ส้มตำ · som tam
Green Papaya Salad
Shredded unripe papaya pounded in a mortar with garlic, chili, lime, fish sauce and palm sugar, with tomatoes, long beans, dried shrimp and peanuts. Crunchy, sour, sweet and fiery. Ours is $16.
Tom & Yum
Thai Soups & Salads
Hot, sour, fragrant and alive with herbs: the dishes that wake up the whole table.
Tom · ต้ม
Tom Yum: Thailand's Most Iconic Soup
Few dishes capture Thai cooking like Tom Yum: a clear, steaming broth that is hot, sour, salty and fragrant all at once.
Tom means "to boil" and yum means "to mix". The broth is perfumed with bruised lemongrass, slices of galangal and torn makrut lime leaves, then seasoned with fish sauce, chili and roasted chili paste (nam prik pao). Fresh lime juice goes in only at the end, off the heat, so the sourness stays bright.
There are two main styles: tom yum nam sai, the clear version, and tom yum nam khon, enriched with evaporated milk or coconut for a creamy, orange broth. Ours, Tom Yum Goong with Mixed Seafood, comes to the table in a hand-painted Benjarong pot, generous with shrimp, mussels, mushrooms and long beans.
In December 2024, UNESCO added Tom Yum Kung to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognizing it as a living part of Thai culture.
Tom Kha · ต้มข่า
Tom Kha: The Gentle Coconut Soup
If Tom Yum is fire, Tom Kha is silk. The name means "galangal soup", and galangal is its defining flavor, simmered in coconut milk with lemongrass, makrut lime leaf and chicken (tom kha gai), then soured with lime and lifted with a little chili.
The result is creamy, sour and soothing, a favorite of anyone who loves Thai flavor but prefers less heat. Our Northern Thai Coconut Chicken Soup is made with coconut milk, lime, chili, chicken and cilantro, a warm, comforting bowl for a New York winter evening.
Yum & Tam · ยำ ตำ
Thai Salads Are Nothing Like Salad
A Thai salad is not a side of lettuce. It is a bold, sour-spicy dish of its own, tossed or pounded with a dressing of lime, fish sauce, chili and palm sugar.
ยำมะม่วง · yum mamuang
Mango Avocado Salad
A modern take on the green mango salad: mango, tomato and avocado with cilantro and garlic in a lime, chili and salty palm-sugar dressing. A guest favorite.
ลาบ · larb
Larb
Minced meat dressed with lime, fish sauce, chili, shallots, mint and toasted rice powder. The national dish of Laos and a pillar of Isan cooking, eaten with sticky rice.
ยำวุ้นเส้น · yum woon sen
Glass Noodle Salad
Bean thread noodles with seafood in a lime-chili dressing. Our Seafood Noodle Plate serves shrimp, squid and salmon with lettuce, chopped lime, Thai ginger and papaya.
ยำเนื้อ · yum nua
Grilled Beef Salad
Sliced grilled beef with cucumber, tomato, onion and herbs in a sharp lime dressing, a cousin of our Crying Tiger.
ทอดมันปลา · tod mun pla
The Perfect Partner
Thai salads and soups are always eaten with something rich and crisp alongside: fish cakes, satay, fried chicken wings or a crispy pork dish.
Healthy & Flavorful
Why Thai Soups and Salads Are So Good for You
Thai soups and salads are some of the lightest and most nourishing dishes you can order. They are built on fresh vegetables and herbs, lean proteins, citrus and chili rather than heavy sauces.
- Lemongrass and galangal have been used for generations in Thai home remedies for digestion and colds.
- Chili adds heat and flavor with almost no calories.
- Lime and herbs deliver brightness without fat or cream.
- Clear broths like Tom Yum are hydrating, warming and satisfying.
For a light lunch near Times Square, try a papaya or mango avocado salad with a bowl of Tom Yum. Read more in our journal: Healthy and Flavorful Thai Salads and Soups.
Hot, Sour & Unforgettable
Taste Tom Yum served the traditional way, in a Benjarong pot, at 690 9th Ave.