Somtum Thai Kitchen
Restaurant · Downtown
1924 SW Broadway Floor 2nd, Portland, OR 97201
Highlights
Authentic Isan Thai food, known for papaya salad variations
Authentic Isan Thai food, known for papaya salad variations
"It’s not hard to find Isan staples like larb and papaya salad in the city, but Somtum Thai Kitchen, which opened on the Portland State University campus in 2021, showcases lesser seen Northeastern Thai dishes like tub waan, a salad of hot and sour pork livers tossed with herbs. Of course, chef Sirapob Chaiprathum also makes many versions of his restaurant’s namesake dish, some that pair shredded papaya with fermented fish sauce and field crabs, as well as others that add salted duck egg and cherry tomatoes."
"There is plenty of fantastic Thai food in Portland, but this under-the-radar Isan restaurant on the Portland State University campus punches above its weight. Sirapob Chaiprathum, who goes by Q, pounds bright and complex papaya salads using things like field crabs and Laotian fish sauce, while pots of simmering broths waft galangal-and-lemongrass-scented steam. Those seeking the comfort of pad Thai or crab fried rice will find it here, but for the full experience, the restaurant’s sampler platters, named for Thai temples, are great for groups." - Eater Staff
"I love Thai food and often pair Somtum Thai Kitchen with the tea shop next door — we always do a combo when we go." - Thom Hilton
"Tucked inside a house on the Portland State University campus, this restaurant focusing on Isan cuisine takes its name from som tum, or papaya salad. Whereas most Thai restaurants have a standard version of the dish, Som Tum Thai Kitchen’s variations include salted duck egg, field crabs, and vegetarian. In the tum khao pod, corn shaved off the cob provides a sweet respite from the spicy components of the salad. As with all of Som Tum’s dishes, the salad can be ordered to the heat level of your choice, from mai ped (not spicy) or “baby spicy” (mild) all the way up to the discretionary ped paak heak (super Thai hot)." - Janey Wong
"Som Tum Thai Kitchen, located on the Portland State University campus, separates its menu into various categories of dishes often seen in Isan: grilled meats, spicy salads, and soups, as well as a full category dedicated to som tum. Some uninitiated diners may see som tum as a single dish — thinly shaved green papaya tossed in fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar, maybe with some dried shrimp. However, in Isan, there are a number of different varieties of som tum available: ones made with salty field crabs, ones tossed in fermented fish dressing, vegetarian papaya salad, papaya salad made with sweet corn. Chaiprathum is partial to the tum lao, made with the Laotian fermented fish sauce known as padaek. “It’s really strong flavor, but it’s really signature from the Som Tom Thai Kitchen,” he says. The restaurant, similarly, offers a number of different varieties of larb — versions made with pork, duck, beef, and mushrooms — as well as commonly spotted dishes like the glass noodle salad yum woo sen. From there, however, the salad offerings include a number of dishes hard to find in other Portland Thai restaurants: tub waan, medium-rare pork livers tossed with shallots and herbs; soop nor mai, bamboo shoots tossed in a fermented fish dressing with dried peppers and roasted rice; yum moo yaw, a Vietnamese sausage salad with chile-lime dressing. Much of Isan’s culinary influence comes from its neighbors, namely Laos; as such, Som Tum also keeps a version of nam khao on the menu, also known as crispy rice salad. The soup menu at Som Tum is perhaps the most well-stocked with Portland rarities, from tom sap kradook on made with pork cartilage and galangal to gaeng om gai, a soothing, herbal vegetable soup with roasted rice and pumpkin. A particularly fun menu item is the tom saep neua, a Thai soup filled with various cuts of beef, with a tangy, tom-yum-esque base. For those new to the cuisine, though, Chaiprathum thinks the Pa Khao Noi, named for the temple, is a good starting point: It’s a tour through a number of the restaurant’s dishes, including larb moo, tom sap kradook on, fried pork ribs, and crispy rice salad. It’s one of a handful of sampler plates named for Thai temples — the Pa Khao Yai is a similar combination, with the addition of kor moo yang (grilled pork neck). The 40-seat restaurant is now open for onsite dining and takeout, and soon Chaiprathum hopes to start serving drinks at the restaurant’s bar." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
