GOOD NEWS IS COMING TO DINNER! We will feature a local food critic’s thoughts as they dine in Lebanon. This month, Krys Midgett visited Dak Der Asian Foods.
Walking into Dak Der Asian Foods feels less like eating out and more like being invited into Panya’s kitchen. Owned and run by Panya and Holly Louanglath, this family business has spent a decade building a loyal local following after three years of winning people over from a food trailer. The name itself, Dak Der, translates to “Eat Up,” which makes sense once you realize that’s basically what Panya would say if you were sitting at his own dinner table.
Here’s the thing about Panya’s food — he isn’t cooking a restaurant version of anything. The sauces on your plate are the same ones simmering in his kitchen at home. Before opening this spot, he spent years traveling from state to state teaching others how to cook authentic Asian cuisine, so you’re getting a home-cooked meal from someone who could write the textbook on it. He grows his own wild basil and herbs at home, and his chili and curry pastes are made completely from scratch, the way his family has always made them.
We started with the Crab Rangoon Roll, which was creamy and rich. For the main course, the Pad Kra Pao felt like the kind of dish you’d only get at his table — chicken, fresh basil, onions, and an egg, served over rice. This is what he eats. You’re just lucky enough to be invited.
Then there’s the Thai tea, made fresh and boiled down, not mixed from a packet like it’s trying to cut corners. Less sweet, less creamy, and a lot more honest than the version most of us are used to.
With food that tastes as if it came straight from his own table and warm service from staff like Sophia, his daughter, Dak Der Asian Foods doesn’t just serve a meal. It shares one.
Eat up! GN
DAK DER ASIAN FOODS:
700a E. Main St.
Lebanon, TN 37087
(615) 295-9568
If you have a local restaurant you’d like to see reviewed, email kryswritesgoodnews@gmail.com.
