Not often do you walk into a restaurant and feel completely comfortable with the staff and aromas wafting out of the kitchen. But, Manuka’s Baan Latsamy has made its customers feel at home in the precinct for almost eight years.

The word Baan in Thai literally means ‘house’ and with such a hospitable owner, you can feel the love and passion put into the place by owner Latsamy herself. A great example of this is the presence of a single rose on every table that, like a hostess in her own home, was part of a bouquet sent to her the day before.

“The Manuka precinct has changed a lot since we started. It’s a lot bigger and attracts a lot more people. Because our food has such an amazing aroma and we are a very open restaurant, we attract a lot of local foot traffic,” says Latsamy.

Perusing the menu, it becomes clear that the dishes served at Baan Latsamy are a fusion of Lao and Thai cuisine, much like Latsamy and co-owner Phoukaothong’s culture and heritage combined.

“Our menu is a mixture of family recipes and traditional flavours that we put together to create new dishes and re-create some of our childhood favourites,” says Latsamy.

From the moment you walk into Baan Latsamy, you are a part of the family. From the friendly staff to the pride and passion that the owners put into every dish that comes out of the kitchen, Baan Latsamy is a must-try in the Manuka precinct.