Where to Find the Best Leng Tom Zab in Bangkok Right Now
One of the most on-trend street food in Bangkok right now is “Leng”. Many of you should be wondering right now, “What in the world is that?”. Don’t worry because we also did ask that question when we first heard of such name. “Leng” is a clear pork bone soup filled with huge pork bones and dressed with chilies, herbs, spice and everything nice. Originally, Leng bone was a by-product of noodle shops where people were not sure what to do with the bones used for broth and the meat stuck to it. So what they would do is use the broth as a base for the spicy soup and add Leng bones before serving. Spicy, tasty, warm, and satisfying to gnaw on, this menu has become the highlight of noodle shops over the noodles themselves.
Why does Leng appeal so much to the Thai crowd? First of all, the bones used in Leng Soup are from the vertebral column of the pigs. This type of bone is often used for making noodle broths since the contents in this part of the bones can add a meaty-sweet taste to the soup after being boiled for hours. The meat stuck to the bones will also become super tender that they will fall off with just using the tip of a spoon, much like a sweet juicy pork rib.
With such large bone and a generous amount of meat still to be scooped out, what restaurants do is make a spicy soup out of it. Using the broth that is made from boiling bones and various types of vegetables such as carrots, onions, or turnips for at least 2-3 hours, add herbs like Thai chili pepper, Black pepper, and Coriander for the heat and aroma. Also add salt, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce to perfect the flavor, and you’ve got yourself a bowl of Leng Tom Zab or “Spicy Leng Soup” that is very hard to resist.
The best part is, huge Leng bowls go for a reasonably low price and for Thai people who love the spiciness in their food, Leng makes the perfect menu. Grab yourself a bowl of rice to eat with the soft and tender bone meat while sipping on the warm spicy and sour broth to go down with it. But for those who can’t handle the hotness, we warn you to be cautious as the heat can get intense and suggest you get the version with no chilies. Nevertheless, you should give it a try once in your life.
Although Leng can commonly be found in most noodle shops all around the streets of Bangkok, we would like to recommend you 5 of our top picks to see the best “Leng Tom Zab” in town, listed in no particular order.