From the owner of Kaen—the casual fine dining spot from chef Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat and chef Kanyarat “Jib” Thanomseang, both boasting over 20 years of experience—comes Kaen Krung. The sister project set up in the Old Town features elevated Isaan cuisine and some Bangkok spins. 

 

 

The interior is basked in warm lighting and eclectic northeastern elements like woven ceiling lamp shades and wall art, and the dining area on the first floor features a semi open kitchen and a counter bar that allows you a peek into their carefully packaged goods. 

 

The second floor has a partial greenhouse area surrounded by potted plants like the country borage, a local herb with similar notes to oregano. It is a preview into some of the key ingredients used in the dishes 

 

 

Kaen Krung provides both a tasting menu and a la carte options. The set menu features five courses, a total of 12 sweet and savory dishes (B1,850).

 

To start, the restaurant brings their version of salt and vinegar chips but pivoted toward classic pork cracklings for that crispy touch. The jaew dip is made up of multiple types of tomatoes: from the Sida, which you’d usually find in papaya salads, to large, juicy plum tomatoes. They’re grilled and seasoned before being ground into a paste, so it has a complex, tangy, slightly hot flavor. 

 

 

Their Mandalay somtum is one that came from collaboration with the famed Lady GooGoo. Reminiscent of Burmese tea leaf salad,  you can expect a mix of nuts in the sweet and sour refreshing salad—also injecting a bit of Loas flare with sun-dried beef jerky. 

 

Their pick for sticky rice comes from Chum Phae district which allows a more fragrant, easy-to-chew, and moist texture.

 

 

To bring up the heat, they serve chicken Kaeng Po aka. bamboo shoot soup which contains a nutritious list of up to 20 kinds of greens and herbs, nicely blended into the broth. It is topped with the local superfood Wolffia which only grows in clean water and is high in protein. 

 

Those who enjoy their salads  alongside some larb need to try out Kaen Krung’s version with squid. The meat is easy to chew and vibrant with spices and roasted rice. This is quite a heaty dish but the slice of orange keeps things fresh and sweet.

 

 

In the Khon Kaen branch, this cake dessert is made out of dates but a nearby soi in their old town location has a stock of bael fruits so they adapted with the available produce instead. The flavor is similar to a tarty apple cake and offset with moderately sweet Thai tea ice cream and toasted granolas.