Dinner at Dok Mai Lao. Everything you see here plus a bottle of water cost 153,000 kips [$7.98]. Crostini has chicken liver paté, gorgonzola and walnut, mozzarella and tomato, pork rillette, bruschetta and olives. Salad had duck breast meat, parmigiano, apple, olives, egg, tomato and lettuce. Bread was excellent, and there's wine vinegar and olive oil at the table.

By contrast, this day's breakfast was two sticks of grilled chicken gizzards for 77 cents.