The Best of Cambodia & Laos

Lao-style crème brûlée, a custard of pumpkin and coconut that’s divine. Great coffee,
too. Note: 3 Nagas’ Lao restaurant sometimes closes during the low season, so call ahead.
Sakkarine Rd. & 071/253-888. Fax 071/253-999. www.alilahotels.com. Main courses 100,000 kip. MC, V.
Daily 10:30am–2pm and 5–10pm.
Moderate
Blue Lagoon Restaurant WESTERN/ASIAN If the classic cuisine of La Cave des
Chateaux is not to your taste and you prefer a more modern approach, the nearby Blue
Lagoon Café may just fit the bill. Here Nouvelle cuisine characterized by small but artfully
presented portions is the order of the day. The restaurant itself is situated in a
tropical garden with rattan chairs and candlelit dark-wood furniture. A surprisingly
eclectic menu of Asian and European dishes come to you as a feast for the eyes before
you start to chow down.. Both the simmering Indian curry and steak cordon bleu are
reported to be exceptional, as is the wine list.
Ban Choumkhong. & 071/253-698. Fax 071/260-265. www.blue-lagoon-cafe.com. Main courses
100,000 kip. MC, V. Tues–Sun 10am–10pm.
Chill Out Café LAO/INTERNATIONAL Situated on the far side of Dara
Market from the Mekong, this elegant new eatery is as it describes itself, stylishly decorated
in an airy retro style. It is open on all four sides allowing a touch of a breeze to cool
you after a hard session of shopping among the market stalls. The staff is very friendly if
a little diffident. The food is a delicious fusion of Asian and Western with the emphasis
on light tasty snacks. Both the cheese and bacon panini and the cauliflower soup spiced
with cumin come highly recommended. The house wines are good, the crisp Italian
white being particularly delicious. The Chill Out Café also has very fast Wi-Fi (well, fast
for Laos!) so you will often see people working away on their laptops.
Dara Market. & 071/261-006. Fax 071/253-418. Main courses 45,000 kip. No credit cards. Daily 7am–8pm.
Couleur Café and Restaurant LAO/FRENCH This unassuming but atmospheric
down-alley bistro features affordable fine dining. Several local expats prefer the
food here to that of L’Elephant (see above). The decor is elegantly sparse, with colonialsize
high ceilings and walls adorned with the work of local artists. Though run by a young
French expat, the bistro has Lao specialties such as steamed fish with coconut in banana
leaf, or perhaps fried prawns in oyster sauce. Both are served with sticky rice, of course.
Eggplant, mushrooms, and crispy green beans are combined in a tasty Casserole Luang
Prabang. Order some Mekong seaweed for an interesting appetizer, and ask about the
fine Lao whiskey and imported wines. It’s a quiet little getaway for next to nothing.
48/5 Ban Vat Nong. & 071/254-694. Main courses 25,000 kip–150,000 kip. MC, V. Daily 11am–2:30pm
and 4:30–10:30pm.
Indochina Spirit LAO/THAI/WESTERN Housed in a restored 70-year-old
wooden home, Indochina Spirit, as its name suggests, dishes up as much atmosphere as
it does good grub. This gorgeous Lao home has been put to lovely use and now features
traditional Lao music most evenings from 7:30 to 8pm (check the chalkboard in front to
make sure). Indochina Spirit has done a great job with the simple local decor inside and
charming garden dining outside. The menu is an ambitious list of Lao, Thai, and Western
dishes. It’s a good place to have a drink, enjoy an affordable appetizer plate, and hear
some good music before strolling the city at night.
52 Ban Vat That, opposite the fountain across from Maison Souvannaphoum. & 071/252-372. Main
courses $5–$10. MC, V. Daily 8am–10pm.
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LUANG PRABANG