Good Tom Kha Gai in Jomtien/Pattaya?

[henrik2000]

Hello, do you know a good place for tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) in Jomtien (preferred) or Pattaya?

That's chicken (the animal) in coconut milk, a mild dish. It's often called a "soup", but I would eat it over good steamed rice.

I love that dish and it's not everywhere. What I'd prefer:

• Coconut milk grated freshly in-house (not from can or tetrapak; but could be freshly made from market)

• No flashy tourist joint, no snobbery, no white table cloth. Can well be even street food ambiance, but relaxing furniture is welcome. I speak basic Thai and am very comfortable in a Thai-frequented place

• Healthy organic ingredients very welcome

• Good coffee and simple fruit (un-refined) welcome post-prandially

Thanks for your recommendations!

--

Source of pic: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/tom-ka-gai/

[Wullie Mercer]

Best I have tasted is in Cafe Kronborg, Soi Dianna, opposite Areca Lodge Hotel. Although I usually have it with prawns instead of chicken.

[twizzian]

Used to be one of my favorites in a good restaurant, but when it’s made locally or by family members  , picking out the skin & bones kills off the desire.

[Fairynuff]

You should find it in any tourist “Thai” restaurant. It’s not really a dish that Thai people eat.

[henrik2000]

Hi all, thanks for input!

 

8 hours ago, twizzian said:

picking out the skin & bones kills off the desire

I'm with you there! (Even if I thought, Asians like to prepare the food conveniently consumable - except for crab, maybe.)

 

7 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

It’s not really a dish that Thai people eat.

Yes, i noted that in the provinces it's hard to come by, that's why i posted a question for Pattaya. But once upcountry it was made by request happily, and the cook proudly showed me her coconut grater.

Edited November 5, 2022 by henrik2000

[Keep Right]

9 hours ago, twizzian said:

Used to be one of my favorites in a good restaurant, but when it’s made locally or by family members  , picking out the skin & bones kills off the desire.

This is also one of my favorite dishes but have found it better tasting in Western countries. I do not enjoy eating fat, chicken feet and who knows what else in this dish cooked locally in Thailand. Not to mention the mouth searing spiciness.

[sscc]

I am satisfied with one store offering and specializing in  Tom-Ka-Gai  and also  Tom-Yum-Kuon,  which  costs 55-60 B for a big bowl ( Each bowl Good for two servings ).   

The chicken and prawn in the two soups are fairly tasteless,  that's meant there had been extensive boiling  in cooking process.  I presumed they had prepared large quantity in the morning.

 

This place is a food court outlet in Terminal 21, East Pattaya.   Head to sixth floor housing the food court, there are two outlets serving this soup.   Look for the one with middle-aged women staff,  not one with men staff  ( major quality difference )    and specially emphasizing these two soup on photo menu.    

 

The food court has coffee and fruit and all else, whatever Thai and Western food.

 

The Best Coconut Chicken soup I had was in a 4* hotel restaurant in Phuket.  Pricing was about  200 B, that was even ten years ago.  

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

My Tom Kha Kai experiences seem to be a bit different than others.

... easy to find, especially non tourist area, as I don't do tourist areas

... breast or thigh meat only, as I don't do feet & skin

... prefer a little spice to it, though not as common

 

A favorite, though I don't order soups too often, as not a lot of substance to them.  With exception of Khao Soi, as noodles and a nice fried pork patty is fairly filling at times.

[marin]

On 11/5/2022 at 9:33 AM, Fairynuff said:

You should find it in any tourist “Thai” restaurant. It’s not really a dish that Thai people eat.

Yes it is a Thai favorite, and any good Central Thai restaurant will have it on the menu.

[henrik2000]

Hi all, thanks for more input!

5 hours ago, sscc said:

Head to sixth floor housing the food court, there are two outlets serving this soup.   Look for the one with middle-aged women staff,  not one with men staff  ( major quality difference )    and specially emphasizing these two soup on photo menu

SSCC, thanks for detailed directions! I might try there, as i plan to visit Decathlon and Fascino nearby. Sometimes i don't understand the voucher systems in those food courts, but perhaps i'll manage. I'll watch out for the lady cooks and their specific signs.

Steamed rice should be available? (And promised, the post-prandial coffee won't be from Starbux.)

Edited November 6, 2022 by henrik2000

[Fairynuff]

On 11/6/2022 at 1:16 PM, marin said:

Yes it is a Thai favorite, and any good Central Thai restaurant will have it on the menu.

Yes, you’ll find it on any tourist Thai restaurant 

[marin]

2 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

Yes, you’ll find it on any tourist Thai restaurant 

Of course you will as its one of the least spicy Thai dishes in general. But why go to a touristy restaurant and get an even more watered down version. Most central Thai restaurants have it on the menu, and 9 times out of 10 it will be heavily spiced but not hot to the taste. 

[Fairynuff]

1 hour ago, marin said:

Of course you will as its one of the least spicy Thai dishes in general. But why go to a touristy restaurant and get an even more watered down version. Most central Thai restaurants have it on the menu, and 9 times out of 10 it will be heavily spiced but not hot to the taste. 

I never see it on menus in normal restaurants, though I admit I don’t travel much in the central provinces, more towards the south and north/north east

[marin]

13 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

I never see it on menus in normal restaurants, though I admit I don’t travel much in the central provinces, more towards the south and north/north east

Very much a central food. It does not have much appeal to the Gai Yang and Somtum lovers, nor the strong southern curry lovers. 

[Fairynuff]

On 11/8/2022 at 7:46 AM, marin said:

Very much a central food. It does not have much appeal to the Gai Yang and Somtum lovers, nor the strong southern curry lovers. 

Nor me, even when it’s spicy (usually done with chilli oil) I find it very bland. But then I’m a Som tam lover 

[henrik2000]

On 11/6/2022 at 12:07 PM, sscc said:

This place is a food court outlet in Terminal 21, East Pattaya.   Head to sixth floor housing the food court, there are two outlets serving this soup.   Look for the one with middle-aged women staff,  not one with men staff  ( major quality difference )    and specially emphasizing these two soup on photo menu.    

 Hello, I think at Terminal 21 I exactly managed to get the wrong, unrecommended station for my tom ka ghai. It was extremely watery and tasted mainly like salt. As I am no lab technician, I don't know if there was any ghai in it. But there was oodles of woodsy no-eat debris. Staff was friendly and helped me to pay, which I didn't find out how to do. 

I might go there again to try other foods around the food court, but certainly not to that stall again. I guess it was the wrong one, but I didn't see the ladies that I should look out for.

Later I had a tom ka ghai at Mays restaurant in Jomtien, it's on Google Maps. Now that cost five times  as much and it tasted five times better than in T21, even though some of the tom ka ghais that I got in Thailand South were certainly more intense and creamy. A whole flock of chicken had lost their lives for that tom ka ghai, see pictures below.

For people-watching, Terminal 21 is more fun, esp at lunchtime.