Luang Prabang: 3 Nagas (February 2012)

My spouse and I stopped at 3 Nagas (Mango Tree) for a drink and an appetizer (buffalo strips). The tom hom pak e-leup, betel leaf soup with dried buffalo, or the mok het, steamed mushrooms in coconut mousse, are just two of local specialties served in one of Luang Prabang's most appealing eateries. The atmospheric restaurant is opposite the 3 Nagas Hotel. They also do Western dishes on the hotel side of the site, under the same management. 3 Nagas is famous for its dégustation menu which offers a pitch-perfect selection of local cuisine from rich pork with lemongrass to fresh, minty fish salad. 3 Nagas presents a menu of truly refined Lao food (without the offal) in a heritage-listed setting. While the prices are more typical of New York than Luang Prabang, the presentation and quality are first-rate and it's an experience you won't soon forget. Staff are highly knowledgeable about the menu and can recommend dishes featuring in-season local ingredients. These days the restaurant is split across two buildings across the road from one another, but the menu is the same. One side is set in a casual garden with candlelit tables while the other is in an old colonial building. On our most recent visit we noticed that drink prices were excessive, with a simple bottle of local water costing in excess of $4 after a 21% tax was added. In fact, this 21% tax is added across the entire menu which is an anomaly in Laos. It's especially disheartening given that headline prices are already quite high for Laos. Still, this is one of the best places in Luang Prabang to eat for the traveller who isn't on a tight budget.