Food place in Udon Thani
The som tam and laab shops
The back streets, and every provincial road out of town, Udon Thani
Open-fronted shops with a row of clay mortars at the front and a charcoal grill at the side, doing papaya salad, laab, tom saep and grilled chicken to people who eat there every week.
Area
The back streets, and every provincial road out of town
Food type
Non-veg
Price range
฿40–150
Opening hours
Late morning until evening; many are lunch-and-afternoon places
About
What is The som tam and laab shops famous for?
Ask for som tam pla ra rather than som tam thai and you get the Isan version. The one thing to decline anywhere in this region is raw freshwater fish — koi pla — for the reason in this city's safety notes; everything cooked is fine.
What to eat here
Best dishes to try at The som tam and laab shops
Non-veg · ฿40–150
Gai yang and sticky rice
Charred, garlicky, faintly sweet, with a sharp tamarind dip
Best at dinner, with sticky rice and papaya salad, shared
Laab
Sharp with lime, nutty with toasted rice, herbal with mint
Best at lunch, with sticky rice and a plate of raw greens
Som tam pla ra
Sour, salty, funky and very hot — much darker and deeper than the Bangkok version
Best at lunch, with sticky rice, and ask for fewer chillies than you think
Tom saep
Hot, sour, herbal and clear — the Isan cousin of tom yum with no coconut in sight
Best at dinner, especially on a cold plateau night
Good to know
Is The som tam and laab shops good for families?
Yes — The som tam and laab shops is family friendly and serves non-vegetarian food. It is open late morning until evening; many are lunch-and-afternoon places.
Make a morning of it
Photo spots near The som tam and laab shops
Shoot nearby, then eat at The som tam and laab shops.
Nong Prajak Park
Best photo · The hour before sunset, when the light is across the water and the city comes out to walk — and at dawn, when the mist is on the lake and the exercise groups are out
Best combo: Photos here, then gai yang and sticky rice at The som tam and laab shops.
See photo spotThe Ho Chi Minh memorial site
Best photo · Morning, when the light is on the replica house and its garden — the museum interior is a display space and photography of it adds little
Best combo: Photos here, then gai yang and sticky rice at The som tam and laab shops.
See photo spot
Ban Chiang
Best photo · Late morning at the open pit at Wat Pho Si Nai, when the sun is high enough to reach into the excavation — the museum interior is lit for objects rather than for cameras
Best combo: Photos here, then gai yang and sticky rice at The som tam and laab shops.
See photo spotWant something else nearby?
Search Udon Thani food by craving
What The som tam and laab shops is
Open-fronted shops with a row of clay mortars at the front and a charcoal grill at the side, doing papaya salad, laab, tom saep and grilled chicken to people who eat there every week. This is a non-vegetarian kitchen through and through. This sits at the easy end of the scale, with most orders landing around ฿40–150.
🥘 The order to make
Tom saep - A clear, fierce soup of pork ribs or offal with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, chilli, lime and toasted rice powder, simmered until the meat gives and served bubbling
Som tam pla ra - Green papaya pounded with lime, garlic, chillies, long beans and tomato and dressed with pla ra — fermented fish, cooked down — rather than the fish sauce and dried shrimp of the version sold in Bangkok. Darker, saltier, heavier, and the one Isan people order
Laab - Minced pork, chicken or beef cooked briefly and tossed off the heat with lime juice, fish sauce, chilli powder, shallots, mint and khao khua — rice toasted in a dry pan and ground, which is the texture the dish is built on
The fish side of the menu runs on the local catch - asking what came in that morning beats choosing from the printed list.
The Isan register is the sharp one - green papaya salad, sticky rice and grilled things, hot-sour-salty in the same bite.
⏰ When to go
The short version of the hours: Late morning until evening; many are lunch-and-afternoon places.
📍 Where it is
It is on The back streets, and every provincial road out of town, in Udon Thani.
✅ The short version
Families with children are normal here.
Questions
The som tam and laab shops — FAQ
What is The som tam and laab shops famous for?
Open-fronted shops with a row of clay mortars at the front and a charcoal grill at the side, doing papaya salad, laab, tom saep and grilled chicken to people who eat there every week.
What are the must-try dishes at The som tam and laab shops?
Don't miss Gai yang and sticky rice, Laab and Som tam pla ra.
Is The som tam and laab shops good for families?
Yes — The som tam and laab shops is family friendly and serves non-vegetarian food.
What are The som tam and laab shops's opening hours?
The som tam and laab shops is open late morning until evening; many are lunch-and-afternoon places.
Where is The som tam and laab shops located?
The som tam and laab shops is in The back streets, and every provincial road out of town, Udon Thani.