Ravin’ Ramen

In Laos, when someone is enjoying their meal, they might express it with the simple phrase “saap saap.” Simply translated, it means “yummy” or “delicious.” The phrase, also commonly used in the Northeast region of Thailand bordering Laos, is the name of Adison Sichampanakhone’s noodle shop, where you will find both Laos and Thai dishes simmering in the Northwest corner of the Lenexa Public Market.

And, yes, the dishes are saap saap.

Adison, who also owns Ice Cream Bae on the Country Club Plaza and in Leawood’s Park Place with his wife Jackie Sichampanakhone, recreates his Laotian mother’s recipes throughout the shop’s menu. A few favorites are the curry soup khao poon nam gai and the Laotian equivalent of a comforting chicken noodle soup, khao piak sen.

“Everything on our menu, he would always eat and make at home,” Jackie says.

Having grown up in the U.S., Adison adds his own twist to his mother’s recipes, best seen in the dish of ribeye ramen red curry. Curry ramen, a noodly soup from Thailand, might traditionally sport pork as its protein, but Adison fans his with slices of ribeye.

The ribeye, already tender with fatty marbling, is extra juicy while swimming in a rich coconut milk broth with herbaceous lemongrass and galangal, a root similar to ginger, but more earthy. The broth is the perfect compliment to the savory beef and grips the wide egg noodles, allowing you to savor every drop.

And because the depth of Laos and Thai cuisine is created with a “more is more” approach, the ramen is topped with fried shallots, cilantro, basil, sliced onions and a squeeze of lime. 

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