Sustainable Farm-To-Table Culinary Traditions At The Forefront Of Rosewood Luang Prabang’s Destination Dining

Rosewood Luang Prabang delves deeper into the lesser-known intricacies of the rich Laotian food culture and in particular Royal Laotian cuisine headed by Culinary Director Sebastien Rubis. With a culinary program that places utmost importance on locally sourced and seasonal foods, many of the ingredients presented are sustainably sourced from nearby farms, as well as the property’s own verdant and organic garden. Comprising fresh ingredients including herbs, salad greens, vegetables as well as fish and meat, the produce presented at Rosewood Luang Prabang is all about exploring Laos’ bounty.

“We want to truly showcase the history behind Laos’ gastronomic culture, as well as how amazing the produce is here,” “Many people do not realize that many familiar flavors found in other food cultures – such as that of Thailand’s – were actually created in Laos. We want to be able to pay homage to the smorgasbord of amazing flavors found in this country through our resort.”

Elias Pertoft, managing director of Rosewood Luang Prabang

French-born Rubis has developed a passion for preserving the authenticity of the Royal Laotian cuisine, employing traditional cooking methods that bring out the freshness of the local produce adding a mixture of bitter, herbal and astringent flavors taken from herbs, flowers, roots and leaves growing wild inside the resort. Having honed his culinary skills in Southeast Asia for over 14 years, Sebastian was awarded the prestigious honor of being selected as the ASIA Geographical Indication (GI) Ambassador for Laos, a project launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the French Development Agency (AFD) with a focus on protecting food cultures in the region and reviving the ancestral and forgotten recipes.

The great house

Featuring indoor and outdoor terraces, The Great House is set to become the epicenter of Rosewood Luang Prabang’s culinary offerings. Strongly influenced by Laotian regional specialties, the restaurant truly embraces local culture to create modern iterations of traditional flavors. Each dish has been carefully conceived to elevate comforting classics to new, innovative heights, while ensuring that the flavors of fresh produce still reign supreme.

The Great House’s fluid menu is determined by the season’s harvest, where chefs will visit farmers and fishermen within the vicinity each morning to determine the day’s menu in order to present sophisticated Laotian-inflected dishes that satiate, tantalize and educate the diner at every meal. This fluid and produce-driven menu will also enable the restaurant to prepare both gastronomic and comfort foods according to each guest’s personal preference.

The elephant bridge bar

Overlooking the tranquil waterfalls and rivers lies The Elephant Bridge Bar. The idyllic residential-style space is perfect for a relaxing evening drink or whiling the afternoon away. Offering light snacks, simple and healthy fare, and refreshing hand-crafted cocktails and beverages, the convivial bar is set in the lush Luang Prabang forest.

With a cocktail program revolving around the use of local herbs and spices, the bar specializes in cocktail classics with a tropical twist. Each hand-crafted cocktail uses quality ingredients that echo Laos’ rich and diverse harvests to reflect a true sense of place. Alongside unique combinations of ingredients are classic cocktails, infusions, fresh juice cocktails, as well as frosty beers and an extensive wine list to cater to myriad tastes. The bar is also eco-conscious, with bamboo straws and sustainably sourced ingredients and wares.

The Garden and Pop-Ups

Seeking to always create unique and memorable experiences, Rosewood Luang Prabang will craft a range of gastronomic on-property getaways that provide exciting opportunities to sample culinary offerings from the world over.

Drawing from Rubis’s own travels and culinary journeys, each pop-up concept will be conceived to surprise and appeal to seasoned travelers. These bespoke concepts will provide guests with an alternative to dining in the restaurant, and also include thematic nights. The pop-ups will be available for small group gatherings, personalized picnics and intimate romantic dinners.

Poolside

No trip to the inviting azure waters of a pool is complete without appetizing food and refreshing drinks. Rosewood Luang Prabang’s poolside offerings include an array of comfort food, haute Laotian classics, as well as fresh cocktails, wines and refreshments. Dotted with sunbeds and cosy cabanas, the pool also has thoughtfully placed tables that afford guests the option of dining right by the pool and enjoy the verdant surrounds of the luxurious property.

A Sense of Taste in Luang Prabang

Guests can also uncover Luang Prabang and Laos’ extraordinarily rich culinary heritage through the resort’s “A Sense of Taste” program. By building deep and authentic relationships with the purveyors in its community, Rosewood Luang Prabang is able to take guests straight to the source of their gastronomic offerings. Each “A Sense of Taste” journey invites guests to embark on a culinary expedition that seeks to create meaningful and heartfelt connections with the locale.

These experiences include “Partners in Provenance,” a commitment by the chefs to support the area’s artisanal food suppliers by sourcing for and presenting locally produced ingredients to create a diverse and seasonal menu of local fare. It also includes the special “Epicurean Encounters” experience, where guests get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with Luang Prabang’s unique culinary culture. Each tailor-made encounter, such as “Forest gatherers” includes going on a jungle trek with an indigenous tribe, and learning about the diverse flora and fauna that is unique to Laos. Guests gain first-hand knowledge on the various edible and medicinal properties of plants in the tropical rainforest, before settling down to a foraged meal of delicious local Laotian specialties, which the tribespeople will have specially prepared for Rosewood guests.