The Best of Cambodia & Laos

37-01 Nokeo Khoummane Rd. & 021/262-112. 9 units. $12 double with fan; $16 double with A/C. No
credit cards. In room: A/C, TV, fridge.
Saysouly Guest House This is an excellent budget option in a good location.
The guesthouse is in an atmospheric old building and the management has put some
thought into creating a pleasant environment. The rooms are light and airy with high
ceilings, modest but tasteful furnishings, and wooden floors. At the front is a shaded
terrace from which you can watch the world go by at your leisure. There is also a pleasant
and well-kept garden at the back.
23 Manththatultath Rd. & 021/218-383. Fax 021/223-757. www.saysouly.com. 28 units. $6 single with
fan; $8 double with fan; $10 triple with fan; $9 single A/C; $13 double A/C. No credit cards. In room: A/C.
3 WHERE TO DINE
French is very big in the Lao capital, and good international restaurants of this ilk actually
outnumber those serving Lao fare. You’ll find some great, affordable fine dining. A
few local specialties to watch out for are khao poun, rice vermicelli with vegetables, meat,
or chilies, in coconut milk; laap, minced meat, chicken, or fish tossed with fresh mint
leaves; or a tasty Lao-style pâté. Try sticky rice, eaten with the hands, as an accompaniment
to most Lao dishes (it’s a thrice-a-day staple for Laotians). Note: Restaurants are
cash only unless specified.
EXPENSIVE
La Belle Epoque FRENCH/LAO In the atmospheric Settha Palace
Hotel (p. 214), you can’t beat the atmosphere of La Belle Epoque—colonial elegance
mixed with Vientiane’s laid-back charm. The service is efficient, and the menu covers a
wide range of Continental specialties, with meat, game, and seafood prepared to order.
Imported Australian steaks and salmon top a fine list of specialties, such as grilled lamb
with ratatouille or terrine of duck liver marinated in wine. Try one of the creative appetizers,
such as the goat-cheese pastry. Don’t pass up the crème brûlée. You would pay an arm
and a leg for such a meal anywhere but here. The Sunday poolside buffet brunch (11am–
2pm) is a steal at $18; price includes pool admission.
6 Pangkham Rd. & 021/217-581. Main courses $15. AE, MC, V. Daily 9am–10pm.
Le Nadao FRENCH Once a little-known eatery of just a few tables, where
ordering a soufflé meant a long, languid wait, Le Nadao’s Lao-born and French-trained
chef and owner, Mr. Sayavouth, is reaching a wider market at his larger location adjacent
to the Patuxay Monument, Vientiane’s Arc de Triomphe. Le Nadao means “Stars in the
Ricefield,” and indeed this little star now plays host to Vientiane’s best and brightest
business folks and dignitaries. The dining room is a converted teak house, very rustic and
soothing, with a corrugated metal ceiling showing through rough slats, warm indirect
lighting, and live local music. The menu is classic French: no fusion, no foolin’. You
might start with calamari pan-fried in cream Catalonian style, followed by roast partridge
in a rich gravy with potatoes and a lightly fried Mekong filet with lemon, capers, and
local organic brown rice. Dessert is chocolate mousse—so rich you’ll melt—or a unique
“tulip” of pastry with local fruit and ice cream. Bring someone special and make a long
evening of it.
221
VIENTIANE 11
WHERE TO DINE