KANTHIYA GARDEN HOTEL

The owner, an agave plant enthusiast, has adorned this cosy space with agave plants throughout. Vietnamese home cooking, enhanced with local Isan spices, fills the air, accompanied by instrumental music in the high-ceilinged room. All ingredients are homemade, offering a choice of pork or fish sausage for the namneung. Don't miss the standout sticky rice waffle served with sun-dried pork, infused with local Isan flavours.

Chef-owner Jinda is a specialist in somtum dishes. She first plied her trade back in 1974 in the local university before moving downtown. The Isan-style spicy fish maw with bamboo shoot salad has a nice balance of herbs and its powerful aroma is punctuated by the intensity of the Tiliacora juice. The signature, somtum with crispy catfish, dispenses an impressive tang. Whether you like it spicy or mild, they’ll make it just right for you.

On the banks of the Mun River, next to a 100-year-old bridge, sits Chomjan, popular with locals and non-locals enjoying penetrating sunsets, a fresh river breeze and live music across different themed dining areas. It caters for everyone, serving classic Thai, Isan and international dishes and fresh local fish. The deep-fried snakehead fish with stir-fried eggplant is recommended; the juicy giant catfish with fresh herbal soup is also delightful.

For over 70 years, this little gem has maintained strict quality control, carefully selecting offal from more than 10kg of offcuts each day. Their specialty is guay jub rice noodles with pork offal in a dark five-spice soup. They also serve delectable egg noodle and wonton soups.

This riverside restaurant is decorated in a dark regal style – black painted wood with red and gold trim – from the era of the former Lan Chang province. It serves a grand selection of local fish, deboned, in a quintessentially Isan style. The terrace seats are made from dark tree stumps set around rugged wooden tables. The vegetables are grown by the owner in their garden, and the pickled vegetables are made in-house using a unique recipe featuring fresh coconut water. It’s best to arrive before sunset to enjoy the stunning view of the Mun River.

The chef owner of Pak Mor Robot has satisfied the tummies of locals for over 30 years. She prepares a variety of Vietnamese dumplings in a steamer at the front of this neat little outlet. The signature, her own invention, is the incredibly tasty Vietnamese dumpling with fried eggs.

Diners can sit inside or roadside in this simple, open-air restaurant. Thai-Chinese is the fare and dishes are prepared at the front. The sound of the wok and sight of the flames make an impressive spectacle. The stir-fried minced pork with olives is a must for its smoky, intense flavours. The deep-fried seabass with sweet fish sauce takes a little longer to prepare but the result is a fantastically crispy skin that goes well with the homemade spicy sauce.