Luang Prabang food specialities

Luang Prabang’s particular food specialties are good to try while visiting and include sweet coconut biscuits….

dried buffalo which is good boiled and used in stews and also with sweet chilli dip…..

crispy deep fried Mekong river weed (great with a beer) .

Orlam (stew with plenty of dill)…

Green papaya salad (that differs to the green Papaaya salad as it uses a pungent fermented fish sauce )

smokey eggplant dip…

deep fried mushrooms…..

deep fried bamboo shoots….

Lao sausage..

and Lao Salad (with a French inspired creamy egg based dressing)

Also, common are laap and red curries with sticky rice as well as the French inspired baguettes and croissants.

Tamarind restaurant and Dyen Sabai restaurant are good spots to try platters of Luang Prabang/Lao specialities…

Tamarind platters

Dyen Sabai platter

Bamboo Tree Cooking Class, Luang Prabang

Newly established Bamboo Tree Cooking Classes sees cooking teacher/chef Linda, who taught with the well respected Tum Tum Cheng Cooking Classes for ten years continuing to provide well run classes that are well priced and make efficient use of the time. Around $40 AUS includes the class, lunch, market tour, cocktail and cook book.

Located near Apsara Hotel and Tamarind Restaurant Bamboo Tree offers both morning (8:50-14:00) and evening classes (17:00-20:00).

email: bambootreelpg@live.com

phone: +856 20 2242 5499

Linda and her sister (who takes the market tour) are engaging and thoughtfully explain many aspects of Lao cuisine and local ingredients.

The class finishes with a lovely lunch of the dishes that the group has cooked, down by the Nam Khan River along with a Lao Lao whiskey cocktail.

Sweet chilli dip paste Sticky rice, coconut and banana dessert

The class starts with a visit to Phosy local market.

Nong Kiau Riverside Resort Restaurant, Nong Kiaw, Northern Laos

Nong Kiau Riverside Resort Restaurant is a good spot for dinner in Nong Kiaw if you’d like a nice atmosphere and alcoholic drinks (Deens and Chennai Indian restaurants have strong recommendations from others but don’t allow alcohol).

It has a large menu that includes western and general asian dishes.The Lao menu is only short.

There’s lots of good dishes for around 40,000 kip ($5US) but the green curry is the tastiest followed by the chicken laab and then the fish laab

Spring rolls are also a good choice for 25,000 kip

Sticky rice is 6500 kip
Prices are average and quite good for this lovely setting.

Nong Kiau Riverside Resort, Nong Kiaw, Northern Laos

Another good spot to say in Nong Kiaw is the Nong Kiau Riverside Resort.

Centrally located at the bridge in town it is convenient to restaurants a few minutes walk away like Deems Indian and Chennai Indian (both don’t allow alcohol) and Vangmany ( Lao food) just at the end of the bridge and has great views of the river.

There’s a heritage feel to the rooms that all have lovely balconies.

It is well priced and offers a pick up from Luang Prabang (for around $220 US return).

There’s a safe and tea making facilitates in the room and a lovely restaurant with a good menu and great river view.

Room 12

Riverside Restaurant, Muang Ngoi, Northern Laos

Muang Ngoi’s Riverside Restaurant is Lonely Planet’s top pick ( probably rightly so) for eating in Muang Ngoi, particularly for it’s great river views.

The Chicken Laap is the standout dish and the coffee is great and the mango lassi also very good and there’s a well stocked bar.

Pumpkin curries with fish or chicken and the fish with lemon is OK.

The Suzy and Spring Rolls are also OK…

…and the Chicken Marsala and Orlam are just OK.

As you go up the path from the boat look for the signs on the right.

It’s a wooden building jutting out across the river, at the far right in the photo below.

Muang Ngoi and Sop Jam boat trip

Don’t miss the opportunity to take a boat ride from Nong Kiaw upriver to Muang Ngoi and Sop Jam for 550,000kip approximately $82 for the day for the boat and driver.
Stop at a Sop Jam to buy woven textiles for around 40,000-50,000 kip each and have lunch at the Riverside restaurant in Muang Ngoi on the way back.
Your accommodation hosts can help you with the arrangements.

Muang Ngoi

Sop Jam

Riverside Restaurant in Muang Ngoi

Mandala Ou Resort, Nong Kiaw, Northern Laos

Recently opened around 12 months ago, Mandala Ou Resort is the prettiest and most luxurious accommodation in Nong Kiaw. It also boasts Nong Kiaw’s only pool, which is lovely, especially if travelling with a group, but not essential in the cooler temperatures. The pool is framed by an attractive bar area, making for a very welcoming, central spot to relax.

Nic and Kenny run a smooth and efficient ship. Nic has designed some beautiful individual villas that all have either a gorgeous balcony with a stunning view of the river or a garden setting with an upstairs studio area. The textiles and decorating in the rooms are beautifully chosen.

Hot water to the shower is provided by an efficient small electric heater. Tea and coffee making facilities are also available.

The restaurant has a great view out over the river and there are hammocks to relax in.

Breakfast (7:30-10:30) is included and has delicious warm croissants all the way from Le Banneton in Luang Prabang. Nic makes his own bread and the homemade passionfruit and mango jams are wonderful. Fruit, yogurt , muesli and eggs made to order and a meat and cheese plate are also available for breakfast.

Lunch and dinner is available from a short menu and possibly the spaghetti, papaya salad and the beef and ginger stir fry ( mainly vegetarian) are the most tasty dishes.

Spagetti pomandera Green papaya salad

Smoked eggplant dip and vegetables Massaman curry

Chicken schnitzel Duck breast with bacon and vegetables (French style) (dinner only)

Beef and ginger stir-fry
The bar provides a good range of drinks including some good fruit and vegetable combination juices like apple carrot and ginger.

Filtered coffee is also available and hammocks to relax in.

Nic ( ex Germany) and Kenny ( ex Australia) are very easy to communicate with and know what you need. Nic is also excellent at organising transport and helping with any arrangements. A boat trip up river to pretty Muang Ngoi (500,000 kip about $AUD 73) is well worth doing.

It includes Sop Jam for an extra 50,000 kip which has an interesting weaving industry and offers the opportunity to buy some lovely table runners/scarves.

A comfortable minivan pick up ( seats 11 + driver) is $120US up and $100 US back to Luang Prabang. Sadly, you can no longer travel up by boat.

Mandala Ou is about 10-15 min easy walk from the centre of town where there are a number of frequently recommended restaurants like Deems Indian and Chennai Indian (both don’t allow alcohol) Vangmany ( Lao food) just at the end of the bridge. Complimentary bikes are also available from Mandala Ou.

The bridge is great for views and boats leave to go up river from just below the bridge.

Mandala Ou Resort is highly recommended as a good spot to stay, it is cheaper to book directly at around $63 US for a river view room and $52 US for a fountain view room.(30% discount as well as 3 nights for the price of 2, low season rates between 1 May and 30 September.
No credit card facilities but you are able to pay in a range of currencies at market value exchange rates.
There’s no room safe, but I understand there are no safety issues with valuables. Also, be aware that the paths and bathroom floors can get very slippery when moist.

The entrance can be tricky to see, but it’s on the right coming into Nong Kiaw.

River view bungalow all with balcony (No. 5, second bungalow from the pool)

Garden/Fountain view bungalow all with loft (No. 12 twin)

Dyen Sabai Restaurant, Luang Prabang

Part of Dyen Sabai’s appeal is it’s open sided hill side setting across the Nam Kham River. Easy to get to when the seasonal bridge is operating, but requires a boat ride across when the bridge is not available (due to high water levels).

Well priced and offering happy hour two for one cocktails until 12-7pm, it has some great food that showcases local specialities. It’s an essential addition to your dinner itinerary and a well chosen Lonely planet top pick.

Entree platter 2 very good for trying a range of Luang Prabang specialties

The grilled lemon fish is a stand out dish but everything is excellent.

Grilled lemon fish with chilli sauce Fried eggplant with pork

Stir fried chicken with basil Minced mushrooms with mint and herbs (also surprisingly very good!)

Best to book in the busy season, but this is easy to do ahead by emailing.

Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls Luang Prabang

The Luang Prabang Tat Kuang Si waterfalls are amazing and a great half day trip.

The water is beautifully coloured and get for swimming, the forest cool and peaceful, and there’s good cafe (average price, good food) for lunch that overlooks the falls.You can also take your own picnic or buy food from the food stalls at the entrance to the falls.

The chicken in red curry with sticky rice is wonderful (and better than the fish in red curry).

For around $8 AUS (50,000 kip), you can book a seat in a minivan to travel by road ( around 40 mins each way). But the trip may well be best by boat (2hrs one way+ 1hr the other (due to river flow) 40,000 kip including 10 min tuk tuk ride each end) because the minivan is commonly full (even overbooked) making it pretty unpleasant if you end up in the back seat.

Once there, take the path that winds along the falls up to see the long drop at the top (a short, cool walk), then come back down to the picnic tables/cafe and swimming spots. Chnging rooms are provided.

(If you are keen on being the river by boat it is popular to travel from Luang Prabang to Northern Thailand (approx 250,000 kip per person including overnight at Pak Beng, bookable in Luang Prabang through travel agents like Green Discovery)).

Riverside Barbecue Restaurant, Luang Prabang

The Riverside Barbecue Restuarant, along the Mekong, is a fun spot to try cooking your own meal, Lao style.

It’s good value, good fun and there’s a lovely river view. Go early to get a good table (book if you can) as it’s popular and fills fast.

For 60,000 kip adults 30,000 kip children, you can select from a huge range of meats and seafood, vegetables and noodles to cook at your table, by either barbecuing or cooking in broth.

A wide range of cooked entrees and some icecream and coconut desserts are also available in the price.

Clearly marked on the Lonely Planet map, follow the road from the baguette and fruit shake stalls/post office corner down to the Mekong. Turn right along the Mekong river road and look for the Riverside BBQ Restaurant sign.