Who says som tum can’t be “hi-so”?
The ubiquitous smashed salad, Thailand’s favourite roadside dish that probably tops the list in terms of health food, raw food, comfort food and national cuisine, has gone upmarket with the opening of Tum Thonglor.
Owned by Pimpachanoke Balankura Subhadradandhu, the establishment in The Taste Building on Soi Thong Lor 11 was launched with a fun party attended by well-heeled som tum lovers such as Kornkanok Yongsakul, Pattriya Na Nakorn, Nathasedh and Sitamanin Susamawattanakul Poonsapmanee, Tipathee and Nisamanee Bhirombhakdi, Palleeporn Pornprapa and Jutawan Krairiksh, to name but a few.
After the success of her Chinese white tea, Balankura’s No 57, Pimpachanoke, or “Tarn”, has been wanting to open her own restaurant. Like nearly everyone else, she also loved Isan food, and as an avid traveller and foodie, she has been trying out different dishes around Thailand and also the world before finally settling on this northeastern classic fare. At Tum Thonglor she has replicated traditional dishes as well as created some of her own recipes.
Tum Thonglor maintains the taste of Isan, but using quality ingredients, with emphasis on freshness and cleanliness — points that might be rather dubious at your local streetside vendor.
The restaurant’s decor has also played up unique yet quirky Isan elements, making liberal use of bamboo, catchy phrases seen on the backs of trucks, and lamps made from sticky rice containers — all designed with the help of event organiser extraordinaire Sombatsara Tirasaroj.
Guests were eager to try the restaurant’s various signature dishes, such as tum Mae Pim or tum goong jom moo yor, a dish created by Pimpachanoke that uses goong jom, made using the same cooking process as pickled fish but with a touch of tamarind for extra tartness.
Then there was the eponymous tum Thonglor, a som tum dish with salted eggs from Chaiya, Surat Thani, served with river prawns from Ayutthaya. Not to be missed was the Authentic Grilled Chicken, marinaded in coconut milk, pork neck nam tok, fried duck beaks with tasty sauce, gigantic grilled river prawns, and coconut ice cream with over 10 different toppings such as corn, sticky rice, lod chong, chao guay black jelly, salim, lotus seeds and peanuts.
Office workers on the run can also stop by for a khai kra ta (Thai-style pan-fried egg) breakfast in the morning to start off their day.
The restaurant was decorated with lights for the launch party to provide a fun Isan atmosphere, as well as a traditional band playing lively luk thung music. Guests were raving about the signature dish, tum Thonglor, that chef Pimpachanoke and her close friend Ploy Chariyaves cooked themselves.
Good food, good friends, great atmosphere; what more could you ask for to make a great party?
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.