NĀM Is Where All Of Delhi’s Thai Lovers Should Head

This year has redefined Delhi’s food scene in more ways than one. One of these changes is diners moving away from cuisine-agnostic restaurants and instead picking spaces that pick a single cuisine but deliver it with attention to detail, flavour, and authenticity. Whether it was the arrival of Delhi’s first Sri-Lankan or Nepalese restaurant or the opening of a shop dedicated only to Burmese khao suey, the capital no more wants a lot packed in one place and plate.

Responding to this change in Delhi’s foodscape is Pratinav Pratap Singh who has launched NĀM, his love letter to Thai cuisine. During his time studying Software Engineering in Manchester, Singh depended on fries and hamburgers for most of his meals, until he visited a Thai restaurant and fell in love with the cuisine. Ever since, he prepared Thai dishes for himself and his eight other flatmates over weekends. Finally, those recipes find a home in a 50-seater space in Hauz Khas. The space is easy, minimalistic, yet chic.  Observing the action unfold in the open kitchen was as much a part of the experience as the food that landed on the plate. “I find no reason to separate the people making the food from those eating it,” explained Singh. 

The menu at NĀM has been designed by Singh himself with each dish placed with equal love and intention. As I flipped through the menu, I was beginning to see the clarity of thought behind its curation. Every dish was neatly placed under sections that made it easier to traverse through the menu. While every roster comes with its hits and misses, it is fair to say that the former exceeded the latter by miles at NĀM. If you are now curious to know all that I tried, read on. 

Everything I Tried (And Liked) And So Must You

If you are someone who skips the salad section of the menu, make an exception at NĀM. The Nām Chilled Pomelo & Butter Peanut salad has is in itself to sweep you off your feet. The chunks of citrusy and fresh pomelo along with a butter peanut broth came together with toasted coconut and Thai chashews. While I would have swapped the larger pomelo chunks with individual strands, I was surprised with how much I enjoyed the salad. A dish I would remember by name and recommend to everyone who is dining at Delhi’s new Thai haven. The pomelo is refreshing, adds tang, while the broth adds the depth that is complemented further by the cashews and coconut. All in all, a banger start to my meal. 

Next up, Singh recommended I try Chilled Tofu Carpaccio which I believe you can pass if you are not a tofu fan. I don’t consider myself one, plus the lemon chilli dressing wasn’t up my liking as well. It was the burnt chilli garlic and roasted peanut that stayed on your palate even long after the tofu was gone.

How can one not try money bags at a Thai restaurant! Called Thung Thao in Thailand, these savoury appetizers are given or served during the New Year festival to wish loved ones wealth, good luck, and prosperity. The ones served at NĀM are doing the rounds on Gram and there was no way I was missing out. They came crunchy in a serving of four, filled with mushroom and cream cheese and placed in a pool of red curry foam. While my co-diner thought the two element (money bags and foam) were well done on their own, together, the foam was adding notes of coconut and kaffir lime that didn’t go well with the money bag filling. You could either belong to that club or like me, love every bit of the preparation. I even thought of going for another serving but not a good idea when the rest of the menu has much more flavour to offer. 

Next up was Singh’s recommendation. He is on a mission to make Delhi fall in love with broccoli and his delicious attempt is the Fire Roasted Broccoli at NĀM. Three large pieces of the chargrilled, laksa-glazed broccoli arrived. They were topped with a red curry sauce (which was different in consistency from the foam in the money bags). It was a dish you are likely to attempt at home because of just how simple yet flavourful it is. Just as I waited for the mains to arrive, I filled the gap with the Snap Peas and Asparagus dumplings. Arrived in a batch of four, I wasn’t very impressed with the preparation but don’t forget to pair them with the Thai chilli jam that sits along with the other condiments on your table. “In Thailand you call it Nām Prik Pao and is the namesake of this restaurant too. Back in the day, I would prepare my own Thai chilli jam with Thai red chillis, guntur chilli, and jaggery and bottle it for friends and family,” said Singh. Don’t leave the restaurant without trying it. 

For the mains, I skipped the obvious Thai curry and instead went in for the Mala Silken Tofu paired with the Burnt Garlic Pink Rice. The tofu was crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and placed in a curry with the mala flavors of Sichuan peppercorns and chili paste. Complementing the pink sticky rice, it all came together for a delicious preparation. I would totally recommend the combo.

What would be your first expectation of dessert at a Thai restaurants?  Mine would be mango sticky rice. And there they were, but with a biscoff twist on it. Owing to lack of appetite after such an extensive meal, I skipped on the Nutella Coconut Pillows and instead went in for the Layered Biscoff Sticky Rice which layered black rice with biscoff and mango puree. Dig deep and make yourself a hearty bite to find the bowl polished before you know it. Chef’s kiss to say the least.

All in all, on the food front, Nām is doing wonders. After very long, there is a restaurant in Delhi that is taking food as seriously as it demands. No fluff or theatrics but flavours hitting the right notes and plates that reflect the love with which they have been curated. What could have been done much better were the drinks. 

What To (And Not To) Drink?

From the four mocktails on the menu, I sampled two and neither impressed. Started with Coconut which simply had soda added to coconut water with fresh Thai basil, honey, and chia seeds. I usually enjoy the texture of soaked chia seeds and that’s why I had as many sips as I did. Next up tried the Thai Iced Tea which for some reason tasted like matcha (without the bitterness) but it has Thai tea added to condensed milk and loads of shaved ice. This was better than the first drink but not something I would return for.

Other than mocktails, they also offer green teas and soft beverages.

Read more: London’s Wagamama Is In Delhi And These Are My Thoughts As A First Timer

Also read: Chef Bongkot Sabpong On Thai Flavours And Her Journey With The Cuisine