10 Best Local Dishes from Hua Hin

Som tam pu ma (spicy blue crab papaya salad) fuses Isan's zesty som tam (papaya salad) with Hua Hin's fresh blue crab. This iconic appetiser is best paired with steamed jasmine rice. It offers an invigorating blend of spicy and sour flavours, with crunchy chunks of blue crab. 

Kan chiang pu nueng (steamed crab wing) comes bite-sized, meaty, and ready to enjoy. The best way to enjoy this starter is by dipping it in spicy seafood sauce.

Tom yam Goong is a bold and refreshing dish of shrimp cooked in a rich broth. Fragrant lemongrass, chillies, galangal, lime leaves, shallots, lime juice and fish sauce are just some of the many ingredients that make up the soup. Great for lunch and dinner, this classic dish is often paired with steamed jasmine rice and vegetable dishes.

Au suan is available in many cities across Thailand, but this crispy pancake tastes much more satisfying in Hua Hin. This is thanks to the freshness and size of its key ingredient – oysters. Raw egg and plump oysters go in a wok first, followed by diluted tapioca starch solution and oyster sauce. The dish is usually served in a searing hotplate.

Hor mok talay is a popular central region seafood dish. It's traditionally made with freshwater fish, but many Hua Hin restaurant uses seabass. It also contains mussels, squid and shrimp marinated in a coconut cream and red curry base. The entire mix is then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until fully cooked.

Plaa sai tod kratiem (garlic fried sand whiting) is a common dish at Thai-style seafood restaurants in Hua Hin. Sand whiting is a type of silvery saltwater fish found in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

This dish comprises whole fish that's marinated in a garlic peppercorn batter and deep-fried until golden. It's best enjoyed with a plate of steamed jasmine rice.

Pad thai is an iconic dish in Thailand, so you can easily find it in Hua Hin's street markets, food stalls, and restaurants. Fistfuls of small and thin noodles are dropped into a searing hot wok and stir-fried with crunchy bean sprouts, spring onions and egg. Pad thai also comes with raw beansprouts, crushed peanuts, and fresh lime slices.

Pak boong fai daeng (stir-fried morning glory) is a simple yet flavourful vegetable dish. Morning glory is a leafy plant with hollow green stems and thin fragile leaves. It's stir-fried with cloves of garlic, chilli slices, oyster sauce, and fish sauce.

Gaeng keow wan gai (green chicken curry) is served alongside a bowl of fragrant Jasmine rice. Green curry paste and coconut milk form the creamy base. Chicken, cherry-sized eggplants, bamboo shoots, sprigs of coriander, and generous handfuls of sweet basil add body to this dish. It's one of the mildest curries in Thailand, making it a great choice for those who can't handle spicy food.