Somtum Der

477
 .

Salad of Issan

Somtum Der is a clean and modern somtum (spicy shredded raw papaya salad of Issan style) joint with her debut in Silom area few months ago; the air-conditioning and comfortable ambiance do not wash down the authentication and genuine flavor of this Issan street food - somtum.


















Somtum Der ***1/2
5/5 Soi Saladaeng 
off Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02.632.4499

Open daily : 11 am - 11 pm
Pay (food only for one): around THB 400





 





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E-sarn Loom Yen

431
.

Hard to feel cool

With more new hotels and luxury condos built at the Victory Monument area and its vicinity, the nearby Nangnam Road seems to enjoy a blooming restaurant scene; patrons are now not limited to budgeted armed force personnel and university students, but also includes middle-class residents and international tourists.

There is always devil and angel in the restaurant business. For E-sarn Loom Yen, one phase to describe this Issan (Thai Northeastern) restaurant, is mediocre food at best.



E-sarn Loom Yen Restaurant **1/2
Rangnam Road (corner Soi Loet Panyu)
Phayathai, Bangkok 10400
Tel.: 02.248.2295

Open daily : 8 am - 10 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 500

Yum & Tum

414
.

Healthy salad and fierce pok-pok

I love Issan (Thailand northeastern provinces) food, just like most of the expats living in Bangkok do. Whether it is sidewalk somtum (spicy raw papaya pok-pok salad), gai yang (grilled chicken), or to higher-end Issan restaurants, I couldn't wait to leave my foot print there if it is a good one.

Yum & Tum, with its first debut at the Life Center Sathorn three years ago, has climbed to be a popular Issan delicacies joint with comfy interior and an eclectic menu to offer. Recently I went to her branch at K-Village with two visiting friends, the food was decent though not as good as those at Life Center and Central Festival Pattaya.


1. Thai rice roll with stuffing; 2. spicy raw papaya salad with carrot

3. Thai eggplant salad with grilled pork Issan nam-tok sauce

4. Southern style spicy khao-yum tossed rice

5. gai yang Issan grilled chicken

6. soup noodle with river prawn in tomyum broth; 7. Thai desserts

Yum & Tum Issan Restaurant ***1/2
2/F K-Village
93-95 Sukhumvit Soi 26
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110
Tel.: 02.665.6546

Open daily : 11 am - 9:30 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 700

Hai Somtam Convent

411
.

Convent's pok-pok

Hai Somtam Convent Pochana stands on Soi Convent for decades, used to serve good quality som-tum (spicy raw papaya pok-pok salad) and gai-yang (grilled chicken); still serves these Thai Issan delicacies, but not as good as before. In my recent revisit to Hai, I found that its grilled chicken is of cheap quality while the papaya pok-pok salad and other yum (spicy salad) dishes are still delightful to eat.



Hai Somtam Convent Pochana ***
2/4-5 Soi Convert
off Silom Road
Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel.: 02. 631.0216

Open daily : 10 am - 8:30 pm (Sat 10 am - 5 pm)
Pay (food only for two): around THB 400

Sansab

385
.

A Thai-Issan treat in San Francisco

Few years ago Sansab was quietly tossing its somtum salad and roasting Issan chicken on Ladprao Road; I have no idea, but since when this neighborhood Issan somtum joint felt too lonely to stay in Ladprao, it branched out to Bangkok's major shopping malls, in Central, in Siam Paragon, and now has landed in the Terminal 21 Mall at Asok Intersection.






Sansab Thai Restaurant ***
The Terminal 21
San Francisco Zone, 5/F
288 Sukhumvit Road
(at Asok Intersection)
North Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110

Open daily : 10 am - 9 pm
Pay (food only for two): around THB 600

Raan Ahhan Aroi Nae Non

358
.

Encroachment delicious

Aroi Nae Non (literally delicious definitely) Restaurant, located at the beginning of Ladprao Road, serves a wide variety of classic Issan (northeastern provinces) fare. The menu covers an extensive selection of country-style favorites of Issan region, like different kind of somtum and yum to gaeng and jim-joom. My favorites are namtok moo yang and gai yang.

The owner really has guts to name its restaurant Aroi Nae Non or Definitely Delicious! However, I found, every dish I ordered was flavorsome, they are delicious, and wallet friendly too.


1. yum eggplant salad with seafood THB 90
2. grilled pork, with mint, in namtok dressing THB 60
(CNNgo world most delicious foods no. 19)

3. grilled chicken, marinated in Issan recipe THB 70

4 deep-fried sea bass THB 290

5. fried prawn in tamarind sauce THB 150
6. tomyum goong the CNNgo world 8th most delicious foods, THB 100

Aroi Nae Non Issan Restaurant ****
Ladprao Road
near Ladprao Soi 1
Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900
Tel: 02.939.3808

Open daily : 3 pm - 1 am
Pay (food only for two): around THB 400

Esarn Derm

BANGKOK AMAZING GOURMET
.

Twin - the beautiful one

Almost next to Raan Deur is Esarn Derm, another Thai-Issan restaurant on Narathiwas Road. Packed with delicious Thai cuisine with a northeastern (Issan) twist. And it is packed during (every) evening, even on a rainy day.


somtum, gai yang

nam-tok moo yang, pla kapong pao

Esarn Derm Issan Restaurant ****
377 Naradhiwas-najanagarindra Road
(near Narathiwas-Ratchada intersection)
Yannawa, Bangkok 10120
Tel.: 081.919.8297

Open daily : 4 pm - 2 am
Pay (food only for two): around THB 300


*this picture was taken at 1:29am (in the evening, it was full house)