The first time i saw the mouthwatering photograph of lobster tom yum kung noodles popped up on the Facebook news-feed, i made a mental note to check it out in my next trip but the intention only intensified upon strong endorsement from a polytechnic schoolmate!
Problem was; directions to Pe Aor were quite fuzzy and for the benefit of my readers, i am going to share the step-by-step directions at the end of this post. So go all the way down if you drop by this page due to a google search on "directions to bangkok lobster tom yam noodles".
Coming to Pe Aor - it had its kitchen functioning right outside, facing the street in full view of customers, just like Bangkok Soi 19 Special Wanton Mee. However, unlike the famous wanton mee stall, there wasn't a queue when we arrived even though it was lunchtime then.
We got seats almost immediately and i am dead afraid this would turn out to be overrated; Alex didn't take too kindly to the walk under the hot sun and those who knew him well should know spicy food isn't his cup of tea.
Fried Shrimp
Got this in case Alex couldn't stand the spiciness and they were addictive with a crunchy bite arising from the spring-roll skin and the prawns tasted fresh and sweet! Dip them into the Thai chilli for that additional oomph!
Lobster Tom Yum Kung Noodle
One look at Alex's expression and i noted a high chance i might have to finish the entire bowl myself! To think that i ordered the smallest possible option priced at 699 baht! By the way, the options of S, M, L and XL don't translate in portion size but refer to the size of the lobster! XL was three times more expensive at 2,000 baht.
Spiciness was honestly quite manageable even to Alex and for those die-hard tomyum fans, this might disappoint you as it didn't have that signature spicy numbness and there's a creamy sweetness which was totally fine (desirable in fact) for me!
The flavourful broth made a helluva difference though and i was darn impressed with the salmon that had been soaked so thoroughly! Beside it was the stuffed squid stuffed with minced meat.
Squid was cooked just right with meat that remained soft yet spongy enough for a satisfying bite. I could make do without the minced meat stuffing but they did make the squid visually more appealing.
Aside from lobster, there's also the crab head with the same minced meat stuffing as the squid. Take a spoonful of tom yam with everything as it enhanced almost everything i put into my mouth.
Noodles seemed to be the glass noodle type even though the taste was suspiciously that of instant noodles; nevertheless, slurped them up for that utmost delicious experience! I mentioned "almost everything" in the last paragraph for a reason; the lobster, being the main star, tasted fishy. Disappointing.
However, i simply couldn't forget how delicious and flavourful the tom yum soup was and how the rest of the ingredients (including mussels, egg) managed to complement so well with the soup.
=====
Location
68/51 Soi Phetchaburi 5,
Between Soi 5 – 7, Phaya Thai,
Ratchathewi, Bangkok,
Thailand
Opening Hours
Mondays - Closed
Tuesdays to Sundays - 10am to 9pm
How To Get There?
Take Exit One from Phaya Thai BTS station. Note the building on the left.
Walk towards the direction of that building and you should notice a passage that's for cars. Pedestrians can continue to walk along the passage.
It's actually a carpark and links the commercial building known as Phayathai Plaza with Payatai Condominium. Continue to walk straight.
See the big tree? There's a gate next to it that you can walk through.
Turn left once you step out of the gate and walk straight again.
That orange-blue building on the left shall be the indicator that you should turn right into the street.
This shall be the street where Pe Aor is located.
Just keep a lookout for the above sign on the right and you have reached your destination!
Prefer a map? As above!
For an overview of my relaxing 6 days, 5 nights Bangkok itinerary, please click here. :)