Banthat Thong has long been a spot for local foodies and tourists—and there’s no shortage of Isaan food. Sompohnpak is the new neighborhood player that’s taking street food indoors, borrowing some Korean culinary tricks while maintaining all the hallmarks of northeastern fare.

 

A common Esan saying that’s similar to “may all your wishes come true,” Sompohnpak features hot pink neon signs, spray painted woven props, and disco balls hung from the ceiling like eclectic chandeliers.

 

Director of Sompohnpak Sunatta “Bow” Raungoranwattana tells BK she worked with “Potato Head” to come up with the recipe, the food consultant group led by a team of celebrity chefs including Chef Bus who made it to the top four in Top Chef Thailand.

 

“Most of the team are from the northeastern parts of Thailand, especially Korat,” Bow says. 

 

 

Right now, their main focus is nailing the skewers and sides that Bangkokians know. Sompohn kor moo thod (B149), or fried pork neck, is a common side to go with somtum. Here, they’ve selected grade A meat and sliced it diagonally so the fat is infused in the entire dish. The outside is crispy while the inside stays juicy, served with the in house blend of sweet sour spicy nam jim jaew dip.

 

 

If you want to be a bit adventurous, they’ve also got some rare finds. Starting with goong ten, or dancing shrimp (B119), which is a salad based with tiny live transparent shrimps; the hard part is making sure it’s fresh and not fishy. Sompohpak remedies this by having its own shrimp aquarium. Customers get to have some fun by shaking these live shrimp in a closed lid container so they’re less jumpy when it’s time to feast. The venue also serves raw red meat salads with a special sauce made from cow rumen and cow gastric juices. 

 

 

You’ll see Korean gimmicks in dishes like the stir fried sticky rice with jaew sauce (B189) or the Tom Yum kimchi ramyeon (B290)—served in a Korean-style clay pot. When the order comes in, the kitchen heats up the pot then puts in the finished dish. It stays hot and charred to the last bite. 

 

 

Another element of Korean cuisine at Sompohnpak is the use of banchan, small side pickled dishes. The restaurant takes inspiration from the fermentation process of kimchi but instead of using Chinese cabbage, they would pickle seasonal Thai produce like scallion roots and bitter cucumber.

 

 

That said, Sompohnpak is still all about traditional Isaan flavors, importing key ingredients like pork sausages and fermented fish from the northeast. They also insist on crafting in house sauces, fried toppings, and roasted sticky rice. If you’re stopping by Bantadthong, definitely give this one a go.