Our foodie guide to Laos: where and how to discover the best food

Laos is the least-traveled destination in Southeast Asia; a small country with a big heart that might just be the foodie paradise you’ve never heard of. Away from the misty mountains, lush jungles and tranquil villages, vibrant cities like Vientiane and Luang Prabang reveal a bustling street food scene, innovative Asian cookery, and international fusion restaurants. It’s a place where elegant dining establishments overlook the Mekong River and small, family-run, open-air restaurants sit across from ancient temples. Early risers might glimpse orange-robed monks taking alms as the smell of French bread and fresh coffee wafts down the road. In our foodie guide to Laos discover why it’s next big foodie destination to put on your radar!

An introduction to Lao cuisine

Lao cuisine is a celebration of fresh ingredients, with copious amounts of aromatic herbs like lemongrass and coriander (cilantro), ginger and bold spices. It has a rich culinary history which, like neighboring Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, has roots in Indian and Chinese cultures, while its colonial past also injects a strong French influence.  

The food is characterized by a harmonious balance of salty, sour, spicy and bitter elements. Dishes are less complex and more sour than Thai cooking, with less reliance on coconut milk. Unlike the sequential arrival of courses in Western culture, dishes are served simultaneously and shared by all. Let’s dive right in and sample some together. 

What to eat in Laos: traditional dishes

Think delicate soups, fresh salads, and a variety of grilled meats and freshwater fish accompanied by piquant dipping sauces. Laos’ famous sticky rice is practically a national dish, served with everything, and is cooked in a thip khao (rice basket) made from woven bamboo and steamed over water. 

For your first Lao dinner, make like a local and order a bit of everything to go with your sticky rice. The Lao staple dish is laab, a spicy salad made from ground meat and herbs, laced with fish sauce and lime juice and topped with a ground rice powder. A tasty variation is laab ped, made with crispy duck, most commonly found in Vientiane and southern Laos. You’ll also find vegetarian laab made with tofu or mushrooms and vegetables. Another Lao staple is tam mak houng, a spicy green papaya salad, made with tomato, garlic, cashew and crunchy yellow mango. 

Other must-try Lao foods include lam, a hearty stew made with vegetables, herbs and sometimes wild game; mok pa, steamed fish in banana leaves; and khao poon, a spicy noodle soup similar to Vietnamese pho. So far, so Southeast Asia. But strolling through the night markets, you might be surprised to find yourself following your nose at the scent of hearty sausages being cooked on a grill. Lao sausages are made with pork and seasoned with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, chilies and garlic. Eat them with sticky rice, pickled ginger and fresh bird’s eye chili.

East meets West: French influences on Lao cuisine

It doesn’t get more French than coffee and croissants, and Laos has the best of both, plus freshly baked baguettes known in Laos as khao ji. For lunch, try a baguette sandwich filled with local ingredients or served with pâté. You’ll also find tempting French pastries and desserts in Lao bakeries, and crêpes sold on market stalls.

It was the French who first planted coffee in Laos, and the country still has a thriving coffee culture. Urban Laotians might favor a cappuccino in a cool café, but many locals will get their morning fix at a ‘coffee bar’, tiny roadside kiosks unique to Laos where people drink it hot or iced, black or with sweet condensed milk. In Vientiane, stop at a café where you can sit and watch as coffee beans are roasted, then order a pastry with your freshly ground brew and embrace muan, the Buddhist principle of ‘happy contentment’.

Options for vegetarians and vegans

While Lao doesn’t have a word for vegan, and despite the pervasive use of fish sauce, vegans and vegetarians are well catered for in Laos, with plenty of plant-based delights – from fragrant vegetable curries to fresh salads and stir-fried greens, tofu laab and vegetable spring rolls. On a stroll through the markets, you will always find small food stalls selling fresh fruit and delicious snacks, like fried seaweed crackers, banana beignets, or kanom krok – a delicious mini pancake made from coconut milk and rice flour. 

Fermented food

Lao cooking has been incorporating fermented food long before the practice became fashionable. One of the most common ingredients in Lao cuisine is padaek, a fish sauce made by fermenting freshwater fish with salt and rice bran or roasted rice powder. Vegetables such as bamboo shoots, mustard greens and pickled cabbage are fermented to create tangy condiments and accompaniments to main dishes, or used as ingredients in salads and soups. For a street food snack, try khao ji, a rice cake made by fermenting cooked rice with yeast or a natural fermentation starter, then shaped into cakes and grilled or fried until crispy on the outside.

Classic Lao drinks

Ordered a dish with a little too much spice? That’s what the local beer was made for! The ubiquitous Beerlao refers to all beers produced by the Lao Brewery Company and are mainly lagers made with locally grown Laotian jasmine rice, with hops and yeast from Germany. There is also a Beerlao Dark, brewed with high-quality black malt from Germany. Watch the sunset with a Beerlao Gold at Bor Pen Yang in Vientiane, which is usually packed with locals and travelers – be sure to grab your spot early. 

Laotian rice whiskey, known as Lao Lao, is very popular among the locals, often home-brewed and usually drunk on festive occasions. Though it isn’t for the faint-hearted, its mild taste means it’s often used with mixers, although locals will knock it back as a shot, after toasting the house spirit first. For something a little less potent, try grilled coconut water, made from baking a whole fresh coconut, which Laotians believe gives it a special taste without losing any nutrients. It’s served chilled and sometimes made into a fruit smoothie. 

Best foodie destinations in Laos

Laos’ two main culinary hubs are the capital, Vientiane, a bustling city and generally considered the most sophisticated; and Luang Prabang, renowned for having some of the best street food in Laos. In fact, you can dine at either end of the spectrum in both cities. So which city is best? It depends on what you want. Vientiane is busier with more of a city feel, while Luang Prabang is a little more laid-back, though it’s still a tourist city. 

In Luang Prabang, the most well-known high-end restaurant is Manda de Laos (Mother of Laos), offering a beautiful garden setting; elsewhere, try L’Elephant, which serves French and Lao cuisine in an elegant colonial-style dining room. For street food, head to Sakkaline Road and check out the city’s renowned night market. Grab a roti or sweet pancake, or perch on a low stool for a bowl of spicy noodle soup. Luang Prabang also has a colorful morning market packed full of Laotian ingredients. Go early then head for the French Bakery, one of the best places in Luang Prabang for breakfast.

Top restaurants in Vientiane include Kualao Restaurant, an internationally-recognised upscale place with a harmonious mix of East and West, and the exotic 3 Merchants within the Crowne Plaza Hotel, often named the best in town. Vientiane’s Ban Anou Night Market is available every night down Khoun Boulom road, and crams a vast number of street food stalls into a small space. 

Deepen your love for Lao food with …

A cooking class.

Get hands-on with a cookery class led by knowledgeable local chefs. Most classes start with a market tour to buy fresh ingredients, before diving in to learn the secrets behind traditional recipes. Master the art of sticky rice or perfect the balance of flavors in a classic Lao laab. In Luang Prabang you can make your own lunch or dinner at the Tamarind Cooking School, while in Vientiane, you can join Madam Phasouk in the kitchen. 

A visit to a Living Land Farm

On this community enterprise, three miles outside Luang Prabang, you will learn how rice is grown and experience the life of a typical Lao farmer. Enjoy a lunch of typical dishes prepared by local women in the Rice House terrace restaurant. 

A visit to a coffee plantation

Discover where your morning cup of coffee comes from on a jeep tour to Mystic Mountain on the Bolaven Plateau, and meet the coffee grower. Spend the night in a homestay, where you’ll surely wake up to the best cup of coffee in your life. 

An evening tuk-tuk street food safari

Meet the families keeping the city’s food traditions alive in Vientiane or Luang Prabang while you sample traditional delicacies like pla pao (salted barbecued fish), grilled meats, and coconut pancakes.

A spiritual ceremony with the monks

Rise before the sun and participate in almsgiving, a spiritual ceremony where locals offer food to a procession of monks in Luang Prabang – sure to be one of the most grounding and memorable experiences of your trip.

Make it happen

Are you feeling inspired to embark on a delicious culinary adventure to Laos? Our locally-based Lao experts will craft your perfect itinerary, for a flavorful trip in this enchanting part of the world.