Tom yum shrimp fried rice at Soi Nana, a Seongsu Thai restaurant

I was heading home from work when my mom suddenly said she wanted Thai food, so we ended up at Soi Nana in Seongsu on a weekday evening. It's already pretty famous in Seongsu, and I'd heard it's hot enough these days that even Musinsa people have been stopping by to talk collabs, so I was curious too. Even on a weekday evening, customers kept streaming in, so I went to see for myself why it's so popular in Seongsu lately.

Where is Soi Nana in Seongsu, and what does it look like from outside?

Soi Nana Seongsu is a Thai restaurant tucked into the Seongsuiro 22-gil alley. Even from the outside it has an exotic vibe that catches your eye as you pass by. It fits right in with Seongsu's hip atmosphere, and the storefront already sets the mood, so finding it was half the fun. We visited on a weekday evening, and since it was meal time there were quite a lot of customers, with more people continuing to walk in.

Inside Soi Nana: mood and seating

Walking into Soi Nana Seongsu, the space was bigger and more comfortable than I expected, which I liked. It's full of an exotic atmosphere overall while still carrying Seongsu's own sense of style, so it was fun just to look around. The tables weren't cramped together, and it seemed fine for a group meal too — good for a date or a family dinner.

The Soi Nana menu: what to order

Soi Nana has a wider menu than I expected, so much so that it's hard to decide what to eat on a first visit. There's pad thai, curry, fried rice and more, and if you come with a group it seems great to order several dishes and share. We spent a good while looking over the menu before picking three dishes we wanted.

What we ordered: smoky pad thai kung, pu pad pong curry, and tom yum spicy shrimp fried rice!

Naver review event: free ricotta cheese salad

Soi Nana was also running a Naver review event at the time — write a review and you get a ricotta cheese salad. Good to know if you're planning a visit, since it pairs nicely with the meal and all you have to do is write a review, so it'd be a shame to miss.

The basic side dish was pickled onions. You know these pair the best with Southeast Asian food, right?

We'd ordered three dishes, and as each one arrived the table filled up quickly and generously. Photographed all together, it looked great, and since each dish has its own color the photos turned out pretty too.

How does Soi Nana's smoky pad thai kung taste?

Soi Nana's signature dish, smoky pad thai kung, is loaded with plump shrimp and vegetables. Thanks to their special sauce plus that fiery smoky char, I could taste the wok hei from the very first bite. Pad thai's usual sweet, savory flavor combined with that smokiness kept pulling me back for more. Best of all, the shrimp were plump and generous, so shrimp lovers should be satisfied. If you're not sure what to order on a first visit, this signature dish is a safe bet!

Pu pad pong curry topped with fried soft-shell crab

And the one I was most excited about — Soi Nana's pu pad pong curry. It's topped with soft-shell crab that's crispy outside and tender inside, and apparently the curry itself is made by stir-frying 99% pure coconut milk and egg over high heat. The curry itself is soft and nutty, so pairing it with the crispy soft-shell crab gave a great mix of textures and flavor. The subtle nuttiness of the coconut milk kept it from feeling heavy, and of course it went great with rice. Of the three dishes, this one personally stuck with me the most.

And partway through, they brought us pho broth! I'd gone back and forth on ordering pho and decided against it, but then they gave us a full-size serving of the broth anyway...! Thanks to that, I ate without getting parched.

Tom yum spicy shrimp fried rice

We also ordered the tom yum spicy shrimp fried rice, stir-fried with plump shrimp and tom yum chili. The mild spicy-tangy flavor characteristic of tom yum really woke up my appetite. The shrimp were generous too, so the fried rice alone was pretty filling, and eating it in between the softer pad thai and curry made for a great combination. Ordering three different dishes together meant each had its own flavor, so we didn't get tired of it and enjoyed the whole meal.

Final verdict: is Soi Nana good for a family dinner?

My mom suddenly wanted Thai food, so we ended up at Soi Nana after work on a weekday evening. Honestly, before visiting I just knew it as a famous spot in Seongsu, but after coming in person, I get why it's so popular. The food overall was delicious and the interior had an exotic mood, so it seems like a great fit for anyone in Seongsu looking for a restaurant with a slightly different atmosphere from the usual.

Especially with Musinsa people apparently paying attention and collab talks in the works, I got the feeling this place is only going to get hotter. It gets busy even on weekday evenings, so if you're planning to visit, it might be worth avoiding peak meal times or coming with a bit of buffer. Even with my mom along, the meal felt comfortable, and it seems like a solid choice for a date or a family dinner alike. If you're looking for a good-vibe restaurant in Seongsu, give Soi Nana a try~!