No exploration of a Southeast Asian city is complete without diving into its meat-on-a-stick offerings. At least, not for those of us who are carnivores. I was vegetarian for many years, but now that I’m eating meat again I almost feel as though I need to make up for lost time. Let’s just say that Laos made that catch-up quite easy:
The prior picture is from the Vientiane night market, about a 15 minute walk away from the Mekong. The photo is but variety of what was essentially everywhere; barbecued meat and fish were often cheaper than any other food available. From pork-on-a-stick, squeezed between two bamboo skewers and grilled to perfection, to chicken, to random chicken parts, to water buffal0 (surprisingly tasty!), many meals consisted of meat and a bag of sticky rice. Simple, satisfying and smile-inducing.
For those who like fish, you don’t need to go far: inevitably half of the barbecue would be a dedicated fish roasting station, staked on bamboo and grilled, skin on, with chili and cilantro:
And in the same morning market as the adorable girl above, these breaded and fried giant shrimp with sweet chili sauce and fresh herbs were an excellent accompaniment to the spring rolls:
