LAO: Coconut Garden
Such a fresh local salad and inspiring local style crème brûlée!
I've fallen in love with Luang Prabang, a heritage town in north central Laos, the moment I landed there. On the first day, my BFF and I decided to have dinner at the well-known Coconut Garden situated along Sisavangvong Road, one of the main roads in the tranquil town.
Care to guess what meat Pikachu was going to savour?
Luang Prabang River Weeds LAK 18,000 (~S$3.10)
Taste: 8/10
I was told by my friend about this particular snack enjoyed by Laotians from all walks of life. While they were just a tad on the oily side, the deep-fried river weeds with sesame seeds were full of flavours and exuded that nice tang of the sea. Those crispy goodness whetted my appetite as I waited for the rest of the dishes to come.
Luang Prabang Salad LAK 38,000 (~S$6.60)
Taste: 8.5/10
The big plate of salad featured lots of truly fresh ingredients: lettuce, watercress, various local herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and eggs. Topped with ground peanuts and fried garlic slices, the local salad was drizzled with sweet and sour dressing that left me craving for more.
Steamed Mekong Fish in Banana Leaves LAK 43,000 (~S$7.45)
Taste: 8/10
A somewhat familiar dish, the steamed fish wrapped in banana leaves immediately reminded me of an Indonesian delicacy called pepes ikan. The Mekong fish was juicy and had quite a bouncy texture, but it wasn't as highly aromatic as its Indonesian counterpart. Still, it was delectable.
Marinated Buffalo Grilled with Garlic LAK 48,000 (~S$8.30)
Taste: 7/10
That was my virgin experience with water buffalo, which was marinated with garlic and spices, skewered and grilled. It tasted a bit like beef, but slightly tougher, so I actually have a preference for the latter instead. The accompanying sweet and sour sauce with a bit of ground peanuts and chili slices served as a good dip for the meat.
Steamed Pumpkin, Coconut and Pandan Crème Brûlée LAK 28,000 (~S$4.85)
Taste: 8/10
The dessert of choice for the day was the local take of the beloved French dessert came in three layers: steamed pumpkin, coconut and pandan with an adequate amount of burnt sugar on top. All the different flavours blended nicely, and I enjoyed the progression of texture from the velvety top to the denser bottom.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 8/10
Ambience: 7.5/10
Service: 7/10
Overall: 7.5/10
After the sumptuous meal, we wandered about the town, enjoying the serenity of it all. Pika's advice: If you're not too sure what to order, you may want to go for the Tasting Menu priced at LAK 150,000 (~S$25.95) that gives you a quite a bit of variety in smaller portions.
Coconut Garden
Sisavangvong Road
Luang Prabang
Laos
(Daily: 8.00am - 11.00pm)
*Prices quoted are nett prices.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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