After announcing earlier this year that she would be "moving on" from the Michelin-starred Paste at Gaysorn, Asia’s Best Female Chef Bongkoch “Bee” Satongun has now revealed what she has moved on to: the newly opened second branch of Paste in the laid-back city of Luang Prabang.

Paste Laos sits inside The Apsara boutique hotel on the Nam Kham River, where creative plant-focused Lao dishes take over from the Thai-centric menu of Bangkok.

Here, dishes are inspired by the traditional recipes noted down by great Lao royal chef Phia Sing in the early 20th century.

The menu features over 100 different wild ingredients that have been cured, pickled and fermented, like crunchy fermented rice balls with sour sausage, kaffir lime zest and red curry paste, and stir-fried pickled cabbage, salt cured mushrooms, fermented onion shoots, smoked pork knuckle and white ginger flower vinegar.

There are three tasting menus on offer, starting from around B1,465 per person (minimum two people) to B1,619 per person (minimum four people); a la carte is also available.

In a city where fine-dining culture is yet to be cultivated and cherished, we can see this place being the start of something truly special—watch this space.