Bida Manda

I. Was. So. Impressed!The depth of flavor for each dish was exceptional. Our server Gwen was knowledgeable and passionate about the food. Her recommendations were on point! We got the summer rolls, the chicken wings, pad Thai, pad loa, Tom khem, ginger chicken, purple sticky rice and the macaroons.... We took zero photos because we were too busy savoring every single bite.The plates we were able to empty, we then licked our fingers. We got the wonderful little window seats, but the rest of the atmosphere was just lovely and cozy too!!!I nearly forgot!! If you are GF, this place is a MUST. Nearly the entire menu IS GF without modifications!

I enjoyed our dinner at Bida Manda in downtown Raleigh. This restaurant is fairly unique, especially in North Carolina, because it specializes in Lao food. Lao cuisine is similar to Thai cuisine, but it's not exactly the same. Generally, I thought the food and drink here were good and service was great. I recommend this place.Bida Manda opened on September 5, 2012. It's next door to Brewery Bhavana, across from Moore Square. Both businesses, which are popular and have become Raleigh staples, have the same owners: brother and sister, Vansana ("Van") and Vanvisa Nolintha. Brewery Bhavana opened on March 29, 2017.A fellow Yelper recommended Bida Manda to me years ago, but also made me aware of the employee allegations that came out against Van: https://carolinas.eater.com/21611662/bida-manda-bhavana-brewery-misconduct-sexual-assault-allegations-van-nolintha-raleigh During our visit, Bida Manda appeared alive and well.My coworkers and I had a Monday night reservation at 7:30pm. Around that time, the place was completely packed - bar and dining room. It was really loud. It looked like there were other work groups there too.Due to the popularity of this place, even on a Monday night, I recommend making a reservation. Bida Manda is on OpenTable and awards dining points (not all OpenTable restaurants do), so that's a plus.You can park on the street or in the nearby Moore Square Station parking deck. During my visit, street parking was metered Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm. I couldn't find street parking, so I parked in the deck. The deck is located behind the restaurant, in the same block. Its address is 233 S Wilmington St. It was free to park in the deck outside of Monday-Friday, 7am-7pm. Note: If you park in the deck, you have to walk by the bus station, which can have some sketchy characters.Bida Manda means "father mother" in Lao. The restaurant was named in honor of the Nolinthas' parents. Large black and white photos of the parents are suspended above the hostess stand and are among the first things you'll see upon entry. The interior has exposed ceilings, pendant lighting, concrete floors, and Tolix chairs.Below is a list of what four of us ordered and shared, plus my single cocktail (the others got drinks too, but I didn't document them). This list should give you a decent idea of what Bida Manda offers and how much it costs.Cocktail* Berry Old Fashioned ($15.00) - bourbon, blueberry, cinnamon syrup, bittersAppetizers* Crispy Rice Lettuce Wraps ($16.90) - "served as afternoon snack in Laos, this is our most beloved appetizer at Bida Manda," hand-tossed crunchy coconut rice with fresh herbs, fried garlic, shallot crisp, peanuts, eggs, lime, and baby romaine lettuce; served with housemade caramelized sweet chili sauce* Luang Prabang Lemongrass Sausage ($16.90) - aromatic housemade pork sausage with fresh herbs, jasmine rice, ground pork belly, and served with pickled ginger* Lao Beef Jerky - Seen Savahn ($15.90) - housemade fried dehydrated beef with peppercorn, sesame seeds and spices, served with charred tomato jeow, and a side of sticky riceEntrees* Crispy Pork Belly Soup ($26.90) - "traditionally served as breakfast in Laos," coconut curry broth with lime leaf, julienned vegetables, peanuts, eggs, fresh herbs, rice noodles, and crispy pork belly* Green Papaya Salad ($16.90) - hand-julienned unripe papaya, tomatoes, peanuts, housemade tamarind dressing, and sticky rice; with fresh Thai chili added to heat preference* Duck Laab ($26.90) - hand-tossed meat salad with fresh local herbs, spicy lime and fermented Padek fish sauce, shredded galangal, toasted rice powder, and sticky rice* Sea Bass Mok ($40.90) - eight ounces of aromatic sea bass marinated in a housemade curry with coconut cream, wrapped in a banana leaf and baked; served with sticky rice* Kua Mee Lao - Pad Lao ($24.90) - caramelized fried rice noodle, julienned egg omelette, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, peanuts, and fried tofu (can also choose pork belly or shrimp for your protein)Dessert* Purple Rice ($10.90) - "traditional Laotian dessert" with purple sticky rice, fresh mango, coconut custard, and palm sugar tamarind caramel sauceOverall, I thought all of the food and drink were fresh and tasty. There wasn't a single bad item. Everything was presented beautifully as well. For me, the standouts were the Lemongrass Sausage, Crispy Pork Belly Soup, Green Papaya Salad, Duck Laab, and Purple Rice. That said, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the items listed above. They were all enjoyable in their own unique way. For example, I thought the quality of the Sea Bass was very good. It was tender and flavorful.Service was exceptional. Two examples: (1) Our server neatly packed and labeled my leftovers. (2) One of my coworkers wanted some of the local cookies, but they were sold out. The manager got my coworker's name so he could set aside free cookies for her the next time she visited. How nice and thoughtful of him.

Not many Laotian eateries out there so this does stand out. The food was good but I wouldnt call it outstanding. The duck unfortunately was a little too salty. We loved the shrimp chips and the macaroons as desert were good too.Table service was well managed overall.I would like to point out the enormous price increase of food here since 4 years ago. Even if you were to take inflation into account. There is no justification for cocktails to go from $9 to $16 in such a short time.Another bad experience was with the front desk staff, who while accommodating of our schedule change, were rather blunt in telling us that we had till 7PM before the next reservation showed up. This was never mentioned when we made the reservation in the first place.This was bizarre and off putting but thankfully the manager came up and he did soothe things over. Funny thing, that group of 10 never showed up by the time we left a little after 7:15.Protip to the owners: Tell your front desk to show some tact.

My girlfriend and I went to Bida Manda when I visited in August. The atmosphere is quiet and cozy, the food was amazing and the drink selection was also pretty great. They have amazing deserts, as well! The service was fast and friendly. All in all, a great date night out!

The best lettuce wrapsEveryone talks about the lettuce wraps and for good reason. This is my second time here and the wraps are as good as I remember. They are so delicious with the right amount of crisp and fragrance. Paired perfectly with lecture and cucumber slices (and don't forget to ask for extra). We also tried the pad Lao which was a tad salty but otherwise excellent. Lecture wraps are the star of the show tho.PSA: we informed the restaurant that we were celebrating graduation and they took the wraps off our bill! Excellent service

The place was amazing and so was our server! He was patient with us as we asked many questions and he gave us recommendations on drinks and food. The drink I loved the most was the Mekong Sunrise! The food had so much flavor and just the right amount of spice. The setting was a bit dark in there but the atmosphere was lovely! I definitely recommend this place if you are looking to try some pretty authentic Laotian food!

This place was recommended to me during the peak of the COVID era by North Carolina locals. I suspect one reason that I did not make it is that I figured I would be missing something if I did not eat inside in person. I think I was correct, as the atmosphere included some rather splendid bamboo paneling, and my salad was the sort of thing that's better fresh.The place offers clearly labeled options for special diets, and I wanted to stay on the lighter side. Still, my salad was a robust creation, with fried eggplant and tofu, a sliced spring roll, and some noodles to mix with the herbs and greens. It came with more sweet chili sauce than anyone would ever need, but I certainly used plenty of it for a dynamic flavor experience. My Thai tea didn't really impress, being both small in size and not especially noteworthy in flavor.The price was on the higher side, but given the splendid presentation and unique options, I found it worthwhile.

I went here for dinner with my sister on a Friday. Had an amazing time. We ordered chicken wings with Panang curry sauce and papaya salad for appetizers and OMG they were amazing! For main course we ordered the pad Lao and that was good too. Ended the night with purple sticky rice.

I've been dying to try Bida Manda since they opened, and I have been an absolute OG Fan of the restaurant group since Gravy stole my heart many years ago. Now I've been many times. This place is solid. Every dish is perfectly executed and full of flavor. Laos cuisine options are not plentiful in North Carolina, but this place holds its own when it comes to Laos food. The service is always excellent at the bar, and in the dining room the place is always buzzing with people. Their cocktails are delicious as well. 10/1 recommend.

We went to Bida Manda on a Monday night to attend a friend's birthday dinner and had a really enjoyable meal. The ambiance of the restaurant is very hip and calm. Our food was delicious and we consumed a variety of some starters and popular entrees. I thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken Pad Thai. The only unfortunate part of our experience was the service - our group of nine had a longer table and the waitress only spoke to one half of the table, or was very quiet when speaking to the other end. We missed out on any recommendations or specials she may have shared. Our waitress also mixed up our dessert orders, causing further delay. We still had a great time but were there much longer than expected.