Rosewood Luang Prabang Welcomes Chef Ann Ahmed From Gai Noi Restaurant For Exclusive Homecoming Pop-Up Dinner

In 2023, Chef Ann was honored as a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest, shortly before opening her latest venture, Gai Noi, which was featured in The New York Times’s 'The Restaurant List 2023', highlighting the top 50 notable restaurants across the USA.

The four-course Chef Ann Ahmed Homecoming Dinner on January 20, 2024 will be served in a Lao-style, family-sharing format, reflecting Rosewood’s 'A Sense of Place®' philosophy, which invites guests to discover the rich local culture.

Named after glutinous rice emblematic of the northern Xieng Khouang regions of Laos, where Chef Ann and her family originate, Gai Noi honors the cultural significance that forms a part of her heritage and identity. For the homecoming dinner, Chef Ann taps into this aspect of her heritage, designing a menu that pays homage to her return to Laos as a chef, with her mother by her side.

A welcome bite of Mak Kall, when ripe it has purplish blue skin, it is such a treat to find these at the morning market because they are only foraged in the wild. We are honored to share this delicacy foraged from the Lao jungle with our guests. The creamy silky flesh of the “Mak Kall” will be beautifully massaged into the sticky rice, seasoned with a hint of palm sugar, and lightly dusted with young coconut meat and toasted sesame seeds. The perfect welcome bite for our guests at the Rosewood Luang Prabang.

Next is an aromatic Bangladeshi Curry infused with a blend of traditional spices, showcasing the region’s rich culinary heritage, and served with Fresh Roti, a classic South Asian flatbread.Shared -style dishes served with rice include Mok Nor Mai (Steamed Bamboo Shoot) with Pork Belly, using red bamboo from the mountain village, and Naap Ped (Grilled Minced Duck with Prickly Ash).

The main course is a flavor-packed selection of Laab made with grilled beef flank, Kai Pad Khing (Stir-fried Chicken with Young Ginger), and Mok Kai (Lao seaweed, sakhan spicy wood, dill, and smashed sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves and steamed), all accompanied by Gaeng Saap Ka Doke Moo (Spicy and Sour Soup with Pork Spare Ribs). The meal concludes with a selection of fresh local fruits, Kanom Krok (Pandan Coconut Shell with Taro Filling), and Kanom Mor Tog (Deep Fried Banana and Sticky Rice).

On January 20, 2024, Chef Ann will be joined by Rosewood Luang Prabang’s Executive Chef Wochirawish Lerttanapornsit for a four-hand dinner, celebrating the regional culinary tradition of sharing meals with loved ones. Thailand-born Wochirawish, or Chef Chef Ice as he is known, brings with him almost 15 years of culinary experience across Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Laos.

Chef Ann Ahmed, born in Laos and raised in America, began her culinary journey in the kitchen as a child, assisting her mother and grandmother. Fulfilling her lifelong dream, she opened Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, in 2005. Over a decade later, she launched Lat14 Asian Eatery in Golden Valley, inspired by the cuisines and cultures along the 14th latitudinal parallel, including Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and more. Her third restaurant, Khâluna, meaning 'compassion' in Buddhism, became a community cornerstone and was recognized as one of America’s BEST 15 New Restaurants by Eaters.

The four-hands dinner featuring Chef Ice and Chef Ann is served at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday, January 20, 2024 at The Great House for USD95 per person; USD48 for children between 6-12 years old. Prices are subject to 17% taxes and service charge.