Laos - French food

I was in Vientiane last week and managed to try out 2 of the more renowned French restaurants there, namely Le Nadao and Le Silapa. Being a former French colony, Vientiane is apparently known for pretty good French food at very reasonable prices.

Le Nadao is located near the Patuxay or Victory Monument just away from the city, and it's not that easy to find since it doesn't have a driveway or parking area. When we got there last Thursday evening, the restaurant was practically empty. There was one other couple that came in about half an hour later, ate quietly, and left before we did.

They used to have a 4-course set meal with wine pairing for each course that we wanted to try (it was apparently really good value) but it was no longer offered since patrons had apparently commented that it was difficult to finish so much wine. They had a 4-course set dinner for 185000 kip (or approximately US$20). We had a glass of wine separately for 33000 kip each, or approximately US$3.

We were given little slices of bread with melted cheese to start the dinner.

First course: a fresh garden salad. No surprises here.

Second course: Veloute d'epinard Lao Selon, or a spinach soup. This was quite pleasant, and went well with warm bread, but had strong traces of ikan bilis in the soup stock.

I had the Grillade d'entrecote aux poivre-verts frais, gratin de pommes de terre, or the rib eye with gratinated potatoes and green peppercorn sauce (thank goodness for English translations). This was really really amazing. The steak was very tender, and the peppercorn sauce was heavenly.

The magret de canard grille miel et spices, or charcoal grilled duck breast with a sauce of honey and spices was even better than the steak - there was no gamey smell; the meat was tender and tasty, and had just the right amount of fat. And it was excellent with the wine.

Dessert next: The chocoloate souffle was really soft and fluffy, and cooked just right without turning into a warm chocolate cake.

I had the creme brulee which was unfortunately served cold. I wasn't sure if it was because the Laos residents have it that way, or because of a serving error. But I was so enraptured by the ribeye that the restaurant could no do wrong. The creme brulee was really good, nonetheless - not too sweet, and just the right texture.

Before we left Vientiane, we went to Le Silapa for dinner. Le Silapa is highly recommended by all the tourist guide books as the place to be at. Unfortunately, the main courses turned out to be just average. And they didn't have a set dinner, which meant that we paid slightly more on the whole.

Bread with olive tapenade

We ordered a starter of duck breast, tomatoes, olives and cheese to share (US$8). This was really good - the duck was rare, but again, no gamey smell and the meat was soft and tender. It went really well with the tomatoes and olives. And the serving size was very decent as well.

We were quite disappointed by the mains - the chicken breast with applesauce was rather boring...

While my medium/well-done steak turned out very well done, and was very dry.

The entire bill came up to US$36, without wine. Am giving Le Nadao higher marks for value and quality for now, but I think we ordered the wrong items at Le Silapa, and based on the duck appetiser, I wouldn't mind giving it another go if I was in Vientiane again. Le Silapa also has a 3 course set lunch for US$10 as well, but we didn't have time for that. Their card says they're closed on Sundays, but when we rang up to check, they said that they were open for dinner.

Le Nadao

Sibounheawng Road (on the west side of the roundabout next to Patuxay)

Vientiane

+856-(0)21-213174

Le Silapa

17/1 Sihom Rd

Vientiane

+856-(0)21-219-689

Open for dinner 7 days, and lunch every day except Sunday.