Bangkok - Som Tam at Siam Square

We arrived in Bangkok in the afternoon and we were famished after checking in at Baiyoke Sky Hotel. It was around 4pm and we knew it was the best time to visit Som Tam. This popular restaurant at Siam Square is known for two things: its papaya salad and snaking queues. We want the yummy food without the long wait, so we immediately headed to Som Tam at Siam Square for an early dinner.

It was pre-dinner time but the restaurant was already almost to its full capacity, attesting its popularity. We were  ushered to a corner booth that could only fit two petite Asians. It provided us some privacy while the rest of the bistro-style restaurant were buzzing away. Som Tam's menu makes ordering very easy. Tantalising photos, English dish names, spiciness level and chef recommendations were all clearly presented on the menu.

The drinks served at Som Tam is from its sister brand - Yingdeaw Homemade. Besides beverages, Yingdeaw is cafe that also serves cakes and pastries and its located just right beside Som Tam. The Thai Iced milk tea from Yingdeaw was very fragrant, and the level of sweetness was just right for us. The milk tea was smooth and creamy, and leaves a trail of tea fragrance on our palette.

Though skeptical, Galen was an immediate convert after taking a first bite of the somtam with dried shrimp, thai pork sausage and crispy pork rind (THB 90). The crunchy papaya strips drenched in the zingy salad sauce was very refreshing. The crunchiness is further enhanced by the slight toughness of the dried shrimp, the very crispy pork skin and the well-roasted peanuts. It was like an explosion of flavour in our mouths. Very, very delightful.

Som Tam's fried chicken (THB 150) was a tad pricey but it was worth the price tag. The chicken was fried to perfection - the skin was crispy yet not oily, the meat was tender and juicy. The marination did not remain merely on the skin, but went deep into the flesh. We could taste the wonders of the fish sauce, an ingredient that is inextricable from Thai cuisine. The bits of fried garlic that topped the chicken off were also lip-smacking.

It started pouring outside and the Northeast style spicy soup with pork bone (THB 120) came at the right time. When the Thais in the Northeast says its spicy soup, do not take their words lightly. It was spicy. Yet, it was not spicy for the sake of being spicy. We could taste the fragrance of the pork broth, and the essence of the mix of spices. The soup was very hearty, but we did not really heart the chunks of pork that was in it. The essence of the pork must have all been boiled into the soup, leaving the meat rather hard and tasteless.

We find it strange that the Hot & Spicy Crispy Fried Nil Fish (THB 125) was actually cheaper than the fried chicken. We agreed that this is the most value-for-money dish. A whole fresh fish deep fried to a crisp, drenched in a firework of sauces and condiments. Very impressed that we were able to get such high quality at this price tag. Amazing!

It was a very cosy and hearty affair at Som Tam. We were so glad that we were able to enjoy the popular Northeasten Thai cuisine with hardly any wait and the food certainly live up to its fame and hype. We were definitely pleased to have such a stellar start to our Bangkok food trip. Highly recommended to all foodies heading to Bangkok!

BANGKOK FOOD BLOG REVIEW BY KUMORY

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Som Tam Papaya Salad Restaurant

392/14 Soi 5 Siam Square, Rama 1 Road

Siam Bangkok

1045am to 930pm daily