4 days in Laos-1/31- 2/3/2025

Day 2-Dinner at Tamnak, Vientiane -1/31/2025

We are headed to Tamnak restaurant for Dinner.  Tamnak Lao has been operating in Vientiane since 1993 and specializes particularly in the cuisine of Luang Prabang, the former royal capital in northern Laos. The restaurant itself describes its mission as presenting traditional Luang Prabang cooking and Lao cultural traditions.

The restaurant is located in a restored colonial-era house/bungalow surrounded by a garden. The owners have deliberately tried to make the restaurant feel like a Lao home rather than simply a commercial dining room. In a 2006 interview, co-owner Chanhmaly Pathammavong explained that her concept was essentially to create the feeling of a home, combining Lao hospitality, traditional decoration and authentic food.

As we walked in there a long table that was reserved for  a banquet or private celebration. The white tablecloth, green water glasses and upright folded white napkins are characteristic of Tamnak Lao's slightly formal, old-fashioned hospitality. It fits the setting particularly well because we are eating in what feels more like a gracious residence than a modern restaurant.

We did have a reservation but we were lucky that they were able to accommodate for 4 people.

We started with cha gio which is essentially the Vietnamese-style fried spring roll, reflecting the broader Indochinese influences you'll find in Vientiane.

Then sai oua which is a fragrant sausage flavored with ingredients such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, garlic and other herbs. Stir fried chicken with assorted vegetables, and a spinach dish.

Lao meals are normally communal, with dishes shared simultaneously rather than eaten as individually sequenced Western courses.

 A mild steamed fish with Asian spinach.

We all enjoyed the crispy-rice dish often rendered as nam khao/naem khao on English menus: crispy seasoned rice broken apart and tossed with herbs, lime, peanuts and other ingredients. It had those wonderfully crunchy little pieces of rice mixed with fresh herbs and a bright sour-spicy dressing. The contrast is what makes it addictive, crunchy rice, fresh herbs, acidity, saltiness and heat all in one bite.

On the right is a crispy fried spicy chicken bites.

We ordered Jeow Mak Keua. Jeow is an important word to learn when eating in Laos: it's essentially a Lao dipping sauce or relish. Mak keua is eggplant. The eggplant is typically grilled until soft and smoky and then pounded with chilies, garlic, shallots and herbs. You eat a little of the jeow with the vegetables and sticky rice. That combination of smoky + spicy + fresh vegetables + sticky rice is very characteristic of Lao eating.

Sticky rice is always served in these little woven bamboo container is called a tip khao (thip khao). Traditionally, you take a small amount of sticky rice with your fingers, compress it lightly into a little ball, and use it to pick up food or dip into a jeow. So when you're eating Jeow Mak Keua, your sticky rice is effectively your utensil.

On the left is the Luang Prabang-style papaya salad is worth comparing with the Thai som tam. Lao papaya salad (tam mak hoong) can have a deeper, funkier flavor because Lao versions traditionally make use of fermented fish sauce (padaek). Luang Prabang versions are also notable for the papaya being cut into wider, flatter ribbons rather than only thin shreds. It's usually salty, sour, spicy and savory rather than simply sweet-and-sour.

On the right is the sai oua, traditional Lao sausage.

We definitely had a feast, and instead of one dominant "main course," the pleasure comes from moving around the table and changing combinations from bite to bite.

Tamnak Lao is more than simply a place to have dinner. The music and dancing are intended to give guests a taste of traditional Lao performing arts alongside the food.

The musicians sitting together on the low stage were playing a mixture of traditional instruments while the dancers As the dancers performed.

I was especially drawn to the graceful movements of their hands. They slowly turned and bent their wrists while extending their fingers into elegant, curved positions, making each gesture seem almost like a language of its own. Their arms flowed gently from one position to another in rhythm with the music, while their bodies remained poised and their steps were soft and controlled. The delicate hand movements gave the traditional Lao dance a calm, graceful beauty.

Dressed in beautiful traditional Lao outfits, the dancers added a wonderful sense of color and tradition to the performance.

Vientiane at Night

After dinner at Tamnak Lao, we decided to walk back to our hotel, the Crowne Plaza, and enjoy a little more of Vientiane at night. Along the way, we passed the Hard Rock Cafe.

We passed by the brightly illuminated fountain, where colorful lights danced beneath the shooting jets of water. It was a lively contrast to the quiet, traditional atmosphere we had just left behind at dinner.

Eventually, our walk brought us back to the Mekong River. We followed the long riverside promenade, enjoying the evening air and the lights along the waterfront.

One restaurant immediately caught our attention with its colorful red-and-yellow decorations and rows of glowing hanging lamps, giving the place a warm and festive appearance.

A little farther along, we took a set of stairs down from the main promenade and discovered an entirely different scene below.

Because the Mekong had receded, a broad stretch of exposed riverbank had been transformed into an outdoor dining area. Tables were scattered across the open ground beneath strings of small white lights suspended overhead. From above, the lights seemed to float against the darkness, creating an unexpectedly charming dining space on land that would disappear beneath the river during the wetter part of the year.

With the Mekong at a lower level, the river had pulled far away from the promenade, leaving behind a wide expanse of exposed riverbank. Green vegetation had already begun to take over parts of the newly uncovered ground, giving the riverfront an almost meadow-like appearance. It was fascinating to imagine how different this same landscape must look when the rains return and the Mekong rises again, covering much of what we were now walking beside.

Beyond the greenery and the dark ribbon of the river, we could see tiny clusters of lights glowing in the distance. That was Thailand, just across the Mekong. Standing there in Vientiane and looking toward another country only a river away gave the evening a special sense of place.

Continuing our walk along the Mekong, we eventually reached The Naga Boat, an unusual riverside bar and restaurant built into a large boat. It normally sits at the edge of the Mekong along Quai Fa Ngum and is known as a casual place for drinks, Lao and Asian food, and watching the sunset across the river toward Thailand.

What made it especially interesting during our visit was that the Naga Boat wasn't floating at all. The Mekong had receded so far that the boat was sitting high and dry beside a broad expanse of exposed riverbank. Apparently this is part of the character of the place: during the wetter green season, the river rises around the boat, while in the dry season the retreating Mekong can leave it surrounded by sand. Past visitors have even described eating outside on the sandy riverbank beside the boat.

We eventually climbed back up to the main riverside walkway, where the atmosphere became much livelier. The promenade had turned into a huge open-air dining scene, with rows of simple tables and benches set directly along the walkway.

Families and groups of friends filled the tables, eating and chatting in the warm evening air while the Mekong stretched out into the darkness beside them.

As we walked through the crowd, the smell of food cooking over hot charcoal grills filled the air. Vendors stood over smoky grills covered with whole fish.

Large shrimp on a grill. The sizzling seafood, glowing coals and drifting smoke made it difficult to walk past without stopping to look.

A little farther along, we came across an impressive display of fresh seafood laid out over beds of crushed ice. Fish, shrimp, shellfish and other seafood were arranged for customers to inspect and choose for themselves. Once selected, the seafood could be cooked to order and brought to one of the nearby tables.

View of the Naga Boat from the walkway.

The area is very lively and very festive.

Eventually, after our long walk along the Mekong, the Crowne Plaza Vientiane came into view, beautifully illuminated against the night sky. After the lively riverside restaurants, smoky seafood grills and strings of lights along the riverbank, the brightly lit hotel felt like a welcoming landmark signaling that we had finally made it back.

It had been a surprisingly eventful walk home. What began as a simple stroll after dinner had turned into another glimpse of Vientiane after dark, from colorful fountains and glowing restaurants to the receding Mekong, distant lights of Thailand, the Naga Boat resting on dry land, and the bustling open-air dining scene along the river. Arriving back at the Crowne Plaza brought a peaceful end to a long and memorable day in Vientiane.

NEXT... Day 3-Cope Museum