The fish was so fluffy and delicious that the four of us were completely silent for the fifteen minutes it took to rip the tender flakes from the bones and devour them.
Ooh, the crispy garlic hugging the fried skin! Ooh, the fact that the little swimmer had been caught that very day on the Mekong river flowing three feet below our fairy-lit table! Oooh, the taste!!
Vijay snapped off the tail and gnawed at it. Hayden scraped his fork along the shiny silver bones that remained, hoping for another juicy morsel. Theresa wiped her mouth and declared, “I want to order another one.”
T
he total bill was $22 U.S. dollars for:
– Two giant whole fried fish with lemon and garlic
– Steamed vegetables with cashews
– Two plates of dried, fried buffalo meat (one sweet, one savory… both regional specialties, and both shockingly scrumptious)
– Two heaps of sticky rice
– Fresh fruit shakes for the four of us
That bill came out to less than six dollars a person for one of the best meals of our lives.
Vijay, Hayden, Theresa, and I (bonded a few weeks ago on the endless bus journey from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Vientiane, Laos) have spent the past twenty-four hours eating unbelievably good food in an unbelievably beautiful city: Luang Prabang.
The type of cuisine is incredibly varied, but the slant is decidedly French, as are the bulk of the happy, happy tourists.
(Please note that we ARE very happy, ourselves, despite the odd-expressions in the photos, here. We were posing with that buffalo jerky which caused sort of ridiculous grimace for the camera. Glee lies underneath, though, honest!)
Tomorrow we will hike a waterfall, but today has the following To Do List:
1) That amazing looking bakery on the corner,
2) That fresh fruit crepe shop,
3) The Lao restaurant that gets rave reviews,
4) …and you get the point.
Yum yum, Laos!
The author, Lillie Marshall, is 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 3.7 million readers have now visited this site. Lillie also runs TeachingTraveling.com and DrawingsOf.com. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media!
Arleth Lopez
Monday 12th of January 2015
I can't believe that you can have an amazing meal for four people and a lot of food for only $22 U.S. Dollars. It is also amazing that they catch the fish straight from the river so it could be fresh. I don't like fish myself because it seems so cruel to kill such beautiful fish to eat. I also believe that fish are friends and we should care for them.
Triston X.
Friday 13th of April 2012
That fish looks very delicious. I think that the fish taste good because it is fresh. The fish was just caught. Food tastes better when it is fresh. My family always eat fish. They say it is good for your skin and that fish is healthy. I think that the fish tastes good, but the skin tastes very slimy and disgusting.
Imported Blogger Comments
Wednesday 26th of May 2010
CuzzinDug said... Another succesful food entry...you're making me hungry.
November 8, 2009 12:07 AM