Special Lao moments

I've had some time to reflect on the moments that have been unique in Laos- not necessarily good, but things I won't forget that added to the experience.

• Having my backyard lit up with fireflies
• Children 10m up a tamarind tree next door, picking the fruit and singing Thai pop songs out loud
• Eating crickets/ grasshoppers, stinkbugs and waterbugs
• Drinking cicada infused wine
• Checking a bird for bird- flu before it was killed for my lunch- this was around 20-50km from a bird flu village
• Drinking from one of two shot glasses at the entrance to a wedding with 600 guests
• 30c coconut or soy drinks, and meals costing 50c- $1 US
• Seeing a large jar of rice wine at a festival with a straw and sign reading 'free alcohol please try'
• A baby snake sticking its head out of the drain as I had my shower
• Pigs on the roof of the bus squealing as the bus went around the corner
• Showing up at the airport and the airport being closed, flight cancelled
• Spending three lots of 24hrs on the bus during the first three months of 2008
• Wrapping a book cover in paper due to concern that the government wouldn't agree with the book
• Listening to a driver rabbit on in Lao language about having 3 wives, each in different towns and being able to understand most of it

Saying cheers

Whilst dining out with my boyfriend's extended family one of his relatives asked what is the equivalent of saying cheers in Laos.

My boyfriend and I replied 'sukaphap keng heng' which translates to something like may you be hard and strong in health. His Lao aunty who had left Laos as a child in the 1970s laughed at us. She said that's what the Communist people say to which we replied, well, they're all Communist there. Apparently the Australian Lao would usually say something usual like wishing good health, long life etc.

Madang

This is a Korean restaurant tucked away between George and Pitt Streets and it was absolutely full of Korean people- a good sign. This was actually my first ever Couchsurfing event. I found out about on the Couchsurfing Sydney forum. What a great night this was.

A Korean woman working in Sydney ordered the food for us including rice wine, Korean bbq pork and vegetables, rice in hot cast-iron bowl and other spicy stews. She showed us how to eat it too such as what condiments go with what. It was the perfect food for this cold night. It was also good to be able to have a chat with people from France, America, Germany working or studying in Sydney as well as Sydney- siders interested in cultural exchange.

I felt like I ate a lot of food and when we split the bill it came to just $15. I think it's the cheapest Korean restaurants I have eaten at. I will definitely be back. This place is busy so be prepared to wait for a table. It has one of the best ratings on www.eatability.com I've seen- they're a tough bunch!

371A Pitt St
Sydney NSW 2000

Chat Thai

This is an incredibly popular Thai restaurant. The Sydney Morning Herald recently gave it a positive review. I went there before 6 on a weeknight and it was already pretty full but I managed to share a table without a booking. The decor is modern and you can see the old wooden structures and I think it looks great. Service is quick.

The food was great value- quick and cheap. We had a larp and a plate of grilled pork. They serve my beloved sticky rice I ate with my meal. The hot coffee was disappointing though- while they advertised it as 100% arabica, I have some doubts. I'd definitely go back but would make sure I booked!

Grilled pork $10.50
Larp chicken $10.50
Sticky rice $3.50

20 Campbell Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Govindas

This is a vegetarian buffet restaurant run by Hare Krishnas with a movie room upstairs. The food here was excellent and far exceeded my expectations. Some foods I enjoyed there include:

Spicy vegetable soup with barley and lots of coriandar
Lasagne with lentils topped with mashed potato and cheese
Cauliflower fritters in a spicy batter
Penne with tomato sauce- simple but a quality dish

Dessert is not part of the buffet and can be ordered separately. Service is reasonable, the restaurant is a comfortable place to relax and chat. The movie room is very comfortable with couches rather than chairs. They tend to show arthouse films. I saw 'Happy go lucky' about the everyday life of a primary school teacher in London.

Initially I did think for a vegetarian buffet it was expensive but given the good quality of the food and the movie being cheap I decided it was entirely worthwhile.

Buffet $19.50
Movie $8
112 Darlinghurst Road Darlinghurst

Taj Indian Sweets and Restaurant

This is a vegetarian restaurant that I do recommend. I really enjoyed the food here and managed to try several dishes I hadn't tried before. It was a good place to eat because it was really cheap, tasty, not too far from home with plenty of parking and I was with vegetarian friends. There is a huge cabinet of Indian sweets in the front counter and the cheese dumpling in spiced syrup my friend had and the milk- based one I had was delicious.

I had not had a samosa in the style they had- cut up with coriandar, chilli sauce and yoghurt on top. So yummy. I could actually taste the yoghurt in the vegetable curry and really enjoyed it. The naans were a bit cold though. My friend showed me how to punch a hole in the puri, put in a little spiced pototo and fill it up with broth then pop it in your mouth. This was all new and exciting for me.

Dinner for 4 was $60 and we were full. It operates as a take- away joint so you pay up front. The atmosphere is like any cheap Asian food joint- could be cleaner, you have to collect your own cutlary but is okay. There are Indian grocery stores around here too- I finally got the cheap dried chickpeas I'd been looking for!

91 Wigram St
Harris Park NSW 2150

Pink Peppercorn

I chose this restaurant in my search for something Lao- this is a 'Modern Lao' restaurant. It describes itself as a Lao fusion restaurant, rather than being Lao food. I enjoyed the food, but thought it was of moderate value only, so I probably wouldn't go back.

The ocean trout with dill was something special, it was reminiscent of the flavours in Laos. One meat dish was great, with lots of different spices, but the other was average because it was too oily and it just tasted like a usual Asian stir fry. I think they did the chicken larp well too. The serving sizes were a bit above average which was good to see- the sizes are ideal for sharing. There are some things I think they shouldn't have messed with- the rice and the papaya salad. Sticky rice is the staple in Laos but I don't know why they didn't serve it. Also, the papaya salad was perfect but for some reason they served it with a small quantity of grilled chicken. I just didn't think it was necessary. I would have been happier if they just kept it a salad and preferably charged a salad or entree price. I did like the service- they were very friendly, and the setting was happy, clean and bright.

I can't find the menu online to check the prices, but they were between $20 and $25 per person. Desserts were $11. Corkage is $3 per person which is reasonable.

122 Oxford Street
Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Tel : +61 2 9360 9922

Parent's feed babies coffee creamer in Laos

I have been seeing on the news that people in Laos have been inadvertently feeding their babies coffee creamer. The bear with a baby logo on the baby formula is the same as the one on the coffee creamer. Sometimes they use it exclusively, especially if the mother is sick or has died. This is so sad. I'm glad someone did this research though, evidence is what we need before things can be improved. This was published in the British Medical Journal here:

Misperceptions and misuse of Bear Brand coffee creamer as infant food: national cross sectional survey of consumers and paediatricians in Laos