We admittedly didn’t get a chance to try many traditional Lao dishes. Partly because we were only there for 8 days, and partly because we were admittedly tired of Asian food and sought out Western food for the majority of our meals!
Lao cuisine is defined by its vibrant use of fresh herbs, fermented ingredients, and a notable absence of the sweetness found in neighboring Thai or Vietnamese foods. It is often described as a "symphony" of spicy, sour, salty, and bitter notes.
Crying Tiger - Seared marinated buffalo steak with tamarind chili sauce supposedly hot enough to make even a tiger cry. Grady ate it with no issue. He said it was delicious.
Kaipen - a traditional Laotian snack made from freshwater green algae (called kai), primarily harvested from the Mekong River. The algae is washed, pounded into a paste, pressed into paper-thin sheets, and sun-dried on bamboo mats. It is served with jaew bong, a spicy Laotian chili paste. We tried it on our food tour... it was ok.
Mok Nor Mai - Bamboo Shoots stuffed with chicken, pork, and lemongrass. Grady thinks they were good, but he isn't sure he actually remembers!
Fish Pun Bah - A crispy fried whole fish—often pompano, tilapia, or snapper—served with fresh herbs, rice noodles, vegetables, and dipping sauces that you wrap in lettuce leaves. It is a highly social meal shared among diners. It was seriously delicious once our fellow diners covered the face with a napkin for me and dug open the fish!
Palm Sugar Juice - Palm juice (known as Mak Tao) is derived from the sap of various palm trees, offering a, sweet nutrient-rich drink. Personally, I thought it was kind of gross. We got it from a street vendor that was pressing the palm branches right there on the spot. It was part of our food tour.
Khao Piak Sen - Chicken soup that is very similar to Pho in Vietnam but with hand-cut noodles made from rice and tapioca flour. It features a savory chicken broth flavored with lemongrass, galangal, and ginger, commonly topped with coriander, green onions, and fried garlic. Grady thought it was really good.
Jerky and Silkworms - One of our food tour stops was the night market. The guide got a variety of foods to share. They are known for their jerky which is slightly sweet and sprinkled with sesame seeds. They also eat fried silkworms (Yuck!). Grady said the Lao jerky was delicious and the silkworm was weird. He ate only one after much persuasion!
Sai Qua - Spicy herbal style Loatian pork sausage served on a banana leaf with spicy dipping sauce and sliced cabbage. This was another dish from the night market when we were on our food tour. Grady liked it a lot more than the fried silkworm!
Nam Van - A sweet coconut milk soup with toppings like tapioca pearls, cantaloupe, and jellies served with ice. We had something similar in Vietnam, but what made this place cool was the selection case. They described all the options and you chose any 5. So everyone's dessert looked and tasted different, but all were delicious!
My Nam Van - so yummy
Grady's Nam Van - different than mine, but equally delicious
Luang Prabang Salad - A salad of watercress, lettuce, cilantro, mint, dill, tomatoes, and hard-boiled eggs, topped with roasted peanuts. Topped with a dressing often made from mashed hard-boiled egg yolks, lime juice, garlic oil, and fish sauce. I am a sucker for a really good salad - I loved this traditional Lao dish so much!