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Som’s Noodle House: The Cheap Thai Fix

Som’s Noodle House: The Cheap Thai Fix

I love Thai cuisine.  Flavors are big, bold, and spicy. And that’s the thing I really love about Asian cuisine1 and it’s the same reason why Thai food is near the top of my list.

For the 2 loyal readers out there2, you’ve probably realized that I’m more the cheap, hole-in-the-wall, semi-dirty/dangerous foodie than the Michelin Star-seeker.  So when I first heard about Som’s, I knew I had to try it.  I’ll admit that this entry is a collection of my x visits there.  I actually like it3 but admittedly, it’s not as good as it used to be.

For appetizers, we got the Spring Rolls, which is nothing to write about4.  Uh, so it’s 8 pieces.  Tastes like Lumpiang Shanghai5.  Sauce saved the dish.  OK, I’m tapped out of nice things to say.

Spring Rolls (P120.00 or $2.60)

Next is a Chicken Pandan.  I guess the price is OK, but really nothing special.  You can buy those pre-prepared ones in SM Supermarkets and it would taste the same.

Chicken Pandan (P150.00 or $3.30)

The Fried Tonto Fish was basically fried fish.  I don’t see what made this dish Thai, but it’s just fried fish! I guess the cucumber and tomatoes were fresh, but don’t get suckered into ordering this dish.  What’s a Tonto fish?  Even the waitresses had no idea.

Fried Tonto Fish (P300.00/$6.70 for the Medium sized and P350.00/$7.75 for the Large)

OK, now to the more exciting dishes! First, a Chicken Green Curry!  First of all, do not order beef!  In a place like this, beef tends to be of poor quality (more likely) or overcooked (likely).  Also, beef doesn’t go well with curries so I almost always order chicken.  Their green curry doesn’t look too appetizing but tasted nice and should be one of the less spicy variety.  It’s filled with red peppers and eggplants with a few pieces of chicken.

Chicken Green Curry (P150.00 or $3.30)

But do love the red curry.  I ordered the Duck Red Curry and instead of eggplants, this comes with grape-sized potatoes and cherry tomatoes.  Duck meat was a bit tough, but seriously, what should I have expected?  Still, I loved the sauce.  There are better ones out there, but this is pretty good for me.  A bit oily, but I love it! Eating should be dangerous at times.  I’d drink the sauce like iced tea and I’d walk away happy.  My only complaint is that the sauce is not spicy6.  I’d come back just for this.

Duck Red Curry (P180.00 or $4.00)

Usually, you order plain rice to properly mix and taste the curry flavor.  I like it bold so I always order a Red Curry Fried Rice with Shrimp.  Good value for your money.  Feeds about 3-4 people and really strong flavor.  Also, get the shrimp because they don’t use the small variety.  Perfect way to end the day is to pull out the shrimp’s head, smother it with the red curry sauce and suck those babies! Now THAT’S food porn!

Red Curry Fried Rice with Shrimp (P200.00 or $4.45)

I have to mention, we took out an order of Chili Crab.  Now, I’m not sure how Thai this dish actually is, but if the red curry rice was good value for your money, this is even better.  It’s about 3 maybe 4 of those small, but really meaty crabs and the sauce is sweet and spicy.  What we did at home was to re-cook them with rice noodles for a Crab Sotanghon dish and it was like having 2 meals in 1!

Chili Crab (P300.00 or $6.70)

I’ve read reviews that Som’s is overrated and I can see why people would say this.  You may need to order the right dishes, but mostly it’s good value for your money.  Other Thai places will set you back for a lot more so this is a pretty damn good alternative if you ask me.  Just don’t order the Pad Thai and avoid the toilet.

address-overlay 5921 Algier St.Poblacion, Makati

love Thai cuisine.  Flavors are big, bold, and spicy. And that’s the thing I really love about Asian cuisine and it’s the same reason why Thai food is near the top of my list. For the 2 loyal readers out there, you’ve probably realized that I’m more the cheap, hole-in-the-wall, semi-dirty/dangerous foodie than the Michelin …

Review Overview

Food
Value for Money
Service

Overall Experience

Summary : Great value for your money and really bold flavors. One of my favorites.

70

About Lester

Lester likes red meat, white meat, and is allergic to vegetables. He thinks PETA is for pussies, and his favorite basketball player is Robert Jaworski.

2 comments

  1. maybe the reason it’s a “tonto” fish is for someone that’s gonna be gullible enough to order that. guess what, the joke’s on you.

    the fish seems lonely thanks for the heads up. haven’t tried Som’s and this is the first one to have a take on it and I read mediocrity between the lines. haha. but nonetheless, I still wanna visit the place and experience it for myself. :)

    • Hi The Urban Nomad,

      IMHO, the curry’s good enough to warrant another visit, but I don’t have any basis to compare it to the real thing in Thailand. Everything else I don’t think is worth the visit.

      Do give it a try, though and let me know what you think.

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