Nong Riaw Restaurant - Best and Freshest Thai Seafood in Koh Larn!
So many different types of Thai seafood dishes to try!
While frolicking on the beaches of Koh Larn, Pattaya, you’ll surely work up a huge appetite. But it can be difficult to find a good Thai seafood restaurant amongst the many cafe’s and bars serving up Western style foods. That’s why Nong Riaw Restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Koh Larn if you’re looking for Thai style seafood.
Affiliate Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. By clicking on the links and purchasing the product, I will receive a partial commission. All of these products are ones that I fully trust and recommend with my heart. For more information please read Affiliate Disclaimer.
Koh Larn, Tiny Little Paradise
One of the many ferries that will take you to Koh Larn and back
Koh Larn is a little island paradise situated about 7km off the coast of Pattaya, Thailand. It’s famous for it’s beaches and little cafe’s dotted all around the island.
Not a lot of tourists visit this island so this is a great place for you to take day trip if you are tired of the hustle and bustle of Pattaya City.
Getting to Koh Larn
Getting to Koh Larn is pretty simple, but first you’ll need to get to Pattaya.
If you are in Bangkok I would recommend you to book a bus/minivan from Bangkok’s Mo Chit Bus Station to Pattaya, It’s the most convenient route and the journey takes approximately 2 hours while also being at a reasonably cheap price at around 200 THB (5.75 USD) or less.
Getting to Koh Larn, you will need to head over to Bali Hai Pier. Once there, walk to the end of the pier to purchase a ticket for a ferry or speedboat straight to Koh Larn, the ticket will be 30 THB (1 USD) per person and the journey will take around 40 minutes.
If your are thinking about a day trip to Koh Larn then check out this article for more details, attractions to visit, and places to stay!
In Search of the Best Seafood
Nong Riaw Restaurant is an inconspicuous looking restaurant, situated next to a beach area but the location itself is quite isolated from other restaurants, my partner and I were quite skeptical when we first saw the place as it didn’t look all that appealing.
But don’t judge a book by it’s cover! the google map page showed that this place has a very high rating so of course we had to try it.
What is There to Order?
The menu is really big and filled with every type of seafood you can imagine
The menu is quite extensive with a lot of different types of seafoods to try. In addition they also have classic one-plate (includes rice) dishes like Pad Kaprao Moo Krob (Stir Fried Basil with Crispy Pork Belly). Which is amazing considering this is a seafood restaurant.
In terms of actual seafood, you can expect: shrimps, squids, scallops, fish, crab, and all sorts of deep sea creatures.
You can have these:
Stir fried with herbs and spices
Boiled in a soup with chilis
Stewed with a variety of curry pastes
Deep fried to golden perfection
Tossed fresh in a spicy and sour salad
The menu is big and it’ll take a while to look through so take your time.
* Note: The food took quite a long time to be served, the dishes will come out all at once rather than one-by-one, so expect to wait ~30 minutes before you start eating.
Pricing
The pricing is very cheap as well considering it’s a touristy area.
A one-plate dish comes in at around 70 THB (or 2 USD) which is the same range of pricing you will find in Bangkok.
A plate of purely stir fry or curry will go for almost double that, which is fair.
Hoi Shell Pad Cha (หอยเชลล์ผัดฉ่า) - Sizzling Stir Fried Scallops
Loaded with all sorts of herbs and spices, from ginger to kaffir lime leaves.
Pad Cha is probably my second most favorite stir fry (Pad Kaprao being number one of course). Pad Cha translates to sizzling stir fry and that’s basically what it is. A few base ingredients such as kaffir lime leaves, ginger, and black pepper corns are tossed in with a few sauces and stir fried with your choice of protein.
We ordered Pad Cha with Scallops and this dish was a lot more saucy compared to the other versions of this dish that I had (and that’s a common theme from this restaurant).
The taste is very peppery and herby thanks to the pepper corns and ginger. The scallops were also very fresh and bouncy.
Muek Kai Kem (หมึกไข่เค็ม) - Squid Stir Fried in Salted Egg Yolk
A saucy dish like this pairs really well with rice.
A common seafood dish that many of us Thais love is Muek Kai Kem. If you’ve never had salted egg stir fry before it adds this rich, creamy, slightly salty, and intense umami flavor. Combined with the sweetness from the onions and carrots, this dish is one of my favorites when eating at a Thai seafood restaurant.
This dish is not really well known outside of Thailand so I would recommend you order this whenever it is on the menu. You won’t regret it, it almost feels like comfort food.
And of course you would need a bowl of rice to soak up all of that delicious salted eggy goodness.
Gaeng Som Kai Pla (แกงส้มไข่ปลา) - Thai Orange Curry with Fish Eggs
Can you spot the floating fish eggs in there?
Now this is something that I have never tried before. I’ve had Gaeng Som before but not like this…
My partner wanted to order this one, at first I was hesitant but I was keen to try new foods.
Submerged within the curry (or rather soup), are cauliflower, green beans, and a root vegetable.
The Gaeng Som tasted sweeter compared to others, not very spicy. To be honest I didn’t really enjoy this one as much as I would’ve hoped.
These are really weird to me to be honest.
The real highlight of this bowl of curry is the fish eggs, and as a man this looks pretty terrifying…
And I couldn’t get pass the texture as well it was firm and kind of oily…? As if you were chewing on a really overdone boiled egg. There wasn’t really a taste, it was mostly just a textural experience.
Not my cup of tea, but I can see how some people would enjoy this.
Tod Mun Goong (ทอดมันกุ้ง) - Deep Fried Shrimp Cake
Deep fried to golden perfection.
If you want some deep fried seafood in Thailand you only have a few options, and Tod Mun Goong is a favorite amongst many.
It’s basically minced shrimp that has been battered in panko bread crumbs then deep fried, it’s fried to a golden perfection and it’s delicious, what more could you ask for?
Well if you asked for more, these are served with a sweet and sour plum sauce for you to dip them into which helps to cut the oiliness.
The ones served at Nong Riaw is minced to a fine paste mixed with some flour, and therefore the texture is more soft and less bouncy compared to other places.
It’s tasty and will satisfy any deep fried cravings you’ll have.
Pad Prik Pao Talay (ผัดพริกเผาทะเล) - Stir Fried Seafood with Roasted Chili Paste
Be sure to save some rice to soak up all that sauce.
As if that wasn’t already enough food for 2 people, these last two dishes we ordered in the second half of our meal because we were just that hungry.
The Pad Prik Pao had all sorts of different seafoods, like shrimp, squid, and scallops. The roasted chili paste was a little bit spicy and also sweet which is normal. A lot of umami flavors in this one.
The sauce was also very thick, which I love.
Yum Hoi Nang Lom (ยำหอยนางรม) - Spicy Oyster Salad
Big pieces of juicy oysters.
And we’ve come to our last dish, my partner ordered Yum Hoi Nang Lom.
Much like all salads in Thailand, it’s sour from the lime, and spicy from the chili.
At this point we were really full and very bored of all the oily and spicy dishes, so this refreshing salad was a nice way to cleanse our palettes.
Conclusion
My partner and I ate very little during the day so when we got too Nong Riaw, we were extremely hungry and ready to dig in.
And so we probably ordered way too much for 2 people… Nevertheless we persisted and cleaned all of our dishes.
Pros
Very fresh seafood and very generous with the amount of seafood too.
Cheap and fair pricing, especially for being in a touristy area.
Everything tasted delicious, and flavors are strong as well, not watered down to accommodate foreigners.
The environment was very nice, being next to ocean, the ocean breezed helped us cool down.
Cons
Food can be slow to come out.
Overall I would definitely recommend you dine at Nong Riaw Seafood whenever you are in Koh Larn. The fresh seafood combined with the seaside breeze makes for a wonderful dining experience. The taste is also very spectacular and all of that for a very fair and cheap price.
The only thing that hinders the experience was that you can expect to wait quite a while before you are served your food, it seems like there is only one person who is cooking.
Nong Riaw Restaurant is definitely the best restaurant in Koh Larn if you are looking for a Thai seafood dining experience.
Nong Riaw Seafood | 9 / 10
Phone: +66 085 086 8708
Location: WQ7M+4CP, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150
Pricing: 70 - 150 THB (2 - 4 USD) | $
Looking for Things to Do in Pattaya?
Colosseum Show - Spectacular acts and costumes by ladyboy performers
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden - An award winning garden showcasing nature’s finest flora
The Sanctuary of Truth - Explore Thailand’s famous ornate wooden temple
Discounted Tickets - Browse a variety of attractions, tours, and transports all for a great price
Useful Resources for Traveling in Thailand
Tourism Information - All the information you need when traveling in Thailand
4G/5G SIM Card - 8 days, 15GB, Important for staying connected while in Thailand
Private Airport Transfers - Transfer from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the city without worry
Best Bangkok Hostels - A list of the best hostels to stay for cheap and meet new friends
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER ARTICLES!
