisine--or at least Sabai-Dee's rendition. Given that Laos and Thailand (and Vietnam) are neighbors, the strong similarity of flavors is not surprising. But I don't know enough (okay, I don't know anything) about Laotian cuisine to identify the slightly different emphasis.
Desserts were simple: a pumpkin-filled jelly/paste was wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed--a great hit with me--and the little cake resembled a Chinese moon cake, filled with a sweet black bean paste (I think).
Go! Enjoy! Kevin is a wonderful, attentive and helpful host. The place is spotless and offers a veritable cornucopia of things to select from. While not remarkably different from Thai, the food IS, nevertheless, different and I'd hate for such a labor of love to fail to attract sufficient attention.
Gypsy Boy
"I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)