12 essential food and drink experiences to try in Thailand

24.02.2024 - 17:17 / lonelyplanet.com

Food alone is a worthy reason to visit Thailand. Famous for its inimitable melange of aromatic ingredients, piquant flavors and razor-sharp spices, Thai cuisine ranks among the top culinary traditions in the world.

From street-side stalls peddling wholesome, inexpensive meals to fine-dining establishments plating exquisite delectables on par with the world’s best restaurants, Thai food checks pretty much every box on the gastronomic spec sheet, even for the most demanding and discerning foodies.

While no volume of literature would do justice to the diversity of Thai food, the following are some essential experiences that comprise a rite of passage for food lovers plotting their way around Thailand (or simply passing through the capital Bangkok).

Designed as part of a nation-building exercise in the first half of the 20th century, pad thai (pàt tai) was conceptualized to represent Thailand on a plate. A wok-fried dish featuring flat noodles, shrimp, beancurd, bean sprouts, spring onions, peanuts, assorted spices and sauces, pad thai brings together everyday ingredients consumed in Thai households across the country.

It is wildly popular with travelers — especially those acquainting themselves with Thai food for the first time. Don't be surprised if you find yourself gorging on nothing but pad thai through your first 48 hours in Thailand. Many others have done just the same before you.

Where to try it: Thip Samai and Baan Phadthai, Bangkok.

After the initial infatuation with pad thai has worn off, most travelers take a cue from locals and graduate to ordering their first pad kra pao (basil stir fry). This is a simple meal of steamed rice topped with spicy, basil-laced minced meat (chicken, pork or beef) and a fried egg.

Pad kra pao is the definitive working lunch for millions of Thai office-goers looking for a quick and filling fix. The regulation pad kra pao comes loaded with bombastic chilis, so let the chef know well in advance if you prefer it on the mild side.

Where to try it: Phed Mark, Bangkok. 

The hallowed trinity of Thai curries – the spicy red, the piquant green and the aromatic yellow – is perhaps the most recognizable inclusion on any authentic Thai menu around the world. All three can be prepared with a permutation of meats, seafood or vegetables (the green curry lends itself particularly well to a vegetarian rendition).

After you have sampled all three, round off your curry excursion by tucking into a bowl of massaman, an iconic curry from Southern Thailand featuring potatoes and meat in a star anise-flavored gravy.

Where to try it: Sanguan Sri, Paste and Krua Apsorn, all in Bangkok.

The food in Northern Thailand is a universe of its own, deriving from the traditions of its resident Indigenous