Joanna James
Hua Hin, the once sleepy fishing village in the Gulf of Thailand, is now a bustling tourist destination offering a myriad of attractions including its cuisine. Here are some of its finest dishes.
First up on the list is a dish requires a little bit of messy eating but is totally worth it, for the taste is exquisite. Som Tam Pu Ma is a spicy papaya salad that comprises of fermented blue crab which is undoubtedly the star attraction of the whole dish. Even though it's a popular street food you can still find it at any of the Hua Hin restaurants even the fancy ones at luxury resorts like AVANI Hua Hin Resort & Villas. In addition to the raw papaya and the blue crab which perfectly complements each other, Som Tam Pu Ma also includes garlic, birds eye chillies, cherry tomatoes, carrot and long beans. Condiments such as fish sauce, salt, lime juice and palm sugar season the salad to create a perfect balance of sweet, spicy and sour. Som Tam Pu Ma is ideal as an appetizer or as a snack to munch on while you stroll along Hua Hin's streets.
The people of Hua Hin sure do love crab. Kan Chiang Pu Nueng is a dish featuring steamed crab wings. Unlike Som Tam Pu Ma, this dish is much easier to eat as the tender, juicy steamed crab meat comes ready-to-eat and in bite-size pieces making it hassle free and utterly delicious! And what's more, this mouth-watering dish comes with a spicy seafood sauce for you to dip the crab pieces, enhancing the flavour.
This feisty and aromatic soup is brimming with all the exotic flavours that make Thai cuisine so unique. Simply called Spicy Shrimp Soup in English, Tom Yam Goong is ideal for any meal of the day be it breakfast, lunch or dinner and some even recommend it for those suffering from a cold. This refreshing soup consists of a wonderful blend of spices and ingredients such as galangal, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, lime juice, chillies and of course the lemongrass which brings that tantalizing aroma to the soup.
The finest gems are hard to find and the same applies to this exquisite dish. Hoi Wan Pad Cha or stir-fried Babylon snails in roasted chilli oil is a succulent dish is hard to find on restaurant menus in Hua Hin as Babylon snails are rather a delicacy. Lucky are those who get to taste this dish and it delectable flavours coming from ingredients such as the bird's eye chillies, wild ginger, garlic, fresh peppercorns and roasted chilli oil that perfectly complements the juicy flavour of the Babylon snails.
Love pancakes? Have you ever tried an oyster pancake before? Nope? Well, when in Hua Hin you have the opportunity of trying one for the first time! Au Suan is a deep-fried oyster pancake that's very different from the pancakes you eat with maple syrup but nevertheless is finger-licking good! The highlight of this dish is undoubtedly the plump oysters that are tossed into a wok with heated oil followed by oyster sauce, a mix of Thai spices and lastly a diluted tapioca starch solution. The dish is served on a hot plate to be enjoyed.
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