Somtum Der — Restaurant in Si Lom Subdistrict

Feeling the yen for Issan food in a real restaurant (not the street or a shophouse) I took a quick hop to this highly recomended place. Its 200 meters or so from the Sala Daeng BTS or Silom MRT (south east side) and easy to find. It has a good reputation among the expat community, and it seems that even the locals like it. Its clean, attractively designed, has air conditioning, and the service is western level. Its in a tourist area. There is a decent level of English spoken and the Menu is in English. I had three dishes: Som Tum Hoi Dong (spicy papaya salad with marinated seafood), Deep fried Minced Pork, and Steak with Spicy Sauce as well as sticky rice. The waitress warned me that the SomTum Hoi Dong "very strong is OK?", but I assured her that it was. You are given an attractively arranged plate of crudites (carrots, cukes, basil and raw stringbeans) to start. Very nice for munching and you can use the cukes to cool down the fire. The SomTum was superb! Attractively plated, it had sweat inducing spice that still allowed the citrisy and fish sauce flavours to come out. The marinated seafood (oysters) is very strong in terms of flavour and spice, but nicely compliments the whole dish. Superb. This was a nice change from my usual Pla Ra or Pu accented SomTams. But be warned, it is hot, and I think that if the spice were toned down it would be too fermented/fishy for Westerners so beware. I gave this one 5 stars, or five napkins to wipe the sweat off my face. Bomb!. Next was the fried Minced Pork. Again, fabulous. Little deep fried donuts of pork presented nicely with some cabbage and peanuts, not spicy at all. Extemely flavourful. Make sure you squeeze the Lime over them. Finally the steak, the only disappointment. Im used to having it served more thinly sliced and a bit rare, these were a bit thicker and well done, hence somewhat chewy. The sauce was great though, and I would try this one again but specify not so well done. Overall a real nice meal in a real nice setting. The crowd was both local and foreigner. I would have given it five stars but for the steak and the fact that they impose a service charge. Its not the amount, just the point, but I guess there are too many non tippers. So ignore that, and just take off a star for the steak. The whole meal was 388 baht including Pepsi (overpriced but hey its only 20 cents over) and service charge and it was well worth it to me as I was stuffed. Thats about 100 baht more than a shop house or street, but you get a decent atmosphere and real napkins, not toilet paper in a holder. I will be back, I am going to try their Pla Ra Somtums and their fried Chicken thighs. For more food pics visit my Instagram,...

If I had any faith left in the Michelin Guide, then certainly Somtum Der killed that faith and buried it deep. How this establishment can be credited for 3 + years in a row and have two locations in Tokyo and New York respectively is an honest scam.

Now I am not Thai, nor am I an expert on its cuisine but it doesn't take a Michelin Chef to know when the food is prepared with no passion or will whatsoever ; bland on certain dishes, unbalanced on others and overall undercooked side dishes.

Service is also a huge joke : Rude and inattentive staff Tables who arrived much later are served before us, some of our food which was clearly meant for us was served to others but no apologies from the staff While language barrier is understandable, you do not need to raise your voice to your customers When asking for certain items, such as sparkling water and receiving tap water but the staff doesn't react and clearly couldn't care less, you know you've got an issue.

I think this establishment is riding on its initial popularity and hype and has now become another spot where quality, service and will to be hospitable are thrown out of the window in exchange for "cool tshirts on sell" by the cashier. We honestly only stopped there as it was the only place open on New Year's for Lunch ; probably this place doesn't represent what issan cuisine is meant...

My dining experience at this Thai restaurant was a blend of positives and areas needing improvement. The menu featured dishes like Som Tam, Tom Yam Gung, and Nam Dok. While each dish offered a taste of Thai cuisine, they didn't quite hit the mark of excellence. The Nam Dok, promising Wagyu beef, unfortunately included mostly fat and tough meat, which was a letdown considering its potential.

The pricing aspect also stood out, particularly in the Tom Yam Gung. Priced at an additional 280 Baht, I expected more than just four shrimp in the dish. This felt disproportionate, considering the cost and the usual expectations from a dish at this price point.

On the upside, the staff was genuinely friendly, providing a pleasant atmosphere. Their approachable and helpful demeanor was a highlight of the visit. However, the slow service was a significant downside. Waiting 45 minutes for our meal in a not-so-busy setting was quite disappointing.

In summary, while the restaurant's staff earns it three stars for their excellent service, the combination of long wait times, high prices, and the underwhelming quality of key ingredients like the Wagyu beef and shrimp in our dishes lead me to deduct two stars. There's potential for this restaurant to be a great Thai dining spot, but improvements in food quality and service speed...