Laos - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 346

food type, or even only one dish; for
example a stall with a mortar and pestle,
unripe papayas and plastic bags full of
pork rinds will only offer spicy papaya
salads. Similarly, a noodle shop will
generally only prepare noodles with or
without broth. A step up from street stalls
and noodle shops are hân kin deum ,
literally “eat-drink shops”, where you'll
find a somewhat greater variety of dishes
along with beer and whisky.
he concept of eating out is relatively
new in Laos, so the majority of
restaurants ( hân ahãn ) are aimed at
tourists; for a more local experience, it's
best to head to the places mentioned
above. Most proper restaurants that are
frequented by locals are usually run by
ethnic Vietnamese and Chinese, and
may have a limited (or no) English-
language menu.

vendor, you'll find someone selling pîng
kai (basted grilled chicken). Grilled fish
( pîng pa ) is another favourite, with the
whole fish skewered and barbecued.
Fõe , the ubiquitous noodle soup , is
primarily eaten for breakfast, though
usually found in markets throughout the
day. he basic bowl of fõe consists of a
light broth, to which is added thin rice
noodles and slices of meat (usually beef
or water buffalo). It is usually served with
a plate of lettuce, mint, coriander leaves
and bean sprouts, which you add to your
dish alongside table condiments like
fish- and chilli sauce. Also on offer at
many noodle shops is mi , a yellow wheat
noodle served in broth with slices of meat
and a few vegetables.
he best way to round off a meal is with
fresh fruit ( màk mâi ), as the country offers
a wide variety including guava, lychee,
rambutan, mangosteen and pomelo.
Markets often have a food stall specializing
in inexpensive coconut-milk desserts ,
generally called nâm wãn - look for a stall
displaying a dozen bowls containing
everything from water chestnuts to
fluorescent green and pink jellies.

5

LAO FOOD
Most Lao meals feature sticky rice
( khào niaw ), which is served in a lidded
wicker basket ( típ khào ) and eaten with
the hands. Typically, the rice will be
accompanied by a fish or meat dish and
soup, with a plate of fresh vegetables, such
as string beans, lettuce, basil and mint,
served on the side. Grab a small chunk of
rice from the basket, squeeze it into a firm
wad and then dip it into one of the dishes.
It's thought to be bad luck not to replace
the lid at the end of your meal. Plain,
steamed, white rice ( khào jâo ) is eaten with
a fork and spoon; chopsticks ( mâi thu ) are
reserved for noodles.
So that a variety of tastes can be enjoyed
during the course of a meal, Lao meals
are eaten communally , with each dish,
including the soup, being served at once
rather than in courses. For two of you,
order two or three dishes, plus rice.
If Laos were to nominate a national
dish , a strong contender would be larp ,
a “salad” of minced meat mixed with
garlic, chillies, shallots, galangal, fish
sauce and ground sticky rice. Another
quintessentially Lao dish is tam màk hung
(or tam sòm ), a spicy salad made with
shredded green papaya, garlic, chillies,
lime juice and fish paste ( pa dàek ). Usually
not too far away from any tam màk hung

DRINKS
he Lao don't drink water straight
from the tap and nor should you;
contaminated water is a major cause of
sickness. Plastic bottles of drinking water
( nâm deum ) are sold countrywide for
2000-5000K. Noodle shops and
inexpensive restaurants generally serve
free pitchers of weak tea or boiled water
( nâm tóm ), which is fine, although
perhaps not as foolproof. Most of the ice
you'll encounter in Laos is produced in
large blocks under hygienic conditions,
but it can become less pure in transit or
storage, so be wary. Brand-name soft
drinks are widely available; more
refreshing are the fruit shakes ( màk mâi
pan ) available in larger towns, which
consist of your choice of fruit blended
with ice, liquid sugar and sweetened
condensed milk.
he Lao drink very strong coffee , or
kafeh hâwn , which is served with sweetened
condensed milk and sugar. If you prefer
your coffee black and without sugar, ask