Recently I have been spending a lot more time down in Gangnam as it is where my Korean class takes place, plus there just seems to be a lot more going on in general so I have plenty of reasons to eat lunch south of the river. So when I was invited to come and try Teow Thai I could hardly refuse. And since my darling Chubby Hubby works just around the corner, I figured I would bring him and one of his coworkers along for the ride too.
Teow Thai is located just off of Garosugil, at the end closest to Sinsa station. It’s a very convenient spot if you are looking for somewhere to eat after a spot of shopping. The restaurant has a very low key and fun vibe, in fact they have a tuk tuk sitting right in the middle of it. The tuk tuk has usefully been turned into a table, sadly it was occupied when we got there. But for those who can’t claim the mighty tuk tuk, they have the traditional Thai style brightly coloured plastic tables and chairs.
The menu reflects the casual vibe of the place and is made up of street food dishes, all of which can be ordered from the robot computer. I haven’t always had the best luck with these babies in the past, but this one was really easy to use. The menu is in Korean and English and you can modify the dishes by adding what you do like and taking away what you don’t.
It being a weekday lunch and all, we decided to order one of their non alcoholic beverages, Though they do have Thai beers for those don’t want to drink responsibly. Their Thai Tea (3,500) was super refreshing as was the Thai Milk (3,500), which comes in pink and green varieties. With our drinks we snacked on the Appetizer Combo (5,000). A mix of Thai Chips, Pork Meatballs and Quail Egg Wontons with a sweet chili dip. Whilst this wasn’t anything fancy, it made a nice snack to nibble on. We really loved the lovely texture of the deep fried chips, and the quail egg stuffed wontons which were creamy and crunchy. This combo would be great with a couple of beers.
One dish that takes me right back to Thailand and that any Thai restaurant in the world should serve is Pad Thai (9,000). I got the shrimp version which was an extra 3,000. This is a pretty decent rendition, it came with dried chillies, peanuts, and lime on the side. The sauce had a a good tamarind flavour, and the portion was a good size. I’d order it again.
My favourite of the dishes we tried was probably the Fried Garlic Pork over Rice (8,000). This is a simple yet tasty dish. The tender meat packed a heady punch of of garlic, and made for a comforting dish when paired with the rice and fried egg. It also came with a bowl of very tasty broth. I think for this price it’s a great meal.
Lastly we ordered the Thai Pork Noodle Soup (7,000). This came served in a gigantic Mango wood bowl. The noodles were served in a meaty broth, and topped with pork meat balls and pork on the bone. My friend who ordered this dish absolutely loved it and said it was the perfect winter warming noodle soup.
Overall I though this to be a nice addition to the Garosugil area. It is a fun spot that is great for a casual meal. The prices are cheap as chips and the food was tasty and authentic. It is certainly worth stopping by if you are in the area and eating on a budget.
Teow Thai is located at 14-4 Dosan-daero 13-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Sinsa Station (line 3) and come out of exit 8. Walk straight and take the third road on the left. Walk down Garosugil and take the second road on your right. You will see Teow Thai just on the left hand side. For more information you can call them on 02-540-2882 or check out their website.