I recently caught up with my friend Khampon Sivongxay — though most people just call him Pon. He’s a first-generation Laotian American who helps run his family’s shop, Khao Kham Market, in Winfield.
It’s not just a market. On Saturdays, the family cooks. His mom, Jan, makes their signature sai-oua — a pork sausage filled with onion, garlic, and lemongrass. His sister, Aline, makes the peanut sauce. And there are spring rolls that always sell out fast.
Phong and I talked about the upcoming Boun Pravet Festival at the Lao Buddhist Associates of Kansas Temple on South Greenwich. The three-day festival celebrates Prince Vessantara, an incarnation of the Buddha known for his generosity. Monks recite his story, and the temple fills with family, friends, food, and music.
I first met Phong about ten years ago, through mutual friends, and we quickly bonded over food. He’s been attending this festival for years, along with the Laotian New Year in the spring. Both are full of music, dancing, and incredible food — egg rolls, Cornish hens, larb, fresh-squeezed sugar cane drinks and stuffed chicken wings.
This will be my third time going, and like before, I’m bringing my kids. For them, it’s the fun of street food — watching people cook, pointing out what smells the best and choosing their meal with their eyes first. For me, it’s a chance to experience Laotian tradition, and the freshest papaya salad you’ll find in town.
