Bangkok cuisine

Bangkok is a quintessential destination for Thai cuisine enthusiasts. With so many delicious options to choose from, it can be challenging to pick the best dishes from the local menus.

Highlights of Thai Cuisine

Tom Yam

One dish you'll find on nearly every local menu is Tom Yam. It's a sour and spicy soup made with a chicken broth base and typically includes shrimp, chicken, fish, or other seafood. This flavorful soup is enhanced with a variety of spices and seasonings, with ginger, chili pepper, and garlic being the most well-known. Some of the other ingredients may be unfamiliar to European tastes.

To balance the spiciness of the soup, it's a good idea to enjoy it with a side of steamed rice, which provides a plain and soothing contrast.

Thai Rice

Rice is the staple accompaniment in the Kingdom of Thailand. Locals pair it with eggs, vegetables, chicken, shrimp, and even pineapple. Traditionally, Thai rice is served with a side of spicy fish sauce for added flavor.

Thai Noodles

Pad Thai (Pei Thai)

Pad Thai, also known as Pei Thai, is a delightful dish of fried rice noodles with dried and/or fresh shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu, eggs, and a blend of seasonings, often available from street vendors.

It's typically served with a sauce that includes chopped peanuts, other nuts, and a splash of lime and lemon for that perfect balance of flavors.

Other Noodle Delights

While in Bangkok, don't miss trying gooay teeo reua, commonly known as "boat noodles." Historically, these noodles were sold from special boats positioned along canals and rivers, hence the name. These noodles feature a rich, slow-cooked broth infused with meat, herbs, dried spices, and sometimes blood.

Another noodle delight to explore is Bamiya. These are wheat and egg noodles usually served with slices of barbecue pork, a touch of greens, and possibly wontons (Chinese dumplings).

Som Tam

Som Tam, the Spicy Salad, is a beloved dish among both locals and visitors in Thailand. Its star ingredient is papaya, complemented by carrots, nuts, legumes, and a zesty sauce. Occasionally, it includes shrimp, mussels, or other seafood. Gourmets appreciate that this delicate salad offers a unique combination of sharp, salty, sour, and even sweet flavors all at once.

Baked Sea Fish

Being a maritime country, Thailand offers a wide variety of white fish. These fish fillets are coated in flour and breading, wrapped in special leaves, baked to perfection, and typically served with traditional noodles or rice. Most dining establishments serve generous portions of this delightful dish.

Meat Dishes

Sate

Sate features grilled chunks of meat generously coated in a sweet peanut sauce. The portion size is often substantial, making it perfect for sharing between two people.

Gai Pad

Gai Pad is a flavorful dish made with chicken fillet that's well-cooked and seasoned with an array of spices, including garlic, onions, chili peppers, and curry. Thai tradition dictates the addition of three sauces to Gai Pad: fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sweet and sour sauce.

Chicken with Green Curry

This dish combines fried chicken with green curry paste. It's further enriched with eggplant, garlic, sweet peppers, and fish sauce, creating a delectable and aromatic ensemble.

Appetizers

Spring Roll

The spring roll is a dish inspired by Japanese cuisine, but the Thais have put their own twist on it. They incorporate their favorite noodles into the appetizer, using rice paper along with vegetables and a traditional sauce. Restaurants and cafes offer spring rolls to suit various tastes, featuring options like shrimp, chicken, or pork fillings. This versatile dish can be served cold, warm, or even hot.

Mataboy

Mataboy consists of thin sheets of dough, filled with either savory (minced pork or beef seasoned with curry) or sweet (eggs with banana pieces) fillings, which are then fried until they become wonderfully crispy.

Ka Nom Beuang

Another delightful street food option is Ka-nom Beuang, reminiscent of tacos. It offers two types of fillings. The first is sweet, featuring duck eggs and canned fruit, while the second is spicy, made with a mixture of dried shrimp and white pepper.

Desserts

Sweet Rice with Mango

While Thai cuisine isn't known for its extensive dessert menu, one delightful sweet treat is "sticky rice with mango" or stiki rais. It features rice paired with mango slices drizzled in coconut milk. You can even enjoy it for breakfast right on the street, although be aware that most stiki rais vendors sell out by 8:00 am.

Roti Blinis

Roti is another iconic Thai dessert. It's a type of pancake filled with various ingredients, achieved by stretching the dough. The fillings inside roti can range from chocolate, caramel, milk, and sugar to banana, chicken egg, cottage cheese, and many other delightful options.

Coconut Ice Cream

Coconut ice cream is actually made with cow's milk but is topped with coconut milk before serving. It can be garnished with nuts, caramel, cream, chocolate, banana, and even rice. Aside from the standard serving in a familiar waffle cup, some restaurants may serve the ice cream in a half of a real coconut for an extra tropical touch.

Drinks

In Thailand, it's customary for tea and coffee to be served refreshingly cold. Ice is added to tea and coffee to provide relief from the scorching heat. The exception to this rule is green matcha tea, which is typically served hot.

Fruit

Of course, it's impossible to picture Thailand without indulging in its primary natural dessert - fruit. The advice here is to sample a variety of fruits as much as possible, except for durian. Due to its strong and divisive odor, this controversial fruit is prohibited on airplanes and in hotels.