Thai Isan

Down a lane near Jujo Station, the small 居酒屋 タイ イサーン serves home-style cooking from Isan, in northeastern Thailand, in a space with counter seating only. It uses a pay-as-you-go system: put money in a basket on the counter, then settle each dish or drink from it as it arrives. The setup makes it easy to drop in on your own.

For a first snack, there is larb moo, an Isan dish of minced pork seasoned with herbs, and a Thai-style omelette with vegetables and a cute face drawn in red sauce. Som tam brings a refreshing kick from green papaya, while toast topped with minced shrimp is fried until fragrant. The small plates make it easy to try a little of several things.

For a more filling meal, there is pad Thai, with springy noodles coated in a sweet-and-savoury sauce; khao pad goong, fried rice with shrimp cooked until fluffy and separate; and gapao rice, topped with stir-fried basil. The drinks range from Thai bottled beers such as Singha and Chang to soda highballs made with Thai whiskies Mekhong and SangSom, as well as Hoppy and various sours. They make easy companions for an evening of Thai home-style dishes.