Sunday, August 11, 2013

Som Tam Nua, Siam Square, Bangkok

Bangkok, Som Tam Nua, Siam Square

I noticed this place (392/14 Soi Siam Square 5, Rama 1 Road. Tel +66 (0) 22 51 4880) while wandering the streets of Siam Square in the last trip and decided to give them a try. Apparently, they were awarded the best som tam by CNNGo's Best Eats in 2010 and have been around for about a decade. As the name of the restaurant may imply, they specialise, I use the word loosely here, in som tam; offering multiple variants of the popular papaya salad here.

The lunch crowd here was pretty intense and it was a good thing that we arrived shortly before the main bulk arrived.

Bangkok, Som Tam Nua, coconut

The dishes here were pretty affordable, served in small manageable portions that were ideal for sharing. For those that may not be able to man up to the heat, their Earl Grey latte was pretty much the only drink that helps quell all that spice.

Bangkok, Som Tam Nua, pork liver salad

We had a pork liver salad. The livers in slivers were well cooked that it was neither under done nor overly so. The flavour was dominantly spicy, sour and savory. I liked this.

Bangkok, Som Tam Nua, lemongrass pork

And there was a lemon grassy pork which arrived like a salad too. This particular dish had delicious soft cloves of garlic.

Bangkok, Som Tam Nua, pork collar

Well received were their grilled and sliced pork collar, with a nice thin caramalization on the outside while retaining juices in the meat. Delicious too.

Bangkok, Som Tam Nua, fish

Moving along, came a deep fried fish. I don't eat deep fried fish so often, so I don't know if they're considered great. But I thought it was well done, drained of excessive oil and very crispy to boot.

Bangkok, Som Tam Nua, som tam

Of course, we had to give their claim to fame a go. These was what was described as the Thai som tam on the menu. The servers had explained that the regular one was spicier compared to this one. The salad still packed a mild heat, but what we really liked about this one was the very invigorating flavour from the lime. The mild heat and salt along with the medley of textures that came from the ingredients made it a very refreshing salad. Yes, that definitely included the crispy deep fried pork rinds as well.

1 comment:

red fir said...

Strange that you like Thai food quite abit but you've never written on any in sg. #justsaying