Tim & Hum Papaya Salad Restaurant, Luang Prabang

Previously:

Zurich Bread Factory and Cafe, Luang Prabang

Besides all the good coffee and bread vibes, Luang Prabang also offers authentic and mouthwatering dishes.  One of them is served in this local restaurant named Tim & Hum Papaya Salad Restaurant or more well-known by local as Ce Tim restaurant.  This place is extremely popular for both locals and tourists.  If you ask locals for the direction or tell the skylab driver, you can just mention in short version 'Ce Tim' restaurant and they all definitely know what do you mean by that.  The word 'Ce' is normally used to call an older woman, similar to Mrs or Miss, while 'Tim' is the owner's name.  

Luang Prabang-style som tum (papaya salad) is the legendary dish in this shop.  It is guaranteed a steady taste as she is the only one person making every single dish of papaya salad by her own hand.  Sometimes, it may take a little bit of time until the food comes to the table, as she needs to prepare the salad one at a time as every dish has a different level of spiciness according to customer request.  

My only suggestion is to avoid lunch peak hour.  Come early, before 11am would be the best time.  Because they don't have much table at the same time many locals order take away.  It could take more than half an hour to one hour to get your food served.  And I don't suggest to come after lunch hour before you may miss out some popular items on the menu as they're gone quick.

There aren't much choices on their menu but personally for me, there aren't any bad dishes from there.

This legendary lady has the magnificent hands of making an extraordinary papaya salad

We had them take away and enjoyed at our hotel balcony.  We ordered grilled chicken, sun-dried pork, pork sausages and of course Luang Prabang papaya salad.  From all the meat dishes, pork sausage is absolutely the best dish.  It is very juicy and flavorsome with the right amount of oiliness.  The rest of them were also good companions to sooth down the sourness and spiciness from papaya salad.

The way they cut the raw papaya is slightly different here.  Instead of a slim stick like you normally find in Thailand, here in Luang Prabang, they cut them like flat rice noodle but thinner.  The sauce itself was very strong, piquant, spicy and sour all in one mouthful.  They used fermented fish sauce in it too.  I really can't stop eating it, it was delicious.  

You can also check out this same restaurant when we visited them back then four years ago. Click here. 

Wat Nong Sikhounmuang

Tim & Hum Papaya Salad Restaurant

Kounxoau Road

Opposite Wat Nong Sikhounmuang

Open: Everyday from 10am - 4pm

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Luang Prabang:

Luang Prabang Walking Street and Food Market