Today we’d like to introduce you to Shadia Abdallah.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Shadia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After graduating from UNT, I found myself with a lot more free time than I was accustomed to, this lead to more time in the kitchen cooking up dishes I grew up eating but could not easily find at a restaurant. Lao food has several components that when paired is just an explosion of flavor. Almost every Lao dish has sticky rice, this is our tortilla. Along with something spicy and sour either thum mak hoong which translates into smashed papaya or a dipping sauce and the main component is meat. When you pair the three foods you will never be the same again…you’ll be hit in every direction spicy, sour, salty.
Our family gatherings were centered around food. We always had home-cooked meals. When we went to a relative’s house they would ask if you’ve eaten. Most of my memories are tied to family gatherings and Lao food. I believe cuisine is the invitation to any culture. Unfortunately, not very many people outside of the Asian decent know about Laos. I decided to start this truck because there was a void. I couldn’t find very many places that served the food I grew up with. In recent years, there has been sort of a food revolution. People want to try new food and explore different cultures and this is my way of sharing.
Has it been a smooth road?
Where to start. The country of Laos is not a well-known Asian country and taking the risk to appeal to the masses with the unknown was a struggle. Being new to the industry there were many things that I had to learn along the way starting with getting the food truck up and running. There was a lot of research involved trying to figure out what permits were needed, calibrating the amount of food per events to mitigate waste. Having 3-4 people on the truck took some getting used to. Something as simple as the layout of the truck, the organization was something that took some trial in error to really run it as efficiently.
The food we serve on Get Lao’d is fresh, made to order, but delivering on that wasn’t always as easy as it sounds. Timing is everything. I had to learn how to prep things, in what order, how long it would take to execute each item on the menu and ensured that if multiple items were ordered that we were still able to deliver in a timely manner.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Get Lao’d story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a proud owner of Get Lao’d, food truck. We serve Laotian Street Food at local breweries and events. The Nam Khao, Lao deep-fried rice dish, is our most exotic/unknown item on the menu and it’s the main one that keeps our customers coming back. What I am most proud of is exposing unique, funky flavors to the masses and witnessing such an amazing reception, having loyal customers, and great feedback from new customers. Lao food isn’t easily accessible, and when people hear about us they are intrigued to learn we serve a unique cuisine.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see Lao food becoming more of a common Asian cuisine with the current Lao food movement. Get Lao’d would like to eventually turn our part-time food truck operation into full-time catering/ food truck and possibly restaurant operation.
Pricing:
- Menu items range from $7-$15
Contact Info:
- Email: getlaod@gmail.com
- Instagram: getlaoddfw
- Facebook: getlaoddfw
- Twitter: getlaoddfw
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