![\"Larb](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Larb_Thai-Isan-1_fg3zya.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nWe haven\u2019t found a better Thai restaurant in all of South Florida than Larb Thai-Isan. This narrow, colorful Fort Lauderdale restaurant is making the best versions we\u2019ve ever had of Thai dishes like khao soi, larb, and som tum in an area that\u2019s dense with corporate chain restaurants. <\/p>\n
Every ingredient in every dish\u2014from each spicy strand of papaya to the tender drumstick that floats in the khao soi\u2014tastes like the perfect form of itself. And it\u2019s also just a pleasure to eat here. Service is incredibly friendly, quick, and most tables have a view of the kitchen, where you\u2019ll watch cooks pound, chop, and prepare the most delicious things you\u2019ll find in a 20-mile radius.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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photo credit: Cleveland Jennings<\/p>\n
How to get into Larb Thai-Isan<\/p>\n
Larb doesn\u2019t take reservations, and it seems like the crowds outside get bigger every month. Expect a wait during peak dinner hours, but we usually walk in for lunch without an issue. If you do end up waiting, they offer beer and other drinks to guests on the patio.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Food RundownThai Tea<\/p>\n
Served in a pint measuring cup, it\u2019ll come in handy if you go heavy on the spicy dishes. It\u2019s sweet, but not so sweet that you\u2019ll struggle to get through the entire pint. <\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Larb-Thai-isan-tea_k9qgbv.jpeg\"\/)
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photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer<\/p>\n
Yum Naem Khao Tod<\/p>\n
An essential order. The bits of crispy rice come in big clumps that crunch as satisfyingly as an autumn leaf beneath a steel toe boot. You\u2019ll also notice little bits of pork sausage scattered throughout, unless you\u2019re eating this alarmingly fast, which could happen. <\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Larb-thai-isan-lao_onuyop.jpeg\"\/)
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photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer<\/p>\n
Namtok Moo Yang<\/p>\n
We like to order this pile of grilled pork and add it to the yum naem khao tod to make it even porky-er. But it\u2019s still good on its own. Ask for medium and the heat level will be tolerable, but certainly present. <\/p>\n
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video credit: Ryan Pfeffer<\/p>\n
Khao Soi<\/p>\n
Every noodle dish on the menu deserves a little noodle-shaped trophy engraved with, like, 400 exclamation points. But even infinity exclamation points doesn\u2019t do the khao soi justice. It\u2019s that rare dish that truly deserves the word perfect. And the chicken leg that juts from the bowl has meat so tender the breeze from the air conditioner could knock it off the bone.<\/p>\n
![\"Larb](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Larb_Thai-Isan-29_cuqxap.jpeg\"\/)
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photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS \/ @EATTHECANVASLLC<\/p>\n
Tum Pu & Pla-Ra<\/p>\n
There’s an entire chunk of the menu dedicated to som tum, and our favorite is this mash-up, which tosses salted crab and fermented fish sauce into the crunchy papaya. If you really want it spicy, don’t hesitate to say so.<\/p>\n
![\"Larb](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Larb_Thai-Isan-24_emodae.jpeg\"\/)
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photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS \/ @EATTHECANVASLLC<\/p>\n
Larb<\/p>\n
The larb is tender, flavorful, and (like pretty much everything here) the best version we’ve had in South Florida. Go for the pork over the chicken. <\/p>\n
![\"Larb](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Larb_Thai-Isan-16_ly3odc.jpeg\"\/)
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photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS \/ @EATTHECANVASLLC<\/p>\n
Bamee Pu-Moo Daeng<\/p>\n
Not our favorite entree here (the pork is a tad overcooked), but we love the little tool kit of sauces and spices that come with the bowl of dry noodles. It helps you tinker with the flavors (and heat level). <\/p>\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Larb-thai-dry-bowl_jqiioh.jpeg\"\/)
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