Savory Laos

For my first meal, I learned that there is fried rice everywhere. I'm fairly certain local people don't eat it, but tourists must be accommodated, hence it makes its appearance. I didn't consider myself a tourist--but no one ever does--yet I wasn't opposed to eating it on the first day in Luang Prabang and maybe once or twice after that.









There was this lovely place off of the Khan River called the Arthouse Cafe. It has a great atmosphere that is somehow so relaxing. [I'll stop my blathering about it right there.] I, by and large, only ate breakfast there, but also had lunch a few times. Below is the small size "Penne Salad," which comes with a bit of bread and the cheese on the side.

Sautéed eggplant from the Arthouse Cafe, served with sticky rice served in the steamer basket it was cooked in. I asked for it to be made spicy, but the chef thought that, as a Westerner, I was just joking. Nice of the chef to be considerate, but fortunately the manager of the restaurant asked me about my meal and subsequently made me some spicy soy sauce with fresh chilies. Much appreciated!

One night I wanted to go to the vegetarian restaurant of LPB and walked all the way down the peninsula only to find it closed. Irritated that I was all sweaty with no yummy food consumed. So, on the way back I  stopped by the Belgian House for a small bowl of fries and a pineapple "fruitshake." (The menu assures you that the potatoes are fried in vegetable oil.) Note that one must pay for the ketchup, because it is, after all, imported and not locally consumed or produced.

There is a small coffee chain in Laos and Vietnam called Joma. This is the only place in the city--that I am aware of--that has hummus. It takes the form of a very good "Roasted Veggie and Hummus Wrap," which I had twice. Interestingly, the restaurant is in a closed-air building (fairly rare for LPB which prefers outdoor seating) and it is air-conditioned (extremely rare). If you stay in the tropics longer than a week, you simply become accustomed to the humid heat, and don't mind it. So, the cool air is a stark contrast to walk into when you only ever get to feel a chill at dawn. But I digress... 

Roasted bell peppers, mushrooms, a few onions, and olives. Not nearly enough hummus--I want globs!

 

It seems like I spent my time seeking out foods I was most comfortable with, but I did actually eat Laotian food, prepared by actual Luang Prabangians. I swear! 

Also in this series:  Going to Laos for Indian Food