Isaan food in Bangkok’s best daytime market
Koo Lib Heng is one of those stalls you’d walk right past if you didn’t know better. It sits deep inside Wang Lang Market, a small open kitchen with a white-tiled wall covered in handwritten menu signs. Two women work the woks while plates pile up on steel tables. There’s no English menu, no photos of dishes to point at. Just real Isaan food at local prices, in a very basic restaurant.
What to Order
I went with the fried chicken, and it came out perfectly crispy, served with two different chilli dipping sauces. The grilled pork neck had good char on the edges and stayed tender inside.
The crispy corn fritters surprised me most; their signature dish is khao pod tod (fried corn), which they invented. Battered sweet corn kernels come out crispy and golden, served with a sweet dipping sauce.
It’s so popular that the recipe spread to a sister restaurant called Kiew at Tha Phra Chan. Other must-orders include laab moo tod (fried minced pork), nam tok moo and tom saep. The restaurant gets packed at lunch with hospital staff.
The banana blossom salad packed serious heat. Shredded banana flower mixed with red onion, toasted rice powder, and plenty of chilli flakes, swimming in a lime dressing. This one’s for people who actually like spicy food.
Most dishes cost between 60 and 100 Baht. The menu board shows som tam variations at 60-70 Baht, grilled chicken at 100 Baht, and various yam salads around 70-80 Baht. You’ll spend maybe 150-200 Baht for a full meal.
Finding the stall takes some effort. It’s not on the main market walkway. Ask for “Koo Lib Heng” or look for the kitchen with the blue and yellow umbrellas near the clothing section.
Koo Lib Heng Info
Location: Thonburi – Wang Lang Market
Address: 105, 5 Arun Amarin Rd, Siriraj, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok 10700
Hours: 9 am – 7 pm (closed on Sunday)
Phone: 024127153
Koo Lib Heng Map
Things to Do in Thonburi
