Hai Som Tam Convent

Steps off Sala Daeng, Hai Som Tam Convent delivers classic, punchy Isaan cooking in an organized shophouse without street-stall guesswork. Mortars pound constantly by the door. Regulars return for around twenty styles of som tam—from salted egg and corn to pungent pla ra—served alongside steamed black riceberry sticky rice. Seafood comes briskly from the kitchen, notably tender blood cockles paired with a sharp, balanced chili-lime dipping sauce. Tables turn fast across two floors, including an air-conditioned room upstairs when the midday humidity peaks.