Women in Business: Keng Lao [from Cambodia]

Keng Lao and her husband, Mieng Lao, operate Asia Bistro and Seafood on Vaughn Road. / Mickey Welsh

Aug. 6, 2011
Written by Paul W. Sullivan
Special to the Montgomery Advertiser

Keng Lao doesn't appear to tire as she scurries about Asia Bistro and Seafood along Vaughn Road in east Montgom­ery. The native of Cambodia busily serves customers with an ever-present smile.

Lao has been known for that cheerful and helpful attitude during the more than two dec­ades that she and husband Mieng have operated popular Chinese establishments in the Capital City.

Together they have raised five daughters and operated three successful restaurants. The third, the Bistro, is located at 7839 Vaughn Road across from Publix.

The couple owned the first, the Bamboo Garden, at Nor­mandale Mall. The reason they operated the restaurant was simple -- to make a living, ex­plained Mieng Lao. Keng Lao also loved to cook, he added.

The family moved their home addresses eastward fol­lowing changing restaurant lo­cations. From Narrow Lane Road the Laos moved to Green Acres when they started the Emperor's Garden in 1989 across from Montgomery Mall.

Now they live in Deer Creek near the popular Asia Bistro that they opened in 2006. As a cook, Keng Lao also has kept pace with the healthy eating push. Some selections for the calorie conscious include let­tuce wraps, almond chicken and Thai basil, which contains vegetables aplenty.

She still handles some of the cooking duties, and is quick to flash a smile at customers, many of whom she has known for well more than a decade, her husband said.

The couple, now in their early 60s, are not predicting that any of their children will take over the business.

The industry is hard with long hours and a lot of chal­lenges. And all their children are college graduates with the youngest daughter now in pharmacy school at Auburn University. But the restaurants have been good to the Laos, who both came to America from Cambodia. They are proud of their children's ac­complishments and know they have worked hard to provide them with good opportunities.

The grandmother of five girls shares more about almost three decades in the restaurant business in Montgomery:

Q: Do you cook different dishes at home than here at the restaurant?

A: I cook everything -- and some different things, like barbecue and fries.

What is your favorite dish to cook?

Curry -- it has eggplant, onions, potatoes, bell pep­pers, green beans and spices.

How has it been working at the three different locations?

We were very successful at the Bamboo Garden. We liked the Emperor's Garden for 10 years. The last five years were down. It's much better here on Vaughn Road.

Have your daughters helped in the business?

All of the girls have helped at one time or another. All of them grew up in the restau­rants and did their home­work in the restaurants.

What has been your big­gest challenge?

The most difficult part has been the last five years at Emperor's Garden.

Do you see a lot of the same faces at the restaurant now?

About half of our custom­ers are repeat customers who have been with us for a long time. About a third of our business is take-out.

How were you able to help run the restaurant with five children?

The older sisters helped raise their younger sisters. The children spent a lot of time with us on the weekends and on days off. We are very thankful that all of our daughters are very well-man­nered and have good work ethics. We are so proud of them, and they are all college graduates.

What is your favorite as­pect of the business?

The customers are my fa­vorite -- they are like family to me.

How many hours per week do you work?

We work from open to close. We are closed on Mon­days.