Where would You chose to eat; Lao street food, or the Expats Special Hide-Out?

Beh can be found behind the Bar at Via Via, on Rue Nohkeokoummane, Ban Mixay, Vientiane

With the exception of the fried crickets, I have found a lot of Lao  cuisine to be complex, spicy, exotic, and delicious. So imagine how silly I felt skipping the  opportunity  investigate further, and instead  going to a restaurant in Vientiane with a Belgian chef de cuisine.

You might already know that Laos, like Vietnam and Cambodia, had a strong French colonial influence that helped shape their modern cities with architecture, government, and cuisine. So there are several excellent french restaurants, boulangeries, and wine merchants supplying the needs of the "Falang" community.

So my decision to dine at Via Via was not a bad one. Not only is the food good, but the atmosphere is exceptional. The expatriot archeaological community gathers here after hours, joined by international journalists, Médecins Sans Frontières  , and members of the diplomatic community.

I guess I'll have to eat my Lao food at breakfast and lunch from now on.