We decided to leave Ari for a lunch adventure, so we grabbed and Uber and headed for a local authentic Thai food Mecca: Soei.
They offer outdoor and indoor seating areas, but given the 100F weather, we opted for air conditioning. Depending on the weather, outdoor seating could be more fun because their kitchen is open air. Their current kitchen pays homage to their original location which was completely outdoor and next to the train tracks.
Soei is ultra-casual and dotted with pictures of Thai sports teams on the walls. Their tables are steel chefs prep tables with red metal chairs. And their staff is patient with the English language barrier. Always with a smile.
Our order at Soei
Beer
We started with a Thai beer made in the style of a German Hefeweizen called Snowy Weizen. Although I’m not the biggest fan of Wheat Beer, this was a lighter version full of flavor and I was super impressed how the Thai brewers at Est. 33 managed to make such an authentic version of an unfamiliar beer. But I couldn’t fill my belly with this yeasty beer – I needed A LOT of room for the feast about to take place.
Kaem Pla Too Tod – A Soei Specialty
Since they’re called mackerel cheeks, we definitely weren’t expecting full dehydrated fish heads to be brought to our table. With a consistency like crunchy chips, these Kaem Pla Too Tod are a specialty of Soei. In the high season, it’s recommended to call to reserve some if you’re planning to dine there. Served with hot sauce, it’s like eating chips and salsa with a Thai twist.
Tom Yum Pla Too
A staple soup in Thai culture, Tom Yum comes a number of varieties – mostly with different types of seafood. Tom Yum Goong (Tom Yum with Shrimp) seems to be the most common type. But this version was incredibly unusual. I’ve never seen a soup with a full fish tail hanging out of the back of the bowl. Bizarre, but the mackerel was poached to perfection in the hot, sour and refreshing broth.
Pla Goong Pao
Think shrimp ceviche with a Thai twist for this Soei dish. Fresh shrimp are tossed in acidic lime and lemon juices along with a roasted chili sauce, garlic, scallions and herbs. Served chilled it’s extremely refreshing with a balanced heat. It’s excellent paired with the fried rice.
Waters and More Beer
Keep yourself hydrated and your mouth cool with a frosty Singha– a light Thai lager – or several and plenty of water. While water will just move the heat around in your mouth, something lactic like milk is the only true way to rid your mouth of the hot tingling. But beer is the best way to wash everything down.
Pla Tubtim Rad Prik
This Pla Tubtim Rad Prik, or fried whole fish with a fresh chili garlic sauce is the quintessential Thai dish. Sweet, salty and hot, Soei’s version of the dish earned a spot on my Quest for the Best list. Read my breakdown of Pla Tubtim Rad Prik.
Ow-tung – A favorite Soei Dessert
The only comparison to an American staple I can compare Ow-tung to is a root beer float. Ow-tung is shaved ice atop basil seeds and sweetened coffee. The texture of the ice reminds me of vanilla ice cream and the sweet brown liquid – with basil seeds imitating bubbles – reminds me of root beer. All tables at Soei seemed to have one or two Ow-tungs on their tables to round out there meal, and I see why because it’s the perfect way to cool down after such a heated meal.
Soei is a well known Thai eatery that serves mostly Thai locals. It’s rare to see a Westerner there, but when you do – they’ll inevitably have a table full of empty beer and water bottles scattered about their chili-ridden dishes.
Soei
Phibun Watthana 6 Alley
Samsen Nai
Phaya Thai
Bangkok 10400
Thailand