SABAIDEE!
Going to Laos and not trying their food is the same of never being there. Its gastronomy is pretty different and exotic. You must try it. In the charming city of Luang Prabang, north of Laos, there are many options of good restaurants that invest in local kitchen, but in this article we’re gonna focus on a place that really enchanted us: the Restaurant Tamarind A Taste of Laos.
In Laos, the greatest star of the culinary is the “sticky rice”, where we make little rice balls with our own hands and then it’s traditionally eaten also using the fingers. In fact, there we can find the most sticky rice in the whole world. Usually the rice comes with different kinds of sauces and meat, like buffalo’s. It’s incredible, never seen something like that before.
Laos cuisine is unique as its people. The dishes are always very well flavoured, with lemongrass, chili, fresh tomato and herbs. And at Restaurant Tamarind, in the charming UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang, we could notice the habits and customs at the heart of Lao cuisine. We could also taste a traditional and delicious Lao dish. It’s a unique experience! With a typically spicy flavour, Lao food is an adventure for the palate.
SEE ALSO THE POST WHERE TO STAY IN LUANG PRABANG: THE LUANG SAY RESIDENCE
The restaurant is amazing! It’s very well located right in front of Nam Kham river. The place is big, refreshing and has an outside area facing the river. The attendance is perfect and the staff team is very friendly! They received us very well and gave us an excellent explanation about lao culture and its gastronomy. As soon as we arrived there, they offered us refreshing towels and snacks typical from Laos. The laocian hospitaly is really unbelievable.
The restaurant also has culinary classes for those who would like to know even more about their culture and lao cuisine. That’s really very interesting. The Tamarind’s Lakeside Cooking School is not only a simple cooking class, it’s a a fun and educational family cooking experience. There you’ll cook Lao dishes and learn traditional customs and cooking techniques in a class of no more than 8 people. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to do it. But if you have the chance, please don’t miss that.
Tamarind Restaurant is a great exponent of the national cuisine. It’s a great place to start your adventure with Lao cuisine in Luang Prabang. The restaurant is very complete. It has many kinds of dishes, including soups, salads, chicken, meat, pork, fish, wraps, vegetarian options, a great variety of legumes, fruits and desserts. The drinks list is also very impressive, with coffees, teas, smoothies, juice, soda and many options of alcoholic drinks as well.
We had traditional plates of Laos and we didn’t regret. We tried first the “Bamboo Soup”, a very good option for starter. Then we ordered a platter of Lao specialities, accompanied by sticky rice, Luang Prabang sausage, dips/relishes (jeow) & other local favourites: a selection of Tamarind’s most popular menu items. It included fragrant lemongrass stuffed with chicken and it also came with the famous “Khaipen”. Kaipen is a popular snack made of freshwater green algae, peppered with sesame seeds and sundried into paper-thin sheets. These raw Kaipen are stored away in rolls. For consumption, the Kaipen sheets are flash-fried in a pan and usually served with jaew bong (chilli paste). And finally, for dessert we had a fresh fruit platter and lao coffee. Everything was PERFECT!
At the restaurant, you can try a sampling platter or create your own buffet of shared plates while the staff explain what you are eating. Lao meal consists of many dishes served together and eaten as family style, sharing a few dishes.
You can choose from a range of truly authentic dishes. Other typical dishes in Lao cuisine include:
- Steamed Fish (Mok Pa): fish that is typically wrapped up in banana leaves and tied with bamboo string. It must be paired with sticky rice.
- Or Lam Stew: Original to Luang Prabang, this tasty stew comprises mainly vegetables. Beans, eggplant, lemongrass, basil, chilies and mushrooms also go into the dish, with optional meat (classically prepared water buffalo meat).
- Khao Poun: Lao noodle soup, made with long-simmered chili-and-meat-based soup (e.g. fish, pork, chicken).
- Khao Jee Sandwich (Baguette): It is split in half and filled with lettuce, tomatoes, onion and optional cheese, pork, chopped ham and topped with chili sauce.
- Laab: a hot and sour dish of minced meat mixed in with a lot of fresh herbs and vegetables. Larb is considered to be the national dish of Laos.
- Green Papaya Salad (Tam Mak Hoong): type of salad made from sliced raw papaya, garlic, chilli, peanuts, sugar, fermented fish sauce and lime juice. It is always eaten with sticky rice.
You can find all of these and much more at Tamarind Restaurant in Luang Prabang. Food from Laos is becoming more popular and if you wanna know Laos gastronomy with quality, you must go to Tamarind Restaurant. We strongly recommend the place.
