Cover Mama Tiger Noodles is known for its comforting and flavourful Thai noodle bowls (Photo: Mama Tiger Noodles)
Mama Tiger Noodles is known for its comforting and flavourful Thai noodle bowls (Photo: Mama Tiger Noodles)
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As Songkran ushers in the Thai New Year, the city’s Thai restaurants turn up the heat with flavourful, fiery and memorable plates
Hong Kong has never needed an excuse to fall for Thai food. We are, as a city, deeply susceptible to flavour that is loud, fragrant and a little bit unruly. We love the brightness of lime, the perfume of herbs, the gentle creep of chilli heat and the thrilling balance of sweet, sour, salty and umami that Thai cooking handles with such grace. It is food that is generous, expressive and gloriously alive, which, when you think about it, feels entirely in step with how Hong Kong likes to eat.
Which brings us to April and Songkran, the Thai New Year, celebrated this year from April 13 to 15. Widely known for its joyful water celebrations, Songkran is about renewal, gathering and starting afresh. Traditionally, water is used to symbolically wash away the past year, making space for luck, clarity and new beginnings. But, as with any great cultural celebration, the true heartbeat lives at the table: in dishes designed for sharing, flavours that awaken the palate, and cooking that feels both comforting and vibrant.
Fortunately, if a Songkran sojourn is not on the cards, Hong Kong’s Thai dining scene is particularly spirited, offering plenty of ways to mark the season through flavour rather than flights.
Above Settle into Mama Tiger Noodles for a feast
Above The mhee haeng chicken is a protein-packed bowl that layers tender chicken and crispy skin over Thai rice vermicelli
Settle into Mama Tiger Noodles for a feast
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Take Mama Tiger Noodles in Sheung Wan, which offers the confidence of a late-night Bangkok noodle stall that somehow acquired air-conditioning and a very good playlist. Led by chef Thanit Changchai, formerly of Thailand’s popular noodle chain Thong Smith, the menu leans into savoury broths, spice-heavy noodle soups and fruit salad appetisers that embrace funk rather than dilute it. The room itself is part theatre, part street scene: Muay Thai shorts draped over seats, fight replays flickering in the background, cocktails spiked with tropical fruit and herbs to cool the inevitable chilli glow.
Above Expect unfussy plates that bursts with flavour at Thai Pai Dong
Expect unfussy plates that bursts with flavour at Thai Pai Dong
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Over in Jordan, Thai Pai Dong delivers a different but equally persuasive expression of Thai exuberance. Here, the kitchen cooks with the sort of unapologetic boldness that makes you sit up mid-bite. Wagyu beef boat noodles are rich and deep, crab meat omelettes come laced with crisp, golden edges and the stir-fried spicy flat noodles carry that crucial hit of wok hei beneath their aromatic heat. The room is loud, the tables turn quickly, and the energy feels pleasingly close to a Bangkok street-side supper rush.
See also: 10 essential Thai ingredients for creating Thai dishes at home
Above The beef cheek khao soi is a classic Thai dish featuring tender beef in a fragrant coconut curry
Above The chicken khao soi layers coconut broth with chicken, lemongrass and warm prik (chilli) heat, topped with crisp noodles
The beef cheek khao soi is a classic Thai dish featuring tender beef in a fragrant coconut curry
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Then there is Thonglor in Kowloon City, a neighbourhood long synonymous with Thai dining; the brand is now amplified by a second venue and an expanded menu. The newest space is designed to evoke the neon-lit buzz of Thailand’s nightlife, where casual tables, bold flavours and spontaneous cravings coexist happily. On the plate, this translates into dishes such as khao soi (Northern Thai curry noodle soup) with tender beef cheek, wok-charred pad see eww (stir-fried soy sauce noodles) with Wagyu, and herb-laced steamed clams. There is also a late- night snack menu, a love letter to Thailand’s street grills and midnight dinners.
Above Asura’s flavourful Thai dishes pairs well with beer
Above Don’t miss Asura’s signature Thai dipping noodles
Asura’s flavourful Thai dishes pairs well with beer
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For those who prefer their Songkran with a side of street-food nostalgia, Asura in Tsim Sha Tsui offers a menu inspired by Bangkok’s legendary Banthat Thong Street, reworking familiar classics with crisp textures and aromatic, house-made seasonings. It offers dishes such as crispy fish mince scented with red curry and holy basil, tornado pork belly with jaew (a dipping sauce common in Northeastern Thai, or Isan, cuisine, as well as that of neighbouring Laos), and dipping noodles in a rich red curry prawn soup capture the spirit of night-markets. This is Thai comfort food at full volume—and that is precisely the point.
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A storyteller by day and a first-class food devourer by night, Fontaine is the Regional Dining Editor at Tatler Asia, overseeing dining content across all regions and shaping the brand’s editorial voice on food, chefs and culinary culture.
She is also Content Lead for Tatler Best and Co-jury Head for Tatler Best Hong Kong and Macau, guiding the awards’ editorial direction and evaluation process. With over a decade in the lifestyle and media industry spanning London and Hong Kong, she brings a cross-regional perspective to the table.
Follow her on Instagram at @fontimes.
