Laos is one of my favourite countries in the world, with authentic experiences and way less touristy than places like Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
If you plan to visit Luang Prabang, then do yourself a favour and pack an elasticated waistband. This town is crammed full of places to eat, from traditional Laotian restaurants to French patisseries, which are remnants of its colonial past.
Check out my guide to the best Laotian cuisine to sample in Luang Prabang.
1. Laos Fondue
Luang Prabang’s best kept secret, Dyen Sabai, sprawls along the banks of the Nam Khan River. Start with a tasting platter of Laos specialities (£4.50 for two), which includes roasted aubergine, crispy Mekong river weed with sesame seeds and fried pork, served with killer chilli sauce and sticky rice.
Finish with a Laos fondue (£4.50 for two); braise slices of beef on a metal plate over burning coals and cook veg and noodles in a gently simmering broth. Wash it all down with an ice-cold Beer Lao.
2. Top Breakfast
Prepare to be confused when you enter Jo Ma Café; you’ll think that you’ve walked into a Parisian patisserie, thanks to the piles of croissants, pains aux raisins and pains aux chocolats (£1 – £2), plus seriously chic décor. Heaven.
3. Nibbles at Utopia
Utopia is a winner with backpackers, and we can think of a bunch of good reasons why. From the bamboo terrace strewn with colourful futons and the views of the Nam Khan River to the amazing Gin Sling cocktails, it is the ideal place to chill out after a hard day’s sightseeing. The food’s pretty good, too, and cheap (£1- £4)…
4. Unbeatable Laos Coffee
People from Laos take their coffee seriously: super-strong, drunk in glasses with a swig of sickly-sweet condensed milk at the bottom; a cup or two of it and you’ll feel your eyelids start to twitch.
The best place to sup it is Café Bam Vat Sene (Th Sakkarin, opposite the primary school), which is a great vantage point from which to watch the daily Monks’ Alms Procession, Tak Bat, at dawn (£0.80 for a coffee).
5. Street Food
Street food has to have a mention in any round-up of Laotian cuisine for backpackers.
You’ll find plenty of stalls lining the streets of Luang Prabang, from staples like noodle soup and sticky rice to Or Lam, a spicy Laos curry with mushrooms, aubergine, meat, lemongrass and chilli and Laap, a light and zesty traditional salad made from minced meat or fish, crushed lemongrass, chilli, mint and lime (approx £0.80 each).
Only the bravest backpacker is likely to give the live frogs a go, though…
What places do you recommend to eat at in Luang Prabang? Let me know in the comments section below. I recently wrote a guide to the best breakfast foods in Thailand which you might also like to check out, or for other articles similar to this one, view my Asia travel tips.
