Isaan Food (North East Thai Food) @ North East Restaurant, Bangkok

A few months ago while applying for May’s Canadian Visa I passed by a packed Restaurant called North East while walking back to our hotel from the Canadian Embassy along Thanon Rama IV. Ever since, I’ve always taken notice of this restaurant whenever I pass by the area and found there’s always people eating inside at any given time. I finally made it a point to try it out with Wayne to see if it was any good.

Entering we knew this place was only frequented by locals as not one of the staff could speak English and the menu was in Thai. With my broken Thai, familiarity with Isaan Dishes and a picture laden menu, we managed to get our order through.

Moo Yang (Grilled Pork Neck)

Pork Neck usually has quite a bit of fat but the way the meat melted in your mouth almost made you think you were eating pure fat without feeling nauseous. The flavor tasted similar to Malaysian Char Siew but a little milder. It was simple and delicious!


Gai Yang (Grilled Chicken)

My last Gai Yang was a few months ago at Hai Som Tam and Northeast’s rendition beats it by a mile. Unlike Hai Som Tam the honey basted chicken is actually served fresh off the grill and was juicy and tender. The only quip I had was I wished it had more of a charcoal flavor imparted on it.


Som Tam with Fermented Crabs

The Som Tam was decent but not the best I've had. It lacked the strong flavor of Tamarind Juice and was a little mild probably because they thought we couldn't handle heat.


Braised Chicken Wings with Thai Spinach Noodles

The Noodles were very springy and the Chicken Wings were braised fork tender in a sweet red sauce. I liked the addition of Fried Garlic with brought some balance to the sweet chicken wings


Wonton and Fried Pork Noodle Soup

I much prefer Malaysian Pork Noodle Soup to this because the soup here is a little too sweet. The Wontons contained large prawns and the Siu Yoke (Chinese Roast Pork) is deep fried instead of roasted giving it a crunchier but tougher texture. It wasn’t a bad dish but neither was it a favorite.

Fish Ball and Minced Pork Vermicelli

The soup base was the same as the Wonton Noodles. Both Wayne and I prefer the Fish Balls in Malaysia as they are smoother and have a springier texture.

Overall the food at North East is good especially their Grilled Pork Neck and Chicken which are worth coming back for. The entire meal cost us THB 3500 which is cheap considering the amount of food we ordered.

Food: 3.8/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Price: $ (Under USD $7 per person)

Contact Information
Address: Intersection between Thanon Rama IV and Soi Gotche
Tel: N/A
Map:

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