By Jasmina
You may have heard the saying, “out with the old, in with new”. As we collect new things in life, we tend to shove the old towards the back of the closet, or in this case, our minds. The same can be said for some of our favorite eateries. As trendy new cafes and restaurants are popping up aplenty across our city, it’s easy to get lost with the newer, shinier shops.
I’m guilty of this, when my significant other asks the dreaded question, “so, what do you want to eat?’, I’ll rack my brain for what’s the newest or latest that has been hyped up on social media. But I’d like to take a step back to appreciate a quaint underrated eatery that has never disappointed me. Nestled behind the new EU building right in the middle of town, next to Haysok temple (did someone say temple parking?) sits a charming little cafe that has been with us since July of 2015.
The ambiance at Temple View cafe is cozy and peaceful, making it a great place to read or catch up with a friend while you wait for your food. The interior is decorated with soft cushions and throw pillows and feels as though you are lounging in a comfortable space at home or at a friend’s house (if your friend were serving you delicious food and you were paying them to do so). The tables are covered with pages from old literary books (sorry, bibliophiles), and you can appreciate how much love and thought has been put into building the place.
The owner, also the chef, has crafted a menu using his love for food and diverse palette. My partner and I are the ‘stick to what you know’ kind of folk, but this is the one place where we have been adventurous, since everything we’ve ever been served has been packed with so much flavor that we’ve never been left with the taste of regret in our mouths (not like too-much-tequila-the-night-before kind of regret, that’s a whole other type of regret). Their menu hosts an array of fusion dishes from Crispy Wonton Pad Thai to Steaks to Kapao Pizza Sandwiches. They have a short menu, but what they do do ( that’s right, I said do do), they do well.
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”19″ override_thumbnail_settings=”1″ thumbnail_width=”100″ thumbnail_height=”75″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”0″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” template=”/home4/laotiantimes/public_html/wp-content/plugins/nextgen-gallery/products/photocrati_nextgen/modules/ngglegacy/view/gallery.php” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails”]On this sleepy Saturday afternoon however, we did order our usual. We started with the handmade shrimp and crab dumplings, (as suggested by the chef) and potato wedges with truffle sauce (as suggested by the fact that my partner does not share food, you can call him Joey). The dumplings were stuffed with a generous portion of filling, paired along with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce. The first bite was an explosion of flavor in my mouth, if the chef makes a suggestion for you to try while you are there, my advice is for you to try it. The potato wedges with truffle sauce came next, and I have to tell you, I would eat cardboard if it was drenched in that creamy truffle sauce.
Our main courses followed, my partner had ordered his favorite chicken breast steak and I had the pork chop. As soon as he cut into the tender piece of meat, I could tell how juicy it was just by the clear juices running from it. This too, came with the truffle sauce (to be honest, I don’t know if all of his steaks come with the truffle sauce, or their own sauce because we only ever request it with this sauce) a side of potato wedges (I told you, Joey doesn’t share food) and a small side salad. My pork chop had the same juicy cook on it, along with the same sauce, wedges and side salad. There’s not a lot of fuss to his style of cooking, just simple and delicious, to-the-point flavors.
I finished with a hot green tea latte, it was good I suppose. I’ve never been a coffee (or any type of hot beverage) connoisseur, so I can’t accurately rate the coffee at this establishment, coffee is coffee to me. I am a HUGE fan of his iced pumpkin latte, though. It’s not flavored with a pumpkin syrup, like most places, so it’s not like drinking a candle. He adds actual pumpkin puree to the coffee which thickens it and gives it a rich, creamy texture without leaving a heavy taste in your mouth.
The entire meal cost us just 173,000 LAK, which is reasonable for two starters, two main courses (both steaks) and a beverage. The portions are fair, it was too much for me to finish my pork chop for lunch but my partner had finished his chicken steak and my leftovers with ease. The downside to this cafe is that it does take awhile to get your food, so if you are on a lunch break or on a time crunch you may want to call ahead and place your order, otherwise the wait is well worth it.
Temple View Cafe is open daily Monday- Saturday from 9AM-4:30PM.
Please visit their Facebook page for more information https://www.facebook.com/Temple-VIEW-CAFE-111609369181227/ or call 020 222 13122
