Back to Luang Prabang

Two days days ago we flew from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang. We were last here in 1995. As might be expected, things have changed.

Perhaps the biggest shock is the town at daybreak. Almost without exception, in Asia rising before dawn has guaranteed us peaceful near-empty streets. Not so here. By 6:30am Luang Prabang is buzzing with tourists, alone and in guided groups, many toting cameras and stalking alms-collecting monks like hunters in a wild game park. Not a pretty sight.

But the small morning market in the center of town is much as we remembered it: gaggles of shoppers-with-a-purpose choosing from such a plethora of fresh ingredients that it makes me ache for a local kitchen to call my own. Happily, for the kitchen-less among us there are also plenty of tempting foods to eat on the spot.

On our first morning in town we identified two stalls that will be regular stops in the coming days.

The first is operated by a mother-daughter team (cool and unsmiling, but hopefully that will change in a day or two) who make and serve Vietnamese banh cuon-like rice flour pancakes rolled around a filling of chopped pork and mushrooms. They're topped with crispy fried shallots and eaten with a dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime juice, peanuts, and chilies.

Called nem kao in Lao ('nem' means spring roll and 'kao' means white), they're larger than their Vietnamese cousins but, aside from the lime juice and peanuts in the dipping sauce, quite similar. Their combination of easy textures and bright flavors makes them just right as a first taste for a still-waking stomach.

And then there's the Lao coffee spot, operated by a meticulously made-up and manicured (but camera-shy) auntie with a generous smile. It is somewhat hidden by greenery, but we knew it by the wood-fueled boiler supporting two stainless steel pitchers of black gold.

An order of kafe Lao -- and you must specify kafe Lao, or else you'll end up with Nescafe (you might add 'mai sai Coffee Mate', while you're at it; the white powder has become a staple at stalls serving traditionally made coffee here and in Chiang Mai) -- starts with a hefty dollop of sweetened condensed milk, followed by a pour of thick brew from one of the pitchers and then a ladle of hot water from the boiler.

 
Hers is by far the best Lao-style coffee we've yet found here in Luang Prabang. In fact it's some of the best coffee we've had in a long time, anywhere -- hefty and full-flavored, with a bit of smoke and a hint of sourness. The sweetened condensed milk makes barely a dent.

(If you're a Lao coffee fiend, another worthwhile stop is Apsara Hotel. Their Lao coffee isn't made traditionally, but it's fantastic nonetheless -- beans freshly ground and brewed in a stove-top espresso pot.)

Nem kao and kafe Lao, Luang Prabang morning market. Look for the nem kao vendor -- there's only one. If you are facing her the coffee lady is at the next corner to your right, same side of the street. Mornings, obviously.

Comments

[michael aka foodcrazee]

lovely post. . . .again, wish I have ur job

(=^-^=)

[lili - pikeletandpie]

I'm not sure if it is a different operation, but a nem kao vendor sets up in the night food market just around the corner. She is there in the afternoons and early evenings serving up an enviable nem kao. I like mine with a hard boiled egg, and can guarantee that it is a dish that gets the stomach going after hiding out from the sun for the better part of a day, just as it would 'pon just waking up.
I never saw your coffee lady, but agree that Lao coffee is where its at!

[foodbin]

great traditional way to brew coffee.

[Street Foodie]

The street food I remember most from Luang Prabang is the Papaya Salad. Really spicy and really pungent - almost to the point where I couldn't eat it. Made me realise how far from home I was (in a good way!)

[Thelollipoproad]

I'm totally longing to visit Thailand again...I can almost smell the food.

[MiJa]

Thank you for bringing to the forefront of authentic, sublime Lao cuisine to a larger audience. My incredible recent jaunt to Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang, will forever be a long lasting spectacular and special impression on my mind. My sweetheart loves it when I cook Lao, Viet or Thai when he gets home from a long days work-and so do I!

[Roamingcuriosity]

Thank you for the great nem kao tip. She wasn't quite ready for the 6:30 crowd but she does make a mean roll. I could not find the coffee lady either over multiple days, I think she may be gone.