Chon Som

This cute little spot is a hop, skip, and near-​jump from my place of primary employment, but it’s taken me two years to actually set foot in this place! Seriously, I need to get over my phobia of restaurants in strip malls. This place is pretty damned good!
It doesn’t hurt that upon my very first visit, during a depressingly slow lunch hour (?!) I was given the warmest attention by not one, but two waitresses. Maybe it was the fact I was wearing my geekiness on my sleeve (literally, I was wearing a Voltron shirt shut-​up) or carrying around one of my Japanese magazines from Asahi, but apparently I was the most interesting person in the room.
The restaurant has some of the neatest fans… I can’t really describe them, but I am entranced by their peculiar structure every time I drop in… add the modern artwork on the walls, and you’ve got yourself a little oasis in the starkly-​decorated strip ball on Wells-​Branch.
My first visit had me sampling their panang curry — a favorite of my fiancé’s, so I was testing the waters for his sake. I was asked what level of spicy I wanted on a level of one to… six or seven? I tend to like a bit of heat, but not to the point where I was downing several chugs of water between bites. I opted for a level two spiciness, which ended up being milder than I expected. I’ll definitely go medium in the future, with a three or four. Being a lunch special, it came with a tasty fried spring roll, a side salad with your choice of dressing (I went with peanut), and your choice of miso or tom yum soup. Their tom yum is good — a satisfying blend of savory and tangy. It always had a few mushrooms in it as well, which makes me a happy camper.
The second trip was the one that brought me to write a review. Their phad thai is some of the best I’ve had in Austin to date. It’s not too wet, not too dry, the fish sauce used is potent and just sweet enough. They use lots of peanuts, so I never have to ask for extra… lots of green onion and egg! It was as though I was eating phad thai for the first time all over again (and for those of you who remember their first encounter with Thai food, this is a very sweet experience indeed).
I’ve enjoyed this place all by my lonesome, and I’ve yet to try their sushi. I’m going to have to share this little gem with some folks in my social circle…

so. i was really excited to try this place. all the great reviews AND its 2 minutes from my house!!! yaaaaaay! but. Not So Much.
we walked in. the place was DEAD. yes. it’s 6 pm on a tuesday, but all these reviews about the lively atmosphere and owners… Not to be seen, for us. there was one guy sitting at the sushi bar and a waiter that ignored us. me and the bf, walked around aimlessly, trying to figure out if we just sit or if mr. waiter would acknowledge our presence. He didn’t.
we finally sit down. we order the dynamite shrimp everyone raves about, and we were kinda grossed out… it wasn’t dynamite, but there was shrimp. /​shrug.
we ordered sake, hot. the waiter couldn’t even hold the bottle it was so hot and. whatever. it was sake.
we got the strawberry eels forever and a spider roll. the strawberry, while a good flavor combo, just, wasn’t good. and the spider?.. ugh. how did they find a crab so small? the rice was wrong, the seaweed skin was weird and. it was all just a fail. FAIL!
i wanted it to be better. i REALLY did. but, no. i will stick to Momiji.
don’t waste your time. If you want good sushi, look elsewhere. i didn’t try the noodles or the curry stuff, so i am not speaking to that. But, sushi fans be warned.

The service was super friendly and accommodating. And the Happy Hour is a good deal. There are too many menus, and that gets confusing.
The sushi was alright (even though I wanted a nigiri and got a roll instead). The Happy Hour noodle bowls were big enough for a meal and tasted pretty good (but all a little on the sweet side). A good choice for thai plus japanese, especially for the area.

The Crusted Maguro is amazing, and thanks to Louis CK, I don’t use that word lightly: «pan-​seared tuna crusted w/​crushed peanuts drizzled w/​sweet miso, peanut, & sriracha sauce». You know that sounds delicious, and it is. Check out my photo of it here [
.
The Drunken Noodles (aka Pad Kee Mao) are also super delicious [photo:
, and only $ 5 during Happy Hour (Tues-​Sat 5−7pm and all day Sun).

We’ve eaten here several times now, I want to say about 4 times. Generally speaking the food is good but not great. It’s very fusion-​y, lacking many of the characteristics of real Thai cuisine such as using coconut milk and salt for flavoring (they use soy) .
Also worth noting is that the last time we went here my whole family got sick. Probably happens to every restaurant eventually which is why I’m not killing them on rating, but still unimpressed.

All I can tell you is sit with Nat, ask for some Chon Som crack and a Sapporo, and then let the sushi happen.
This has really become one of our favorite places to go and eat. The sushi is incredible here, very fresh, great presentation and great prices. You are doing yourself a disservice by not going.

Another establishment with a fusion of asian cuisine. The food here is good, I won’t say that it is great, but it isn’t bad either. The service is a little lacking in some ways. Every time I have been there there is only one server/​waitress, so getting things take some time depending on the crowd in house. As for pricing to what you get, well I think it is a little off.
As I said before, the food is good, the atmosphere is nice, so yes this is a place that I tend to revisit from time to time.

This place really isn’t worth mentioning or going back to. I’ll keep this brief.
–Strong odor of cleaning supplies, only ameliorated by incense.
–The red curry was tasty, but not near as spicy as advertised.
–The sushi combo meals are a nice addition, but sushi leaves much to be desired.
In a crowded market of good Thai and Japanese food in Austin, being average is a sin. This place is below average.

Don’t underestimate this place because of its strip mall location. Yes, the inconspicuous exterior is quite drab, but the inside is sort of warm and inviting. I stopped in for lunch today and had their pad thai noodles and added the sushi combo with salmon and a california roll. For $ 12 including tip and my 10% discount for using Unilocal — check in, I was a happy camper.
The sushi was good, considering it was a lunch special. I would’ve preferred the temperature on the salmon and rolls to have been a bit colder though. The pad thai had very robust flavors, though it could’ve used more bean sprouts and carrots, it was still pretty damn tasty.
The chef/​owner is a cool guy. If you sit at the bar he can pretty much make you and sort of concoctions imaginable. Will be back to check out the all day happy hour on Sundays!

This is the only Thai place in Austin that serves their spice based on suitable level! If you’re into spice, please give this place a try. They have the standard levels from 1 through 5. Very sick and tasty.
Services are pretty good. I’ve gotten what I’ve wanted from my menu despite being so picky with the food and what goes in it. Only once have they gotten it wrong but overall it’s usually right on.
My favorite time of the year for Thai food is on March when they have their March Madness. $ 5 per Noodle choice. Very cheap. Last year they also offered All-​You-​Can-​Eat curries for $ 15(?). Well worth it. I’ve been heading out for a cheap meal at Chon Som since the start of March. Couldn’t resist it.
Give this place a try. You’ll love how it’s cheap and delicious. Try out their spice level as well!

We went Sunday for happy hour. I can not believe the prices and the happy hour menu! I got the hippie noodles: white noodles with egg and Chinese broccoli and it was one of the best noodle dishes I’ve had in awhile. Spicy and sweet, I ate the whole thing! $ 5 bucks only! Although the sushi didn’t taste as fresh as it could be (hello! It was Sunday so I didn’t expect a fresh delivery), I enjoyed it. Service was great (although we were the only table there) and can’t wait to go back to try their curry!

The service was great here, but the sushi was only so-​so. We went during happy hour and ordered the calamari, some nigiri, a roll, and a noodle dish. The calamari was pretty much just batter and the sushi tasted like the refrigerated sushi from HEB. Though, their noodle dish had a lot of flavor. We ordered their Drunken noodles.
On our way out, we saw some people with curry dishes. It looked and smelled pretty good. I’d come back to try their curry dishes or to get the noodles.

Last Tuesday, I visited for lunch and I was impressed with the quality for the price. Last night (also a Tuesday), I ate dinner during happy hour and gorged myself on $ 1 sushi and $ 1 off rolls.
For lunch, the $ 7 meal has soup and salad. I had the Thai red curry, which comes in mild, medium, hot, Thai hot and chef hot. The chef hot is very hot, but tasty. Excellent Thai. I also added on 4 pieces of California roll and 2 pieces of nigiri for $ 2.99. Very fresh fish, excellent flavor.
For dinner, I had soup and salad, 6 pieces of nigiri and a huge california roll (8 pieces), along with tea, for bit more than $ 16 before tip. That puts the fare a few dollars cheaper than the average «cheap» sushi bar, with much better food (Sushi Nini in Round Rock is similarly priced, but sucks).
The sushi is not as good as Beluga in Round Rock, but far less pricy, so you have to take things into account. Beluga is my current 5 star in the Round Rock area, but Chon Som ranks high on my list as a lesser priced alternative with decent sushi and great Thai food.

This place definitely deserves at least 4 stars. We have been about 4 times and it’s always consistantly good. The most recent trip was on a Sunday, which we found out was ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR! Could it be true? We were pleasantly surprised to see that all but 2 of their Noodle dishes (Thai) were $ 5 for a HH portion (the portion was large enough for my husband to eat and still take some home!) and $ 1 nigiri sushi!!! I can’t remember the last time I saw $ 1 sushi anywhere. I’m pretty picky about the freshness of the fish and I had no issues with Chon Som. We topped off dinner with their sticky rice with Mango dessert. It was very good as well. We ate and brought food home and it was like $ 28. Definitely a hidden gem in Austin! You must try their noodle bowls — they are fantastic!

I’ve been driving past this place for the past 4 years and never knew it was a Thai Restaurant or atleast part Thai like myself. I’m not a Sushi eater so I never checked it out.
I ordered Tom Yum soup and it was Grade A for me. This is what the soup should taste like. Every other Thai joint I tried, use way too much sour in the soup. This place got it just right.
It goes just the same for the Larb Salad if not more so. Look, I love Larb, Just ask my mom. Chon Som makes Larb just the way my Mom does and that just makes me wanna slap my self. I was happy with the portion I got for $ 8, unlike the last Thai Rest I went too $ 15 !!! We all know where that was. Write on that one later.
I am sad to have read bad reviews on this Restaurant. I can only comment on what I had. I will recommend this place to others and I will most def be going back.
Can’t wait to try the Papaya salad and Beef salad!

Great deal for $ 1 Nigiri during Happy Hour! The meat was thin but for $ 1– I can’t complain. They also had well priced wine on the menu!
We also tried the «Steamed Mussels: in Lemon Grass Basil Broth served with Thai Chili Fish Sauce» ($ 6). The broth was very bland, not spicy at all as the «Pepper» notation indicated, and was not served with any Thai Chili Fish Sauce… however the little pot it came in was very cute.
Miso soup was good ($ 3)
Tuna All Day Roll ($ 12). The roll was small and nothing to write home about. I was not impressed for the price. It was a simple spicy tuna roll with a fancy description.
I would like to go back and try the Thai Dishes, but I will only recommend this place for Happy Hour for now. We went on a Friday night and it was awfully slow! The owner did come by and ask us how everything was and say «Hi».

We are two for two. As previously mentioned, we live in the nearby area so we chose to visit again. The waiter is always helpful and full of suggestions. He recommended that my husband try the «dynamite crack.» Intrigued, my husband inquired more on the subject. It turns out that they have a roll called dynamite shrimp. However, those that try it are hooked and lovingly refer to it as «Chon Som Crack.» True to form, my hubby was a fan.
Before our meal was served, the owner came over and inquired about my daughter. She left and returned to the table next to ours. She had sanitizer and some toys similar to those you’d find in a happy meal. After wiping them all down, she handed them to my daughter to play with throughout the meal. I thought this was really nice of her. Anyone who has small children can appreciate the fact that she sanitized them first. I was really impressed with her consideration.
Tip: If you sign up for their e-​mails, you get sent a 10% discount coupon. Also, at the bottom of your tab, it has pre-​calculated the amount of tip for 10, 15 and 20% to assist you. I like this feature as I am not a walking calculator!
Will we be returning? Of course!

I feel this place has so much wasted potential in all areas – food, service, environment, etc. We were recommended to this place by our favorite restaurant in Arizona, and we were really disappointed.
I think it’s great the staff and owners drink with their clients, but I’d much rather have you take my order in the first 20 minutes. There were six or seven people roaming around the restaurant, so I couldn’t understand how we waited so long for service. Maybe it is because one woman was offering samples of their terrible drinks. Being nice doesn’t make up for being slow. Just seemed unorganized.
Anyway, the sushi is meh, and I’m no sushi snob. The drunken noodles I ordered were spicy – though not as spicy as they should have been – but they had absolutely no flavor. Nothing. Nada. Maybe we ordered the wrong things and we should have gotten curry or something.
Won’t be back.

My family went here on xmas day because it was the only place where a vegan, a meat eater and a nibbler could eat a meal all together, in peace. The tom Yum soup was spicy and good. The yellow curry (supposedly very hot) was pretty mild, and when I asked for chili garlic sauce– thai staple– they brought me cut up chili peppers, which did not really do the trick. I hold all yellow curries up to Thai Passion– which in my opinion has the best yellow curry, this was not even close. Although the woman at the front was nice and friendly, the service was slow and haphazard. Our waiter sat down to drink a beer in between taking orders and no one brought our bill. My sister was very pleased with her vegan entrée and attention paid to it, which is awesome, but I think ill stick with yellow curry that I know to be good.
3 stars for a friendly front of house and being open on xmas and having good soup. Minus two stars for no chili garlic sauce, slight lame yellow curry, and odd service.

This is a cute little neighborhood Thai sushi restaurant. They have a few non-​sushi items, but not many. The interior is modern, with a coated concrete floor, black lacquer chairs and modernistic ceiling fans.
We started with two appetizers, pork on cucumber and fried tofu with a peanut sauce. The former was not bad, but the cucumbers were hastily and sloppily cut — some too thick, and while they tried to do the striping on the side so it would look striped they did a bad job of it on some pieces. The tofu was tasty, a crisp outside, delicate inside, and the sauce was very good, lighter than I had expected.
We then proceeded with the Sushi for two. It was good, nothing special — pretty much sushi and sashimi as described.
They suffered from my favorite peeve — they only had white and pink sweetener. I always think of restaurants that don’t bother to stock blue and yellow as putting themselves ahead of their customers.