🔄 Updated 8 Jun 2026
If you come to Uttaradit and skip Laplae, you're missing food that's hard to find anywhere else. Laplae has local dishes built on rice flour spread thin over the mouth of a clay pot — the base for several specialties, including khao pan phak, khao khaep, and mi phan. It's know-how passed down for generations, and many shops are still old wooden houses that have been cooking the same way for 30 years or more. We've picked 8 things that, once you try them, make it clear why people are willing to drive all the way to Laplae just to eat.
Before you head out
Most of the original shops in Laplae are small operations inside wooden houses, open from midday into the evening and mainly cash-only. Some close on Mondays or sell out before closing time. Aim for late morning to early afternoon, and bring cash.
Laplae local dishes you have to try
The list below runs from the dishes that best represent Laplae on down. You can find everything in the Si Phanom Mat municipal area (central Laplae) and in Uttaradit town itself. Prices are rough ranges and shift with ingredients and the shop.
Khao Pan Phak — Huean Mon Kaeo Khao Pan Phak Laplae
Laplae's most famous dish. Rice flour is spread over cloth stretched across the mouth of a clay pot and steamed until it turns clear and soft, then filled with lettuce, bean sprouts, carrot, and glass noodles, rolled into a soft sheet and served with a well-balanced dipping sauce. Huean Mon Kaeo is an old wooden house over 120 years old, now run by the fourth generation, with more than 20 variations on the menu — khao pan phak with egg, khao pan with yellow noodles, and the loaded "song khrueang" version.
Mi Phan — Pa Wang Mi Phan Laplae
White rice noodles, blanched and tossed with bean sprouts, Chinese kale, garlic chives, and crispy pork, seasoned just right between salty, sour, and sweet, then rolled in a black-sesame khao khaep sheet into bite-sized pieces. It's easy to keep eating and doesn't sit heavy. Pa Wang is a wooden house at 739 Rat Uthit Road that's been cooking for over 30 years — the shop people mention most when they think of Laplae mi phan.
Black-Sesame Khao Khaep
A sheet of fermented rice-flour batter mixed with black sesame and salt, spread over the mouth of a clay pot and sun-dried until dry and crisp. It's the base ingredient for mi phan, and you can eat it plain as a snack too — fragrant with sesame and crunchy. You can buy it as a take-home gift at local shops and markets around Laplae town, usually wrapped in packs.
Fried Snacks & Krabong
Fried snacks are part of Laplae's snacking culture — everything from fried tofu, fried taro, and fried wontons to spring rolls, plus krabong, the local specialty of bamboo shoot stuffed with minced pork, battered and deep-fried. Popular spots like Je Nee Fried Snacks let you pick a whole tray — perfect to munch on while you walk around.
Khao Pan Phak — Phop Laplae
Another khao pan phak shop people talk about, also in the Laplae town area. The dipping sauce and the way it's rolled differ slightly from the others, which makes it good for anyone who wants to compare a few shops on one trip. The setting is simple and down-to-earth, like a typical local spot.
Khao Pan Phak — Pom Khao Pan Phak (Uttaradit town)
If you don't make it all the way into Laplae, you can still get khao pan phak in Uttaradit town. Pom Khao Pan Phak has been cooking for over 20 years and sits right in town, so it's easier to reach — handy for anyone staying in the city who wants to try the local food without driving out.
Khao Pan Indie (roadside khao pan)
A cart / roadside khao pan stall that out-of-towners like to stop at, because you get to watch the batter spread fresh right in front of you. Prices are easy on the wallet, it's quick to eat, and it makes a nice light bite between sights — the classic image of roadside khao pan in Laplae.
Long & Lin Laplae Durian & Durian Ice Cream
A seasonal standout. Long Laplae and Lin Laplae are local durian varieties with GI registration — creamy, sweet, and rich. During durian season (roughly June–August) they're sold at orchards and markets around Laplae, and many places make durian ice cream that's dense with a clear aroma, such as the spots up the hill. Great for cooling off in the heat.
Tip for food lovers
To really get Laplae's local food, order it as a set: one plate of khao pan phak + one serving of mi phan + a few fried snacks. You'll see how it all comes from the same rice-flour and khao khaep base but is prepared in completely different directions. It fills you up nicely and won't cost much.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Uttaradit 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.
Khao pan phak vs. mi phan — what's the difference?
A lot of people get them confused because they look alike. Both use rice flour spread over the mouth of a clay pot into a sheet, but what's wrapped inside is different.
- Khao pan phak — wrapped mainly around fresh vegetables and glass noodles, with the sheet still soft and moist from steaming, served with dipping sauce and eaten hot.
- Mi phan — filled with white rice noodles already tossed in seasoning, then rolled in a (sun-dried) khao khaep sheet that adds an extra crunch.
- Khao khaep — the sun-dried black-sesame rice-flour sheet used to make mi phan. Eat it plain for the crunch, or buy it as a take-home gift.
Which areas are easiest to eat your way through
The local food clusters in the Si Phanom Mat municipal area, which is central Laplae. Many of the old family shops are within walking distance of each other along Rat Uthit Road and the streets around the market. If you're driving, parking near the Laplae market and walking from stall to stall is the easiest way to go. And if you're staying in Uttaradit town and don't want to venture far, there are khao pan phak shops right in town to try as well.
Laplae Market area / Rat Uthit Rd
The heart of the local food scene — khao pan phak, mi phan, and fried-snack shops all within walking distance. Park near the market and graze your way around.
Uttaradit town
For anyone staying in the city, there are khao pan phak shops and general eats here, so you can try the local food without driving out of town.
Plan a full day of eating around Laplae and Uttaradit
See the Uttaradit travel guide →