A taste of Laos

The Westside Bazaar’s filled with multiple shops, especially for food. There are a variety of foods to choose from. Some come from Thailand, Japan, Ethiopia, Burma, Peru and Laos. A&A Cookies is run by Boulivone Serixay and New Serixay.

New Serixay is from Laos and she has been in Buffalo for about 15 years. Serixay came to Buffalo to pursue an education but ended up getting sidetracked by work. 
            “I’m not in school right now but I do work. Maybe I might go back to school,” said Serixay. She hopes to pursue an education in the near future.

At A & A’s Cookies, Serixay serves a variety of foods. 
         “I sell samosa, sesame cookies, sesame balls,” said Serixay.

“I make different types of Laos’s food like chicken, sticky rice, and bubble tea. I also make food for customers who would like to order platters for a party."

Lots of people from all over buffalo come to the West Side Bazaar to enjoy foods from a variety of cultures.

SUNY Buffalo State student, Takisha Morancy experienced her very first samosa from A&A’s cookies. A samosa is a fried pastry filled with either meats or vegetables.

“It was a different taste because it had potatoes in it. I usually eat patties with meat but there was no meat,” said Morancy.

Morancy also said, “It was good but it was definitely different getting used to the taste in my palate but overall I liked it and I would eat it again.”

It was Morancy’s first time at the West Side Bazaar and she described her experience. 
“The West Side Bazaar is interesting because you can see how many cultures can coexist together in one store. It was unique because it challenged me to open my eyes up to someone else’s culture and you have to take a leap of faith when you try different foods.” 

            Like Morancy, Serixay also likes to try different foods from other cultures. 
“I like something different but I love to eat. I love American food and Japanese food. I love sushi but any Japanese food is good,” said Serixay.

            Serixay also enjoys making her culture's food in Buffalo. 
“I want costumers to try new things and I like that I am bringing a part of my country and our culture to Buffalo.”

            The West Side Bazaar is filled with lots of cultural experiences that should be experienced by everyone. “Even though we are all from different cultures, we can all coexist in one body,” said Morancy.

To find out more about the different foods at the West Side Bazaar, visit http://www.westsidebazaar.com/bazaar_kitchen.z

                 This is a pineapple bubble tea from A&A Cookies.

This is a potato samosa from A&A Cookies.