Love Life Café: Home-Made Ice Cream, Cookies, Shakes, Paninis & Salads
There’s a charming little oasis in Vientiane that many of us visit to escape the doldrums of life…our little heaven of sorts where we get to learn to love life all over again. Tucked away at the end of Dongpalane, Love Life Ice Cream (or LLIC, as I conveniently call it) is the brainchild of cookie school teacher Fleur Varenne, a French-British transplant in Laos.
If you haven’t been to LLIC, get ready for a surprise. The ambience is bright, cheerful and welcoming, and so is the service. It’s the perfect destination for families with children and couples on a date…hoping for children down the road. Don’t fret if you’re all alone, LLIC is guaranteed to lift your spirits and end that pity party for one – if only because the internet connection advertised as “super-fast” is actually super fast (at least for Laos).
For many of us who grew up with soft-serve ice cream cones, LLIC is where we get the chance to relive fond childhood memories as we try to engulf the entire cone before it melts, but are inevitably forced to lap up whatever oozes over the cone and trickles down the fingers…onto the arms.
But there’s more to life than the basic ice cream cone. Love Life has a range of cakes, cookies, cupcakes and sundaes from their Simple Sundaes to the ginormous Big Banana Boat!! Nicely tucked in between are the Mount Fuji, Banoffee, Chocolate Volcano and Cookie Sundae, Green Sundae…and the Baby. If you’re one of those who is constantly worried about packing on those inches on your waistline…pick from one of the healthy yogurts shakes or fruity lollies or a fruit salad topped with just a little ice cream.
Speaking of salads, don’t let the name of this place fool you. LLIC also has a savory menu that will whet just about any appetite. From refreshing salads to belly-warming soups and mouth-watering panini sandwiches, LLIC is really a glutton’s haven! The best part is they are all natural and healthy, free of that much-dreaded MSG.
A little tip for the seasoned LLIC patron, The Fleur is bringing back an old favorite to the menu — crepes!! Just think of vanilla ice cream and mangoes topped off with caramel sauce or vanilla ice cream with bananas with strawberry sauce…or for the truly decadent…chocolate ice cream with bananas drowned in both caramel and chocolate sauces…served on light, delicious crepes.
So wait no more, it’s time to remember what loving life is like, and there’s only one place in the city of Vientiane to do that. Love Life Ice Cream, of course!
Love Life is located near the Dongpalane roundabout (see map), where all the flower shops are. On the right-hand side when coming down from Sengdara gym, just before the roundabout. The shop is open from 10.00am to 8.00pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Tel: 030 531 3773 or 020 5651 6799, www.lovelifelaos.com
Source: by Kelvin Wee
