Dante & Da Vinci At Black Canyon Coffee
Following up on my previous article regarding the first establishment of the Black Canyon Coffee Restaurant in Laos , I recently took my dinner with my friend Ong based on his recommendation and introduction. Frankly, I have previously just tried the coffee and this visit gave me an opportunity to assess for myself whether this place lives up to its reputation of being an international restaurant.
Having arrived just before seven, I was generally impressed with the interior and decorations within the premises. We were immediately whisked to a table for two and served by one of the many male waiters who immediately passed us the food and drinks menu right after we were seated. The laminated menu are fully illustrated with all photos of soup, sandwiches, salads, spicy salads, appetizers, a la carte, curries/soups, noodles, pasta, steaks, rice dishes and there was even a section for Lao delights. Most items on offer have actual photographs and this did indeed titillate my taste buds prior to my dinner.
As I am more a Western cuisine afficionado I ordered the pork chop steak with black pepper and mushroom gravy while Ong went with the highly recommended and accolade winning dish the pasta in spicy prawn soup also known as the Tom Yum Goong.
When my order arrived, I gently tucked into my dish and the meat was actually well beyond my expectation as it was well done, juicy and tender. The accompaniments of fries was also as delightful. My friend who was enjoying his Thai cuisine was also as impressed with the sweet and spicy gravy and I did enjoy watching him slurp down the dish filled with prawns, lemon grass and lots of other herbs.
After our sumptuous but hardly feeling dinner, we gradually moved on to desert where the spread of gelato ice-cream awaits to be savoured. Having browsed the dedicated menu just for gelato ice-cream we ordered the Dante and the Da Vinci which are two out of the three Black Canyon’s delectable creations illustrated on the 2nd page.
As I tucked into the masterpiece after its arrival, I was evoked with memories of my numerous experiences with ice-cream sold in Laos. The gelato tasted wholesome and flavourful and does not reek your throat with the post-swallow irritation that you may often experience with ice-creams. Apart from the taste, the sweetness was hardly overbearing nor sugary and I can safely conclude that this encounter is definitely the pinnacle of all my ice-cream experiences in a parlour-like atmosphere in Laos.
While we have only tasted a few of the numerous dishes on offer at this restaurant we are convinced that we will still be back for more as we have yet to savour more from this internationally established franchise chain.