🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Nong Prajak Silapakhom is the lake-side park in central Udon where locals come to exercise almost every evening. The loop has paths for walking, running and cycling, and as dusk approaches the food starts setting up along the park's edge and the surrounding sois, from fried-snack carts and pork-skewer grills to coconut ice cream shops and lakeside cafes. The night markets in town, like UD Town and Pho Si Market, are where Udon folks go for a more serious meal. This list takes you from a stroll around the park all the way to dinner.
10 things to eat around Nong Prajak and the night markets
Grilled pork skewers and BBQ carts around the park
In the evening, along the lake's edge on the Thesa Road side, you'll find a row of grills with pork skewers, grilled chicken and Isan sausage. You can smell the smoke before you even get there. Easy to grab and eat while you walk the loop, especially paired with warm sticky rice. It's the snack locals buy before heading into the park.
Fried meatballs and fried-snack carts
The fried-snack carts around the lake have fried meatballs, fried chicken, nuggets, crispy wontons and fried potatoes, drizzled with sweet sauce or jaew depending on the stall. Fried fresh and hot, they're the kind of walking snack both kids and adults love.
Thong Kati Cafe (coconut ice cream)
A cafe by Nong Prajak known for homemade coconut ice cream made with real coconut, plus Greek yogurt, matcha and coffee versions. A cool, easy spot to sit with a view of the park, and a great way to finish off after a walk.
UD Town Food Bazaar
A large food court next to Udon's train station with over a hundred stalls covering Isan food, seafood, grilled and fried snacks, noodles and desserts. There's central seating, it gets busy in the evening, and it's good for dinner when you want plenty of choices in one place.
Pho Si Market
A big market along Pho Si Road with food from afternoon to night: grilled and fried snacks, curry by the bag, made-to-order dishes, sweets, ice cream and sweet iced drinks. These are genuine local prices, and it's where Udon folks pick up dinner to take home and grab a snack.
Street Food Zone at Charoensri Park
A street food zone inside Charoensri Park in the city center, gathering grilled and fried stalls, drinks and desserts in comfortable seating. You can still browse if it rains, which suits anyone who wants street food without baking in the sun or getting soaked in the open market.
Kham Wan Ya Udon desserts
A go-to dessert shop for locals, known for coconut-milk sweets like bua loy, ruam mit and shaved ice. Not too sweet, with fragrant coconut milk. It's the place Udon folks think of when they want a cold Thai dessert.
Khanom buang and Tokyo crepe carts
Dessert carts you'll find around the park and in the night markets. There's khanom buang made fresh with sweet or savory fillings, and rolled Tokyo crepes with cream or sausage. They're light on the wallet and popular with kids, easy to grab and keep strolling.
Khao piak sen and Vietnamese kuay jab
Udon is a Vietnamese-food town, and in the evening you can still find khao piak sen and clear-broth Vietnamese kuay jab at several spots around the city. The broth is well balanced and the meat tender, a light, warming meal before moving on to dessert. Anyone who likes a hot bowl of soup in the evening will enjoy it.
Grilled bread and fresh milk carts
Charcoal-grilled bread carts you'll find around the park and the night markets. The bread is crisp outside, soft inside, brushed with butter and sugar, sangkhaya or condensed milk, paired with cold fresh milk. A simple way to end the night that tastes better than it costs.
Before you go grazing
The carts around the park really get going from about 5pm onwards. Show up earlier and not everything will be set up yet. Most stalls take cash only, so small bills make things smoother, and parking around Nong Prajak fills up fast in the evening. On weekends, try coming before 6pm or park a little further out and walk in.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Udon Thani food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
Eat by the clock, from early evening to night
Nong Prajak and the night markets have their own rhythm. The grilled and fried snacks come first, then dinner in the market, finishing with dessert. Here's an easy eating plan that flows the way locals actually do it.
Walk the park + grilled and fried snacks
Dinner at the night market
Dessert before heading home
Grilled, fried, sweet: what to try
To really taste Udon street food, try to cover all three sides: grilled, fried and sweet. Each is easy to find around the park and the night markets, and the prices are friendly on the wallet.
- Pork skewers, grilled chicken, Isan sausage — smoky charcoal-grilled meats, great with sticky rice, found along the park on the Thesa Road side
- Fried meatballs, crispy wontons, fried chicken — fried fresh and hot at the carts, drizzled with sweet sauce or jaew, a top-favorite snack
- Real coconut ice cream — Udon's standout dessert finish, with Thong Kati making theirs homemade and cooling
- Bua loy, ruam mit, shaved ice — Thai coconut-milk sweets, done not too sweet and fragrant at Kham Wan Ya and the stalls in Pho Si Market
- Khanom buang, Tokyo crepe, grilled bread — cheap dessert carts, easy to grab and keep strolling with
When to go for smaller crowds
Nong Prajak is busiest from 6 to 7pm, when people come to exercise after work. If you want an easy graze, come around 5pm for easier parking and freshly set-up carts. UD Town and the night markets get crowded in the evening and on weekends, so weekdays or early evening are more relaxed. In the rainy season, some grilled and fried carts may not come out, so if rain hits, a covered zone like Charoensri Park or UD Town is the safer bet.
Straight talk
The carts around the park don't all open every day and there's no fixed schedule. Some skip rainy days or quiet ones. If there's a specific stall you're set on, keep a backup plan, and don't count on finding the same stall every time. The charm here is trying whatever you happen to walk past.
Want a chill graze by the water
Walk around Nong Prajak in the evening, stop by the grilled and fried carts, and finish with Thong Kati coconut ice cream. Good for couples or families.
Want a serious feast with options
Head into town to UD Town or Pho Si Market, where you can have grilled and fried snacks, made-to-order dishes and dessert all in one place.
Plan a full eating-and-sightseeing trip in Udon Thani
See the Udon Thani travel guide →