A Natural Wine Bar Serving Southeast Asian Brunch Is Coming to Convoy | Eater San Diego

"After nearly 10 years on Convoy Street, I note that Mekong Lao & Thai Cuisine, which was the first Lao restaurant to open in the area, is revamping its menu and expanding into an adjacent space to add a natural wine bar and all-day cafe. Managing partner Stella Bayphouthongkham—who immigrated to the U.S. from Laos in 1990 and grew up in San Diego—and her team, who took over the Kearny Mesa restaurant in 2021, have introduced specialties like Thai boat noodles and khao piek sen (a Lao chicken noodle soup with housemade rice noodles) and expanded their beverage options to include a solid selection of beer, hard kombucha, and natural wine. Working with Pacific Coast Commercial and CLTVT (Kingfisher, White Rice), they plan to unveil the expansion by early summer; the project will double Mekong’s seating capacity and the new wine bar and cafe will spotlight Southeast Asian brunch dishes such as a Lao crispy rice salad, spicy long beans with crunchy pork belly, and a Lao-style steak and eggs that includes housemade Lao sausage and sticky rice." - Candice Woo