We went to Thai Isan on a weekday in August for the first time in years. There does not seem to be a booking option on their homepage, but we managed to get a table this evening. It took 10 minutes before the waitress came to our table to ask if we were ready to order – and we politely reminded her that we had not gotten a menu yet. We did get to order eventually but it should not take 30 minutes to get the initial drinks on the table.
We started with a Gaeng Pah Gai which is also known as Jungle curry. After we ordered, Nikki mentioned that we should have ordered the food spicy. It turned out that there was no need for that as it was fiercely spicy but still delicious with lots of vegetables in it in addition to some chicken. I moved on to pork larb which is a dish where ground meat is the main ingredient. The larb was tangy, full-flavored, and quite spicy. I would have enjoyed a bit less onion in the dish and more herbs. It was fun to have this served with sticky rice – we had quite a lot of this in Chiang Mai, but it is not served that often around here. Nikki had Phad Phed Gai which translates to something like spicy chicken stir fry. This was a non-creamy curry, and this was perfect for Nikki (due to lactose intolerance) but note that quite a few of the curries on the menu contain cream in addition to coconut milk.
Conclusion: The welcoming and ordering process could have been done in a better way, but it did not prevent us from enjoying the spiciness and flavors in the food. We had a glass of white wine and that was served at room temperature from a bag in box and at 109 kroner for a glass, which is quite a premium price for a budget wine. The interior of Thai Isan has not changed for years from what I can tell, and the place is starting to look a bit tired.
Pros: Good, spicy Thai food Extensive menu
Cons:
Slow and unorganized service Cheap wine served warm – at premium price Interior needs an upgrade
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