LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Xieng Thong Phonsavanh Restaurant: Home of Authentic Lao Cuisine (with Prices)

January 17, 2020

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:
Xieng Thong Phonsavanh Restaurant:
Home of Authentic Lao Cuisine
(with Prices) 

If you wish to try Lao cuisine, I recommend dining at this restaurant. The food is delicious and the price is not expensive.

WHEN TO DINE
If your accommodations are at Mekong Riverview Hotel or somewhere in the vicinity of the Hotel Villa Deux Rivieres, where we stayed, the best time to try this restaurant is at dinnertime since it's an easy walk back to the hotel after dinner. We dined at this place after doing the Sasa sunset cruise along the Mekong River. 
  
LOCATION



MENU 



THESE ARE WHAT WE ORDERED



LARB
(Minced fish cooked with herbs)
The "unofficial" national dish of Laos

Spicy minced fish cooked with herbs (larb)...
(50,000 kip or 290 php or 6 usd)
My tip: Be careful getting the meat submerged in sauce. It's VERY SPICY!!!
...to be wrapped with lettuce, dill and mint.

Larb is a minced meat salad
that may be made of fish, chicken, pork, etc

This restaurant serves fish larb.


KAIPEN
(Mekong weed)
Crunchy Mekong river weed
(20,000 kip or 115 php or 2.25 usd)
It is usually eaten with Jaew.
The river weed is dried green algae with sesame seeds and garlic, fried before serving.
Check out this post: How Kaipen is Made 

JAEW
(Fish penny sauce)
Spicy fish penny sauce (jaew) or fish eggs sauce,
used as viand when paired with rice
or as dip when paired with Mekong weed.
(20,000 kip or 115 php or 2.25 usd)

STICKY RICE
Sticky rice
(5000 kip or 30 php or .60 usd)

DEEP FRIED SHRIMP IN GARLIC
Deep fried shrimp in garlic
(60,000 kip or 345 php or 7 usd)


MY TIP: The restaurant has 2 seating areas: one inside the main restaurant along the road, and the other across the main restaurant with view of the river. The view of the restaurant is the area where the Nam Khan river joins the Mekong river. It's nicer to seat in the area with river view.




PHILIPPINE AIRLINES: Meals on Manila to Bangkok Roundtrip Flights

January 13, 2020


PHILIPPINE AIRLINES: Meals on Manila to Bangkok Roundtrip Flights



Sharing with you photos of our meals for the Manila to Bangkok flights. Meals are included in the fare, aside from 25kg free baggage allowance. So I'm posting photos of the meals to help you decide if it's worth purchasing the Philippine airlines flight with meals included.


MANILA TO BANGKOK (BKK), PR 732, HOT MEAL



Chicken pasta with steamed vegetables
Coleslaw
Bread and butter
Dried pineapple
Auro chocolate
Water, white wine


Beef with rice and steamed vegetables
Coleslaw
Bread and butter
Dried pineapple
Auro chocolate
Water, red wine




BANGKOK (BKK) TO MANILA, PR 733, HOT MEAL

Pork with rice and vegetables
Corn, peas and carrots
Bread and butter
Water, white wine

Ice cream for dessert




Included with the meals are unlimited drinks such as softdrinks, beer, red wine, white wine, juice, tea, coffee.




THAI SMILE: Meals on Bangkok to Luang Prabang Roundtrip Flights

Thai Smile plane at Luang Prabang airport

THAI SMILE: Meals on Bangkok to Luang Prabang Roundtrip Flights



Sharing with you photos of our meals for the Bangkok to Luang Prabang flights. Meals are included in the fare, aside from 30kg free baggage allowance. I love the meals on these flights. They are healthy, delicious and very filling.


BANGKOK (BKK) TO LUANG PRABANG, WE 576






Quinoa sticky rice with Savoury Grilled Chicken
Salad
Assorted Fruits
Water
Tea/Coffee/Soda




BANGKOK (BKK) TO MANILA, WE 577



Salmon and Spinach Cheese
Whole Wheat Pizza Wrap
Salad
Pastry
Water
Tea/Coffee/Soda




Spark Place Cubao Store Directory

January 10, 2020



Spark Place Cubao Store Directory





TOKYO: Where to Find the World of Miyazaki's Spirited Away at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum

January 8, 2020



TOKYO: Where to Find the World of Miyazaki's Spirited Away
at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum

There are several places claiming to be the setting of Hayao Miyazaki's famous film Spirited Away. One of them is Jiufen in Taipei. But an interview with Hayao Miyazaki in May 2001 by Animage, a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine, finally confirmed from his own words that the world he sought to recreate in Spirited Away was a world depicted at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum.


 The transcript of the interview is shown below:



Why did you set the story in the present time?



 M: It's a world like this Edo Tokyo Tatemonoen (Edo Tokyo Museum, Building Park*) rather than our modern world. I've always been interested in the pseudo-Western-style buildings** you can find here. I feel nostalgic here, especially when I stand here alone in the evening, near closing time, and the sun is setting--tears well up in my eyes. (laughs)



 *Edo Tokyo Tatemonoen: A park with Japanese houses and shops from the Meiji and Taisho era (about 120 to 70 years ago). Miyazaki-San loves the park and often visits there. The interview took place in the park.



 **Pseudo-Western style - A style of Japanese architecture in the early Meiji era. It's a mixture of traditional Japanese design and Western design.



 I think we have forgotten the life, the buildings, and the streets we used to have not so long ago. I feel that we weren't so weak...for example, a life in that house you see there (pointing at one of the buildings in the park) was a modest one. They ate a small amount of food, enough to fit on a small table in a tiny room. Everyone thinks our problems today are the big problems we have for the first time in the world. But I think we just aren't used to them, what with the recession and all. Well, it's enough since everyone is talking about these current problems. Rather, let's cheer up (laughs). I'm making a film with such a feeling.



WHERE TO FIND THE WORLD OF SPIRITED AWAY 
AT THE EDO-TOKYO OPEN AIR MUSEUM

Below is the Layout of the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum:

This is the layout of the Edo Tokyo Open Air Museum.

You can find it in the link below.

The areas I encircled are the areas/buildings that inspired the buildings in Spirited Away.
Make sure to click the photo to get the full view.



To follow the story of Spirited Away, you only need to visit the East Zone and the Center Zone:

East Zone



E3. Bar Kagiya (information) (virtual tour)


Bar Kagiya is the inspiration for the restaurant in this scene:





This is Bar Kagiya at the Museum







E6. Stationery store (information) (virtual tour)


The stationery store is the inspiration for workplace of Kamaji, the boiler-man:



This is inside of the stationery store at the Museum






E4. Public Bathhouse (information) (virtual tour)

The public bathhouse is the inspiration for this scene:


The front of the Public Bathhouse in the Museum




Inside the Bathhouse




Inside the Bathhouse at the Museum




Center Zone


C3. House of Korekiyo Takahashi (information) (virtual tour)


The House of Korekiyo Takahashi is the inspiration for this scene:









The House of Korekiyo Takahashi at the Museum


Check out the windows similar to the one in the film.






Outdoor exhibit


City train model 7500













Inside the train