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title: "Eating and drinking in Laos"
description: "Justine Tyerman fell in love with the cuisine and beer in Laos."
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author: "Justine Tyerman"
publisher: "Travelmemo"
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---

# Eating and drinking in Laos

> A food-lover's account of eating and drinking across Laos, highlighting the bold flavours of Lao cuisine — chilli, lemongrass, lime, garlic — and the legendary locally-brewed BeerLao, experienced across Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and stops in between.

## Destination
Laos, covering Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Xieng Khouang, and the village of Phou Khoun on Route 13/7.

## Getting there
Singapore Airlines flies from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch to Singapore; SilkAir operates three flights weekly from Singapore to Vientiane and Luang Prabang; Lao Airlines connects Vientiane to Xieng Khouang.

## Why visit
Laos offers a distinctive and flavoursome cuisine built on lemongrass, chilli, lime, garlic, mint, coriander, and galangal, complemented by the award-winning BeerLao, all at low cost and in settings ranging from street markets to elegant courtyard restaurants.

## What to see
- **Mekong River at sunset, Vientiane** — Views from Moon the Night Restaurant of fishermen, river traffic, and the lights of Thailand across the water.
- **Ban Anou night market, Vientiane** — A lively local street-food market with barbecued meats, noodles, sticky rice, fruit, and sweet treats.
- **Phou Khoun open market** — Roadside market selling fresh produce including mushrooms, taro, galangal, and fried bananas, with more unusual items such as rat and bat.

## What to do
- **Dine at Kualao Restaurant, Vientiane** — Traditional Lao cuisine accompanied by live four-piece orchestra and professional Lao dance performances.
- **Lunch at Doi Ka Noi Restaurant, Vientiane** — Small owner-run restaurant serving outstanding food with fresh ingredients, many from their own garden.
- **Drinks at Moon the Night Restaurant, Vientiane** — Iconic spot for an ice-cold BeerLao while watching the Mekong sunset.
- **Stop at Xayphavong Restaurant, Phou Khoun** — Roadside family-run restaurant serving noodles, rice, vegetables, and optional fried crickets with lemongrass.
- **Dine at 3 Nagas, Luang Prabang** — Sample Khaiphaen Jeund (Mekong riverweed), served like flatbread with spicy chilli jam.
- **Eat at Blue Lagoon, Luang Prabang** — Elegant lantern-lit courtyard restaurant in an alleyway off the night-market street, with strong Lao flavours and attentive service.
- **Stay and eat at Parasol Blanc, Luang Prabang** — Hotel restaurant overlooking a lily pond, noted for vegetarian spring rolls in rice paper with chilli and garlic dipping sauces.

## Good to know
BeerLao was named Asia's best local beer by Time Magazine and costs around 23,000 kip (approximately NZ$4 / US$3) at a roadside restaurant. Sticky rice (klao niaw) is the staple eaten at every meal. The signature dish larb moo is a pork salad with lime, lemongrass, and shallots.

## Photos

```yaml
photos:
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-6.jpg"
    caption: "A four-piece orchestra played a variety of delightful Lao tunes at Kualao Restaurant in Vientiane"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-7.jpg"
    caption: "Traditional Lao dancing and music at Kualao Restaurant, Vientiane"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-1.jpg"
    caption: "Fisherman"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-10.jpg"
    caption: "Watercolour sunset over the Mekong from Moon the Night Restaurant"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-11.jpg"
    caption: "Ban Anou night markets in Vientiane"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-13.jpg"
    caption: "Super-friendly chef at the Ban Anou night markets"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-14.jpg"
    caption: "Ban Anou in Vientiane is the Lao version of takeaways"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-16.jpg"
    caption: "Street food in Phou Khoun"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-22.jpg"
    caption: "My favourite dish at Parasol Blanc was vegetarian spring rolls in rice paper with chilli and garlic dipping sauces"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-21.jpg"
    caption: "Dinner at the 3 Nagas, Luang Prabang"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-19.jpg"
    caption: "The Blue Lagoon in Luang Prabang"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Laos-cuisine-24.jpg"
    caption: "Our smiley waiter at Parasol Blanc in Luang Prabang"
```