The little kitchen in the back of the Thai-Lao King Market has been serving Nashville’s Southeast Asian community (and beyond) since 2012. Dishes can’t help but inspire reverence from everyone who walks in over a decade later—conversation remains at a low hum, interrupted only by satisfied noodle slurps and the squeak of shopping carts passing by. You’ll see the usual suspects on the menu (spring rolls, pad thai, pad kra pao, and a variety of curry soups) alongside Lao-style kao soy and its bouncy rice noodles swimming in a rich beef broth with spiced pork. Also, the fried pork sausages are perfect with a bit of spicy coconut sauce. We’re all about the crunchy papaya salad, too, a savory side that lights those tastebuds on fire (in a good way).