Given that one of the first things Thais ask each other when they meet up is "Have you eaten yet?" it’s clear this is a nation that’s extremely passionate about its eats. You want to know how good a Thai restaurant is? Don’t look at the menu, the décor or even the prices. Look at the number of people inside. That’s your quality indicator.
1. Tom Yum Gung
This Thai masterpiece soup is teeming with shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. It can be ordered loaded with coconut milk (tom yum gung nam kohn) and cream or without (tom yum gung nam sai) for a slightly more sour and healthy version. This soup truly unifies a host of favorite Thai tastes: sour, salty, spicy and sweet, all in one bowl. This is an authentic Thai delicacy that many locals are passionate about and has spread around the world.
2. Som Tam
Som tom is perhaps Thailand's most famous salad. Garlic and chilies are first pounded with a mortar and pestle (krok). Tamarind juice, fish sauce, peanuts, dried shrimp, tomatoes, lime juice, sugar cane paste, string beans and a handful of grated green papaya are tossed in the krok (som tam thai). The sweet, salty, and spicy flavors paired with the crisp crunch of the green papaya and sticky rice is utterly luscious. Many variations are available including one made with crab (som tam boo) and one made with fermented fish sauce (som tam plah lah).
3. Pad Thai
Pad thai is probably the most famous dish outside of Thailand and something that tourists rave and hype about. So famous we almost didn't include it on the list. Medium sized rice noodles are stir fried with a host of ingredients like tofu, peanuts, shrimp, green onions, bean sprouts, garlic, pepper, fish sauce and lime juice. A scrambled egg mixed into the noodles seals the dish together and ensures deliciousness. Pad Thai is great to eat with a squeeze of lime and ground peanuts. Again, a spoon or two of sugar, chili flakes, and vinegar, are always an option by way of condiments.
4. Kanom Jeen
Thin, mild tasting and very soft, kanom jeen are noodles made from fermented rice. They are serviced with a ladle of your choice of curry ranging from kanom jeen nam ya (red curry fish balls), kanom jeen nam prik (sweet chili paste), kanom jeen gang keow wan gai (green curry chicken), among others, and then topped with garnishes like cabbage and cucumbers.
5. Gai Yang
Just like moo yang, grilled chicken is everywhere to be found. It's hard to walk a few meters without detecting the scent. Grilled chicken is best complimented with a pile of tangy som tam and a dollop of sticky rice. Like many other dishes, grilled chicken is all over Bangkok and often times the best is found on mobile stands attached to bikes or pushcarts. All Isaan restaurants serve gai yang.
6. Pad Ga Pow Moo Kai Dow
If a local Thai doesn't know what to order, it almost certainly comes down to pad ga pow. A stir fried dish that can be trusted to turn out delicious and satisfying every time and at almost every eatery. Chicken, pork or minced meat is stir fried in oil with garlic, chilies, small green vegetables like green beans and the vibrant basil that gives the dish its flavor. It's fashionable to eat it over a pile of rice accompanied by a fried egg. Neighborhood eateries tend to serve the best pad ga pow, though it's available almost anywhere.
A precious favorite among Thais is a prized yam plah duk foo. At first, it seems to be a deep fried fluffy catfish essence of grease and air. However, when the sour mango, sweet sugar, tart lime, harsh red onions, earthy cilantro, shrimp, squid and peanut sauce are applied, the fluff transforms into a crunchy bite that includes all Thai flavors and textures in a single bite.
8. Guay Teow Nuaa (Sen Lek)
Sen lek or medium-sized rice noodles are one of the more popular soup noodle choices. Beef noodles or pork and pork ball noodles are a handy lunch option. Broth, boiled for hours, is poured over a bit of tender meat with noodles, some light bean sprouts and maybe a little green morning glory, which steam in a boiling caldron before being put into your bowl. Though this dish comes chili-less, by now you will have built up a tolerance and will need to add a couple spoons of chili flakes for ultimate satisfaction.
9. Cha Yen
The answer to coffee and tea drinks from around the world is Thailand's very own and very sweet cha yen. We admit, it's not a food, but it's certainly deserving of a spot on our list as it's so damn refreshing. Though it is called Thai ice tea, the actual tea flavor is somewhat unrecognizable as it is overpowered by a huge portion of sweetened condensed milk and then heavily iced. Look for one of the many stalls with 'Carnation' advertising plastered all over them and there is sure to be cha yen. You can also order cha yen at all coffee stalls, drink stands or restaurants
10. Kao Niew Ma Muang
Almost everyone loves yellow mango with sticky rice. A small bed of super glutinous rice is placed below some slices of super sweet, non stringy, ripened mango. Adding to the deliciousness is a drizzle of coconut cream syrup. Usually located at many makeshift stands depending on mango availability.
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