Tuesday 2 November 2010

Baan Country Lao, Klong Dao, Koh Lanta

Baan Country Lao, Klong Dao, Koh Lanta

This is a great restaurant on Koh Lanta's Klong Phra Ae or Long Beach. As the name kind of gives away, they serve plenty of Isaarn and Lao style food.

The location is near the Southern end of Klong Dao, almost opposite a bar named Opium and the picture above shows how it looks like from the road.
I've visited this place now twice within a week and it's excellent food! Just make sure to get there early or be patient when it comes down receiving your food after you ordered it.

They have a great variety of Isaarn style food items on the menu, ranging from Laab, Naam Tok, Som Tam and plenty of other classic Isaarn style food to standard Thai fair and plenty of fish dishes as well. All around plenty of good food is to be had. I ordered a Khai Kem ไข่เค็ม with squid, very lovely indeed.

The kitchen where all the magic happens, it looks like your average Thai style restaurant kitchen just that this one serves fantastic well above average dishes.

One of their specialties is deep fried Som Tam (ส้มตำ)! Only the papaya is deep fried and it comes with a sauce and Kuung aka shrimps. Very nice and relatively rare to find. Well worth trying out.

Another special is their Muu Yang หมูย่าง BBQ'ed pork or try the chicken variation which come with a lovely tamarind sauce!

Good food and good times are to be had her and if on Lanta and you're in for some local food, well, Isaarn style food, this is a very good place to check out.

Camille

6 comments:

Paul Garrigan said...

Hi Camille, I'm fairly certain my wife and I went to this place a few years back. Even though my wife is from central Thailand she has Issan taste when it comes to food. I remember that the meal was particularly good that night - if it is the same place.

Camille said...

Hi Paul,

Looks like it's a small world once more!

Considering that you had some good food, I would almost assume that it's the same place! Cool!

Anonymous said...

At the time of your visit Country Lao was a nice place to get good thai food at reasonable prices. It was then run by a Bangkok family. Unfortunately from 1st of Jan 2011 this family left the restaurant and now it's not the same anymore: higher prices, not the same flair and quality of food is not the same. The times they are a changing, aren't they?
Kox (Lanta)

Camille said...

Kox,

Thanks for the update, too bad about the unfortunate change of ownership.

As you say tho, time is changing and everything changes. There will be new and other good restaurants emerging on Lanta and I can't wait to be back during march and April, later this year.

Gianfranco said...

Hello,

We have been a few times to Country Lao and it is exactly as Camille describes, but it's not on Klong Dao but the south-end of Phra Ae or Long Beach. Across Opium and Swedish Steak House and Pizzeria. It looks a bit different now, new parts are connected in front of the building Thai style. According to the dive-guides and instructors that eat there a lot too it's at least 6 years Su runs the place.

Camille said...

Thanks for the update, the Koh Lanta 'districts' are confusing but the food at Country Lao is good!