Eat and meet

Muang Ngoi

Muang Ngoi has a surprisingly good mix of places to eat. For a small town, there are plenty of places to satiate your appetite. Most are centred on the main road, though a few can be found at guesthouses by the water's edge. Many share the same -- exactly same -- menu, and as far as ambience goes, resemble one another quite a bit. A few nevertheless come highly recommended.

Sengdala Restaurant and Bakery is perched on a cosy little deck, set just above the main road. Choices seem to depend solely upon the baguette's popularity and include baguette sandwiches, garlic bread and baguette pizzas. In addition to yummies, the place offers water bottle refills for 1,000 kip.

Located next to Banana Cafe, Restaurant Nangphonekeo is the better pick for eats and promises as such with humorous slogans meant to draw customers. Among others, 'worth every kip' rings true and 'only place baguette available every day' should give Sengdala something to worry about. Their menu covers the basics from noodles to pancakes to salads and the basic deck is dotted with wooden tables and plastic chairs.

For an ever-so-slightly more upscale experience, give Aloune Mai a try. With its decorative stone wall and substantial furniture, this place is trying to set the culinary bar a little higher in Muang Ngoi. Their menu is extensive and features a hefty selection of Lao food which is a nice change from the Western monotony elsewhere.

Another venue with a more upscale feel is Ban Restaurant. They've broken from the standard tan bamboo decor and opted for more of a cafe feel with sturdy wooden tables and chairs. Unfortunately, the food is not as cutting edge; the menu is the standard photocopied and laminated affair you'll find around town. Still, the feel is different and the staff welcoming. An onsite pharmacy and tailor shop add to the charm.

Restaurant Lalita spices things up a little in straying from the standard deck/plastic chair motif. Yes, there is a deck. And yes, there are plastic chairs. But there are also lovely little raised platforms with cushions for sitting, making for a more cosy setting. Breakfast, curries, noodles and soups are on the agenda here, but what they are really excited about are their fruit shakes. Fruit shakes all over Muang Ngoi however leave a little to be desired as with the limited electricity, there is also limited ice and warm smoothies aren't so delicious.

Aloune Mai Main Road, Muang Ngoi. No Phone. Open daily, 07:00-21:30
Ban Restaurant Main Road, Muang Ngoi. No Phone. Open daily, 07:00-19:00
Restaurant Lalita Main Road, Muang Ngoi. No Phone. Open daily, 07:00-22:00
Restaurant Nangphonekeo Main Road, Muang Ngoi. Tel: (030) 514 1564. Open daily, 06:30-22:00
Sengdala Restaurant and Bakery Main Road, Muang Ngoi. No Phone. Open daily, 07:00-21:00