Tom Yum

Today I finally opened one of my "goodies" from Bangkok - a cup of ready-to-eat Tom Yum Goong. When I arrived there, one of the first things I did was head for the grocery. I wanted to buy food that I can find only in Thailand, like Frito Lay potato chips in exotic flavors such as Nori Seaweed and Grilled Lobster. Another item was a pack of Tom Yum Goong since I like that dish so much.

Well, sad to say that the cup of instant soup was a disappointment. It was Tom Yum, but as with anything ready-to-eat, the quality suffers considerably. It was nothing compared to the one I had in Siam Paragon.

It was past lunch time on our second day and I was exploring some malls on my own. Being so late, I really wanted to get a bite, and the Siam Paragon food court got good reviews since the mall was only 5 months old.

Turns out the place is a bit high-end, but since I was so hungry (deja vu?) I didn't care about the price. The outlet I went to is like the former Streetlife in Glorietta. Enter, get a card, have it swiped as you order food, and pay as you leave.

Seeing a mouth-watering picture of Tom Yum, I ordered it right away. Only when the dish was served at my table did I realize: Oh, shucks, I'm not in Manila! I saw all the crushed chilis swimming on the surface and realized that I should have asked them to hold back on the spice.

Anyway, since I was in a nice place and they were charging me 3 times what I'd normally pay for a meal, I decided to eat Tom Yum just the way the Thais do: in all it's hot, spicy, mouth-burning, inflaming glory.

I could swear that my mouth was on fire. And now I also know why animators show how spicy a food is by making smoke come out of your ears: while I was eating it I could feel my ear wax melting!

I must say though that it was delicious. At least now I can say that I've had authentic Thai Tom Yum Goong.

7/100