Bida Manda
Laotian restaurant · Fayetteville Street
222 S Blount St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Highlights
Hip, modern Laotian fare & exotic cocktails in a slick, woodsy space
Hip, modern Laotian fare & exotic cocktails in a slick, woodsy space
"I know Bida Manda from Lon Bounsanga’s tenure as executive chef; the restaurant was critically acclaimed in its early years, though it later became embroiled in scandal when employees began holding management accountable for abuse of power—Bounsanga was not named in those reports." - Erin Perkins
"A prominent Raleigh restaurant that reporting found fostered an atmosphere marked by misbehavior, abuse of power, and inappropriate sexual conduct, contributing to serious workplace-misconduct allegations." - Amanda Kludt
"As young adults, they opened their first restaurant, Bida Manda, to celebrate and re-interpret the Laotian cuisine of their youth; named after the Sanskrit for mother and father, it was dedicated to their parents, who sold some of the family’s land to finance it, and whose wedding photo greets diners at the door." - Matt Lardie
"Serving a Laotian pork-and-rice sausage prepared by chef Lon Bounsanga, this version uses a high-fat blend of ground pork (including pork belly) mixed with jasmine rice—historically used to stretch meat but retained here because it helps the sausage hold the flavor of the pork fat and aromatics. Seasoned with lemongrass, dill, garlic, scallions, cilantro, and makrut lime leaves, the sausage is grilled, sliced, and served with pickled ginger; its texture is somewhere between crumbly and creamy and its flavor juxtaposes lively, fresh herbs with salty, fatty pork. The reviewer declares it the best sausage they’ve ever had." - ByAlex Delany
A graceful celebration of Laotian flavors from the siblings behind Bhavana, this dining room turns pork belly soup and crispy rice lettuce wraps into Raleigh classics. Consistently praised by local critics and national roundups, it’s a meaningful taste of family and heritage.
