The flavor? It's not parsley, rosemary, or thyme.
On the afternoon I landed in Vientiane, the dusty capital of Laos, mangosteen was unavailable at Fasai Shop. Several of the other 40-some options were new to me (click on the "menu board" photo for a better view), including santol, whose many vernacular names include "faux mangosteen." (Joe DiStefano later came across a dried, chili-spiced version in Elmhurst.)
In hindsight, I might have done better to order the santol; my sage "shake" (5,000 kip) proved to be more froth than substance. Refreshing enough, though, before a short walk to the Black Stupa, and not far past it, a pickup game of petanque.
Fasai Shop (with the blue awning)
Th. Samsenthai, Vientiane, Laos
(From a November 2006 visit)
