Cheap street food in Vang Vieng, Laos (Night Market) - Khao Ji and Roti

Fried Chicken Sandwich and Banana Pancake in Vang Vieng, Laos

What to eat at the Vang Vieng Night Market

Laotian Sandwiches, Vang Vieng 

Laos is well-known among backpackers as a relaxing and laid-back country where you can have a lazy vacation. This is especially true for Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng once used to be a backpacker party town, and acquired something of a reputation for its cheap (but very much illegal!) drugs and basically free alcohol.

All of that changed a few years ago after several tourist deaths and a government crackdown, and the city is returning to its quiet and peaceful roots. Nowadays, Vang Vieng focuses more on eco-tourism and adventure travel.

While Vang Vieng is quiet and sleepy during the day, I can still see that the city is more awake at night, as lots of tourists head to the remaining bars and clubs.

If that's not your thing, head instead to the night market, where you can find cheap souvenirs and food! All along the street, we found a dozen or so street food stalls, all offering more or less the exact same menu of food to choose. Every shops sell crepes (or roti) and sandwiches (called khao-ji in Laos). After a long lazy day staring at the mountain view along the river, I feel like cheap street food today. I head out around dark for a food stall that has the cheapest price (you might have to shop around a bit). This shop, like every other shop, has nothing under 10.000 kip, which is not actually that cheap compared to other SE Asia country. Many tourists are shocked to find that food in Laos can cost double or triple what it would cost in neighboring Vietnam or Thailand.

I ordered a chicken and vegetable sandwich, and banana crepe.

Fried Chicken Sandwich

Let's talk about chicken sandwiche first. The foot-long baguette is really soft, but not tough. The bread is light, fresh, and fluffy. Inside, it is stuffed with four pieces of fried chicken and veggies (onion, lettuce, and tomato). The sandwich is drizzled with with tomato sauce, mayonnaise, and chili sauce. The flavors of these three sauses go very well together. This sandwich is super filling. It's not the cheapest street food in Asia, but with the amount of chicken that they give and the size of the bread, it's acceptable.

Banana Crepe (Pancake)

Banana Crepe or Banana Roti, Vang Vieng, Laos 

Now it's time to get something for dessert. Sweet after savory is my thing! I ordered a banana roti (called a "banana pancake", but is really more like a crepe) topped with condensed milk. This roti is very much like what you'll find in Thailand or Malaysia, especially in night markets and around tourist areas.

The crispy roti is stuffed with warm sweet banana; this is exactly what I like after my meal! This roti is also 10,000 kip.

You can get these meals from any shop along the main road. Every food stall is almost humorously identical, but some shops might be a bit more expensive than others. Look around for the best price, but don't be shocked if the vendors are all shouting over each other for your attention! I added a picture of the shop where I bought this yummy and filling meal from. They have a wide variety of both roti and sandwiches, so just choose what sounds yummy to you!

Price: 10.000 - 15.000 kip
Location: all along the main road in Vang Vieng