Dear Dazzer, It is genuine, as am I. I'm a 52 yo American male, weighing 375. I lived in KM in the late 80s and have returned with my son to visit friends. English Teacher picke up the American TV commercial reference.

Actually, it's the 香海月 (Xiang Hai Yue) 素餐馆, but this was the best vegetarian meal I've ever had. NowI'm not a committed vegetarian. At 375 pounds, I'm committed to taste, not health (Hey, we're all gonna die some way, some day, so you might as well die happy). But what I ate tonight was deceptively good. The staff custom mix plant materials to create dishes that are hard to discern from meat dishes. My 13 year old son was dreading the meal, but is really happy after the fact. The laoban allowed me to take home a copy of the menu. Prices range from 10元 to 28元. There were soups, sushi, cold and hot dishes, fried, stir-fried. A 4 year old Chinese boy in our company would go "Wow" with each dish that was brought out. I don't normally eat at fancy restaurants, nor do I review them (I normally eat street food), but I whole-heartedly (and with a full stomach) recommend the Xiang Hai Yue.

The particulars, the restaurant is located on the third floor of the 滨江大夏 on 青年路, across from the Yuantong Zoo. Enter from around the back and take the elevator to the third floor. Down the hall onto the open courtyard terrace. Simply Mahvelous!

I've got a different address on Taoyuan Lu. Anyone know if the place is at either location. I lifted at the Guofang Jianshenyuan back in 1990. Curious to see if He Bao Min is still around. A guy at the Bird and Flower Market indicated he is.

OK, my father-in-law has agreed to meet us at Chiang Khong, across from Huay Xai. We have a price for the KMG-Mohan bus trip of 325 yuan per person (750, one way). Lao visa v-o-a about 135 per person (1020 total). I gon't have a price on a bus fare from Boten to Huay Xai or on v-o-a visa at Chiang Khong. Since our flight back leaves KMG on 7-26, 15 day walk in visas are more than sufficient.

Alternately, we can go KMG to Jinghong, Jinghong to Huay Xai (sounds like a reasonable alternative. Thanks again for the input. As I learn more, I'll post more and read as you post.

Thanks for the feedback thus far. As I said, my wife's from CM, so I'm hoping that dear ol' dad will drive up to CK to pick us up at the border, my total budget for the next 3 weeks, including the trip, is under 4000, so the reason for overland travel is financial. I got a price of 325 per ticket for KMG to MHN 13 hr trip. The main unknown is the Lao leg of the trip. We can (?) get a V-O-A in Boten; how much to travel from Boten to Huay Xai?