Street Food in Laos

Tasty morsels

This time around, Allan and I have been trying to avoid restaurants as much as possible,

See, last year in Bali, we ate at so many restaurants catering to it's western tourists.  Not that they weren't good, some of them were fantastic, but since we're doing this trip on a budget, we knew that eating local was our best chance at not only keeping the cost down but also a great way to taste some local fare.

Food carts are everywhere here in Laos!  Street vendors sell everything from fresh coconut water (my favorite), crepes, fruit, fried pork, dumplings and even the special Laos sausage.

At the market in Luang Prabang, a quick right turn (coming from the Royal Palace) at the only ATM in the maret vicinity lands you smack dab in the centre of it all.  A local haven and a backpacker's dream!  The smells coming out of this alley are enough to make anyone's, even the toughest critics, mouth water in anticipation.

Here are some of the foods Allan and I have fallen in love with:

Best dumplings ever

Dumplings.  The man making these scrumptious things is a genius.  He makes both types of dumplings (pork or vegetable) from scratch and then fries them with oil.  A bag of 6, with a large dallup of chili sauce, set us back about $2 a bag.  Slightly pricey for street food in Laos, but some of the best dumplings I've ever had.

Pancakes.  Okay, I know I said that dumpling man was a genius, and he is, but pancake man should seriously come to Canada and sell these little treats.  He would make a ton and then everyone in Canada would understand why I love this treat so much.  He takes a little ball of rice flour dough and slaps it down on the cart, continually, to make the dough stretch.  He puts it on the burner, with oil, and the dough puffs up, almost like a puff pastry.  I LOVED mine filled with banana and an egg.  Once done, he puts some nutella on it and sweetened condensed milk and serves it, sliced carefully, with a toothpick.  Wow, I want one right now.

Buffets.  Around every corner in the market is a different buffet.  They are extremely busy all the time, especially with backpackers, because  a plate of food sets you back only $1.  You can fill your plate with as much as you can and seriously, only pay a $1.  The one we liked the most was served stir-fry style.  So you'd select what you wanted, bring it to a man sitting by a huge wok behind the buffet and he'd stir-fry everything for you.  It was amazing and Allan and I ate there about 3 times.

Noodle soup.  Allan loves soup.  Especially pho.  We both know that Vietnam will serve the best pho around but we won't be there for another month and Allan is suffering withdrawls.  On our last night in Luang Prabang we discovered this little hidden gem at the end of street food alley.  For $1, you got a big bowl of noodle soup, with your choice of noodles and your choice of pork.  (We chose spicy of course.)  The soup is served to you with all the fixings on the side: fresh herbs, lettuce, chilies, green beans, cucumber, and bean sprouts.  You add as much as you want and then go to town.  IT WAS FANTASTIC.

Sandwiches.  The bread here is like nothing I've ever eaten before.  It's flakey and crunchy on the outside but so soft and glorious on the inside.  Baguettes are served with almost every meal here.  From breakfast to snacks, there is nothing better than a fresh baguette.  Unless, of course, you're eating a baguette stuffed with chicken, bacon, garlic, fried onions, cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayo and chili sauce.  Oh man, I want one right now.  And for a whopping price of $3 a sandwich, it was one of the best things I've bought thus far.

Sandwich...get in my belly

On that note, I'm starving and must go.  Sabaidee!