Survey results: What do customers want from Isan restaurants?
Here is a survey result to find out what Thai people in 2023 expect from Isan restaurants. MHA conducted an informal survey with consumers who regularly use Isan restaurants and compiled the 5 most important things that customers expect from Isan restaurants.
1. Delicious, authentic Isan food
The survey found that the deliciousness of the food is still the most important thing to attract customers to the restaurant. Isan food has a unique identity in its spiciness! The taste is not complicated but must have all the flavors: sour-salty-spicy. In particular, it must be satisfyingly spicy. The fermented fish sauce must be delicious. The larb-nam tok must be full of flavor. This is the point that makes Isan restaurants different from other types of food.
Especially authentic Isan food, original recipes, which in addition to Somtam-Larb-Namtok menus, there are also Tom Saep, Mushroom Curry, Upia, Soi Chu, and various grilled dishes. Because nowadays there are Isan restaurants all over the country, many recipes have been changed to suit the eaters, making a large number of the sample group want to try eating authentic Isan food.
2. The taste is not outstanding, the taste does not change.
The sample group stated that they regularly return to eat at the same restaurant because they want to eat the same delicious food with the same taste, especially Somtam. If the taste changes, it will ruin the mood while eating. Also, the menus of Laab, Koi, and Nam Tok should have the same taste every time they order. If the taste changes because the cook changes and the recipe is not the same, this risks the service being reduced or the restaurant may be changed.
3. Customers place great importance on the taste of papaya salad. Because it is the main menu of Isaan restaurants that must be ordered and is also the menu that determines the next time you use the service! #Survey results found that customers place great importance on the taste of papaya salad, whether it is papaya salad with fermented fish and crab that must be smooth, salty-sour, just right, spicy to choose from, fermented fish that does not smell strong, Thai papaya salad with a well-rounded taste with a little sweetness, crab papaya salad that is salty and spicy but not sweet, or other papaya salads such as salted egg papaya salad, pickled shellfish papaya salad, corn papaya salad, fruit papaya salad, etc., must also be delicious.
Some restaurants have their own unique style, such as cooked crab with olives, which can also attract customers. Above all, “shredded papaya is more delicious than shredded papaya.”
4. The shop must look clean, tidy and airy.
Starting from the cleanliness of the food, any menu that is eaten cooked must be cooked thoroughly, hygienic, and will not cause stomach upset. As for the menu that is eaten raw or semi-raw, the ingredients must be good, fresh, and not left overnight. In addition to the food, the shop must look clean, tidy, and airy. No matter what style it is decorated in, it must be clean first.
For kitchenware, kitchen equipment, mortars, pots, they must be cleaned every day. And most importantly, the hygiene of the cooks and the waiters in the restaurant (even though many people comment that restaurants that look clean are usually not delicious).
5. The menu must be complete and have options for customers to choose from.
For example, if there is som tam, there must be grilled chicken, there must be larb-nam tok ready. The menu that the sample group expects to “have” is grilled pork neck with fat and delicious jaew sauce, grilled intestines, spicy soup with cartilage, and Isaan menu according to the restaurant’s recipe, such as Udon duck larb, Kut Chum larb, Yasothon larb, etc. and there must be sticky rice, rice vermicelli, and fresh vegetables for customers without fail.
Other issues that the sample group wanted were: good service, polite staff, papaya salad that tastes as ordered by the customer, affordable price, parking, children-friendly menu, and finally, they wanted the restaurant to be open to listening to criticisms about the taste of the food and make improvements.
Conclusion
Although it is just a preliminary survey, there are interesting points, such as how to make the taste of the food consistent every time, what is the taste of traditional Isaan food like, how to manage the ingredients to sell and not have leftovers, how to manage the cleanliness of every element of the shop, etc. All of these are matters of systematic shop management.
Here is a survey result to find out what Thai people in 2023 expect from Isan restaurants. MHA conducted an informal survey with consumers who regularly use Isan restaurants and compiled the 5 most important things that customers expect from Isan restaurants.
1. Delicious, authentic Isan food
The survey found that the deliciousness of the food is still the most important thing to attract customers to the restaurant. Isan food has a unique identity in its spiciness! The taste is not complicated but must have all the flavors: sour-salty-spicy. In particular, it must be satisfyingly spicy. The fermented fish sauce must be delicious. The larb-nam tok must be full of flavor. This is the point that makes Isan restaurants different from other types of food.
Especially authentic Isan food, original recipes, which in addition to Somtam-Larb-Namtok menus, there are also Tom Saep, Mushroom Curry, Upia, Soi Chu, and various grilled dishes. Because nowadays there are Isan restaurants all over the country, many recipes have been changed to suit the eaters, making a large number of the sample group want to try eating authentic Isan food.
2. The taste is not outstanding, the taste does not change.
The sample group stated that they regularly return to eat at the same restaurant because they want to eat the same delicious food with the same taste, especially Somtam. If the taste changes, it will ruin the mood while eating. Also, the menus of Laab, Koi, and Nam Tok should have the same taste every time they order. If the taste changes because the cook changes and the recipe is not the same, this risks the service being reduced or the restaurant may be changed.
3. Customers place great importance on the taste of papaya salad. Because it is the main menu of Isaan restaurants that must be ordered and is also the menu that determines the next time you use the service! #Survey results found that customers place great importance on the taste of papaya salad, whether it is papaya salad with fermented fish and crab that must be smooth, salty-sour, just right, spicy to choose from, fermented fish that does not smell strong, Thai papaya salad with a well-rounded taste with a little sweetness, crab papaya salad that is salty and spicy but not sweet, or other papaya salads such as salted egg papaya salad, pickled shellfish papaya salad, corn papaya salad, fruit papaya salad, etc., must also be delicious.
Some restaurants have their own unique style, such as cooked crab with olives, which can also attract customers. Above all, “shredded papaya is more delicious than shredded papaya.”
4. The shop must look clean, tidy and airy.
Starting from the cleanliness of the food, any menu that is eaten cooked must be cooked thoroughly, hygienic, and will not cause stomach upset. As for the menu that is eaten raw or semi-raw, the ingredients must be good, fresh, and not left overnight. In addition to the food, the shop must look clean, tidy, and airy. No matter what style it is decorated in, it must be clean first.
For kitchenware, kitchen equipment, mortars, pots, they must be cleaned every day. And most importantly, the hygiene of the cooks and the waiters in the restaurant (even though many people comment that restaurants that look clean are usually not delicious).
5. The menu must be complete and have options for customers to choose from.
For example, if there is som tam, there must be grilled chicken, there must be larb-nam tok ready. The menu that the sample group expects to “have” is grilled pork neck with fat and delicious jaew sauce, grilled intestines, spicy soup with cartilage, and Isaan menu according to the restaurant’s recipe, such as Udon duck larb, Kut Chum larb, Yasothon larb, etc. and there must be sticky rice, rice vermicelli, and fresh vegetables for customers without fail.
Other issues that the sample group wanted were: good service, polite staff, papaya salad that tastes as ordered by the customer, affordable price, parking, children-friendly menu, and finally, they wanted the restaurant to be open to listening to criticisms about the taste of the food and make improvements.
Conclusion
Although it is just a preliminary survey, there are interesting points, such as how to make the taste of the food consistent every time, what is the taste of traditional Isaan food like, how to manage the ingredients to sell and not have leftovers, how to manage the cleanliness of every element of the shop, etc. All of these are matters of systematic shop management.
