Isan Zaap

Orlando's Thai restaurants typically dole out southern curry dishes and the ubiquitous pad Thai, but Isan Zaap strays from the pack with its gaze trained exclusively on northeast Thai cuisine with Laotian overlaps. There is an impressive level of attention to detail and a nice balance of spice and fermented flavors, and though impeccably executed curry makes an appearance, there's also an entire section dedicated to som tums that can be topped with fermented crab or fermented pork sausage. House specialties are a hit, as in the unique whole fish larb, cut into bite-sized pieces, tossed with toasted rice powder and fried to a crisp, and crowned with shaved red onion herbs tossed in a sweet yet spicy sauce. For dessert, dig in to durian sticky rice - if you dare.