BETHEL — The landscape has changed on Le Mu Eats bluestone patio.

New picnic tables are spaced so closely patrons will likely be greeting their fellow diners, or more likely, end up in conversation with them.

The new set-up is intentional. Chef Sayvepen “Sav” Sengsavang recalls the word-of-mouth dinners he and his wife Elise once hosted at their Maine house. “We really enjoyed seeing the dynamic of people coming together and not knowing each other and talking and breaking bread,” says Sengsavang, who points out that Elise is responsible for restaurant aesthetics including the new outdoor set-up.

Near the new picnic tables on the patio is a fire pit; on the right side of the restaurant are “standing” tables and corn hole.

“We wanted it to be a really chill vibe out here,”  says Sengsavang who says they had wanted to do community tables two and a half years ago when they opened LeMu,  but, “COVID made that weird.”

New menu

Five and a half years ago, before their  their Main Street “brick and mortar,” a bright blue Le Mu food truck opened for business beside Stem Mill Brewery on Mechanic Street in Bethel. That location is  just a stone’s throw from their current building, which was once a gas station and, for more than 20 years, the popular Cafe DiCocoa.

The Sengsavangs boldly jumped into a renovation of the space, adding the rich exterior “charcoal blue” color, a bar counter-top made with 2,000 chopsticks and an overall modern, Southeast Asian vibe. The exterior color is a subtle nod to the “Charming Blue Shanty,” their former food truck. Elise says, “we have consistently woven bits of blue and gold into Le Mu; these are the colors of the handmade wedding dress sewn by Sav’s Aunt for our Lao wedding ceremony – 14 years ago this June.”

Sengsavang is talking about the new, lighter, summer menu that includes locally-sourced produce, “[It has] a lot more focused Laotian flavors where my family is from,” he says. “We have a few dishes that are traditional Laotian dishes that we are introducing to the Western Maine culture. I wanted to cook things that I grew up eating.  Taking a couple of chances on some dishes that we are not sure about. We are still worried about it,” he admits.

Their new Lao Jerky has soy, garlic-marinated beef jerky, and is served with a cucumber salad. Another new option a sandwich, “Lao Lao Chicken Salad,” is obviously Laos-influenced but the side of Kimchi Peach adds a Korean twist. A fusion of flavors and influences has always been on the menu, like the Southern cooking-influenced fried chicken and biscuits on the last menu. Southern corn chow-chow is on this one.

Roots

Sengsavang grew up in Virginia where he met Elise in high school. She had traveled around during her military-family childhood, but has roots in Maine.

Korean friends from Virginia introduced Chef Sav to gimbap, translated from Korean it means, “seaweed rice.” He describes it as like sushi (sans fish) with meat, pickles and vegetables. Sengsavang  remembers that each of the Korean moms in his Virginia town had their own version of gimbap that they would sell on Sundays outside the local Korean churches.

“Any memory I have had growing up is around food. It is literally how we express how we care for each other.” He said when he is with his wife’s family they talk about what they plan to do, while his family’s conversations are always centered on food and who will cook what.

His wife doesn’t cook but their five-year-old daughter, Ramona, has his family’s food sense and is an intense critic, says Sengsavang.

“Can Daddy cook?” she’ll ask when Elise is at the stove.