Isaan Restaurants

[STEVE G]

That's what happens with us as well except there is normally more than one farang to share the bill and my partner never leaves any amount of food in a restaurant, it gets taken home for later!

[pharvey]

What I really enjoy in these local type restaurants is to go with a group of people, let the Thais loose on the menu to fill the table with food and then tuck into whatever takes your fancy. To me it's much more fun than doing it the Western way where you just choose one dish for yourself and you get to try so many different things.

100% - Not just Thailand, but found it just as enjoyable in China...... going to be a bit difficult for myself and the LHG going back to the UK, maybe we'll just have to order 6 starters or so and share them!!

[dtaai-maai]

Couldn't agree more, but they don't have to be Isaan restaurants, of course. We were at Naab Thong last week and had some Cumberland sausages. They were very nice, but Mrs D-M also ordered loads of Thai dishes, and the ones I could eat were, frankly, better. No, that's daft, you can't really compare. The Tom Kha Gai, which I hadn't had before, was truly scrumptious, and Mrs D-M is giving it a go at home this evening.

(If I don't post tomorrow, you know the reason why... )

[pharvey]

Proper Job!!!....... Mini versions required for the UK and Pub food (i.e. The Lazy Susan)

Anyway, sorry..... ..

[LolaBeltran]

Yok Crok is the name of the Isaan restaurant one block south of the mall on the same side. I asked the name last night on our final visit there as we have now added this place to our blacklist along with Sappy Lee out near the Army base. Both have come to feature service standards that range from casual to appalling. Even the food is not very good. Try them if you must, but dont expect much.

Last night we ate around 8:00,restaurant about 1/3 full, most tables already served.
Simple order: kao pad khai. 45 minutes later . .yes, forty five minutes . . .the waitress who we had asked to check on our order several times already . . .finally says that they are cooking it now. We asked for the bill, had them pack it up ( took another 10 minutes) and asked to see the manager. Manager would not come to our table but sent a cook to apologize. No reason given, just sorry.

"Kao pad khai" was of the "mai mi khai" variety. Mainly chicken skin and only three tiny pieces of that.

We will be trying the other Isaan restaurants described in this thread.

[hhfarang]

We had lunch at the one with the big chicken out front (not Seb Neur, this is a really big chicken) on the highway between Hua Hin and Pranburi. I wouldn't go there without a Thai unless you read Thai as the menu seemed to be Thai only and very limited in variety.

However, the whole barbecued fish, somtam Thai, and laab gai we had was very good and portions big enough to stuff us both; with sticky rice and water, 310 baht... good service and the waiter we had did speak English.

[JimmyGreaves]

Try the laab pladook or laab phet (ground spicy catfish or ground spicy duck) with sticky rice. Had some of each yesterday and they were very good if you like that sort of dish, but yes, it is easy to just drink beer and down two or three baskets of those wings!

I like laab pladook but everytime I order it they seem to always have the very tiny catfish bones embedded. Is this one always bone-free?

[JimmyGreaves]

What I really enjoy in these local type restaurants is to go with a group of people, let the Thais loose on the menu to fill the table with food and then tuck into whatever takes your fancy. To me it's much more fun than doing it the Western way where you just choose one dish for yourself and you get to try so many different things.

Totally agree and it's hard to find europeans who will eat this way. I just hate it when we sit down and eat the thai way and have the odd farang friend who orders their own dish, surrounds it like fort knox as if there was no more food in the place. Anyone been there?