City Photocopy and Restaurant

Sometimes when you are traveling, the meal you buy for $1 from a tiny local food stall might be one of the most delicious meals you've ever eaten. Sometimes little hole-in-the-wall restaurants can be much tastier, not to mention more authentic, than some five-star restaurant buffet. Over the weekend, when I was in Vientiane, Laos, I ended up eating lunch at the City Photocopy and Restaurant.

Turns out, it's quite aptly named. A little food card parked at the restaurant will take your orders (one middle-aged can speak English, but Thai and Lao are intelligible, so you can order in either language) and then you can go inside to sit down at one of the little plastic tables set up surrounded by printers, scanners, and boxes of paper.

The shop makes copies, has computers available for internet access, takes passport photos, and will handle visa applications. They also serve very good local food for 10,000-15,000 kip per plate.

I ordered a plate of khao hmu daeng (red pork) that was so good that I came back the next day for more!