Food and drinks in Laos

Food in Laos

Traveling to the capital city Vientiane and other populated cities in Laos, you can easily find various types of food for your consideration.Local food stalls lying along the streets sell grilled chicken, duck, pork, sometimes beef, goat; numerous roadside food shops and restaurants serve noodles cooked with meat, and lots of delicacies are displayed everywhere.

Besides traditional Lao cuisine, there are also other countries including Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, French, Indian, Italian…located in corners or behind buildings. Tourist and Western restaurants in Laos also sell fast food like fried chicken, hamburgers, sandwiches, sausages, and pizza. French fries are popular and can be seen in many pubs. There are also many local bakeries producing delicious bread anywhere in Laos.

Big hotels and famous restaurants offer a wide range of choices for different cuisines such as Asian, European, and Western. Meat is mostly provided by local butchers while other expensive products are imported from Thailand, the USA, New Zealand, and Australia.

Be always aware of street food as some stalls do not afford the cleanliness and they eventually become ideal places for bacteria and local bugs to develop. An upset stomach will be a problem that prevents you from enjoying the coming journey.

Food and drinks in Laos

Drinks in Laos

Water from the public tabs or mains is not recommended for drinking directly unless being boiled previously. Mineral water is sold cheaply and can be seen everywhere. Among them, the most popular and widely-used brand is Tiger Head, a product of the BeerLao factory.
Freshly-made fruit juices and soft drinks are sold in most populated areas.

Both local and imported wines are sold at very reasonable prices in shops, and of course, at higher prices in luxury restaurants and hotels. Due to an exceptionally low liquor tax as well as excise duty, the cost of alcohol in Laos is cheaper than in Thailand and is much more widely-sold everywhere.

Besides drinking water, the 2nd popular drink in this country is the well-known brand Beerlao made by the corporation of Lao Brewery Company Ltd and Carlsberg, the famous Danish brewers. Beerlao has a special, crisp, clear flavor and its cost is affordable for most people. The price for a large BeerLao costs about 1.2 USD in restaurants and pubs while they are much more expensive in bars, nightclubs, big hotels where the small one costs around 1.5 USD – 2 USD.

You can also find Beerlao Dam (black), a 6.5% stronger brew, Beer Lane Xang, BeerLao Gold, Carlsberg Lager though they are not as popular as Beerlao.
Tiger Beer, also 5% but slightly sweeter than Beer Lao, is quite popular and sold at a lower price in numerous bars and restaurants. Tiger is Lao people drink beer with ice regardless it warm or cold. You may prefer the cold one but in case cold beer not available why not try as they do. However, tourist restaurants may ask if you want to drink beer with ice or not.

The typical drinking tradition of the Lao people is using a shared glass. In this tradition, the “pourer” decides how much they want to fill the glass and say “sanur deur” (in English: me first) before emptying it. Then, he or she refills the glass to the beginning level before giving it to the next person, following one by one until there is no more beer. If a large group gathering, they can use 2 glasses instead of 1 but the time between 2 drinks is not too long. Drinking with Lao people can be a memorable experience as it is really fun and positively enhances the connection among people.

The more popular drink in the rural area is the strong “lao kao” (around 40% - 50% alcohol) made from local rice and sold in many shops. This wine is quite cheap but its taste is quite raw and it makes people get drunk more quickly than other alcohol.

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