Chon Thong

Chon Thong on Kantstraße in Charlottenburg

Chon Thong is located on Kantstraße, on the section between Savignyplatz and Wilmersdorfer Straße, where one of Berlin’s densest Asian restaurant districts has developed over the years. Savignyplatz S-Bahn station and Wilmersdorfer Straße U-Bahn station are both within walking distance, and bus lines M49 and X34 run directly along Kantstraße. From the outside, the restaurant is inconspicuous, which is almost a hallmark of this street.

Inside, it is simply designed: dark wooden furniture, white walls – nothing more is needed. In the warmer months, tables are added under an awning directly on Kantstraße, from which the hustle and bustle of the street can be observed. The name translates to Golden Spoon, and the menu takes up this promise right on the first page. If you want to pay cashless, it’s best to ask beforehand and bring cash just in case.

Four Regions on One Menu and Three Spice Levels

The menu spans eighteen pages and covers all four regions of Thailand, from the mountainous north to the southern coast, based on family recipes. The Isaan influence is particularly strong in the salad specialties section: there you’ll find papaya salad Som Tam Thai for 10.90 Euros, the Som Tam Plara variant with fermented fish paste, and duck minced meat salad Lab Ped with Thai herbs, red onions, chili, and roasted rice powder. A Pad Thai Gai costs 12.90 Euros.

In addition, there are dishes rarely found on German Thai menus, such as the noodle soup Kuay Jap with pork belly and rolled noodles, or Yen Ta-Fo, a rice noodle soup with seafood in a broth made from pickled red tofu. The spiciness is indicated in three levels, from mildly spicy to medium spicy to hot, and the menu explicitly asks guests to communicate their preferred spice level. Tofu dishes are plentiful, but they are not labeled as vegan because the tofu is fried in the same oil as meat.