Luang Prabang - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 194

LUANG PRABANG CUISINE
Luang Prabang is a city that prides itself on its food. Some dishes are unique to the royal
city, and others are simply done better here than elsewhere - all of which conspires to make
this the town in which to dig into Laofood with a sense of mission, despite the wide avail-
ability of international cuisine.
At the top of your list should be or lam , a bittersweet meat soup made with chilli wood,
lemongrass, aubergine and dill. Another local speciality, jaew bong , a condiment of red
chillies, shallots, garlic and dried buffalo skin, is an excellent accompaniment for crispy
khai paen , a highly nutritious riverweed that's first sundried with sesame seeds, garlic and
chilli, then fried in oil.
Phak nam , a type of watercress particular to the area, is a common sight in Luang Pra-
bang's markets , and is widely used in salads. The most common style appears on menus
either as “watercress salad” or “Luang Prabang salad” and is in fact quite similar to a
Western salad - a light alternative to the meat salads more commonly served in Lao res-
taurants. Locals even add a twist to the Lao staple, tam màk hung ( papayasalad ): the dis-
tinctive Luang Prabang flavour of this dish comes from the addition of crab juice.
STREET FOOD AND SNACKS
HmongMarket On the corner of Sisavangvong and Kitsalat roads; map . Baguettes, Lao cof-
fee and fresh fruit shakes are sold throughout the day at the Hmong Market, and during the
evenings you'll also find someone selling delicious kanom krok (little coconut and rice pan-
cakes) here. Daily 9am-9pm.
Nightmarket Off Sisavangvong Rd; map . The best way to dine for next to nothing is to head
to the buffet stalls set up down the narrow side street next to the Ancient Luang Prabang
hotel and join the communal tables, sampling local treats in a casual, buzzing atmosphere.
Just 10,000K will buy you as much rice, noodles and veg as you can cram onto a plate, then
order tasty meat or fish grills and beer separately. Daily 5-10pm.
CAFÉS
Delilah's Place Chao Fa Ngum Rd 071 254988; map . A chilled-out café-restaurant with
ethnic-cushion-strewn benches and a couple of candlelit roadside tables out front. Come for a
pancake (20,000K) and cup of strong Lao coffee at breakfast time, and choose from the menu
of tasty Lao specials, such as oua kai (lemongrass stuffed with onions and veg; 25,000K)
later on. Daily 7am-10pm.
Joma Branches on Chao Fa Ngum Rd ( map ) and Soukkaseum Rd ( map ) 071 260920,
joma.biz . Perennially popular, though really you could be anywhere in the world. A good
choice if you're craving a Western breakfast or lunch, with granola, bagels (from 18,000K),