Lao dry fried beef jerky at Hot Café

Beautiful is not a word often used to describe beef jerky, but a plate of Hot Café’s Lao dry fried beef is indeed a thing of beauty. The mahogany-hued twists and curls of glistening jerky arrive like a small serving of modern sculpture dotted with white sesame seeds. Each bit is crunchy and chewy and sweet and spicy. This is no convenience store, teriyaki-soaked, plastic bag-encased jerky. This is art, served inside a somewhat seedy strip mall south of the airport - exactly the kind of place one should find great beef jerky. $7.