Restaurant: Green Champa Garden
City: Fremont, CA

kao poon

Coconut soup in chicken with vermicelli. This dish is served with a mild spiciness; you can tell them to add more chili or use the condiments available on the table to make it spicier.

Khao poon (Lao: ເຂົ້າປຸ້ນ; also known as Lao laksa and sometimes spelled kapoon, kao poon, kaow poon, or khao pun) is a popular type of spicy Lao rice vermicelli soup from Laos that has spread to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the United States. It is a long-simmered soup most often made with pounded chicken, fish, or pork and seasoned with common Lao ingredients such as fish sauce, lime leaves, galangal, garlic, shallots, Lao chillies, and perilla. Two common versions of khao poon exist: khao poon nam phik (with coconut milk) and khao poon nam jaew (without coconut milk). Khao poon is typically made with rice vermicelli noodles (“sen khao poon”), but rice stick noodles can also be used. It is served with an assortment of shredded cabbage, carrots, and banana blossom along with bean sprouts, fresh mint, cilantro, lime, and dried red chillies. (Wikipedia)

[Edit on 06.02.2014] One of my coworkers is Hmong American, and she has stated that while Hmong and Lao food are similar, kao poon is considered Hmong.