Food In Lao

Lao food is a bit spicy, includes lots of herbs, is very healthy and not really expensive. Lots of people said to me that Lao food is similar to Thai food and I totally agree with that and maybe there are similarities to Vietnamese food as well. The green papaya salad and beef laab and noodles are the highlights of Lao food but unfortunately I don't really like green papaya salad at all. Most restaurants in Lao make quite fishy green papaya salad but the laab and noodles are great.

There don't seem to be as many choices in Vientiane because it is not as popular as Luang Prabang among tourists but there are lots of small restaurants along the Mekong river where they serve grilled Mekong fish and other traditional dishes. Lao people in Vientiane don't speak great English but please, do not complain about it. We had a great time and we also had a most embarrassing moment in a restaurant called Mongkol. We finished our lovely meal and my friend, Liz, wanted some fresh fruit, yoghurt and cream for dessert. She ordered and after 10 minutes, the waiter came back and told us that the restaurant doesn't have shit or cream, only fresh fruit. We opened our wide eyes and just laughed for about 15 minutes. I think he confused and he didn't even know what he was talking about, maybe we said something similar, he left with a red face :). The food at this place which overlooks the Mekong is good, a bit expensive compared to other places around but they have good view and good atmostphere.

As I mentioned in other posts, Luang Prabang is a tourist spot so it's no wonder that there are so many restaurants. My recommendations for those restaurants are as follows:

For 5000K, I had one of the best vegetarian meals ever. Imagine that for half a dollar you can eat whatever you want and this place is always full. The restaurant opens at about 5 pm in the evening and you have to sit on long tables and long chairs meaning you have to sit right next to each other. Maybe you will make some friends during the meal.

The Three Nagas, located in a nice French building with lovely decor such as rock paintings. It's a little bit expensive but it was worth what we paid for, delicious food, nice setting and great atmosphere. This is one of the most famous restaurants and hotels in Luang Prabang.

Tum Tum Bamboo restaurant is also one of the best restaurants that we ate at, a small restaurant, a little bit expensive with smallish portion but it's tasty. They are also well known for their cooking classes.