Last updated October 2026
Tom yum is Thailand’s famous hot and sour soup, and once you have tried a good one it is easy to see why. Fragrant with lemongrass and lime leaf, sharp with lime, salty with fish sauce and warmed with chilli, it wakes up every part of your palate.
★View the Best Thai Restaurants in Napier→If you have seen it on a menu and wondered what you would be getting, here is what goes into tom yum, how it tastes, the main styles and how to order and eat it.
What tom yum is
Tom yum is a family of hot and sour soups from central Thailand. The name joins two Thai words: tom, meaning to boil, and yum, meaning a mixed salad-style dish with a sharp dressing. The result is a soup with the punchy, balanced flavours of a Thai salad.
It is usually made with prawns (tom yum goong) or mixed seafood (tom yum talay), though chicken, fish and mushroom versions are common too.
What tom yum is made of
The aromatics
Three ingredients give tom yum its signature fragrance:
- Lemongrass, bruised and cut into lengths
- Galangal, a firm, peppery relative of ginger
- Makrut lime leaves, torn to release their oils
The seasoning
The broth is seasoned with fish sauce for saltiness, fresh lime juice for sourness and chilli for heat. Many versions also add nam prik pao, a roasted chilli paste that brings colour, gentle sweetness and depth. Mushrooms, tomato, onion and fresh coriander often finish the bowl.
What tom yum tastes like
Tom yum leads with sour and spicy, balanced by salt and the fresh, citrusy perfume of the herbs. It should taste bright and lively rather than heavy, and a steaming bowl is hard to beat on a cool Hawke’s Bay evening. The heat varies a lot from kitchen to kitchen, so it is worth asking how hot a restaurant’s version is before you order.
Tom yum beyond the soup bowl
The flavour has travelled well beyond the soup itself. You will see tom yum noodles, where rice noodles are served in the broth as a one-bowl meal, tom yum fried rice and even tom yum flavoured snacks. They all borrow the same mix of lemongrass, lime, chilli and fish sauce, so if you enjoy one you are likely to enjoy the others.
Clear or creamy tom yum
You will come across two main styles.
Clear (tom yum nam sai)
- What it is
- A clear broth without milk
- What to expect
- Lighter and sharper, with the herbs front and centre
Creamy (tom yum nam khon)
- What it is
- The broth is enriched, usually with evaporated milk or coconut milk, and often roasted chilli paste
- What to expect
- Rounder and richer, with a softer edge to the sourness
Both are traditional, and many restaurants in New Zealand serve the creamy style. If the menu does not say, ask which you will be getting.
Tom yum or tom kha?
The two soups are easy to confuse because they share many aromatics. Tom kha is built on coconut milk and leans on galangal (kha), so it is creamy, mellow and usually milder. Tom yum is sharper, more sour and often hotter. If you like bold, zingy flavours, choose tom yum; if you prefer something gentle and soothing, tom kha is the one.
How to eat tom yum
Watch the herbs
The lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves are there for flavour and are not usually eaten. They are tough and fibrous, so set them aside as you go.
Share it
In Thailand, soups like tom yum are often shared at the table and eaten with jasmine rice alongside other dishes, rather than as a separate first course. A large bowl of tom yum, a curry, a stir-fry and rice makes a balanced meal for a group.
Is tom yum healthy?
Tom yum is a broth-based soup packed with herbs and usually a good amount of seafood or vegetables, so it is lighter than many coconut-based dishes. The creamy style adds richness, and the fish sauce makes it fairly salty. If you are watching your salt or have dietary needs, ask the restaurant about the ingredients.
Ordering tips
- Ask about the heat, and whether it can be made milder or hotter.
- Check the style. Clear and creamy taste quite different.
- Mention allergies. Tom yum often contains shellfish and fish sauce, so tell the restaurant about any allergies before you order.
- Think about size. Some restaurants serve tom yum as a large sharing bowl, which is ideal for two or more.
Where Chaona Thai fits
Chaona Thai is a Thai restaurant on Emerson Street in central Napier, open for lunch and dinner seven days, with dine-in, table bookings and online ordering for pickup and delivery. Its Tom Yum Seafood Soup is a large, creamy hot and sour soup with mixed seafood, mushrooms, tomato, coriander and lemongrass.
To build a shared meal around it, the main menu includes curries, stir-fries and Chaona Phad Thai, each served with jasmine rice. You can check the allergy information before ordering, book a table, order online or call 06 835 3959.
