Eating Places in Vientiane
Finally on the eve of my departure from Vientiane, people in the street are recognizing me; acknowledging me. The Lao people are shy and its taken time but slowly they “see” me.
I’ve changed breakfast spots – just for this morning. I’m at Le Banneton a french cafe and I’ve ordered a cappuccino and as always with a new place I wait, in anticipation for its delivery. Will it be a good coffee or one I want to leave? It arrives quickly and is presented with a flourish. The flavour is divine. It is smooth and flavorsome with a pleasant aftertaste which lingers on my palette. But the cappuccino itself is not well made. The pastry and bread selection here is superb and it inspires me to take a piece back to my hotel for a snack later. And I wonder why I’m not losing weight!
Their coffee is organic and fair trade coffee from the Jhai Estate. This is located in Bolaven Plateau which is in Southern Laos. Coffee was introduced to Laos by the French in the 1930’s. Coffee production went into decline with the war but is now a huge business. Whenever I read anything about Lao coffee they proudly proclaim its Fair Trade status. I’m all for Fair Trade – everyone has a right to be paid fairly for their efforts.
It’s very pleasant sitting here on a crudely constructed bench seat and wooden table watching the world go by. This is a quiet street traffic wise but the number of people wandering by keep it interesting; a mixture of locals and tourists.
Women wearing conical hats come past pushing big flat topped wheel barrow type contraptions loaded up with fresh vegetables. They have a set of scales ready to weigh the produce. Women from the shops and houses nearby come out and greet the seller and then they smell, feel and maybe buy. If it weren’t for the motor vehicles parked on the street or that I’m sitting at a café with a digital SLR camera in front of me, you could think it a scene from a bye-gone era.
A woman carrying baskets of food which hang from a sagging rod slung over her shoulder walks by. I’ve seen this a lot throughout my travels. They have an unusual gait, these vendors, which I imagine is attributed to the weight they carry every day. The gait is similar to the road walkers I’ve seen in the Olympic Games. The attached photo (sorry neither is the best quality – you just have to point and shoot or the moment is lost) is of a lady in Cheong Mon Beach, Thailand cooking my lunch. If the photo is clear enough you can see how much she carries – including fire.
My other favourite breakfast place is the Scandanavian Bakery which is by the fountain. I say breakfast place, but the set meal of cappuccino, fresh fruit salad and my choice of roll, cinnamon bun or croissant is enough for lunch as well. All for around $2.40 (and yes, I just checked my conversion). The quality of the food is extraordinarily good and it has a very pleasant atmosphere. By the way, the toilets at this Cafe are spotlessly clean. I might write an article about the toilets here in Asia sometime....but lets not mix it with food!
On my first day here I went to a river front place called SaBai Dee Café (actually this is the local greeting) and they have an extremely extensive menu. I got very excited when I saw their coffee menu and although it looked extremely good (and they served it with a cinnamon stick and a crockery spoon) the taste wasn’t very good. But…the fruit shakes here are superb and well worth another visit.
The other day I went to Sticky Fingers Café and Bar. My guide says it has the atmosphere of a Sydney café and describes it as being one of the best places to eat here, noting the cuisine as modern international. The first time I went I ordered a feta salad with balsamic dressing. It was my first salad for months and I thought I was in heaven. The taste was so fresh, the blend of flavours so perfect it sent my taste buds into orbit. But, I didn’t like the atmosphere. I’m not sure why. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and put down to me (perhaps I was out of sorts, hot or whatever) or that the staff were having a bad day. I went back a second time but I experienced the same feeling so although I loved the food, I’m not going to try it again.
Of course the JoMa Bakery Café is a favourite haunt and the food and coffee consistently excellent. They serve their own blend of coffee and both the cappuccino and espresso are very good. They offer small or large options. Once I tried a large cappuccino. It was indeed large and served in a mug. Three quarters of the mug was thick frothy milk – probably the thickest I’ve had. The only complaint is that they serve them with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Yuk! One day I tried asking for chocolate on top but my request was not understood. When in Rome….. and it’s a no fuss place to while away some time, people watching, writing or reading.
The police presence on the street is very noticeable today. They are standing around all of the corners in large groups. They are tense too. Occasionally I see young men with automatic guns. They hold their guns loosely by their sides. I’ve seen that on the streets and at the markets, here in Vientiane and Phnom Penh. It always unnerves me. What would it take for them to fire I always wonder?
People tell me that Vientiane is very busy and hot at present. They say it’s much nicer during January. But to me it doesn’t seem busy at all. I find it rather sleepy and that’s just fine by me. I love it here. I feel deliciously relaxed and comfortable here. So much so that I am sure I'm wandering around with a grin on my face all the time. Up until yesterday, I toyed with the idea of staying longer but tomorrow I leave for Vang Vieng – a four hour bus ride north. I’ve booked a place on the Song River – the Ban Sabai Bungalows. This area is famous for its caves and stunning limestone scenery.
After that I’m off to Luang Prabang which is even further north and then I’ll fly to Hanoi in Vietnam. But you’ll be hearing from me before that because I plan to be in Laos until my visa expires on the 23rd April.
Finally on the eve of my departure from Vientiane, people in the street are recognizing me; acknowledging me. The Lao people are shy and its taken time but slowly they “see” me.
I’ve changed breakfast spots – just for this morning. I’m at Le Banneton a french cafe and I’ve ordered a cappuccino and as always with a new place I wait, in anticipation for its delivery. Will it be a good coffee or one I want to leave? It arrives quickly and is presented with a flourish. The flavour is divine. It is smooth and flavorsome with a pleasant aftertaste which lingers on my palette. But the cappuccino itself is not well made. The pastry and bread selection here is superb and it inspires me to take a piece back to my hotel for a snack later. And I wonder why I’m not losing weight!
Their coffee is organic and fair trade coffee from the Jhai Estate. This is located in Bolaven Plateau which is in Southern Laos. Coffee was introduced to Laos by the French in the 1930’s. Coffee production went into decline with the war but is now a huge business. Whenever I read anything about Lao coffee they proudly proclaim its Fair Trade status. I’m all for Fair Trade – everyone has a right to be paid fairly for their efforts.
It’s very pleasant sitting here on a crudely constructed bench seat and wooden table watching the world go by. This is a quiet street traffic wise but the number of people wandering by keep it interesting; a mixture of locals and tourists.
Women wearing conical hats come past pushing big flat topped wheel barrow type contraptions loaded up with fresh vegetables. They have a set of scales ready to weigh the produce. Women from the shops and houses nearby come out and greet the seller and then they smell, feel and maybe buy. If it weren’t for the motor vehicles parked on the street or that I’m sitting at a café with a digital SLR camera in front of me, you could think it a scene from a bye-gone era.
A woman carrying baskets of food which hang from a sagging rod slung over her shoulder walks by. I’ve seen this a lot throughout my travels. They have an unusual gait, these vendors, which I imagine is attributed to the weight they carry every day. The gait is similar to the road walkers I’ve seen in the Olympic Games. The attached photo (sorry neither is the best quality – you just have to point and shoot or the moment is lost) is of a lady in Cheong Mon Beach, Thailand cooking my lunch. If the photo is clear enough you can see how much she carries – including fire.
My other favourite breakfast place is the Scandanavian Bakery which is by the fountain. I say breakfast place, but the set meal of cappuccino, fresh fruit salad and my choice of roll, cinnamon bun or croissant is enough for lunch as well. All for around $2.40 (and yes, I just checked my conversion). The quality of the food is extraordinarily good and it has a very pleasant atmosphere. By the way, the toilets at this Cafe are spotlessly clean. I might write an article about the toilets here in Asia sometime....but lets not mix it with food!
On my first day here I went to a river front place called SaBai Dee Café (actually this is the local greeting) and they have an extremely extensive menu. I got very excited when I saw their coffee menu and although it looked extremely good (and they served it with a cinnamon stick and a crockery spoon) the taste wasn’t very good. But…the fruit shakes here are superb and well worth another visit.
The other day I went to Sticky Fingers Café and Bar. My guide says it has the atmosphere of a Sydney café and describes it as being one of the best places to eat here, noting the cuisine as modern international. The first time I went I ordered a feta salad with balsamic dressing. It was my first salad for months and I thought I was in heaven. The taste was so fresh, the blend of flavours so perfect it sent my taste buds into orbit. But, I didn’t like the atmosphere. I’m not sure why. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and put down to me (perhaps I was out of sorts, hot or whatever) or that the staff were having a bad day. I went back a second time but I experienced the same feeling so although I loved the food, I’m not going to try it again.
Of course the JoMa Bakery Café is a favourite haunt and the food and coffee consistently excellent. They serve their own blend of coffee and both the cappuccino and espresso are very good. They offer small or large options. Once I tried a large cappuccino. It was indeed large and served in a mug. Three quarters of the mug was thick frothy milk – probably the thickest I’ve had. The only complaint is that they serve them with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Yuk! One day I tried asking for chocolate on top but my request was not understood. When in Rome….. and it’s a no fuss place to while away some time, people watching, writing or reading.
The police presence on the street is very noticeable today. They are standing around all of the corners in large groups. They are tense too. Occasionally I see young men with automatic guns. They hold their guns loosely by their sides. I’ve seen that on the streets and at the markets, here in Vientiane and Phnom Penh. It always unnerves me. What would it take for them to fire I always wonder?
People tell me that Vientiane is very busy and hot at present. They say it’s much nicer during January. But to me it doesn’t seem busy at all. I find it rather sleepy and that’s just fine by me. I love it here. I feel deliciously relaxed and comfortable here. So much so that I am sure I'm wandering around with a grin on my face all the time. Up until yesterday, I toyed with the idea of staying longer but tomorrow I leave for Vang Vieng – a four hour bus ride north. I’ve booked a place on the Song River – the Ban Sabai Bungalows. This area is famous for its caves and stunning limestone scenery.
After that I’m off to Luang Prabang which is even further north and then I’ll fly to Hanoi in Vietnam. But you’ll be hearing from me before that because I plan to be in Laos until my visa expires on the 23rd April.
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