Vientiane – mmm-yoso

Our most memorable meals part 2

January 22, 2010 mmm-yoso Hanoi, Lao Restaurants, Laos, Luang Prabang, Peru, Travel, Vientiane, Vietnam

Maybe I should've made a few resolutions for the New Year. First on that list would be "completing things I started sooner….." I realize that I did part 1 of this post on December 30th. I could, of course make it sound even farther "upstream" by writing something like "last year"…. Of course, I still haven't finished my posts on Guatemala, or even Thailand, I hope to get those done before we leave on our next big trip. So without further ado….. these are in no particular order, but it's the meals that the Missus and I talk about most often.

– Can Cau Market

I've always been fascinated by markets of all shapes, sizes, and types. You learn so much about the people who live in these destinations, by checking out the market….. The Sunday Market at Bac Ha is well known as a gathering of the various Hill tribes. The Can Cau Market is less well known, but we found that we enjoyed it more…. it was less touristy, and it seems a bit more laid-back, not that the term "laid back" in anyway describes anything in Vietnam.

Here in the hill country of Vietnam, the colors worn by the people are vibrant and colorful; the Flower H'mong, Red Zao, Giay, the Blue H'mong.

We had made it clear early on that we don't do tourist food, and ended up eating where everyone else was; sitting on low benches a few inches above the hard-packed dirt.

The fare was simple, boiled pork, noodle soup, pickled greens, and the star of the show, Ruou Ngo, the local "moonshine" poured into used plastic water bottles from "Jerry cans"…. the equivalent of 50 cents got your 16 ounce water bottle filled to the brim with Ruou.

And then the inevitable happened, we became the current novelty…. Our guide approached with cups of Ruou telling us that two of the gentleman sitting across the way "want to have a drink with you, because tourists never eat with them. They are very happy and proud that you would eat the same food." This of course, was only the beginning, of a scene we've encountered almost everywhere we've been in SEA, "they don't believe you're American. They say that you cannot be American, you don't look like Americans. Americans rarely come here, and those that do are afraid of the food, and won't drink with them. They take their pictures and leave right away."

Just as we are curious about the lives of people who seem so exotic and different, they are just as fascinated with us. You'd lose so much by keeping things at safe distance sometimes…..

What sticks with me was a toast the proprietor of the pork stall made before we left. Finding out that the Missus is Chinese, he made the following toast: "to Vietnamese and Chinese, we are brothers and neighbors, and brothers sometimes fight, but in the end we are still brothers". In the end, we are all brothers, under the same moon and sun……

– A Very Special Dinner in Cusco

Peru was a delicious and fascinating trip, and words cannot describe Machu Picchu.

Without a doubt, one of the highlites of our time in Cusco was dinner with the family of a friend of ours. We were told that they'd be making us a meal of Cuy, something that got me rather excited. That excitement was dampened when I had a terrible meal of Cuy the night before. Man was it bad, but there was a reason for that I was to find out later.

This family opened their home and hearts to us. And the Cuy was wonderful!

Crisp skin like roast pork, Cuy is all dark meat, and does taste like dark meat pork. I nibbled on the legs, the little bit of meat by the back spine is fabulous. And of course we had a drink after dinner to "kill the Cuy" as they say.

So why did that Cuy we had the previous night taste so bad? It was because they were fed a diet of meal that included fish and other ingredients to make them grow large quickly. The traditional food for Cuy is Alfalfa.

We spent a wonderful evening talking about all sorts of subjects….. humor is universal! When it comes down to it, we are more alike then we are different…..

– Astrid y Gaston, Lima

I usually don't do posts on fine dining and the like in San Diego. Like I've written many times, there are many other great food blogs and sources for that kind of info. Our meals during our travels are a different story…..

At the time of our visit in 2007 Astrid y Gaston, Gaston Acurio's flagship restaurant was on Pellegrino's top 100 restaurants in the world list. The concept of Novoandina Cuisine was very interesting to us. The unique cuisine of Peru had us entranced, and Astrid y Gaston really delivered.

Of course the Missus got Cuy, yet again.

Appetizer, drinks, and mains for two, for the equivalent of $80/US! Plus, a glimpse of the future of Peruvian cuisine…….

– Dinner at Tamarind: Luang Prabang

After attending the Tamarind Cooking School, we made reservations for dinner at Tamarind. And what a dinner it was, I had to do two posts to cover the meal. The meal we made reservations for was called the "Adventurous Lao Gourmet", and after checking out the local Wet Market, I could only imagine what we'd be having…..

And for the equivalent of $12 per person, this degustation style meal surely delivered.

From various "Jeow" (dips)…..

to "Fish Poo"…..

And steamed pigs brains…..

And of course, the various insects….. some of which I enjoyed more than others.

Even beyond the "look at what I'm eating" attention seeking thingy, I learned so much during this meal. Joy, one of the owners presents each course, and explains a bit about each dish.

Remember the quote from Brillat-Savarin: "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." Well this meal displayed to me resourcefulness, "Thao" a wonderful Jeow made from Spyrogyra, what some call "pond scum", salt-pickling, fish curd, and yes, even "Fish Poo" where the intestinal matter of the fish is used for preservation displays one of the most basic means of preserving food without modern refrigeration. The steamed pig brains is a cherished item, as Joy told us it "what you'll make for your children if you love them."

All of which was eaten with that Lao staple, sticky rice.

There's a peaceful, gentle, friendly tolerance we encountered everywhere in Laos.

– Dinner on Shores of the Mekong

Vientiane was quite a contrast from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and even Nong Khai. Sometimes you happen upon just the right meal at the perfect time. And this was it. There are a huge number of stands along the Mekong river. For some reason, we decided to stick with the one we first passed early on. It was wasn't a huge set-up like the other stands, but the folks running the stand seemed so warm and friendly.

Sitting on a makeshift bamboo platform, I could feel all the tension and worries lazily drift down the Mekong. Of course, the Beerlao didn't hurt!

Some of the food, like the stir fried Morning Glory was good.

Other items like the whole fish, was just okay……

What really sent this meal to the "memorable list" was the act of thoughtfulness by the folks who ran this stand. You'll have to read the post to get that story. Let me just say, that along with being the best Nem Khao I've ever had……

It was a great introduction to the thoughtfulness of the folks in Laos.

And hey, that sunset wasn't too bad either!

So there you go…… Five memorable meals. There are a few more that I could probably add.

But it's those five that we talk about the most…..

You know, there's a song I've been listening to quite a bit lately. To me, it's got a great hook….. but I also realized that there's a line of the song that always makes me smile:

"Seems like everywhere I go
The more I see
the less I know" – Say Hey (I Love You), Michael Franti & Spearhead

Keep warm and dry this weekend! Thanks for reading!

Vientiane: Petang, Wat Si Muang, Bounmala Restaurant, and we’re headed for Luang Prabang

December 6, 2008 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Laos, Travel, Vientiane

The Missus has a way of trying to maximize our "experiences" when it comes to vacations, and this last afternoon and evening in Vientiane was no exception. The day had started with a visit to Khou Din Market, at noon we had lunch at Nang Kham Bang Restaurant, and now, after an all too short nap, we hit the road again. There was a restaurant I was interested in, and being about 3-4 kilometers away, getting a tuk-tuk seemed like a good idea. The Missus had other plans, though! There was (yet another) Wat She wanted to visit, and it just so happened to be on the way.... by foot.

We started off, down the now well-worn (by us) riverfront street of Fa Ngoum, passing the back of the Presidential Palace and Mahosot Hospital. A few blocks down, in the courtyard of one of the Wats we spied a young man tossing a metal ball in the air:

He was playing a popular game called "Petang" in Laos. Otherwise known as Pétanque, a remnant from the days of French Colonialism.

The Young Man, was very nice, and much to our surprise spoke excellent English. He explained the game to us; the objective is to get your boule (metal ball) as close to the cochonnet (wooden ball) as possible. He even had the Missus give it a try, showing Her a few of the techniques, as well.

It is harder than it looks!

We really enjoyed talking to this young man, and during the course of our conversation, we found out much about him. For the sake of the post, let's call him Mr"A". Mr A, is currently a student, in the final stages of attaining a very high level degree. Coming from a very poor family in Savannaket Province, he has no means by which to support his education. Because he was very involved in the community back in his hometown, he was referred to this Wat. And now is one of 4 non-Monks who live on the grounds of the Wat.

We were slowly coming to realize how important these Wats were to the fabric of the community. We enjoyed chatting with MrA, and decided to invite him along for dinner. He accepted, and asked us if we would wait a few minutes, he returned a short time later, clothes changed, and nicely groomed for dinner. He looked much better than I did!

We asked MrA if he would grant us a favor…. we wanted to visit Wat Si Muang before settling in for dinner. MrA was more than happy to walk with us to Wat Si Muang, and was even happier to teach us a bit about the history and various ceremonies regarding Buddhism inLaos. Wat Si Muang was a busy, and bustling place, even at this time of the day. Being home of the Guardian Spirit of Vientiane, Si Muang is one of the more important Wats in Vientiane.

The home of the Guardian, the City Pillar is wrapped in sacred cloth.

Within the Sim, MrA took us to make offerings, and receive blessings, and also took us to the rather odd looking artifact to the right. During the Siamese-Lao War of 1828, Wat Si Muang was razed. The stone figure sitting on the pillow is of a Seated Buddha which survived, albeit a bit melted, the inferno. It is believed that this Buddha has the power to grant wishes. In order to do this, from a kneeling position, you must raise the Buddha up over your head three times while making your wish. I could tell by how hard the Missus was shaking while trying to raise the artifact, that one of the wishes crossing Her mind was, "I wish this thing were lighter". In my mind, I was wishing and hoping that the Missus didn't drop the Buddha, thereby destroying a sacred relic… how many years of bad luck would that be??? To my relief, the Missus completed ~~Her seated clean and jerk~~ raising the Buddha the required number of times, took one of the slips from the wooden box, and had the Monk recite Her "fortune". What it is, She's not telling…. I think it's something between Her and Buddha!

Leaving Si Muang, MrA, never having heard of our destination Bounmala Restaurant, flagged down a tuk-tuk, and asked directions. He was told it is far away, and costs 40,000 Kip (about $4.50/US). So we piled in, and drove about 2 blocks, and was let off! MrA was flummoxed…..he had been taken for a ride, so to speak. I couldn't stop laughing! For some reason, the fact that the tuk-tuk driver would take advantage of a local made me feel better. It's not only tourists that get scammed……

But at least we had arrived at our destination, Bounmala Restaurant.

This looked more like a pub than a restaurant, with mini-watercooler beer dispensers on the tables of several groups of locals having a good time, along with a few "Beer Girls" to help the House sell liquid refreshment. And I'd have been a bit hesitant about eating here if not for the wonderful scents surrounding the whole area!

Now here's where I need to apologize…… night falls like a big dark curtain in SEA. And the following will be some of the worst photos I took all trip. I can understand if you want to leave, and perhaps return another day. I had thoughts of not doing this post. But this was by far the best meal we had in Vientiane.

We started with the Papaya Salad (Tam Mak Hung):

Best papaya salad we had during the whole trip. The spiciness was countered with a balanced refreshing citrus kick. The addition of the perfect amount of Padek (Lao fermented fish sauce) gave this dish an added savory component, making it a bit richer. Wonderful stuff for 10,000 Kip (just over $1/US).

Bamboo Shoot Soup:

A very thick, dark, and almost potage like soup, full of various herbs. The soup had a pronounced bitterness to it; it was our first significant encounter with the bitter flavors that the Lao seem to enjoy, and lace many of their dishes with. Not my favorite dish in the world, but I'm glad I tried it.

That embarrassing photo to the right is of Ping Pet (Grilled Duck), one of the best items we had during our trip. Grilled to perfection, the duck meat was more on the chewy side, but oh the flavors!A chili garlic sauce was provided, but really wasn't needed for this dish. MrA kept apologizing for the tuk-tuk incident, and now the cost of the grilled duck – 40,000 Kip (approx $4.50/US). But we explained to MrA that we're on holiday, and this for us is a wonderful treat. Plus, the conversation was priceless!

The last dish, and really bad photo, is of the fantastic fish larb. All of the wonderful flavors of a classic larb, combined with moist and tender pieces of briefly cooked fish. Man this was good!

Our conversations ranged far and wide. From questions that we were asked constantly during the trip; "ok, you are Americans…. but what are you REALLY?" To queries about our work, and everyday life. Forgetting that even though the 'D' in Laos PDR stands for Democratic, it is still a Communist Country, the Missus asked about corruption and government fraud. MrA gracefully answered; "oh, I cannot say…." After an evening of unforgettable food and discussion, we walked MrA back to the Wat, and made our way (by foot) back to the hotel, for a night of blissful, food induced sleep.

We awoke the next morning, raring to go, we would be heading for Luang Prabang. We decided to take one final stroll around Vientiane….

And stopped by the Scandinavian Bakery for a quick breakfast.

This was the most tourists we recalled seeing in Vientiane.

Soon after returning to the hotel, we packed. Having just 7 kilos of stuff a piece meant pretty quick packing. Wattay International Airport is tiny. After going through the first security check and through the ticket counter, you wait sitting on plastic seats in the run down, "naturally air-conditioned" main lobby. You don't want to be going to the restroom here; take my word for it!

It is best to wait until being called through to the second security check point, and to the departure gate area.

There is only 1 gate at this airport and the area is air conditioned. The Missus even found the best Soy Milk She's had in years in the one shop in the gate area. The restrooms here are clean and well maintained. But that doesn't mean you won't find anything interesting…..

The Missus snapped this photo in the ladies room:

For some reason She found it particularly funny!

When your flight is called, you walk out onto the tarmac. We were flying Lao Airlines. Even though we heard folks expressing a bit of concern about Lao Airlines, we felt perfectly safe….

After all, we had Monks sitting in the front seats. And we had been blessed by a Monk in Wat Si Muang…. I didn't remove mine until I got home!

And Luang Prabang lay ahead of us……..

Our posts on Vientiane:

A walking tour and PVO.

The Lao Orchid Hotel and dinner on the bank of the Mekong.

Morning in Vientiane nd Khou Din Market.

Nang Kham Bang Restaurant.

Vientiane: Nang Kham Bang Restaurant

December 2, 2008 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Laos, Travel, Vientiane

The Missus was craving some Larb for lunch. This sounded like a mission for our own guardian angel in Vientiane, Ai from the Lao Orchid Hotel. Just as with previous queries, Ai grabbed a few of her cronies in a semi-huddle, made a couple of calls, and came up with the result; Nang Kham Bang Restaurant, which just happened to be 2 blocks away. After walking right past it twice, we stopped, and actually read a sign for a change……. you just know I wasn't going to ask for directions…..

The interior is kind of odd. It is divided in half by glass; one part of the restaurant is air-conditioned, the other half is not.

The menu, itself was a conglomeration of interesting dishes like stuffed frog legs. The clientele, was all Lao. We learned how to identify a "real" Lao (as in places where Lao folks actually eat), by this:

Why the sink? Well, if you think about it, the required item for meals is:

Sticky rice. And the most important eating instrument is….well…your hand. So washing your hands right outside of the doorway makes complete sense.

The first thing to arrive was a plate of greens, veggies, and herbs:

We were to find that it was typical to find a plate of green beans, and other items provided to accompany your meal. The most interesting item on the plate were these little eggplants.

We started with some Stir Fried Morning Glory:

This was not as good, as the version we had eaten the previous night. These were rather tough, and strangely, on the bland side.

Next up, Beef Laap(Laap Sin):

This had a nice balance of sour and spicy flavors, with a mild nuttiness brought on by the roasted rice powder. Not much in the way of beefy flavor, and as we found throughout our travels in SEA, the beef was on the chewy side.

We also ordered the Papaya Salad (Tam Mak Hung):

Nice and balanced sweet and sour flavors, I have a feeling they went easy on us in the spicy department. Crisp and refreshing, this was probably in the top three with regards to Papaya Salads on this trip.

Of course, it wouldn't be a meal without some comic relief from the mmm-bozo! When the veggies arrived, the Young Man serving us pointed at some chilies, and warned us by saying "ka-boom", and miming a mushroom cloud rising from what would be his now shattered cranium with his hands. No need for the ol' skull-and-crossbones sign here, we understood….

You know of course, we paid no heed to the young man's warning. The Missus and I both sampled a pepper. "KA-BOOM" is an understatement. Lucky for me, having had some experience with chilies, I didn't let my lips get involved, so you wouldn't find me lying face down in a pool of cerebral spinal fluid, nor would I be picking pieces of cranium and grey matter out of my papaya salad, but this stuff was pretty potent. The Missus turned several colours, red, sweaty grey, then pale white, as She told me She could feel the pepper burning a trail down Her esophagus, and into Her stomach. God only knew what tomorrow was going to bring. I think we've had our share of spicy food…but man this was hot!!!

Later when asked about this place, Ai told me that the local folks with "money"…. i.e. who can afford to, eat here. It did turn out to be a nice refreshing meal for under $10/US. And knowing not what the Missus had planned for later that day (after my little midafternoon nap, of course), I'd probably end up needing some "refreshing"……

Nang Kham Bang Restaurant

Khoun Boulum St.

Vientiane, Lao PDR

Laos – Morning in Vientiane and Khou Din Market

November 24, 2008 mmm-yoso Laos, Travel, Vientiane

After a restful night of BiaLao induced sleep, we both awoke, refreshed. Walking out to the small balcony, we viewed the serene, early morning Mekong, rolling along.

The view was tranquil, but the air was acrid…..

We were soon to find out why:

The infrastructure in Vientiane is not quite up to Western standards, and though I saw what could very loosely called "garbage collection" we also witnessed a lot of trash being burned. Not so bad if it were only leaves, but plastics, and other items were being torched as well. Much of it happens early in the morning, creating a distinctive stench.

The streets of Vientiane seemed still at this early hour. To say that Vientiane is sleepy is an understatement.

Even the very busy Setthathirath Road is quiet at 630am.

We walked to the very highly recommended JoMa Bakery and Cafe.

Very popular with European tourists and Ex-pats. JoMa is clean and bright, and though the various offerings did not look particularly inspiring to us, I had my Coke Light, and the Missus a Latte, while we sat and contemplated the day.

It was a nice quiet place at this time of the morning.

We strolled back slowly to our hotel……we were now operating at "Vientiane speed". A wonderfully laid-back pace…..

Just like Nong Khai, we had a Wat next door; in this case right across the street. Walking through the Wat on the way back, the Missus ran into an inquisitive Monk….. which resulted in a nice diversion. Well, maybe not for the Monk, who was suddenly subjected to a number of questions.

Arriving back at the hotel, we noticed Ai was working yet again. Among the subjects we chatted about was how was the lack of fresh fruits and such at Talat Sao. Ai laughed, and told us that the "Fresh Market" was on the block in back of Talat Sao, next to the bus station. So after a quick shower, guess where we were headed?

We decided to take the route up Chou Anou, than down some side streets and Samsenthai. This area is Vientiane's unofficial Chinatown.

We passed this Peking Duck Restaurant, and the Missus slipped in to check it out. Complete 3 course Peking Duck Dinner just 100,000 Kip (about $12/US)!

Kind of made us wish there were more people with us.

We saw these young men making Mantou.

And walked pass the huge Lao National Culture Hall.

Right across from the Lao National Museum. I wish we had a bit more time, but never had a chance to visit. Next time perhaps.

Further down the avenue, the Vietnamese shops appeared, including a few Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich) shops.

Crossing still not so busy Lane Xang, we soon found ourselves in the back of Talat Sao.

Past the bus station, and the line-up of tuk-tuks.

And into Khou Din Market. Just photos…..

After the Missus picked up some Dragonfruit, we headed back the way we came. Back on Chou Anou, we noticed what looked to be a former movie theatre.

Was now a busy and packed noodle stand.

The street was starting to come to life, and we noticed that this young man had a special passenger!

Cracked us up…..but where's the pooch's helmet?

As we approached the hotel, and the always busy "ping" (grill) stall.

We noticed the bike riding pooch in the fenced off empty lot next door!

And realized we had seen the same dog the day before! I guess this is Vientiane's version of doggy daycare?

About this time, the drum at Inpeng Temple around the corner was going off.

It was lunch time!

To be continued……

Laos: Vientiane – Laos Orchid Hotel and Dinner on the Shores of the Mekong

November 20, 2008 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Laos, Memorable Meals, Travel, Vientiane

Our little haven during our all too short stay in Vientiane was the Lao Orchid Hotel. Located a half block from the Mekong, the Lao Orchid is situated on the quiet side of Chou Anou street. As I mentioned earlier, we walked in and got a suite, which was quite large and comfortable. There was just so much, "space", something we had been without for a few days.

After doing the "Guest house thing" for the last 3 nights, the Missus was really craving some Western amenities (wow, television!!)….I guess we are just "soft Americans" after all! We were really impressed at how clean this place was….totally spotless, and possibly the cleanest floors (to this point) I've ever seen in a hotel. In fact, in keeping with the standard, we saw the housekeeping staff, and even the front desk folks walking barefoot. And we had no qualms about doing the same at all…..

Our view from the balcony wasn't outstanding, though we could make out the Mekong:

What really stood out here was the service …..especially from one young lady named "Ai". Ai spoke good English, and was very eager to be of help, a common trait among many of the Lao people we met. Ai went beyond the call for us, and displayed a great sense of humor. She found much amusement in my interest in Lao Food. A typical scenario would be an inquiry about, say "Naem", Ai would call the staff into an impromptu "huddle" and a short discussion would take place. After which, a concensus would be reached. In this case, "Inter-City makes the best Naem". Hmmm, Inter-City was the restaurant for a hotel next door….I wasn't too keen on hotel food. Funny thing was, Inter-City was recommended later on by several other folks in Vientiane (by "A", and the Young Lady at Lao Airways). This recommendation would prove to be ironic a bit later on. Ai's most outstanding favor, was a touching act of kindness; the Missus hadn't heard from Her parents since we left for our trip. On all of our vacations, the Missus's parents would always stay in close email contact; but this time our emails went unanswered…..the Missus began to worry. We tried making several international calls, but always ran into problems with connectivity. Ai, seeing how worried we were, told us to wait for just one minute……she than pulled out her own personal cellphone, and made the call for us, which got through. It is because of Ai that I quickly learned my second word in Lao (the first being Sa-bai-dee), kopchai (Thank you). And than to add to it, kopchai-lai-lai (thank you very much)…..which I used constantly in Laos.

Deciding to pass on Inter-City, we walked on over to the banks of the Mekong, which are lined with food stalls of all shapes and sizes.

Some of the stalls have elaborate platforms build stretching out over the Mekong, with proper dining tables and chairs. All of them specialize in mainly one thing; what they call "Ping", grilled items, mainly "Ping Pa"(grilled fish) and "Ping Kai"(grilled chicken).

After one quick pass down the Mekong, we settled on the first stall we had seen. It was a pretty modestly equipped stall, you could just say it was a big table. But the woman running the stand had the warmest smile, and though she didn't speak hardly any English, we appreciated one thing:

Everything served here was fresh, there would be no reheated, pregrilled fish served to us. All her fish were live and kickin'. There were only a few fish in the bucket, perhaps five, probably just enough for one evening's worth of service. The Missus had Her eye on one of the larger specimens, and the Woman let Her pick out whichever one She wanted.

We also got 2 huge live prawns that were thrown on the charcoal grill for us.

We ordered a few other items from the young person of slightly indeterminate gender who spoke fairly good English. When it came to the Naem, we were sadly told that they don't make Naem. That was fine with us, the fish looked great, and we'd be happy with whatever we got.

We walked down the hill from the now busy cooking area.

And had the seat on the cushion set upon a platform overlooking the Mekong. We were charmed by the setting…….

The eating area looked quite modest compared to some of the more elaborate stands and dining areas, but for us, it just "felt right". Like we were in Laos, having dinner on the banks of the Mekong.

This is also where I had my first taste of Beerlao, which was named by Time Magazine as Asia's best beer. And thus began my love affair with Beerlao, and apparently I'm not the only one . The beer is crisp and clean, with a mild sweet finish. According to the Beer Lao website , the hops and yeast are imported from Germany, and jasmine rice is used in the process(that explains it!). I must've had this every night except one while in Laos, and was desperately looking for it (to no avail) in Thailand. Even the Missus, who hates beer, loved this. There is nothing quite like sipping some Beerlao (called the Dom Perignon of Asian beers by the Bangkok Post) while watching the Mekong rolling by.

Meanwhile, our food started arriving. First up, was the Stir Fried Morning Glory:

This was the best stir fried vegetable we ate during the whole trip. Perfectly "wokk'd", crisp, with a nice crunch, great fish sauce flavor, and a nice garlic and chili kick. Excellent!

Of course some sticky rice:

And then a very big surprise:

It was the Naem!!! Where did this come from? I've been known to rave, along with Ed from Yuma, about the Naem Khao Thawt from Asia Cafe, but this was in a whole 'nother league! It was very good, a symphony of various crunchy textures, the crisp rice, the peanuts, pork skin, and the scallions. Nice heat from the essense of the chilies, along with the sweet saltiness of the sausage. The item that really got our attention was the addition of coconut milk, which gave this a nice sweet richness, and when wrapped with herbs in cabbage…this was beyond excellent.

The Missus, who was totally blown away by this, quickly ran up the banks to the stall and asked to see how they made this wonderful dish. "Oh no, we no make Naem….it's from Iiin-ter-Citeee!" Was the reply, along with lots of giggles. Now how's that for service? The folks at the stall had not wanted to disappoint us, so they ran on over to Inter-City, and got us some Naem! So in the end, we got our dish…and it was from Inter-City to boot!

Next up were the grilled prawns:

As we have often found, bigger is not necessarily better. These were tough, and had very little flavor. I opened one, and gave the Missus a taste, "eh…." While I was finishing mine up, a young boy walked over and tried to sell us some kind of trinket. The Missus, inspired by the moment (and uninspired by the prawns), offered it to the boy, who instantly, without hesitation, grabbed it, and made a beeline down the shoreline.

The last to arrive was our fish. It was gutted, stuffed with lemongrass and other herbs, crusted with salt and grilled. Served with a tangy-sweet-spicy sauce, it was somewhat of an anti-climax after the Naem. I really enjoyed the skin, mmmm-fish bacon! The meat was on the dense side, and though moist, really lacked any flavor. It was good, but not great. I did finish every inch of skin from that fish, though……

Along with 3 large Beerlaos, the meal cost us approximately $14 US. And that includes the Naem from Inter-City. Fourteen bucks for a meal we consider priceless…..fourteen bucks for such thoughtful and considerate service, and this view, sunset from the shores of the Mekong:

Priceless indeed…….

Perhaps it was the Beerlao at work, but it was at that very moment that I fell under the spell of Laos. And while the stress melted away, and my blood pressure dropped to levels not seen in decades…… I decided, we'd stay another day in Vientiane.

Laos: Vientiane- Across the Friendship Bridge, a Death March around Vientiane, and all this for a Banh Mi?

November 18, 2008 mmm-yoso Laos, Travel, Vientiane

Caution: Long post ahead, with minimal food!

I had been staring at the Thai – Lao Friendship Bridge every chance I had during our stay in Nong Khai. It didn't help that a view of the bridge was in clear view, after just a few steps from our room.

The process of crossing the bridge was quite simple; clear Thailand Immigration and catch the shuttle bus across the three-quarter of a mile bridge (15 Baht):

In a rather interesting "turn" of events; traffic in Thailand drives on the left, while vehicles in Laos drive on the right. Traffic lights on the Laos end of the bridge manage the change. Upon arrival at Laos Immigration, you need to fill in the application for Visa on Arrival. The price is $35 each for US Citizens…there is a sliding scale of prices based on Country of origin. For some reason Canadians pay the highest prices $45, while predictably, citizens of fellow Communist Countries pay the least – Cuba and PR China, $20/US.

You'll need to fill in a destination in Laos on your immigration form; just pick out something from Lonely Planet or another guide. The taxi and tuk-tuk mob once you clear customs is pretty crazed….this was the only time we faced such a "feeding frenzy" in Laos. $10 got us to Vientiane about 40km away. After checking out a Guest House, we kinda decided that we had enough of Guest Houses for now….we ended up at the Lao Orchid Hotel, and got a top floor suite for $65 a night. Super clean, great A/C…and most of all....something we hadn't experienced in a few days….television! The service was also amazingly good, especially a young lady named "Ai". More on Lao Orchid in a future post. In an interesting coincidence, we filled in Lao Orchid as our destination on our immigration form….

After checking in, and a quick shower (yes, it was very humid), the Missus had decided that we "just" had to do the Walking Tour outlined by the Lonely Planet Guide. As I looked over the guide, it said the "tour" was over 6 kilometers! Yikes, shades of the Matra – Taphin death march. And of course, just to one up the folks at Lonely Planet we'd start a few more kilometers out at Pha Tuat Luang. The Missus was obviously channeling Her inner Clark Griswald.

"perhaps you don't want to see the second largest ball of twine on the face of the earth, which is only four short hours away? "

Luckily, the one little tidbit the Missus followed, was to take the trip out via tuk-tuk, which dropped us at the gates of Pha Tuat Luang.

Pha Tuat Luang is considered the most important national monument in Laos. According to legend Ashokan missionaries from India erected a Stupa here in the third century containing a piece of Buddha's breastbone. The history of Pha Tuat Luang is as tumultuous as the history of Laos, and Southeast Asia itself, suffering through several assaults, and finally sacked by the Siamese in the early 19th century.

In fact, when the French arrived in 1867, they found the city totally abandoned. Even good intentions have not always worked out well for Pha Tuat Luang. When first restored by the French, the main entrance was restored facing South, instead of East!

The grounds were fairly busy….with a large group of Chiang Mai University student teachers, the one's in pink are Kindergarden Teachers, in Blue, Elementary School Teachers.

After about 2 kilometers, That Luang Road turns meets the main drag, Tha Lan Xang, at this large monument:

It's Laos' version of the Arc de Triumphe, called the Patuxai. Though the resemblance lessens as you approach…and the motifs on the upper level is unmistakeably Lao. I found a little tidbit of history of the Patuxai to be amusing. In the 1960's, the US purchased, and donated cement that was to be used for building a new airport….but Laos used it to build the Patuxai instead!

The Missus was fascinated, and charmed by the Patuxai:

I, on the other hand, agreed with this, honest to goodness…well, honest sign posted.

Does the Vientiane Tourist Board know about this sign?

Tha Lane Xang, with it's Government and NGO offices is by far the busiest street in Vientiane. Still, check out the traffic:

What makes the situation dangerous, is that what traffic there is goes at a pretty fast clip. And all the cars come in waves. And while walking down Lane Xang we came upon a sudden glut of cars…….it seems like the very large school on the boulevard was out for the day. We needed to cross the street…what to do?

He-he-he….just use the crossing guard! This young lady meant business!

Next stop on the tour…Talat Sao, the huge sprawling market. A seemingly endless maze of stalls, selling everything from textiles to household appliances.

On the second floor was a huge collection of jewelry shops. A simply mind-numbing number of shops and stalls ….

And suddenly we were in a modern, air conditioned mall.

Not quite what we signed up for…..but air conditioning was nice….very nice!

Next stop? That Dam (it's That Dam, not that Dam)…okay, another Stupa. Off on a side street lies the "Black Stupa" that supposedly houses a seven-headed dragon that came alive in 1828 during the Lao – Siamese War and protected the local population. This Stupa, according to legend, was once covered in gold, which was removed by the Siamese during the same War. I guess the dragon was too busy protecting the people? Right now it looks pretty…well unimpressive. One of the more interesting things about this walk was that we passed the American Embassy along the way.

Walking to the end of Lane Xang (yay!) is the Presidential Palace:

Luckily for me, the Presidential Palace is not open to visitors (whew!).

No such luck with Wat Sisaket, the oldest surviving temple in Vientiane.

All kidding aside, the Temple grounds are quite beautiful.

Wat Sisaket is also known to have an inner building holding over 2000 Buddha's. Unfortunately (wink-wink, nod-nod), we found that all these places close during lunch. And my parched throat, and my growling stomach was telling me it was time for a break.

We skipped our next stop, and the Missus led me to a building on the banks of the Mekong called PVO. Why PVO? Well, skipping our next destination, it was the "lunch stop" in the Lonely Planet Guide.

PVO is known for their version of the Vietnamese Sandwich, Banh Mi. I didn't quite know what to think of a Vietnamese Restaurant and Motorcycle Rental. But the ice was, well, ice, the water, was, well, wet, and the Coke Light was saccharide goodness.

The Sandwich, though big enough for the both of us, was not very good.

Instead of being crusty, the baguette was hard, dry, and scaberous. There was an entire scallion thrown in the length of the sandwich. And it was totally saturated in mayo. This was probably the second worst meal on the vacation, and I've never let the Missus forget it….take that Lonely Planet!

Riding the wave of rapid hydration I took a shot at talking the Missus out of finishing the "walking tour". No dice, She was not to be denied. To put it into the words of Mr Griswold:

"I'll tell you something. This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. I'm gonna have fun and you're gonna have fun."

So we back-tracked to Wat Haw Pha Kaeo. The grounds housed an impressive temple, which was originally built to house the Emerald Buddha. We again ran into the education students from Chiang Mai University. A large collection of Buddahs reside inside the Sim. But for us, the various Buddhas lining the outside of the Sim was more impressive.

The Lao-style Buddha's are posed in various positions, including, Offering Protection (hands are out front, with palms facing front), Contemplating Enlightenment (hands out front, crossed at the wrist), and Calling for Rain (photo to the right).

There was also a huge jar from the Plain of Jars located on temple grounds. I actually enjoyed this! Hey maybe the Vientiane Death March wasn't too bad after all….

The Missus continuing with the single minded goal of accomplishing this walking tour in record time, marched off out of temple grounds, and headed left on Sitthathirath Road. We managed to squeeze in a stop at Wat Mixay, before heading back to our hotel on Chou Anou….and a much needed shower (I sure smelled past my due date by this time).

If you're ever in Vientiane, or Luang Prabang for that matter, you should pick up one of the excellent maps provided by Hobo Maps. We found the maps to be priceless. You can follow our walk on this map of Central Vientiane. After a short break, and having replaced the 4 gallons of fluid I lost during our walk, and ignoring the "snap, crackle, and pop" of my joints (apparently my synovial fluid was drained during this walk as well), I was looking forward to this:

The Missus had also moved on….She was already spending time with Her new constant companion, the Lonely Planet Guide, circling places of interest for tomorrows "walk". I could already see our Griswold-ian future:

"Tomorrow you'll probably kill the desk clerk, hold up a McDonalds, and drive us 1000 miles out of the way to see the world's largest pile of mud!"

But of course that's a whole 'nother post!

We’re Back……..

November 1, 2008 mmm-yoso Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Laos, Luang Prabang, Nong Khai, Thailand, Thailand, Travel, Vientiane

Yep, we're back…..the Missus and I have just returned…tired, and yet exhilarated at the same time. So excuse me while I noodle around with our photos for a while. The wonderful noodles to the right was from a stand in Luang Prabang, where we stopped and ate breakfast every morning….along with a wonderful cup of Lao Coffee….after the first morning, we would just have a seat, and the Owner who smile at us, and ask "same-same"? And we'd nod yes….so we ended up calling the place (no English sign) "Same-Same". We did so much, ate so much, that I really am not sure how I'm going to do this yet.

But let me just give you a recap anyway.

We started in Bangkok, just an overnight stay…we had an idea, and just went with the flow. Of course, there's an unending supply of street food in Bangkok.

You really can't go wrong.

We also managed to catch some of the sights.

That afternoon it was off to the border town of Nong Khai. And much to our surprise, we arrived during the Naga Fireball Festival.

No mysterious orbs rising out of the Mekong, but lots of street food. We managed to snag a room in a Guest House overlooking the Mekong River.

We also had some interesting meals in Nong Khai. Have you ever had anything like this from a Hospital Food Court?

Or maybe Kanom Krok in a bus station?

One thing for sure….I'd never had this before.

It was delicious. As was the Kai Yaang (Roasted Chicken), and sticky rice we had.

In spite of all the interesting food and venues…the strangest thing we did in Nong Khai was visit Sala Keo Ku, a somewhat bizarre-nightmarish park of sculptures by mystic Boun Leua Surirat. Sculptures, some towering up to 80 feet tall, are a mixture of various Hindu and Buddhist deities that seem to come from some HR Giger-ish dreamworld.

We also took the "yellow bus" to Tha Bo, a market town…..I'll say this for sure….the "Yellow Bus" sure has a bunch of character! Tha Bo was also interesting since the population is 70-80% Vietnamese.

The next morning we crossed the Friendship Bridge into Laos, and a cab into the capital city of Vientiane. In contrast to crazed Bangkok, Vientiane is a sleepy city of 230,000.

We also met some of the nicest, kindest, and most gracious folks we've ever encountered. Depending on who you talk to, experienced travelers to Laos will tell you that Laos is what Thailand was like 20-30 years ago(or maybe more…depending who you're asking).

Our most memorable meal in Vientiane was from one of the many stalls lining the Mekong River.

There are few things better than having a cold Beer Lao, some freshly grilled seafood, all wrapped up in a sunset on the banks of the Mekong River.

There's more to the story of this dinner, but I'll save that for later. For now you'll just have to admire our salt crusted, lemongrass stuffed fish, that was swimming around a few minutes before.

We had planned on staying overnight, but stayed 2 nights in Vientiane. To save time we ended up flying to Luang Prabang.

Beautiful, scenic, Luang Prabang was by far our most favorite stop on this trip….or perhaps on any trip. If you think Vientiane is laid back, and do Luang Prabang right, your blood pressure is sure to drop several notches……There were times when I thought Luang Prabang was an island floating over the Mekong River….

We intended on 2 nights, and stayed 5….if I didn't need to work…I'd still be there.

Early every morning, the streets of Luang Prabang becomes a river of flowing orange as the Monks come to collect their Alms.

There's something about this time honored tradition that attracted the Missus and I, enough so, that we watched the procession every morning.

Silence….except for the padding of bare feet on the asphalt. The Missus and I felt honored to be able to give alms….

We stayed in a Hotel next to one of the Wats, and away from the main tourist drag, where this procession turns from a respectful, time honored tradition, into a depressing paparazzi moment.

What about the food you may ask? The Missus and I were able to sample many of the Luang Prabang specialties, such as Khai Pene, a dried, then fried river moss from the Mekong:

Like very good Nori, flavored with tomato, shallots, and garlic, and always served with Jaew Bong, a garlicky, mildly spicy, sweet, and savory "dip", studded with buffalo skin, considered a classic Luang Prabang dish.

Heaven on Earth with a cold Beer Lao…..

I had pretty much dismissed the Fresh Market right off the tourist track in Luang Prabang, as being too touristy…until we visited. Man was I wrong. Along with the usual suspects:

Were some quite unusual items……

And I was to find out that the "forest" and "mountain" people come here to sell their wares. And also noticed that the customers were almost all local early in the morning.

Fascinated with the cuisine(and staying in one place for more than a few days for the first time), I took a cooking class from Joy Ngueamboupha, Co-Owner of Tamarind Restaurant in Luang Prabang. Please read Joy's interesting short bio, here. The class and market tour were fantastic, and it did much to fill in the blanks regarding Lao food. There was no gas or electric stoves, we cooked over charcoal…I was surprised that my stuff actually turned out ok(pretty good actually).

We also had the chance to taste some items that are considered pretty exotic by US standards. Boy have I been missing out all these years……forget about french fries, where can I get my hands on more of this?

At the time I scheduled the cooking class, I also attempted to make reservations for the "Adventurous Lao Gourmet" dinner. The nice Young Lady hesitated and asked that I wait until after the cooking course to schedule. After the course was over, I walked back to the restaurant, and tried to schedule the dinner again. The young lady called Joy on his cell….and he gave us the green light……

The degustation menu was an amazing eye-opening experience…..

With items we've never experienced before, like Sa Thao, another classic Luang Prabang dish made with river algae.

And other items which really challenged the Missus and I. You'll just have to stay tuned……

We were sad to leave Luang Prabang behind, but Chiang Mai was calling to us. We enjoyed historic Chiang Mai, and the Sunday Market is not to be missed (though we'll pass on the Night Bazaar):

And along with street food, we enjoyed a few sit down dinners as well.

Time got away from us in the end, and we managed only one last night in Bangkok before returning home…..but the Missus still got in some "parting shots", in the city that smells of food.