Based in Manila, Philippines, Dessert Comes First is a chronicle of the food-obsessed food writer, Lori Baltazar. This website is all about desserts, restaurants, coffee, and the pleasures of homebaking. Read more about me Blitzing Through My Baht in Bangkok (Last of 3 parts)
Sun, October 1st of 2006
9:11 am
Note: This post should’ve gone up last Sept. 28, but a devastating typhoon rendered all of Manila with no electricity for 4 days.
Somboon’s tom yum goong soup
On our last night here, my Bin is taking me and a couple of our friends to his favorite restaurant in Bangkok: Somboon. It’s an eating-place that serves Thai food with a touch of Chinese, if you could call it that. “I’ve eaten here like, ten times and it’s just the BEST!” He raves.
The ideal Thai meal aims to strike a harmonious blend of the spicy, the sweet, and the sour. It satisfies the eyes, nose, and palate. Somboon fulfills on all counts, though it looks like a Chinese restaurant with its fluorescent lighting. A pot of hot tea is refilled promptly, the hot libation aiding digestion for our soon-to-be overloaded stomachs.
de-shelled curry crab
The specialty is crab, and we order the curry crab, de-shelled at that. It arrives looking like orange mush, and somehow I miss the ritual of cracking the shell and teasing out the meat with metal picks. The dish is satisfying, the crab-meat exceptionally soft, but I feel that the curry overpowers the delicate flavor of the crab. Next time I’ll insist that we try the chili crab.
fried fish in honey-patis sauce
I think that the best fish is fried fish. It’s an outré statement to make in these obsessively-healthy times, but when I’m faced with a fish this fresh, this crispy, then I can forget about everything else. The sauce that it’s napped in is an exhilarating blend of nam pla (Thai fish sauce) and what I suspect is honey. I find myself spooning ladlefuls of the sauce onto my rice and eating happily.
Of course no meal of mine in Thailand is complete without the requisite tom yum goong, also served in a shabu-shabu hotpot, just like at Home Kitchen. Somboon’s version isn’t as sour but it’s just as hearty with plenty of straw mushrooms and prawns. I rip off the heads and suck away at the juice, comfortable that I’m with friends and knowing they won’t think I’m a slob. Heehee.
Aside from the tom yum goong, an oyster omelette is a dish I demand. “Divine, just divine,” our friends mutter after each forkful. They’re Australian, and this kind of food is foreign but fascinating to them. The oysters are practically bursting in their bigness, each bite spurting a taste of the sea. For a change in pace, I occasionally bite off a sprig of cilantro, its peppery spark refreshing my tongue.
prawns with leeks
The two prawn dishes we order seem almost extraneous after the combination of strongly flavored dishes that came before them. Still, the prawns with leeks and the plainly grilled prawns serve their purpose of neutralizing our palates, making us all want to eat more. And that can never be a bad thing.
grilled prawns
Somboon Seafood
4 branches in Bangkok
Somboon’s website
Next Up: Swinging in Singapore
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im salivating right now.i could just imagine the sweet and sour taste of the tom yum soup. i miss asian food!
[Reply]
Comment by g.knotee — October 1, 2006 @ 9:29 am
I don’t know how many times I can say it. Yes, I love oyster omelette. The one you have on your post here is the kind I love!
Welome back, Lori!
-Jenn
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Comment by Anonymous — October 1, 2006 @ 11:09 am
Were you able to try any kanom krok while you were there? It’s a nice but fried creamy coconut concoction. I’ve had it here in the U.S. but not in Thailand. It’s supposed to be typical street fare there.
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Comment by Anonymous — October 1, 2006 @ 12:24 pm
Lori, I definitely heard about Somboon from my Filipina friend (Ms. Divine Desserts herself) and her Filipino husband who is an expat in Bangkok. Will try it the next time I am there. Singapore, you must check out the Kaya toast at Kaya which is everywhere. And I have heard nothing but raves about Humble House…..Keep on eating!
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Comment by tina, perpetually recovering ex-new yorker — October 1, 2006 @ 6:51 pm
The oyster omelet seems to be more oyster than omelet, perfect!
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Comment by UnGourmetGal — October 2, 2006 @ 5:04 am
my god, the oysters look so plump. perfectly cooked! the thais use a different method of cooking omelettes. chinese restuarant style; slightly beaten egg is quick fried/swirled in a very hot wok and lots of oil. end product is delicious! a mix of crisp and tender textures but NEVER rubbery. tastes even better with prik nam pla over steaming hot (thai) jasmine rice
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Comment by anonymous paul — October 2, 2006 @ 11:12 am
That oyster omelette looks divine! Better than divine, sublime! Booking my bkk flight asap! (sorry for all the exclamation marks)
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Comment by Mila Tan — October 2, 2006 @ 11:21 am
Everything looks absolutely DELICIOUS! My mouth is watering more and more as I scroll down! I am tempted to go to Bangkok for a food trip (sans shopping.. yeah right!)
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Comment by canDIshhh — October 2, 2006 @ 11:32 am
enjoying your blog.have to go to sta. rita for that duman festival one of these days.aaah baguio, my hometown, thanks for featuring it.keep blogging!
joe david
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Comment by Anonymous — October 3, 2006 @ 3:35 am
enjoying your blog.have to go to sta. rita for that duman festival one of these days.aaah baguio, my hometown, thanks for featuring it.keep blogging!
joe
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Comment by Anonymous — October 3, 2006 @ 3:37 am
Oh my gawsh, Lori… Those dishes just sent salivary glands on production overdrive! They look so darn delicious I am hungry all of a sudden (and that’s difficult after I’ve just consumed half a pack of Pacencia and two grilled cheese wheat sandwiches!) and craving for Thai food.
YUMMEEEE…
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Comment by Abster — October 3, 2006 @ 6:02 pm
Lori, due to the evocative nature of your photos (it evoked hunger and curiosity in me…..), I have decided to forego what would have been either a Boracay or Hong Kong trip over the Halloween weekend in exchange for? You guessed it, Bangkok! To eat what you ate at Somboon and much, much more, I am most certain. I have a Filipina host (Ms. Divine Desserts) in Bangkok who loves to eat everything, just like you. Thank you for the inspiration.
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Comment by tina, perpetually recovering ex-new yorker — October 4, 2006 @ 1:37 am