Loei Food and Markets: What to Eat and Where to Find It
Loei food is Isan food with two twists: the mountains bring cool-climate vegetables you will not find elsewhere in the northeast, and the Mekong brings river fish to Chiang Khan's tables. Add Nong Bua Lamphu's markets, and you have one of Thailand's most honest regional kitchens — fiery, sour, herb-heavy and cheap. Most of the best meals cost a typical 40–100 baht a dish and happen on a plastic stool. The Flavours of Loei The Isan foundations are all here: som tam (papaya salad, typically 40–60 baht), larb of minced pork, beef or duck with lime, chilli and toasted rice powder (typically 60–100 baht), gai yang grilled chicken, and sticky rice with everything. Loei adds its own signatures. Look for nam phrik chilli dips served with blanched mountain vegetables, dishes built around local mushrooms in the rainy season, and the province's famous macadamias and coffee from the highlands around Phu Ruea, where cool nights suit both crops. During the cool season, strawber...