The best Vietnamese restaurants Northeast – Isaan

Kao Piak Sen is the name of a Lao noodle soup with chicken, yet here you'll find Vietnamese and Thai specialties of excellent quality. The setting is superb, with a high-ceilinged room and modern decor. The menu features a wide variety of dishes, including noodles, rice soups (kao tom), excellent sandwiches (banh mi), fried rolls (banh cuon), grilled pork skewers (thit nuong)... A real treat! Also recommended for a hearty breakfast.

This riverside restaurant boasts a large, pleasant terrace. The à la carte menu features Vietnamese specialties of the highest quality. The menu is limited, and dishes are prepared with fresh produce. For those who have been to Udon Thani, the menu is the same as at VT Namnueng. The banh mi (sandwiches), sausages and egg rolls are excellent. The place is very popular with the locals, so you can go there with your eyes closed.

Near Lake Nong Prajapark, this is a restaurant worth a visit. It serves excellent Vietnamese cuisine with Isaan influences. The prices are very low. A la carte: sausages, curries, noodles, nems, spring rolls, omelettes and many other delicacies. The map is not translated into English but there are pictures of the dishes. A downside: the room is very bright and evokes a cafeteria more than a restaurant. The establishment is quite off-centre but the tuk tuk tuk drivers know this address well.

As you wander the streets of Khon Kaen, you'll quickly realize that there's a large Vietnamese community. Baan Heng is one of the city's many restaurants serving Vietnamese specialties, and arguably the best. The establishment is on a street corner and occupies three floors. The sober, modern decor is pleasing, and the service pleasant. Try the fried eggs served with sausages and bread, accompanied by a strong black coffee. On-site boutique offering quality products.