ZAO Ekkamai ซาว เอกมัย

ZAO Ekkamai is the first Bangkok branch of ZAO, a well-known Isan restaurant from Ubon Ratchathani, opened in 2022 at 155 Soi Pridi Banomyong 25, which connects through from Ekkamai 10 Lane 6. The owner is designer Eve (Nattathida Phalasak), who started out upgrading community products; the name is the Isan verb for grabbing whatever is to hand and cooking it, the way her 78-year-old grandmother Jui does. Ingredients come straight from the region: shallots and garlic from Si Sa Ket, beef from Khon Kaen and Sakon Nakhon, Mekong fish by season. The Standard recorded prices: Ubon-style som tam with Vietnamese noodle soup 250 baht (the bestseller), red ant egg koi 250, fried fermented fish jowl 220, the field-crab dip set 300, shredded chicken tom sua 250 and grilled pla yon 350, with som tam at five chilli levels. Time Out gave it five stars and called the prices friendly. Open daily 11:30 to 23:00; KTC says the car park is on Soi Ekkamai 24. Bookable on Chope. Google 4.6 from 540 reviews.