Ready,
Eat: Set,
Kualao’s Race to the Top of the Authentic Lao Food Segment
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t’s a fact that food is one of Laos’ biggest drawcards, for locals, long-term residents and visitors alike. But where to take an outof-towner craving an introduction to the best of Lao cuisine – in one meal, on one table? Of course, it would be impossible to get every single amazing Lao dish into one meal – no table in the world would be big enough – but Kualao Restaurant, housed in a gorgeous restored French colonial villa in downtown Vientiane, has one of the best set menus on offer. Set out on a traditional rattan tray, the premium set menu – designed for one person, but able to be shared by two – has a classic selection of some of the most popular Lao dishes, many eaten every day by locals.
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Or lam mou
A meat and vegetable stew that uses a recipe originally devised for the Royal Family in Luang Prabang several hundred years ago. This version, using pork and mushrooms, has a smoky flavour that is as close to the original as you can get.
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Kang som pa
A sour fish soup, using Mekong fish sent up from Champasak in the south 3 4 3
Kao gum
Almost all food in Laos is accompanied by sticky rice, and this one is an unusual deep purple variety. Many Lao meals can consist of only Kao gum and Jeo bong!
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Jeo bong
Another Luang Prabang special, this is a spicy chili sauce served with steamed greens.
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