Vientiane Kitchen

Vientiane Kitchen Review

This open-air restaurant, named for the capital of Laos, is set under thatched roofs has a slightly gritty feel. You can opt for a table or traditional seating on floor mats around a low table. Lao cuisine is similar to northeastern Thai cuisine: Among the Thai-style standards offered here, like traditional grilled chicken, sticky rice, and som tam (spicy papaya salad), are a few riskier dishes like Nam tok (waterfall), so named because it's hot enough to makes your eyes run like a waterfall (it's actually toned down a bit here by Lao standards). The frog soup and grilled duck beak are actually quite tasty, despite the strange images they conjure up. It's best to go with a group so you can try several dishes. Live Laotian music and dance add to the experience.