If you had been following our Instagram stories and other social media posts, you probably know that we spent the past week discovering Buriram, a province in the North East region of Thailand (aka Isan). While there is not much to do in Isan other than exploring quaint towns/villages filled with temples and ruins, driving past endless rice fields or experiencing a cultural life among the locals. One thing is for sure. Isan food is unparalleled.

Now if you have been to Bangkok or Chiang Mai, chances are that you have already tried Isan food. However, it’s just not the same unless you try the dishes in Isan itself.

It is important to note that Isan region is quite large and is divided into Northern, Central and Southern part. Each region have their own dishes and they vary a bit.

Here are some of the mouth-watering Isan dishes we tried on our trip in Buriram, which we believe you will love too.

We’ll go in order from soups and appetizers to the main course to desserts and drinks.

And try not to drool.

Soups & Appetizers

Tom Saep

Similar to a Tom Yum, Tom Saep is simply a clear hot and sour soup. The only difference is that it doesn’t have any coconut milk.

The soup is made up of water (sometimes a light broth) with lots of Thai herbs such as basil, lemongrass, ginger, garlic and kaffir lime leaves. Don’t eat these by the way! Meat on a bone are usually added while seafood is also another option. If you want a vegetarian version, it is the same without meat and lots of mushrooms. All these ingredients are cooked/boiled together.

With the addition of fresh chilies, Tom Saep is spicy, hot and sour. It definitely gives Tom Yum a run for its money.

Miang Kham

Miang Kham is a traditional dish, popular in North East Thailand and Laos. It is often served as an appetizer but locals also like to eat at home as a healthy snack. A bunch of fresh ingredients such as shallots, bird’s eye chili peppers, ginger, garlic, lime, peanuts, dried shrimps and roasted coconut are filled together in a Piper sarmentosum leaf. A special sauce is also added to really combine the flavors together. You roll up the leaf with all the ingredients inside and just pop it in your mouth.

The burst of flavors explode in your mouth so harmoniously, it is actually quite inexplicable.

A similar dish we tried in Buriram is the Miang Pla Kra Pong, which is basically the same thing but with chunks of fried fish. We were partial towards the fish version because it added that extra crunch and savory taste.

Minced Meat Balls

I don’t remember the name of this dish but it’s basically a traditional Laab Moo rolled up in a ball and deep fried. Very appetizing and delicious.

Kung Jom

Not really dish but rather a side dish. A bunch of vegetables surround a serving of minced baby shrimp and chili dip.

Take one piece of any vegetable, dip and eat. The flavor is a bit pungent, salty, sour and spicy.

Main Dishes

Fried Fish

Fish is very common in Isan. Almost every night we were having some kind of fish – whether it was Tilapia, snake-head fish or catfish. Each one of them differently flavored but mostly deep friend. You can also find fish dishes that are steamed or grilled.

This one in particular was our absolute favorite – Thai crispy fish topped with chili sauce (pla rad prik). Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The flavor was sweet, sour and spicy.

Gai Yang

Although Gai yang (grilled chicken) is found throughout Thailand on the streets and markets, it originated from Laos and the Isan region.

photo cr: eatingthaifood.com

If you happen to come by a restaurant or a street vendor grilling a whole chicken on a rotisserie or on a BBQ stand, make sure you stop over and buy some. It is often eaten with sticky rice and sweet, sour and spicy sauce. A well cooked Gai Yang is juicy and very flavorful.

Other dishes we tried that we did not get a chance to take pictures are:

Nam Tok

Nam Tok is one of our favorite dishes and probably the reason why we forgot to take a picture of it.  It is spicy salad similar to a Laab but the meat is not usually sliced instead of minced. It also has a more tangy and spicy flavor. The dish is can be made with chicken, beef, pork or seafood and is slightly saucy.

photo cr: rachelcooksthai.com

Dessert

While Isan savory food can be very spicy, the desserts are equally sweet. They comprise of fruits, coconut milk, Thai jelly and other sweet things. The famed mango with sticky rice is very popular in Buriram and Isan just as it as across all of Thailand.

Jelly (Woon) with coconut milk

 Shredded Egg Yolk Tart (Foi Tong)

So these are just some of the delicious food we had in Buriram and reason enough to visit the city. So will you be going on your next trip or trying the dishes in Bangkok? If you know of any more dishes we should try out, let us know in the comments below.