It's by no means the best coffee in the world, and often the amount of sweetened condensed milk is enough to give a diabetic nightmares, but the combination of product and place makes Lao coffee a mighty satisfying brew.
It's particularly nice when consumed at Pasaneyom, a tiny family-run coffee shop in Luang Prabang:
Before the town's morning market was moved a few blocks away, the place was very popular among tourists, and they often outnumbered locals. Today it's a bit quieter and the locals have come back. The original owner died a few years back, but his son and daughter-in-law (pictured above) carry on the tradition of a caffeine-fueled breakfast next to the Mekong.