"Locals swear by this Nong Khai-based chain specializing in Vietnamese-style dishes, which are legacies of a thriving community that settled in Isan in the 19th century to escape French colonization. The eponymous dish, nam nueng, features pork meatballs grilled on a skewer and served with rice noodles, greens, and herbs, ideally enclosed in a tidy little rice wrapper and dipped in tamarind sauce studded with peanuts and chiles. The original location is the most popular, on the Mekong riverside next to Nong Khai’s Tha Sadet market, where you should go for a post-lunch ramble among the produce from Thailand and Laos." - Chawadee Nualkhair