Lafayette’s Mae Sone Noodle House

Inside an unassuming restaurant, located in a salt of the earth-style strip mall off of Johnston Street, a foodie will find culinary bliss in the way of fusion- styled Asian food.

Hub City eaters who appreciate the complexities and nuances of Asian cuisine know that Mae Sone Noodle House is a treasure.

When the place opens up for lunch at 11 a.m. and again for dinner at 5 p.m., it is understood that being five minutes late means you will have to wait.

Yet, the restaurant’s fans realize the brilliance of the food put on display by husband and wife owner and chef team Kieth and Khamsamone Amonsine.

Asian flavors abound inside the walls of Mae Sone Noodle House in Lafayette. Owners Khamsamone and Kieth Amonsine are originally from Laos but their restaurant’s menu features dishes in which Thai, Vietnamese, Laotian and Chinese cooking styles and cultural influences satisfy diners daily.

Saying the ingredients used to prepare dishes are fresh is too simple of a concept. The Amonsines just know how to pick the best vegetables, seafood and meats which they use to cook Thai, Vietnamese, Laotian and Chinese dishes.

“Before I was born, Dad used to work at a Chinese buffet in Morgan City. That is where he learned the Chinese style of cooking he still does,” said Sierra Amonsine, the couple’s 29-year-old daughter.

The Amonsines are from Laos. Their cooking is reminiscent of Louisiana home cooks who have perfected the mingling of French, West African, Spanish, English, German and Middle Eastern influences to our regional cuisine.

Sierra explains that Chinese and Southeast Asian culinary influences are what her parents have mastered everyday…it is in their kitchen creation DNA.

For instance, ladna is featured on the restaurant menu. This is a Lao and Chinese dish featuring pan-fried noodles with Chinese broccoli and served with either beef, chicken, pork or shrimp or all combined.

Preparing dishes with fresh ingredients is of utmost importance to the Amonsine cooking team. From smoldering curry dishes to stir-fried broccoli with oyster sauce, Mae Sone’s dishes are flavorful and fresh tasting.

“My favorite ladna is with crispy pork belly. This is one of the things I’ve been eating since I was a child. It has always been my go-to dish. When we traveled to Laos I ate it there but nothing compares to my dad’s,” Sierra said.

Another dish that entices diners to come back for more is the poor man fried noodles which consists of stir-fried rice noodles with carrots, broccoli, chive leaves, bean sprouts, black mushrooms and garlic. You can climb the ladder to working man noodles which means adding beef, chicken, pork or shrimp. Rich man noodles include a combination of all meats or a seafood combo.

The restaurant’s repeat customers also readily order the pho, yen ta fo (wide flat noodles with sliced lean pork, fish balls, shrimp, squid, soybean cake and vegetables), beef noodle salad, larb, Mae Sone omelet, and all Thai-style curry dishes.

“My family wants people to feel like you are eating at grandmother’s. This place has a comfy and cozy feeling to it,” Sierra said. “Our food is fresh and made to order.”

Try this

1) Panang Meat – Ask for it this way…panang curry with fish and add crispy pork belly on top. The flavors and textures mixed together are bliss.

2) Stir-Fried Seafood – Get the combo with shrimp and squid. The seafood is cooked with chili, garlic and basil. When you finish eating, you will have a better appreciation for the essence of flavor.

3) Eggplants  – On the menu, it reads just like that. Here is the description: “deep fried slices of Japanese eggplants topped with your choice of stir-fried beef, chicken or pork cooked with chili and sweet basil”…delicious.

Mae Sone Noodle House
4807 Johnston St. Unit K
Lafayette
337-406-0850