Laos

Laos — Tamarind Restaurant, Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos

Nick Morris

Nick Morris

— 2 min read

Last Dinner in Laos

September 2015

It was my last evening in Laos, and I wanted somewhere that served authentic Laos food or claimed to serve authentic Laos food. I found the Tamarind Restaurant.

The restaurant was very popular, so get there early after sunset. The restaurant also offered cooking classes if you want to learn Laos cooking.

Photo by Author — Tamarind Restaurant, Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos
Photo by Author — Tamarind Restaurant, Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos

It was a nice place. It had no Wi-Fi but a good menu and a charming table outside.

Photo by Author — outside dining area — Tamarind Restaurant, Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos
Photo by Author — outside dining area — Tamarind Restaurant, Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos

I was still a little dehydrated from my hot and sweaty hike over at Ban Xieng Man, so I ordered a Tam Cooler (which came with a bamboo straw) and a beer. The Tam Cooler was too sweet for my taste, and the beer was the coldest I had ever drunk. It was amazingly cold. (Or that could have been another side effect of my hot walk.)

Photo by Author — Tam Cooler — Tamarind Restaurant, Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos
Photo by Author — Tam Cooler — Tamarind Restaurant, Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos

To eat, I had the Five Bites, which consisted of sticky rice with five popular Lao snacks:

  • Sai Oua (Luang Prabang pork sausage)
  • Som Pak Gat (leafy green vegetable pickle)
  • Sinh Savanh (‘heavenly’ dried buffalo meat, sweetly flavoured)
  • Sa Mak Keua (minced pork, aubergine, banana flower with bamboo and sesame seeds)
  • Miang Parcels (leafy wraps of delicately flavoured rice and aubergine pastes with herbs and noodles)
Photo by Author — Five Bites — Tamarind Restaurant, Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos
Photo by Author — Five Bites — Tamarind Restaurant, Luang Prabang (ຫລວງພະບາງ/ຫຼວງພະບາງ), Laos

I thought the Sai Oua (Luang Prabang pork sausage) was excellent.

The Som Pak Gat (leafy green vegetable pickle) was interesting, and I couldn’t describe it. I liked it but found it quite bitter.

Sinh Savanh (‘heavenly’ dried buffalo meat, sweetly flavoured) was very good. It was delicious. It was a bit chewy, but that's what made it. It was a little sweet and was excellent with the beer.

The last two, Sa Mak Keua and Miang Parcels, were not a hit.

The Sa Mak Keua (minced pork, aubergine, banana flower with bamboo and sesame seeds) was tasty, but not my thing as I found it to be a bit mushy.

The Miang Parcels (leafy wraps of delicately flavoured rice and aubergine pastes with herbs and noodles) had an interesting taste and, again, were a little mushy.

Overall, I enjoyed the food, and it was an excellent place for my last evening meal in Laos.

Foursquare: Tamarind Restaurant

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