Som Tam Pu Plara

Origins and tradition

Som tam is probably the best-known salad in Southeast Asia. ‘Som’ refers to sourness, ‘tam’ to pounding: the ingredients are crushed in a mortar to release their juices and bring the flavours together. Green papaya, crunchy and barely sweet, is the base for a typically Thai balance of sour, salty, sweet and hot.

The ‘pu plara’ version is the one you find in Isan, north-eastern Thailand, and in Laos. It stands out for two ingredients: pu, crab, and plara, a fermented fish with a deep, powerful flavour. It is a bold preparation with no compromises, much loved by those who grew up with it.

Our version

At Thai Yim 2, we pound it to order, Lao style, with crab and plara. It is one of our spiciest dishes — spice 4/4 on our scale — and we make it the way it should be made. If you are new to som tam, we will happily point you to a milder version; if you already know it, this one will speak to you.

How to enjoy it

It is served as a starter to share or alongside sticky rice, as is customary. It’s €12 a plate. Eat in, in the 13th near Olympiades, or take away.