3 Myths About Thai Food Restaurants

Entering a Thai restaurant may be a delightful but overwhelming experience, especially for those not familiar with the cuisine. The menu often boasts a comprehensive array of dishes, each offering a tantalizing glimpse in to the vibrant flavors and rich culinary traditions of Thailand. To help navigate this culinary adventure, here's a guide about what to order in Thai restaurants to ensure a satisfying and unforgettable dining experience.

1. Starters and Appetizers:
Begin your Thai culinary journey with the assortment of starters and appetizers that showcase the diverse flavors and textures of Thai cuisine. Crispy spring rolls filled with vegetables or shrimp, savory chicken satay skewers served with peanut sauce, and fragrant fish cakes made with aromatic herbs and spices are popular choices. For a refreshing start, consider ordering a Thai salad like Som Tum (green papaya salad) or Yum Woon Sen (glass noodle salad) featuring a mix of fresh vegetables, herbs, and tangy dressings.

2. Noodles and Rice Dishes:
Noodles and rice are staples of Thai cuisine, offering a comforting and satisfying base for an assortment of flavorful toppings and sauces. Pad Thai, arguably Thailand's most well-known noodle dish, features stir-fried rice noodles tossed with shrimp, tofu, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts in a tangy tamarind sauce. Pad See Ew, another popular choice, combines wide rice noodles with tender slices of meat or seafood in a sweet soy sauce. For all those craving a spicy kick, try Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao), stir-fried with chili peppers, basil, and garlic.

3. Curries:
No Thai dining experience is complete without sampling the rich and aromatic curries that are a cornerstone of the cuisine. Green curry, red curry, and Massaman curry are among the most popular choices, each offering a unique blend of spices, herbs, and ingredients. Green curry is renowned for its vibrant color and fiery heat, while red curry tends to be milder with a deeper flavor profile. Massaman curry, influenced by Indian and Malay cuisines, features tender chunks of meat or vegetables simmered in a rich coconut milk-based sauce with fragrant spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.

4. Stir-Fries and Entrees:
Stir-fries and other main dishes will also be prominent features of Thai restaurant menus, offering a wide range of options to suit every palate. From the classic Pad Kra Pao (stir-fried basil chicken) to the aromatic Pad Prik King (stir-fried curry paste with meat and vegetables), there is a stir-fry dish to satisfy every craving. Other popular entrees include Thai-style grilled meats, seafood dishes like spicy shrimp or fish curry, and hearty soups like Tom Yum or Tom Kha.

5. Desserts:
Save room for dessert and indulge in one of Thailand's decadent sweet treats to round off your meal. Sticky rice with mango, a popular Thai dessert, features sweet, ripe mango served with sticky rice drizzled with coconut milk. Khanom Thai, an assortment of traditional Thai sweets made with ingredients like coconut, pandan, and taro, offer a delightful end to the meal with their delicate flavors and textures.

Thai restaurants give a diverse and flavorful dining experience with a wide variety of dishes to suit every taste and preference. Whether you are indulging in appetizers, noodles, curries, stir-fries, or desserts, exploring the menu of a Thai restaurant promises a memorable culinary journey throughout the vibrant and aromatic flavors of Thailand. So do not be afraid to dive in and try something totally new - you could just discover your new favorite dish!