Las 15 Salsas is a small Mexican Restaurant that specializes in serving Oaxaca Foods. They are located in the Sunny Slope area of Phoenix Arizona. English is the second language here so if you don’t know your memelnitas from your enmoladas then ordering might be challenging but not impossible. There is some English on the menu and the people working there speak some English. A few years back they’ve moved across the street to a slightly larger location and have expanded the menu. Some of the things they serve are Oaxcoa appetizers such as los peques (II haven’t found a translation for this) mini memelnitas (stuffed fried masa cakes) and chapulines (grasshoppers). They also offer sharing platters, tamales in banana leaves, tlayudas (large Oaxaca tortillas with lard and pork, plate sized hand made empanadas, combination plates, seafood, stews, several mole sauces and more. I didn’t notice a bar here but my husband said he noticed that they sell tequila shots. This isn’t a fancy place but looks very authentic.

Inside is very bright and colorful. There are Mexican relics on the walls with Mexican TV and music filling the air.

They also offer patio dining.

We asked a few questions about items on the menu. Our server today didn’t seem to understand and asked us if we wanted to order more food.

Anywho-

They started us off with three kinds of salsas and a basket of chips.

Today we have a creamy green sauce, a smoky salsa and a creamy very delicious but extremely hot scorching sauce.

We started out by sharing an appetizer off the Empanada Section made with quesillo (an Oaxaca cheese) and huitlacoche (Mexican Corn Truffle). ($10.)

I didn’t know that an empanada could look like this……

It’s made with a handmade corn tortilia that is absolutely delicious. The cheese is melty and flavorful. I like the mushroomy huitlacoche. If you like mushrooms then you probably would like this.

We shared a chicken enchilada trio ($14.) and a filete empanizado ($13.) (a fish dish).

WOW! What a great sampling. You can get this plate with just cheese filling and you also have the option to add on Mexican Tasajo (dried beef) and or Cesina (cured meat like ham) for $3.50.

On the left is coloradito mole, in the middle is green sauce and on the right is black mole with rice and beans on the plate. Everything is delicious. My favorite is the black mole. It’s more flavorful to me.

I was all excited when I saw fish (filete and pescado) on the menu. I accidentally thought I knew what I was reading but was slightly off………I accidentally ordered plain breaded fish….But it was still good!

The fish is nice and moist. It seems free of oil. It’s a very large portion even for dinner. It’s like it comes with a lunch for the next day. I add some sauces to it for a little interest. It also comes with hot steamy tortillas.

Here are some of the previous dishes we enjoyed from Las 15 Y Salsas.

Chicken quarter with black mole and rice

white meat chicken stuffed tortilias with black mole

memelnitas with with anise leaf black sauce and house made beef jerky

chicken stuffed chile relleno

Mimi Quesadillas Fritas

Chicken Emmolladas

I’d have to say Las 15 Salsas is Outstanding Oaxaca Food and is Worth a Fork!

They used to have a website but it appears to have been taken down. but you can find them on Facebook in Spanish.

They are located at 722 W Hatcher Road in Phoenix 85021

602-870-2056 I believe their hours to be 9am-8pm every day but you should call incase the hours have changed.

Everything is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.

Khon’s Lao Fusion is a “Pop up Restaurant” that has been serving Lao Fusion Food at Mingo’s Louisiana Kitchen in Phoenix on all day Sundays and Monday evenings while Mingo’s is closed till the end of January. I read about Khon’s Lao Fusion at azcentral.com. Khon’s Lao Fusion is also on Facebook. I thought the pictures of the food looked good and my favorite Thai Restaurant used to be Lao Thai that used to be in Scottsdale so I wanted to give this restaurant a try. The operator of this “Pop up” restaurant is from Lao and is thinking about opening her own restaurant and is giving it a try first at Mingo’s to see how things work out.

These are today’s choices….

We order and seat ourselves. While we are waiting her very young son runs us a sample cup and ask if we would like to try the Lao Beef Jerky. We said yes and here it is.

It is good! It’s soft, tasty and mildly Asian flavored. I never liked beef jerky but this is good!

I go with the chicken combo $10.00

I got four small pieces of bone in chicken, a pork egg roll, a bag of sticky rice and our choice of mild or spicy papaya salad (went with spicy). I also got two sauces on the side that seem similar to fish sauce. The large one is for the chicken and the small sauce is for the sticky rice. The chicken is tasty and is very crisp and seems free of oil. The rice is very sticky. I’ve read that you are suppose to use the sticky rice like tortillas with your fingers and eat it with a little chicken. The Papaya salad is the spiciest papaya salad I’ve ever had. I love spicy but I almost can’t eat it. It’s studded with bird’s eye peppers, tomatoes and is very fresh tasting. I think it was made to order. It doesn’t have Thai Basil in it like it does from Vietnamese restaurants but it sure has a lot of heat.

My husband got a beef combo plate ($10.00) and a side of Lao Sausage ($3.00).

He got the side of Lao sausage, chunks of seared beef, a pork egg roll, sticky rice, papaya salad and this sauce that is a popular Lao sauce made with pork rinds, chili peppers and all kinds of things that adds funk, flavor and substance. I was told that all Lao People eat this sauce with sticky rice too as a meal or whenever you are hungry.

The beef was good with the Lao Sauce and the sausage was tasty.

Then the chef runs out of the kitchen and gives us a sample of a Lao Dessert that I think is called Nam Van (melon in coconut milk.

The coconut milk has a very nice flavor from the melon. There are some pieces of fruit floating around and jelled pieces.

That was my trip to Khon’s Lao Fusion in Phoenix AZ. It’s a little taste of Lao in Phoenix while it’s here.

It was written on azcentral.com that Khon’s Lao Fusion will be open for business at Mingo’s Louisiana Kitchen on Sunday January 26th 11am-9pm and Monday January 27th 4-9pm. Check their Facebook page incase they changed hours.

Check their Facebook page for more information

EVERYTHING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.