COCONUTS HOT SPOT—It’s often said regional food is always best at the source. Get the best southern style seafood in Phuket, travel to Isaarn if you want some fiery hot tom sap—and for the most part, this is true—but we’ve found a restaurant that claims to have the best Lanna-style food in town; so authentic and good that they’re in Bangkok to prove it.
“I-Zone: The Regend of Thai Lanna Northern Cuisine” (we think they meant to say region, or maybe legend?) is a small furniture store/book store/restaurant tucked behind the popular community mall The Nine on the Rama Nine highway. There’s an interesting story behind the venue: prior to the Tom Yum Koong financial crisis the grounds served as a furniture design and distribution point for the I-Zone owner’s furniture business. After the crash he had to liquidate everything and was left with not much more then a design studio and a bunch of furniture. Plan B? Capitalize on his Northern heritage and cooking expertise to open a restaurant focused on Lanna cuisine.
The large and open space is furnished with handmade (by the owner) furniture along with an enormous open kitchen and grill. There are chalkboards placed throughout the dining area highlighting interesting Lanna specialties with detailed descriptions.
The dish to try here is the khao soi, with succulent chunks of slow roasted beef, chicken, or pork. The noodles and most other ingredients are imported from suppliers in the North as well. The Chiang Mai sausage (sai ua) is a favorite, and you can watch the staff making the nam prik ong (green chili paste) that goes with it. Order a stick of the famous Northern desert khao lam to round out the Lanna theme.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about I-Zone is the wide selection of magazines for sale in the back, which include a range of publications including star gossip magazines all the way to serious design journals.
Next time you’re in the area ditch The Nine and head here to save yourself a trip up North for some killer Lanna cuisine.
