The Restaurant List | 2025
50 Best Restaurants in America
Chicken soup speaks comfort in every language. For Jeff Chanchaleune, the khao piek sen, the version he served at his Lao restaurant Ma Der, proved so popular that he opened a Lao noodle parlor, Bar Sen, right next door. The food at this dark, bustling barroom with a sunny patio seamlessly balances contrasting flavors — cool lime, soothing sweet-and-sour tamarind, funky fish sauce, hot chiles and punchy fried shallots and garlic. Yum sen lown, a buoyant glass noodle salad with shrimp and ground pork served cold, epitomizes the effortless complexity that is Mr. Chanchaleune’s specialty. But don’t miss that chicken soup, rich, intricate and almost milky with thick, chewy rice noodles. A pandan cinnamon roll under a blizzard of pecan and coconut is a perfectly proportioned sweet finale. Cold beer is the beverage of choice. ERIC ASIMOV
“Chef Jeff Chanchaleune’s favorite dish is his mother’s Lao chicken noodle soup, a dish called khao piek sen, characterized by its use of shredded poached chicken, aromatics, and rice noodles. This and other soups like it will anchor the menu at Bar Sen, a Laotian noodle bar landing in Oklahoma City’s Plaza District next door to Chanchaleune’s first restaurant, Ma Der Lao (one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurant of 2022). ”
“One of our most anticipated restaurants of 2025, Chanchaleune’s new concept sits directly next door to Ma Der, where Khao Piek Sen (Lao chicken noodle soup) became such a fan favorite it spawned its own spin-off. And while OKC has its fair share of noodles from ramen to pho, BAR SEN is the first to put Lao noodle soups in the spotlight.”
“Chef Jeff shares Laotian delights at Bar Sen, now open in OKC’s vibrant Plaza District.”