Eat and meet

Champasak

The small restaurant at the Anouxa Guesthouse does a variety of western and Lao dishes, including very healthy portions of fried rice and their fried fish, while a little small, was absolutely melt-in-the-mouth quality. They also serve beignets for breakfast -- they're really banana fritters, but who's complaining, they're tasty. The riverside location is a big plus.

The restaurant at the Saythong Guesthouse, also overlooking the river, is worth checking out -- just to browse the menu, which features items such as chicken can wish, fruit shack and fried morning yolky. Giggles aside, it's Champassak's best-appointed riverside restaurant.

Again, on the riverside, is the restaurant at the Dok Champa 2 Guesthouse, notable for its sing lat ngua -- a Korean style barbecue where you can grill your own meat at the table.

For a quick lunch there's a great noodle stand south of the traffic circle on the riverside -- there's no sign, but you'll know it when you see it.