Tom Yum Goong
Photo: kisocci · CC BY-SA 2.0

Tom yum goong is Thailand's well-known hot-and-sour river-prawn soup: lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and Thai chillies in a clear or chilli-paste-thickened broth around a whole goong mae nam river prawn.

Tom yum's modern Bangkok form dates to the early 20th century, when river prawns from the Chao Phraya and Mekong were ladled into spiced broths in fishing-village kitchens. The clear (nam sai) and creamy chilli-paste (nam khon) versions diverged in Bangkok by the 1960s. Pa Aor in Pom Prap Sattru Phai became the city's canonical tom yum noodle counter in the 2000s, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2018 for ladling river prawn into a hot-and-sour broth on rice noodles.

3 editor picks for Tom Yum Goong in Bangkok, ranked by editorial score. All Bangkok signature dishes · Tom Yum Goong across every city.

Pa Aor Tom Yum Goong Noodles ★ 4.7

฿Tom Yum NoodlesOld Town

Pa Aor in Bangkok's Pom Prap Sattru Phai is the Bib Gourmand tom yum noodle stall, a bowl built on river prawns, chilli paste, evaporated milk and kuay teow.

OrderTom yum goong noodles with the whole river prawn and the egg-yolk float on top.

TipCash only. Lunch only, 09:00-16:00, closed Sundays. Queue from 11:30; arrive before or after the office-worker rush.

Raan Jay Fai ★ 4.7

฿฿฿Thai Street WokOld Town

Raan Jay Fai in Bangkok's Old Town is the Michelin-starred street stall where Supinya Junsuta wears ski goggles to wok the city's most famous crab omelet.

OrderThe crab omelet (kai jeaw poo) and the drunken noodles (pad kee mao) with seafood.

TipOpen Wednesday to Saturday 09:00-19:00. Walk-in only with same-day queue numbers; closed Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

Mit Ko Yuan ★ 4.0

฿฿Heritage ThaiOld Town

Mit Ko Yuan in Bangkok's Sao Chingcha is the Bib Gourmand family Thai room from 1962, central-Thai stir-fries and seafood dishes opposite the Giant Swing.

OrderTom yum kung with whole river prawn and a side of stir-fried morning glory.

TipCash only. Open 11:00-22:00 daily, the heritage building seats around 50 across two floors.

Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide

Tom Yum Goong makes more sense with someone from Bangkok explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.

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