Samuay & Sons
Asian restaurant · Udon Thani ·
Progressive Isan Thai tasting menus with hyper-local produce
Progressive Isan Thai tasting menus with hyper-local produce
"After studying and working in San Francisco, brothers Num and Joe returned to Thailand to open a fine dining restaurant not in Bangkok, but in Udon Thani. Samuay & Sons serves a contemporary Isan tasting menu and great value à la carte dishes in a loft-style space. For the full experience, try the excellent seasonal tasting menu, which not only balances flavours but is also nutritionally balanced." - Michelin Inspector
"Udon Thani’s most famous restaurant has become a must-visit destination for Thai food lovers, drawn by chef Weerawat “Num” Triyasenawat’s deft championing of homegrown ingredients and traditional dishes. Standard northeastern dishes appear on the tasting menu, but they’re never straightforward; the som tum, for instance, emerges as a platter of salad variations from around the region, while another course, called Let’s Sacrifice for Good, is inspired by a village ritual in which a cow is slaughtered and made into a variety of dishes for townsfolk. Diners who just want a quicker (or cheaper) meal are welcome as well. The restaurant’s a la carte menu includes the chef’s childhood favorite, kai pullo (eggs braised in Chinese five-spice soup)." - Chawadee Nualkhair
"Led by chef Weerawat “Num” Triyasenawat (with his brother Voravat “Joe”), this Udon Thani restaurant centers on foraged Isan ingredients and a mission to reframe the region’s cuisine. The team sources ant eggs with second-generation forager Chimphan “Auntie Noi” Sripha and treats them in inventive ways—salt-curing, sugarcane-smoking, and folding them into a sup nor mai salad paired with Hua Hin caviar—producing intensely umami bites that contrast with Isan’s stereotypical fiery flavors. The kitchen balances an innovative tasting menu with an a la carte that serves locals (think massaman curry and kai pullo, a braised egg-and-pork childhood favorite), aiming to push culinary boundaries without alienating neighborhood diners. The restaurant earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the inaugural Isan guide." - Chawadee Nualkhair
"A lauded Isaan restaurant led by a chef trained at renowned Thai fine-dining kitchens, celebrated for hyper-seasonal Isaan cooking and for helping build ingredient networks between London, Thailand and Cornwall. The restaurant's chef has been instrumental in cultivating indigenous Thai chillies, herbs and roots in the U.K. through collaborations with specialist growers and nurseries, bringing authentic regional produce and techniques to a British context." - James Hansen
"Opened in Udon Thani in 2014 by Werawat ‘Chef Num’ Triyasenawat after training with David Thompson at Nahm and at Bangkok’s Michelin-starred Bo.Lan, this progressive Esarn-Thai restaurant is dedicated to showcasing hyper-local produce and regional culinary traditions. Approximately 80% of the food served is grown on a neighbouring organic farm, with foraged produce making up a portion of the rest, and the kitchen deliberately resists reductive portrayals of Esarn cuisine in favor of authentic, locally rooted dishes." - Emma Hughes
