Eating Vientiane’s Colonial Past
September 4th, 2008
Croissant & Cappuccino at Benoni’s Cafe, Phimpone Market
Vientiane, Laos – In Laos’ laid-back capital, Vientiane, you can find its French colonial past in the architecture, the streets (here they’re called rues), and, of course, the food. Cafes and bistros are interspersed between Laos, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants and stalls and crusty baguettes are everywhere. I even came across a bottle of the French aperitif Suze, which wasn’t being imported to NYC while I was there, in the western market Phimpone on Th Setthathirat.
The owners of the store, Thierry Dumont, and his wife Bebe named the store after her mother, and carry everything from olive oil to tomato sauce to firm, crusty baguettes. Thierry, originally from France, was the mission leader for Doctors without Borders about five years ago before settling down in Vientiane with Bebe. They also run a rental shop, adjacent to the market, with beautiful motorbikes on display in front.
Phimpone Market also contains a cafe, Benoni’s Coffee, that serves coffee, pastries, delivered fresh from Le Banneton, and Indian snacks handmade by a local Indian woman. I had my first good cappucino there, as well as an excellent croissant, crisp on the ouside with buttery layers inside, that was much better than some of those at surrounding cafes, where the pastries were sometimes oversized and anemic. At any rate, enjoying a nice coffee and croissant next to a shiny, red vespa behind and a good view of the street isn’t a bad way to start the day.
Benoni’s Cafe at Phimpone Market
Baguettes at Phimpone Market
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