Description
Fiery Papaya Restaurant & Bar, known by Thai locals as "Lan Isaan Som Tam" (ล้านอีสานส้มตำ) is a new Sakon Nakhon restaurant and bar, located in the Chareon Sin District, about an hour and a half from downtown Sakon Nakhon city. To put its location in better context, the establishment is about 18 km north of the Sawang Daen Din tourist attraction Phanna Buri (City of Imagination), which you see when driving from Sakon Nakhon to Udon Thani.
It's one of the few Sakon Nakhon restaurants and bars with an English speaking owner, a young Thai lady named "So," who also is the cook. The menu focuses on a few Thai staple dishes like Pad Krapao and Fried Rice, which can be ordered with your choice of pork, shrimp, chicken, or squid.
As the name of the place suggests, they also make fresh papaya salad (Som Tam), specializing in the Isaan favorite Som Tam Lao, as well as a variety of glass noodle salads — perfect dishes to accompany a few beer Chang or Leo, while enjoying a game of pool on the bar's pool table.
Currently no "farang" food is available, but they are considering adding a few items in the future.
In addition to beer, Fiery Papaya Restaurant & Bar also sells local Thai whiskey, like Hong Tong and Sang Som, and you can relax on bales of straw at the front of the bar.
If you are looking for a nearby attraction to make your trip to the restaurant and bar even more worthwhile, you definitely want to check out the City Pillar Shrine of Luang Phor Ong Dam (วิหารหลักเมือง หลวงพ่อองค์ดำ), which has one of Isaan's few sculpture gardens depicting Buddhist Hell.
