Tom yum rice noodles & pu pad pong curry lunch in Euljiro: Kkai 9

I wanted to enjoy authentic Thai flavors amid Euljiro's uniquely bustling, warm atmosphere, so I went and checked this place out 🏃‍♀️

A Korean husband and Thai wife run this place together, serving her mother's traditional recipes exactly as she makes them — here's my review of Kkai 9 👇👇

Kkai 9 near Euljiro 3-ga Station: a neon-lit exterior

From outside, the sparkling, flashy neon signs give off serious Thai vibes 👀 The owner said Euljiro's bustling, warm energy feels a lot like Thailand, which is why he chose to open here.

Near the entrance I noticed it's already been featured on TV, and there was a lunch-time discount event running 📋

If you visit around lunchtime, you can enjoy Thai food a bit more affordably — just so you know!

📍 Location: Kkai 9, 6 Chungmuro 5-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul / ⏰ Hours: Mon–Fri, Sun 11:00–21:30 (break 15–17, last order 14:30 / 21:00), Sat 11:30–21:30 (last order 21:00) / 📌 Note: authentic Thai recipes, lunch discount, review event

A dining room that feels like a Thai night market

Walking inside, the space is decorated to feel just like a real Thai night market — cute and full of local charm ✨ Thai music plays in the background too, which put me in a good mood while waiting for the food.

The place itself isn't huge, but the layout does a great job capturing that bustling local-restaurant vibe 🪑

There were also enough tables that sitting and chatting with friends over the meal felt completely comfortable.

Receipt review event and menu explanations

Sitting down and looking over the menu, I noticed a nice little receipt review event sign 💡 They said you'll get a cool drink and chicken skin fritters sprinkled with special seasoning, so don't forget to grab that!!

On the wall, there are detailed instructions on the best way to eat some of the more unfamiliar Thai dishes 📖

Thanks to these detailed explanations, even people trying Thai food for the first time can enjoy their meal without confusion.

Tom yum rice noodles: how spicy, how much cilantro?

The first thing we picked, 'tom yum rice noodles,' comes topped with all kinds of toppings over a bright red broth 🍜

The classic tom yum balance of spicy, sour, and sweet was spot on, but there's a bit of cilantro on top, so watch out if you're not a fan!

There's a generous pile of crunchy bean sprouts at the bottom of the bowl, so I mixed everything up with my chopsticks and took a big bite with the noodles 😋

The toppings were generous too — plump shrimp, chewy king oyster mushrooms — and it wasn't as spicy as I expected, so it's approachable even for beginners 👍

Soft-shell crab pu pad pong curry, served with a bowl of rice

Next up, the 'pu pad pong curry' arrived with crispy fried soft-shell crab blanketed in soft coconut curry like a warm quilt 🦀

This dish comes with a separate bowl of fluffy rice, and the portion was quite generous, which made it feel like really good value.

Looking closer at the curry, the coconut curry sauce had soft crab meat mixed in along with crunchy stir-fried bell peppers! ✨

The fried soft-shell crab was so tender the moment it hit my mouth — no crunchy shell at all, just an explosion of crispy, savory flavor ㅠ

Scoop up a generous spoonful of curry sauce and mix it into the rice, and it's an absolute rice thief.

Side dish moo ping 4pcs: tastes like grilled pork ribs

The side dish we ordered, 'moo ping (4pcs),' is grilled fresh over an open flame, so it arrived a bit after the other dishes 🍢

You dip these skewers into the sauce that comes with them — it's got a tangy powder sprinkled in that cuts through the richness of the meat, so I finished it all without getting tired of it haha

Taking a close-up look at one skewer of moo ping, it's glistening with a shine, and it tastes like familiar, comforting grilled pork ribs — total beer material!

Next time... I'm definitely having it with beer ...haha ㅠㅜ (beer addict speaking)

Overall verdict

Truly local tom yum rice noodles made with the Thai mother-in-law's own recipe 🍜 Pu pad pong curry with soft-shell crab that melts in your mouth 🦀

This was a really charming restaurant that felt like a slice of a Thai night market transplanted into Euljiro's warm, bustling atmosphere 👍 The tangy balance of the tom yum was great, and the pu pad pong curry loaded with soft-shell crab had a wonderfully smooth, savory flavor — a satisfying meal all around.

If you're looking for a place to enjoy authentic Thai flavors — with a lunch discount during the day, and moo ping with a beer in the evening — stop by Kkai 9 👋