Accommodation in Laos rarely comes without food! Most Laos hotels have a restaurant and even many Laos guesthouses will offer a small eating area and serve a few standard western dishes in addition to traditional Laos cuisine. In
there are restaurants serving a range of cuisines including Italian, French, Chinese, Scandinavian and, of course, Laos food. Tipping is not customary in most Laos restaurants (excluding upscale restaurants) but always appreciated.
This Laos Restaurant Guide gives an indication of what cuisine you could expect to come across while in Laos. Don't forget to visit our Laos Shopping Guide to get some tips and hints about what kind of souvenirs you may like to pick up on your trip. You can check out information about what the local dining scene is like in the destinations below:
- Champasak
- Luang Prabang
- Vientiane
- Vang Vieng
Laos Food & Cuisine
For those interested in the local flavors, Laos cuisine is similar to Thai food in its use of lime, chilies, garlic, tamarind, fish sauce, lemongrass, ginger, ground peanuts, coconut milk, mint, coriander and other fresh herbs. There is also a common condiment called pa daek, a pungent fermented fish paste that, along with sticky rice (khao neow), are more unique to Laos.
Lao diners eat sticky rice dishes with their right hand, taking a ball of rice and dipping it with other food. Some popular dishes that are a must for gastronomes are laap, a dish made with minced meat, fish or chicken in a lime, fish sauce and chili concoction and tam maak hung, a spicy, tangy salad made of shredded young papaya.
Meat, chicken and duck are often roasted over an open fire (ping kai is BBQ chicken) but many Laos' also have a taste for raw meat dishes. Often served at the end of a Lao meal is a rice whisky called lao lao.
Do's and Don'ts of Eating and Drinking in Laos
- Avoid eating the meat of known endangered species
- Avoid drinking water or ice from unknown sources. Bottled water is available everywhere and most restaurants use safe drinking water.
- Avoid raw meats and food that has been sitting out a long time unless you are certain of the conditions of the food. Busy eating establishments are usually a safe bet since customers apparently survive to return there to eat.
- If you don't like your tea or coffee with sugar or condensed milk, specify in advance
- Try to accept at least a little of whatever food or drink is specially offered to you, even if you cannot consume it all. Refusing an offer may offend the spirits of the house!
- Chopsticks are mostly only for Vietnamese and Chinese noodle dishes. Fork and spoon are for regular rice dishes and sticky rice is eaten with the hands. There is often a bowl of water at Laos restaurants for washing hands before eating - use it.
- Don't forget to replace the lid of the sticky rice basket (tip khao) back on top after you have finished - to avoid bad luck!
