Le Khem Khong — Restaurant in Vientiane Capital

What a great find! Lovely spot along the Mekong with a menu featuring classic French foods as well as Asian/Lao dishes. This was our 13th day in Asia, and we were ready for some non-Asian food (we love it, but sometimes you need a change). Happened upon this place. Staff is friendly and accommodating. The grilled zucchini salad was delish. Hubby’s chicken cordon bleu was crispy outside, gooey and tender throughout. Wine list isn’t extensive, but offers all you’d need to pair with anything on the menu. We felt so welcomed, even though we were the last to leave (cuz we had to finish every bit of the perfect crème brûlée).

I am adding an addendum to my initial review to let you know that not only is this place great as a restaurant, but Nico is a great person. I awoke the morning after our lovely dinner there and looked through my purse to find that my hotel key as well as US$180 was missing. We had been at several places, I assumed that they had fallen out at some point when I went to get my phone. I obviously assumed I was out $180 plus my hotel key. But, no! I got a WhatsApp message later in the day. Nico, who had taking such good care of us the night before, messaged me to let me know that the key and money had fallen out at the restaurant. He then took it upon himself to take the key back to the hotel (the name of the hotel was on the key) and return it all to me. What an absolute gem of a...

Let me be clear: I have critiqued Michelin-starred temples of gastronomy and street food stalls that made me question my life choices.

But never, never, did I expect to be bestowing a flawless five-star review upon a humble establishment in Laos, all because of bone marrow. Bone marrow!

The dish lazy chefs think requires zero effort, yet here I am, utterly defeated by its perfection.

I mean it was so tender, so unctuous, so obedient to my spoon that even a napping sloth could’ve devoured it without breaking a sweat. And yet… it was transcendent. Rich, buttery, with just the right whisper of seasoning, like the chef whispered sweet nothings to it before serving.

But the real shock? The staff. Actual well-trained professionals in Laos! No blank stares, no mysterious disappearances when the bill arrives, just polite, articulate humans who knew the menu better than I know my own regrets. A miracle!

So yes, I, the notoriously hard-to-please critic who once threw a tantrum over under salted butter in Paris, am voluntarily returning for...

A total disappointment. We came here for the best carpaccio in the word. But the carpaccio came still frozen to our table…. We send it back to the kitchen.

The owner of the restaurant came to our table and said: “the carpaccio is was not frozen, its just really cold”. I don’t know that he was trying to prove but we literally saw ice on it. He said sorry and asked if we liked some extra bread instead.

The bread never came to our table… we continued with our main course. The chicken breast pesto pasta was a bit tasteless and the chicken was not warm….

They tried their best but it was a total disaster… I give 2 stars because the owner and staff said sorry when we left. But this is not what you would expect if you read the...