Hot Plate: Thai Thai's Som Tum

You can’t walk a block in Bangkok without seeing rows of street vendors flipping savory crepes, roasting whole chickens and fish over grills and doling out bowls of sticky rice. To bring a taste of her childhood to the United States, Thai Thai owner Kiwi Wongpeng captures Thailand’s foodie frenzy in her teeny Lakewood storefront with a curated menu of pork sausage stuffed with rice, pot stickers and more. But she knew her menu would be incomplete without som tum ($7.95), a green papaya salad that defines the country’s street food culture. “Som tum is an everyday food,” she says. “It’s hot, it’s spicy, it’s really light.” The fresh, savory fruit-based salad starts with macerating garlic and fresh chilies with a pestle in a clay mortar. Instead of the traditional fermented fish, Wongpeng adds a vegan fish sauce, making it accessible to her vegan and vegetarian customers. “It’s almost like a soy sauce,” Wongpeng explains. “It doesn’t really give that fish taste, but it’s close enough to the saltiness.” She completes the dish by mashing in shredded green papaya, string beans, tomatoes and lime before garnishing with peanuts. “Thai food is all about flavors,” says Wongpeng. “I want to introduce Cleveland to Thailand’s food, and I want people to try and taste what my mother cooks for me.” 13735 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-961-9655