Somtam (ส้มตำ) or Spicy Papaya Salad is a classic Thai dish which I absolutely love to eat. We hope you might too. Traditionally it is made with fish so I've laid out here my favourite places to get the jey (vegan) version. So, in no particular order, here are my top picks.
Pun Pun
All three branches of Pun Pun serve up both a dish of the typical somtam Thai and also a somtam Laos. Somtam Laos tastes spicier and more tangy than somtam Thai but other than that it is difficult to describe the taste but it is good in my opinion. The somtam Thai is pretty good here too.
Free Bird Café
Free Bird Café serves up several dishes of somtam, including a raw pumpkin somtam which is a super healthy and tasty dish, although my personal favourite here is the shan somtam. It is a dish that it is thicker in texture and more filling than the traditional somtam and is made with potato pieces and lots of interesting spices. This dish is bursting with a variety of flavours. This has to be the most interesting and tasty version of somtam and is my favourite dish to eat at Free Bird.
Blue Diamond
Blue Diamond serve up a decent plate of typical somtam Thai. It is a good size portion and they serve fresh vegetables on the side. They will also make it as spicy as you like it (or don’t like it) depending on your request.
Happy Green
Happy Green only serve up one kind of somtam which is the typical somtam Thai but here it is a truly a great dish. You always get a huge portion and you get plenty of fresh vegetables served on the side to cool your mouth down with if you like it as spicy as I do. They will always ask you how spicy you want it, and for me it usually still isn’t enough. If, like me, you like your somtam so spicy that you are eyes are almost watering while you eat it, you might have to really stress it to actually get it this spicy. Once they do understand it, they won’t hold back.
Somtam Udon
Not a vegetarian restaurant but they specifically list ‘Vegan Papaya Salad’ in their menu which for me confirms it is a ‘safe’ dish to eat. It is very cheap at only 35 baht for a small plate of it but you can order any of the other spicy salads vegan as well, they have a lot to choose from. They have self-service salad vegetables on the side so you can get as much as you want. This restaurant caters to Thais not foreigners so it is quite easy to get your somtam spicy if that is what you desire.
Now go and enjoy this classic dish!
Dee x
