Best Isaan Restaurants In Bangkok?

[papaya9]

Can someone please tell me what they think the best/most authentic Isaan restaurant in Bangkok is? I am wary of eating from the street vendors, which many people say are the best. Thanks if you can help,

Kurt

[chonabot]

Isaan classic used to be good , my wife used to drag me to them on a weekly basis.

[singa-traz]

on Soi Sailom, there used to be a Issan "Restaurant", with a very good "Kai Yang".

In between real restaurant and street vendors.

[Curt]

Khun Phen makes my favorite kai thod (fried chicken).

Great flavoring and very moist.

Add her somtam and khao neow, it's fantastic!

She's across the river.

Khun Pen Chicken

[The Coder]

Cafe de Laos is worth a look. They have a number of locations in Bangkok (Siam and Silom road for instance). Very clean, upscale look and feel, somewhat expensive 100-200 baht entrees roughly, draft heineken, and good chance of an English speaking staff. They have a wooden menu with all the isaan dishes you can think of and of course serve bamboo baskets of sticky rice. If you like chicken, I have to say they make the most delicious chicken dish I've had called "guy taught graw tea umm" which means garlic fried chicken.

[simcity]

Next to the boxing stadium (Ratchadamnoen) in Ratchadamnoen road was a very good Isan place , the place burn down 1 year ago (The revenge of the chicken !)

, but it is still open .

[dantilley]

There's an excellent street Isaan place right by the Asia Hotel, by Ratchathewi BTS station.

Also, there is Issan Sud Inter on Rang Nam Road, by Victory Monument BTS, which is an actual restaurant (i.e. not street vendor) and is also very good.

[papaya9]

Thank you very much, gentlemen, keep them coming! (Got to feed the Isaan GF, you know:)

Kurt

[papaya9]

Thank you very much, gentlemen, keep them coming! (Got to feed the Isaan GF, you know:)

Kurt

[Thaipwriter]

Got to feed the Isaan GF, you know

Kurt

should n't be too difficult, look out for the cart of fried insects

[chaiyapoon]

Anybody tried this restaurant yet www.isarnchachacha.com ?

Its on my must try list for my next trip.Isaan food with attitude! Its not far from Lumpini/Saladaeng.

20 days and counting!

[papaya9]

"look out for the cart of fried insects "

haha. She was never big into malang, but she did admit to falling for the heavenly aroma of fried grasshoppers

Kurt

[Sarpedon]

I have tried Isaan cha cha cha. I think its quiet close to the HSBC building on sathorn road. Food is good there and the last time i was there they have a band playing inside...I only realised after my friend told me that they are all blind. A nice restaurant...

[bendix]

Try Vientiene Kitchen on Sukhumvit Soi 36. Last time I was there they had Isaan musicions and even an thai boxing match.

[dantilley]

Try Vientiene Kitchen on Sukhumvit Soi 36.  Last time I was there they had Isaan musicions and even an thai boxing match.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Quite expensive though. But they do have snails, duck beaks and ant egg laap on the menu

[papaya9]

But they do have snails, duck beaks and ant egg laap on the menu ....

Barff!!!!!!

Thanks again, you guys !

[mike_l]

There's an excellent street Isaan place right by the Asia Hotel, by Ratchathewi BTS station.

Also, there is Issan Sud Inter on Rang Nam Road, by Victory Monument BTS, which is an actual restaurant (i.e. not street vendor) and is also very good.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I reckon the "Tida Isaan" on the opposite side of the road is better than the "Tee Sut Isaan Inter" (as I think it's called). There does seem to be quite a lot of good and cheap Isaan restaurants on Rangnam road though, bit spoilt for choice!

Interesting thing about the "Tee Sut Isaan Inter" restaurant is that it was reviewed in the Bangkok Post who proclaimed it as having the best hamburgers in all of Bangkok - quite an unusual accolade for an Isaan restaurant!

[BambinA]

how is "Kai Yang Nipaporn" Cheangwattha Rd (Meungthong Thani3) and Klong Pra Pa

bambi

[papaya9]

Thanks again!! I'm really looking forward to sampling some of these:)

[dantilley]

There's an excellent street Isaan place right by the Asia Hotel, by Ratchathewi BTS station.

Also, there is Issan Sud Inter on Rang Nam Road, by Victory Monument BTS, which is an actual restaurant (i.e. not street vendor) and is also very good.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I reckon the "Tida Isaan" on the opposite side of the road is better than the "Tee Sut Isaan Inter" (as I think it's called). There does seem to be quite a lot of good and cheap Isaan restaurants on Rangnam road though, bit spoilt for choice!

Interesting thing about the "Tee Sut Isaan Inter" restaurant is that it was reviewed in the Bangkok Post who proclaimed it as having the best hamburgers in all of Bangkok - quite an unusual accolade for an Isaan restaurant!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I did notice that about Tee Sut Isaan Inter and was similarly bemused by the claim. I do like a good burger from time to time, although I can't quite bring myself to go to an Isaan restaurant to order one...!

[dantilley]

Interesting thing about the "Tee Sut Isaan Inter" restaurant is that it was reviewed in the Bangkok Post who proclaimed it as having the best hamburgers in all of Bangkok - quite an unusual accolade for an Isaan restaurant!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just to report back - after all this talk, I had a burger there the other day and they're actually pretty good!

[brubo1]

Vientiane Kitchen I know as "BAAN LAO" and as the name suggests it is actually Laos restaurant. My GF was very impressed with the whole package. From the seating in the "little houses" to the music and of course the food - she thought it was very authentic and good. I can only second those sentiments. The snakefish soup and ants egg larb was almost as good as in our village. I didn't think it was expensive. Also if you want to go on a weekend, be sure to book ahead!

[lopburi3]

Thank you very much, gentlemen, keep them coming! (Got to feed the Isaan GF, you know:)

Kurt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is too easy. Within 3 days she will know every maid from Isaan (if you let her) and probably be eating the best food available with them (8 times a day).

If you don't like street venders (who are usually the best cooks) try some of the indoor coupon fast food courts. I guarantee she is not going to want to pay tourist price for food so I would stick with the food centric places rather than those with ambience.

[papaya9]

Thank you, Lopburi I'll ask her to ask the maids.. Take care!

Kurt

[Sporting Dog]

I like the Vientiane - whenever friends or family visit from Oz I try and take them there. Last time I went about 4 months ago (live in the country now) and the floorshow was better than before - dancers, boxers and band.

I guess its a little expensive and the food is only OK but its a good night out. My Issan wife enjoys it, I even think she feels quite proud about the whole set-up and Issan thing there. And its clean (for thai) and friendly and the little salas are great.

The dancers are always cool to have a few photos taken and there's lots of smiles there. I always sling the band and dancers a few baht with the bill.

(tho' if you need wine bring your own - chilled, my mum ordered a bottle of reasonable white wine but it came out at room temperature and in went the ice blocks.)

Sure, if the wife wants to eat Issan she soons 'sniffs' out where the best som tum and pla la are - perhaps you'd be better advised to let her find the best Issan fod.

[dantilley]

I like the Vientiane - whenever friends or family visit from Oz I try and take them there. Last time I went about 4 months ago (live in the country now) and the floorshow was better than before - dancers, boxers and band.

I guess its a little expensive and the food is only OK but its a good night out. My Issan wife enjoys it, I even think she feels quite proud about the whole set-up and Issan thing there. And its clean (for thai) and friendly and the little salas are great.

The dancers are always cool to have a few photos taken and there's lots of smiles there. I always sling the band and dancers a few baht with the bill.

(tho' if you need wine bring your own  - chilled, my mum ordered a bottle of reasonable white wine but it came out at room temperature and in went the ice blocks.)

Sure, if the wife wants to eat Issan she soons 'sniffs' out where the best som tum and pla la are - perhaps you'd be better advised to let her find the best Issan fod.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmm... all this talk of the Vientienne House may tempt me to pay it another visit - I've only been once, and that weas about 2 months ago.

By the way, personally I think the food is better than "Only OK" - but, one thing I definitely agree with you about is the atmosphere, and it certainly does make for a good night out.

[frenchFARANGbkk]

And where can I eat good northern food in BKK?

Thanks

[Nordlys]

My favorite is Sara Jane on the first floor of Sindhorn Tower on Witthayu Rd next to US embassy (also on west Narathiwat Rd.). Great Gai Yaan and Som Tam.

http://www.restaurants.infothai.com/sara_janes.html

There's also Isaan Cha Cha Cha in Soi Saladaeng 1 very close to U Chuliang Bldg on Rama 4 opposite Lumpini Park, but I've never been there yet.

Edited November 30, 2005 by Nordlys

[NguuMuu]

I went to the Vientianne House last month and I would not recommend it at all. The place has a nice setup and atmosphere, but beyond that I wasn't impressed. Upon entering they give you wet towels that later apear on your bill for 10 baht each. (yeah, it's only 10 baht, but it's the principal here). The food was relatively expensive and certainly did not taste better than basically the same thing you can grab from any isaan place off the street. The wait staff was extremely inattentive and unhelpful..I had to get up and pour myself more water twice (the cart was about 5 meters away). Very bad service in my opinion.

I can see this as a god place for toursists because at the street places you generally need to be able to read or at least speak Thai (or have someone to do it for you), but I certainly won't be going back there.

[andym528]

Interesting thing about the "Tee Sut Isaan Inter" restaurant is that it was reviewed in the Bangkok Post who proclaimed it as having the best hamburgers in all of Bangkok - quite an unusual accolade for an Isaan restaurant!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Chef Yim is an impressively trained chef, I forget all her credentials. Besides hamburgers, there are quite a few very good 'farang' items on the menu. Her husband is American and hangs around 'looking after' the bar and schmoozing the customers. While it's not cheap like street food, it's not all that expensive...