Where are we going for dinner?

We’re going to the pool area…

Rosewood’s Great House Restaurant tl;dr

• Farm Fresh Royal Laotian Cuisine
• Many Choices and Amazing Service
• Surprisingly Great Prices

You gotta eat right? It might as well be something delicious!

Birthdays, notwithstanding, Nadia still needed to eat and what better reason than a festive event celebrating another year running around the world; this year would not disappoint. That aside, I’m a simple person; just give me Nadia with:

• Great food
• Quenching drinks
• And even better company
• Rather have all of the above

That’s all I ask on any day of the week, be it my birthday and especially on my worst day. To me, that culinary moment is as priceless to me as anything that could possibly be gift wrapped. But one gift that no one likes are party crashers.

Demanding Guests

With that being said, I sat there are at our personal villa on my birthday lazing the day away watching as the Rosewood staff came to life around. Through the morning people were cleaning up, maintaining, and relocating rocks all along the waterfall area. I wasn’t sure what the reasoning was for considering it was the dry season.

I couldn’t put my mind at ease as to why things were happening the way they were. I did recall that neighboring rooms were being prepared for expecting guests; maybe that’s why they are pulling out all the stops for whoever it is coming into the hotel.

In the background, I noticed a handful of people relocating a heavy marble table closer to the riverside. I can’t imagine who would demand that this be done…

Oh No…

Nadia led me to dinner through the cool nighttime jungle air. We slowly walked over to the Great House, stopping to take photos along the way. Entering the dining area, I presumed we were going to sit down and eat however to my surprise we kept walking. 

I thought perhaps that there was dining elsewhere outside that I hadn’t seen before. I looked around the pool and didn’t see anything that was obvious. As we got closer to the pool we veered toward the river, toward the table that was carried earlier by a group of men, a table that was decorated and lit for only 2; Nadia and I.

Thoughts raced through my mind… I was the demanding guest that wanted riverside seating. As much as I was shocked, I was pleasantly surprised that Nadia would ask them to do something so special for my birthday. I sat there listening to the water splash through the rocks, watching Nadia, dimly lit by the candles, ever so intently looking through the menu deciding what would best go together.

Happy Birthday to Me!

She and I talked and talked about how our trip was going, about how much I was surprised by this dinner and the beauty of Chiang Mai. As our conversation carried through the early evening, our food came:

• Kaeng Nor Mai Sai Yanang – Refreshing Bamboo Soup
• Kaeng Som Paa – Delicious Tamarind River Fish
• Jaew Khao Khop – Crispy Rice with Sauces
• Sticky Rice
• Cocktails and Desserts

Dish after dish came out overflowing the table and stuffing us both silly. They all ultimately surprised me with a candlelit cake to make a wish on. I nearly wished the night would never end. 

Eventually the food stopped coming, my hunger abated, we both slowly made our way through the meal. It was all very fresh, enhancing the natural delicate flavors that they clearly worked very hard to preserve. It was all more than everything I could have ever asked for. 

Happy birthday to me indeed!

Where is It

The Great House is conveniently located in the same building where you can find the Rosewood Luang Prabang lobby and check in desk. As you pass the check in desk, you’ll find that the same open air building is filled with seating options.

What is It

The Great House is a small restaurant apart of the Rosewood Hotel that specializes in Royal Laotian cuisine immaculately fulfilled with local farm fresh organic ingredients.

What to Do There

Given that the prices are not nearly as expensive as I would have expected at another hotel, I pleasantly indulged in all the interesting dishes. Considering that bamboo was in season we had selected dishes highlighting it. Along with that Nadia and I opted for a combination of dishes that would compliment the sticky rice.

I couldn’t help but order some more sticky rice even though I ate more than my fair share of it during our visit to Luang Prabang. I doubted I’d get a chance to eat it anytime soon and figured I’d try it as much as possible. I didn’t quite feel the same with their ubiquitous rice whiskey, Lao Lao.

But it does make it easier for people to relax and enjoy the charm of the night. A night of eating and lounging around the river much too quickly led to breakfast in the late morning at the same place. At least I didn’t have to groggily figure out where to go.

Rosewood Luang Prabang

• Nauea Village, Laos
• +856 7121 1155

What do you like to eat at Rosewood Luang Prabang?