Born and raised in Khon Kaen, Chef Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat grew up surrounded by rice fields – a memory that infuses his cooking today. Working directly with small farming communities, he sources Khao Hom Mali from the Thung Kula Ronghai basin, where the saline soil and once-harsh conditions have, paradoxically, become the secret to world-class rice. Farmers often hold the unpolished grain for him and mill it only when he orders, so diners taste rice at its freshest – fluffy, aromatic, and glistening with natural moisture. ‘Isan food usually goes hand in hand with sticky rice,’ Chef Paisarn notes, ‘but there is no rule carved in stone. Jasmine rice can pair beautifully with Isan food as well.’
At KAEN, the rice isn’t just a backdrop for fiery flavors — it plays a starring role, paired with charcoal-grilled meats, house-fermented relishes, and seasonal produce. Heritage varieties, like red tubtim rice from Chumphae, also appear on the menu, deepening the connection between memory and place. For Paisarn, the joy of ‘new rice’ – soft, fragrant, and pandan-like – still lingers from his childhood, when his nanny would bring the family her fresh harvest.
And for those who can’t make it upcountry, Kaenkrung in Bangkok brings the same spirit with a city twist.
KAEN. Isan contemporary. Seasonal set menu from B1,990. Khon Kaen. Open daily 11am-2pm, 5-10pm.