Authentic Issan (Northeastern Thai) Food in Bangkok, Thailand by Gai Yang Boran - ไก่ย่างโบราณ

Authentic Issan Food (Northeastern Thai Cuisine)

by Gai Yang Boran (ไก่ย่างโบราณ) in Bangkok, Thailand 

One of the stops on the recent street food tour that I took with Lost Plate Food Tours in Bangkok, Thailand was Gai Yang Boran. This Issan restaurant serves some of Bangkok's most authentic northeastern Thai cuisine, and we tried several amazing dishes.

Lost Plate Food Tours (https://lostplate.com/) run food tours out of China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Portland, Oregon.

The first dish we tried was som tam, or papaya salad. This iconic Issan Thai dish is a spicy fruit salad made from shredded young papaya, tomatoes, green beans, dried shrimp, and roasted peanuts, tossed in a tangy dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, and chilies. The combination of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors creates a refreshing and addictive dish that perfectly balances the heat of the chilies with the crispness of the papaya. It's an explosion of flavors and is typically served with a side of sticky rice to soak up all of the delicious dressing.

som tam, or Issan-style papaya salad in Bangkok, Thailand

Next up was laab moo, or spicy minced pork salad. This Thai minced meat salad is rich, savory, and spicy. This dish is made with a base of minced pork cooked with toasted rice, green onions, chilies, purple onions, fish sauce, lime juice, and lots of fresh herbs.

Although considered to be one of the national dishes of neighboring Laos, laab is a very popular northeastern Thai dish, and is one of the iconic dishes of the Issan region.

laab, or spicy minced pork salad, in Bangkok, Thailand

Finally, we tasted spicy laab meatballs. The deep-fried balls of laab meat have a crispy exterior and are bursting with flavor. The meatballs are served with fried kaffir lime leaves and fried crispy chili peppers.

spicy laab balls - Issan food in Bangkok, Thailand

Location

Gai Yang Boran, whose name means "ancient-style grilled chicken", is an amazing northeastern Thai restaurant in Bangkok. The restaurant is located at 474 476 ศาลเจ้าพ่อเสือ Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, and is about a 10-minute walk from Sam Yot MRT Station.

The famous Wat Saket (Temple of the Golden Mount) and Wat Suthat (Temple of the Giant Swing) are both located near the restaurant.

Gai Yang Boran restaurant (Issan food restaurant) in Bangkok, Thailand