Som Tam Coffee & Thai

About Som Tam Coffee & Thai

Som Tam Coffee & Thai is a small cafe on Harrogate Street in the alpine village of Hanmer Springs, pairing Thai street food with crafted coffee — 'a little slice of Thailand in New Zealand's Southern Alps', as the team puts it. It opened in 2024 and is run by Gun and Andrew, two new Kiwis brought together by a shared passion for coffee and Thai food.

The kitchen is 100% Thai: chefs Num and Ar join Gun — who spent more than a decade working as a barista and in Thai restaurants across New Zealand and Australia — giving the team over a century of combined experience living and cooking in Thailand. The menu is inspired by their favourite street-food stalls in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Buriram and beyond, with everything cooked fresh to order in the wok. Regional dishes rarely seen outside Thailand, such as khao soi, som tam and nam tok, share the menu with curries, stir-fries and one-plate noodle and rice dishes.

On the coffee side, Som Tam pours the organic, Fair Trade Beatnik blend from Christchurch's Underground Coffee Roasters — and is the only provider of it in Hanmer Springs — alongside Thai iced milk tea, matcha and Yorkshire Tea. Takeaway and delivery are available. Spicy dishes can be ordered Mild through Extra Hot, though the heat is genuine Thai-level, so choose accordingly.

Som Tam Coffee & Thai: Thai Street Food and Craft Coffee in Hanmer Springs

On Harrogate Street in the alpine village of Hanmer Springs, Som Tam Coffee & Thai does two things remarkably well: it pours serious coffee, and it cooks the kind of Thai street food that is genuinely hard to find in most New Zealand towns. Opened in 2024, the cafe is the project of Gun and Andrew, two new Kiwis brought together by a shared passion for coffee and Thai food — and by the idea that this small mountain village deserved a little slice of Thailand in the Southern Alps.

From Buriram to Hanmer Springs

Gun hails from Buriram in Thailand's Isaan region and spent more than a decade working as a barista and in Thai restaurants across New Zealand and Australia, honing his coffee craft in Perth, Queenstown and Wanaka along the way. Andrew is a scientist from Sheffield in the north of England; when he isn't taking orders at the counter, he works in space and ocean radar technology. In the kitchen, chefs Num and Ar complete a 100% Thai team with more than a century of combined experience living and cooking in Thailand.

Street food, cooked to order

The menu reads like a tour of the founders' favourite street-food stalls in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Buriram and beyond. Everything is cooked fresh to order in the wok, chasing the balance of spicy, sweet, salty and sour that makes Thai food unique. The daytime lunch menu is where the regional rarities live: khao soi, Chiang Mai's coconut-curry noodle soup topped with crunchy noodles; som tam gai yang, Thailand's famous spicy shredded-vegetable salad with marinated chicken; and nam tok, a punchy salad of chicken, chilli, mint and red onion — dishes the team points out are not commonly found in restaurants outside Thailand.

Even the cafe's name is a lesson in Thai food culture. Som tam is the spicy salad of raw vegetables, chilli, garlic, tamarind, dried shrimp and fish sauce that kitchen staff across Thailand share after closing time — the fish and chips or steak pie of Thailand, as the team puts it, 'but a tad more spicy.'

At dinner the menu widens. Small plates cover curry puffs, crispy prawn wontons, spring rolls and satay skewers; one-plate wok dishes run from pad see ew to drunken noodles and pineapple fried rice; and the curry list spans green, red, panang, massaman and yellow gang, made traditional Thai-style — spicy, and intended to be eaten from a bowl with spoonfuls of rice. There is also tom yum goong, the hot and sour prawn soup built on lemongrass and galangal.

Respect the chilli

One thing to know before you order: dishes marked with an 'S' are cooked at traditional Thai spice levels, so 'Hot' here runs hotter than in most Kiwi kitchens. Every spicy dish can be ordered Mild, Medium, Hot or Extra Hot, and the team candidly suggests dropping down a level if you are used to New Zealand heat. Gluten-free options are available on request, and most dishes can be made vegetarian or vegan.

The coffee half

The other half of the name is taken just as seriously. Som Tam is the only provider in Hanmer Springs of the organic, Fair Trade Beatnik blend from Christchurch's Underground Coffee Roasters, and every espresso drink is built on a double shot of it. Alongside flat whites, lattes and iced coffees you will find Thai iced milk tea, matcha lattes and — in what the team cheerfully calls the world's best brew — a proper cup of Yorkshire Tea.

Planning your visit

Som Tam works as both a daytime cafe and an evening kitchen. Coffee and lunch run Friday to Sunday from 8:30am to 2pm; dinner is served Thursday from 4pm to 8:30pm, Friday and Saturday to 9pm, and Sunday to 8:30pm, with the kitchen resting Monday to Wednesday. Takeaway and delivery are available — call 03 315 7483 to order — and younger diners have their own satay chicken and fried rice. The cafe's Facebook page is the place to watch for the weekly Monday gang (curry) special and for competitions to win free coffee and food.

Whether you call in for a morning flat white or settle in for a bowl of massaman after a day in the hills, Som Tam offers something genuinely uncommon: a proper Thai street-food kitchen and a carefully crafted espresso bar, sharing one small room in the middle of the Southern Alps.

Signature items

• Som Tam Gai Yang
• Khao Soi
• Gang Massaman
• Pad Thai
• Thai Milk Tea
• Beatnik Coffee

Menu

Curry

• Gang Kiew Wan — Green curry with fresh green chilli, vegetables and bamboo shoots, with jasmine rice.
• Gang Dang — Red curry with dried red chilli, pumpkin, carrot and pineapple, with jasmine rice.
• Gang Panang — Panang curry with vegetables and kaffir lime, topped with chopped peanuts.
• Gang Massaman — Massaman curry with potato, onion, star anise and cinnamon, topped with cashews.
• Gang Luang — Yellow curry with turmeric, Thai spices and vegetables.

Lunch

• Som Tam Gai Yang — Thailand's famous spicy chilli, garlic and shredded vegetable salad with marinated chicken, served with steamed jasmine rice; choose your heat.
• Khao Soi — Chiang Mai egg noodles in a coconut curry broth, topped with crunchy noodles; chicken, vegetables or tofu.
• Pad Krapow Moo — Stir-fried chopped pork with chilli, basil and garlic on jasmine rice; add a fried egg if you like.
• Nam Tok — Spicy chicken salad with chilli, mint and red onion, served with jasmine rice; a fried egg optional.
• Pad Thai — Stir-fried noodles with egg, tamarind, bean sprouts, chives and peanuts; chicken or vegetables.
• Pad See Ew — Charred stir-fried noodles with egg, vegetables and dark soy sauce; chicken or vegetables.
• Khao Pad Krung Thep — Bangkok fried rice with egg, vegetables and traditional Thai seasoning; chicken or vegetables.

Other

• Pad Med Mamuang Gai — Crispy chicken stir-fried with vegetables and cashew nuts, with jasmine rice.
• Pad Prew Wan Moo — Sweet and sour pork with vegetables and pineapple.
• Gai Gorb — Crispy chicken breast pieces with a sweet lemon and pineapple sauce.
• Tom Yum Goong — Hot and sour soup with prawns, chilli, lemongrass, galangal and mushrooms.

Drinks

• Short Black — A double shot of Underground Beatnik espresso, served neat.
• Long Black — Espresso lengthened with hot water for a clean, strong cup.
• Americano — Espresso topped up with hot water.
• Flat White — Double-shot espresso with silky steamed milk.
• Latte — Espresso with plenty of steamed milk.
• Cappuccino — Espresso, steamed milk and a thick foam cap.
• Mocha — Espresso meets chocolate, finished with steamed milk.
• Hot Chocolate — Chocolate with steamed milk.
• Chai Latte — Spiced chai with steamed milk.
• Matcha Latte — Green tea matcha whisked with steamed milk.
• Turmeric Latte — Golden turmeric with steamed milk.
• Piccolo — A small, strong milk coffee.
• Short Macchiato — Espresso marked with a dollop of foam.
• Long Macchiato — A long black marked with foam.
• Yorkshire Tea — A proper pot of the team's favourite brew.
• Iced Americano — Chilled espresso lengthened with water and ice.
• Iced Latte — Espresso with cold milk over ice.
• Thai Milk Tea — Classic sweet, creamy Thai iced milk tea.
• Alternative Milk — Add an alternative milk to any drink.
• Decaf — Make any coffee decaf.
• Syrup — Add a syrup to your drink.
• Extra Shot — An extra shot of Beatnik espresso.

Extras

• Kids Satay Chicken & Fried Rice — A smaller plate of satay chicken with fried rice for young diners.
• Fried Rice Upgrade — Swap steamed jasmine rice for fried rice with any main.
• Extra Steamed Jasmine Rice — An additional box of fragrant jasmine rice.
• Roti Bread — Flaky roti, ideal for mopping up curry.

Stir-Fry

• Pad Krapow — Spicy stir-fried vegetables with chilli, garlic, basil and bamboo shoots, with jasmine rice.
• Pra Ram Long Sorn — Stir-fried vegetables with a Thai-spiced peanut and coconut sauce.
• Pad Kra Tiem — Stir-fried vegetables with fresh garlic and black pepper, topped with crispy garlic.
• Pad King — Stir-fried vegetables with fresh ginger.

Small Plates

• Som Tam — The house namesake: spicy salad with chilli, garlic and vegetables.
• Curry Puffs — Puff pastry filled with potato and spices (5 pieces).
• Wonton Goong — Crispy prawn wontons (5 pieces).
• Poh Pia Tod — Crispy vegetable spring rolls (10 pieces).
• Giew Goong — Steamed prawn and ginger dumplings (5 pieces).
• Satay Gai — Chicken skewers with peanut sauce (3 pieces).
• Sikrong Moo — Pork ribs slow-cooked in a Thai broth.

Noodles & Rice

• Pad Thai — Thailand's national noodle dish with egg, tamarind, bean sprouts, chives and nuts.
• Pad See Ew — Charred stir-fried noodles with egg, vegetables and dark soy sauce.
• Pad Kee Mao — Spicy 'drunken noodles' with chilli, garlic, basil, green peppercorns and vegetables.
• Khao Pad Krung Thep — Bangkok fried rice with egg, vegetables and traditional Thai seasoning.
• Khao Pad Kiew Wan — Green curry fried rice with egg, vegetables and Thai green curry paste.
• Khao Pad Sapparot — Pineapple fried rice with turmeric, egg, vegetables, raisins and cashew nuts.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Som Tam Coffee & Thai and how do I order?

It's at 4 Harrogate Street, Hanmer Springs. Takeaway and delivery are available — phone 03 315 7483 to place an order.

What are the opening hours?

Daytime service (coffee and lunch) runs Friday to Sunday, 8:30am to 2pm. Dinner is served Thursday 4pm–8:30pm, Friday and Saturday 4pm–9pm, and Sunday 4pm–8:30pm. Closed Monday to Wednesday.

How spicy is the food?

Dishes marked 'S' are traditionally spicy in Thailand and can be ordered Mild, Medium, Hot or Extra Hot. The kitchen cooks at Thai spice levels, so consider dropping a level if you're used to NZ heat.

Are there vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free options?

Yes — most dishes can be made vegetarian or vegan on request, and gluten-free options are available on request.

What coffee do they use?

The organic, Fair Trade Beatnik blend from Christchurch's Underground Coffee Roasters. Som Tam is the only provider of this blend in Hanmer Springs, and all espresso drinks are made with a double shot.

Is there anything for kids?

Yes, there's a kids' satay chicken with fried rice, and you can also upgrade steamed rice to fried rice or add roti bread.

Are there any specials or promotions?

There's a Monday-evening gang (curry) special — the dish changes weekly and is announced on their Facebook page, which is also where they run competitions to win free coffee and food.

Tips

• {"body":"Dishes marked 'S' are cooked at traditional Thai spice levels. If you're used to Kiwi 'medium', consider ordering Mild — you can always go up.","title":"Mind the Thai heat"}
• {"body":"Coffee and lunch run Friday to Sunday, 8:30am–2pm. Dinner is Thursday to Sunday evenings, and the kitchen is closed Monday to Wednesday.","title":"Timing matters"}
• {"body":"Takeaway and delivery are available — call 03 315 7483 to place your order.","title":"Order ahead"}
• {"body":"The Monday gang (curry) special changes weekly, and competitions for free coffee and food are run on their Facebook page.","title":"Follow for specials"}
• {"body":"Khao soi, som tam and nam tok are dishes the team says are rarely found outside Thailand — worth stepping past the usual order.","title":"Try the regional rarities"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids' satay chicken and fried rice on the menu.","dietary":"Gluten-free option on request; most dishes vegetarian or vegan on request; spice adjustable Mild to Extra Hot."}