Somboon Seafood Surawong

Curry crab is the reason anyone books here. Somboon's fried curry crab, crab stir-fried with curry powder and egg, has been the house dish since the first shop opened at Sam Yan in 1969, and nearly every table orders it. You can have it as a whole crab in the shell or as the meat-only version, which is the one to get if you'd rather eat than dismantle. The Surawong branch opened in 1990, and it's now the oldest one still open and the one the Michelin Guide singles out. Somboon has been in the guide every year since 2018, listed rather than starred.

The rest of the menu isn't filler. Glass noodles baked with river prawns in a clay pot, grilled river prawns, black pepper crab and stir-fried morning glory are the dishes regulars add. It's a big multi-floor seafood hall rather than a plastic-stool operation, so seafood is priced by weight and the bill climbs fast if you go for the big prawns. Recent visitors report around ฿1,100 to ฿1,200 for a medium plate of the meat-only curry crab, so budget about ฿600 to ฿1,200 a head with rice and a couple of sides.

Book ahead in the evening and at weekends, through Somboon's own website, its LINE account or by phone, because the dining rooms fill and the turnover is brisk rather than leisurely. Several reviewers mention touts steering people to look-alike seafood places with similar names, so check you're at 169 Surawong Road before you sit down.

It's open daily from 11:00 to 22:00. BTS Chong Nonsi and MRT Sam Yan are each about ten minutes away on foot, and a taxi or Grab from anywhere in Silom takes a few minutes.