LP Releases New Menu of Thai, Laotian Dishes

Thip Khao is located inside of Local Pub, 1137 N. Martin L King Jr Dr. Photo taken Aug. 15, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.

LP, or Local Pub, debuted a new menu of Thai and Laotian dishes last week, introducing the crowds at Deer District to an expanded world of Asian bar food.

The new concept, Thip Khao, was created in partnership with Brady Street‘s Sticky Rice. It trades smashburgers for spring rolls and po’boys for papaya to bring authentic — yet approachable — Southeast Asian street foods to the downtown bar at 1137 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.

And while the offerings draw inspiration from across the globe, the chef is as local as they come. Koson Saengphaphat is a 20-year veteran of the Milwaukee dining scene whose career includes work at Screaming Tuna, Lucky Ginger and others. Most recently, he spent two years honing his craft — and cheering on the Milwaukee Bucks — as a chef at Fiserv Forum.

But Saengphaphat said he missed his time in restaurants. In particular, the daily interactions with guests. When he heard about the collaboration from friends at Sticky Rice, he jumped at the opportunity.

After just one week of acclimating to the new kitchen, Saengphaphat and his team rolled out the new menu last Wednesday. The reception from guests was overwhelmingly positive, he said, noting that the concept is a welcome detour from the usual bar fare that’s widely available in the area.

“It was a great feeling,” he said. “I’m so happy to be back and part of this, with food that’s a representation of Sticky Rice.”

The menu mostly features finger foods, with familiar offerings such as fried pork spring rolls and soy-garlic wings alongside more traditional dishes like jeow bong (Lao sweet beef jerky) and moo ping (pork skewers).

Another dish, the sticky rice sampler, invites diners to partake in the Lao staple the authentic way — grabbing a pinch of rice with their fingers and then dipping it into a selection of savory, spicy and umami-loaded sauces.

“That’s the most traditional thing we have,” said Saengphaphat, who explained that the name Thip Khao refers to the woven bamboo basket in which sticky rice is cooked.

The menu also features vegetable and Thai chicken samosa, brisket skewers with sour-spicy jeow som dipping sauce and crab rangoon dip — a twist on the usual dumpling format. Entrees include fragrant lemongrass chicken and marinated skirt steak — both served with jasmine rice and papaya salad.

Thip Khao also offers a variety of chicken wing flavors, yum salad and a daily soup. For dessert, there’s sticky rice topped with coconut cream and tropical fruit.

Over the weekend, Saengphaphat debuted a lineup of classic brunch offerings with a fusion twist. That includes avocado toast drizzled in chili crisp, sugar doughnuts with pandan coconut cream and berries, breakfast egg rolls and more.

Saengphaphat said he’s excited to introduce his signature cuisine to an area of the city where it might be lesser known. “I don’t think people have had the chance to try a lot of this stuff because it’s not as easily accessible,” he said. “Here in Milwaukee, you have to go to very specific places [for Asian cuisine] and they’re not necessarily downtown.”

As Thip Khao continues to gain traction, Saengphaphat said he hopes to expand the menu to include more traditional offerings. “Some of the stuff can be very pungent with fish sauce and other ingredients, but we eventually want to get there,” he said. “This is the start, and we’re going to roll out specials every week.”

The switch-up comes nearly seven months after the tavern’s late-August opening, marking a departure from its original menu of burgers, wings and sandwiches.

Thip Khao is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., though Saengphaphat said the kitchen will remain open until 11 p.m. during evening games, concerts and other events at Fiserv Forum.

The concept is also building up to regular brunch hours. Future updates will be posted online.