Review

Walls are lined with traditional Thai woven sticky rice baskets and speakers play contemporary Thai rap and pop. This is Somtum Der, a vibrant Isaan eatery. Dishes pack a punch, delivering salty, spicy, tangy, and a little sweetness in a single bite and best enjoyed in abundance and eaten with sticky rice.

The signature tum kaopod kai kem, a classic version of papaya som tum with corn and salted egg, makes a great pairing with everything. With som tum one needs a larb dish and a grilled meat dish to complete the meal. Their larb ped ("ped" as in duck, rather than as in spicy, although, it is also spicy.) An offering of traditional Thai meat salad comprising of lemongrass, shallots, lime, chilli, coriander, and fish sauce. Light but filling, and as gorgeous as it sounds. Isaan-style charcoal grilled meats, known as "suea rong hai" (meaning "crying tiger", a description of the fat-dripping, stripy, marbled meat on the grill) are also unmissable. The house special beef is the star, served with jerky-like texture and a light coating of nutty toasted rice. Thai desserts do well to honour traditional recipes. For a boisterous night, combine dessert with a slushy cocktail bucket with a variety of childhood-favourite toppings.