Thai Food in Bangkok
Bangkok Eating Experiences
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Food is one of the reasons many tourists flock to Thailand. Not only for its affordability, but because the Kingdom's exotic cuisine offers an unrivaled culinary experience that is internationally famous for its distinctive flavours. Food is as much an integral part of Thai culture as kick boxing, traditional Thai massage, tuk-tuks and saffron-robed monks...

In a city like Bangkok, you don't have to walk very far to find something to eat; food carts can be found on almost every street corner, at pavement eateries with fold-up tables and chairs, and in the smallest of sois (streets). In fact, the smell of food is omni-present in this sprawling metropolis, which is home to more than ten million people.

In Thailand, it's not uncommon to greet someone with the phrase "Gin khao ru yang?" (have you eaten?) This, of course, is not meant to be taken literally. What lies underneath this phrase is simply the equivalent of "How are you?" It's not entirely illogical when you think about it; keeping your stomach full is after all an unfailing sign of well-being in the Land of Smiles. Thailand is an agricultural country where fresh produce is bountiful, and Thai people are renowned for their hospitality and generosity. It used to be common practice to place a jar of water in front of your house for thirsty passers-by to help themselves to a cup of water. These factors, combined with Thai people's penchant for food and ingenious gift for cooking, make for a delicious, healthy and definitely one of the most mouth-watering culinary experiences you'll ever have.

But, there's a lot more to Thai cuisine than the green, red and yellow curries that are served up at 'Westernised' Thai restaurants back home. For starters, the variety here is vast, and you should be prepared to see some strange-looking dishes. Absolutely nothing goes to waste. Fancy trying some boiled chicken legs or deep-fried water roaches? What about, uhm, grilled and skewered 'Parson's Noses' (chicken 'rear ends') or pork intestines in a broth that somewhat resembles dirty dishwater?

For the most part though, the food is delicious, exotic, and prepared with a wonderful array of fresh herbs and spices like lemongrass, sweet basil, ginger, garlic and, of course, chili. Lots of it. Some dishes are so spiced up it will have you gasping for air, make the world around you spin and leave you with tears running down your cheeks. You will imagine that your tongue is on fire; that an Armageddon of some kind is happening right in your mouth... This is not the norm though, and you are bound to find many dishes and snacks that will be more than kind to your taste buds, while restaurants generally go easy on the chili when preparing food for foreigners.

Another reason for the many snack-type stalls and food carts that can be found everywhere is the fact that Thai people are known to snack throughout the day and in between meals. The food is a visual feast too; colourful and beautifully presented. The skills of a simple street vendor chopping up fruit is enviable to say the least, and in restaurants you will be amazed by the delicate fruit and vegetable carvings that are used to garnish dishes.

Thai food is not just a culinary feast, but an unrivaled adventure. Arrive with an open mind and you will be hooked in no time. Don't hesitate to try something new or different. We only live once. In the West, anyway...

1.Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)
The quintessential Thai aroma! A bold, refreshing blend of fragrant lemongrass, chilli, galangal, lime leaves, shallots, lime juice and fish sauce shapes this classic soup, giving it its legendary herbal kick. Succulent fresh prawns and straw mushrooms lend it body. A versatile dish that can fit within virtually any meal, the distinctive smell reminds you of exotic perfume, while it's invigorating sour-spicy-hot taste just screams 'Thailand'!
 

2.Pad Thai (Thai style Fried Noodles)
From Cape Town to Khao San Road, the default international Thai dish! Dropped in a searing hot wok, fistfuls of small, thin or wide noodles (you choose) do a steamy minute-long dance alongside crunchy beansprouts, onion and egg, before disembarking for the nearest plate. A truly interactive eating experience, half its fun (and flavour) lies in then using a quartet of accompanying condiments - fish sauce, sugar, chilli powder and finely ground peanuts - to wake it from its slumbers.
 

3.Gaeng Daeng (Red Curry)
Made with morsels of meat, red curry paste, smooth coconut milk and topped off with a sprinkling of finely sliced kaffir lime leaves, this rich, aromatic curry always gets those taste buds tingling. At its best when the meat is stunningly tender, it could be likened to a beautiful woman: it's mild, sweet and delicately fragrant. And like all true love affairs, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
 

4.Kai Med Ma Muang (Chicken with Cashew Nuts)
Pardon the pun, but tourists go nuts for this stir fried dish. Perhaps it's the wildly contrasting textures of a dish that saut's chicken alongside roasted cashews, sweet soy sauce, onions, chilies, pepper, carrot and mushrooms. Perhaps it's the sweetening dash of honey that appeals. Do you really care? The important thing is that this dish works: it's simple but scrumptious, a little bit tame and yet still totally Thai.

5.Som Tum (Spicy Green Papaya Salad)
Hailing from the Northeast state of Isaan, this outlandish dish is both great divider - some can't get enough of its bite, some can't handle it - and greatly distinctive. Garlic, chilies, green beans, cherry tomatoes and shredded raw papaya get dramatically pulverized in a pestle and mortar, so releasing a rounded sweet-sour-spicy flavour that's not easily forgotten. Regional variations throw peanuts, dry shrimp or salted crab into the mix, the latter having a gut-cleansing talent that catches many newcomers by surprise!
 

6.Khao Pad (Fried Rice)
Fried rice, egg, onion, a few herbs - nothing more, nothing less. A popular lunch dish served typically with a wedge of lime and slices of cucumber, the secret of this unpretentious dish lies in its simplicity. The concept is this: you're the one devouring it, so you dress it. To do so, Thais use everything from prawns, crab or chicken to basil, chili and left-over vegetables, in the process turning an unremarkable pauper into a gastronomic prince!
 

7.Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Soup)
A mild, tamer twist on Tom Yum, this iconic soup infuses fiery chilies, thinly sliced young galangal, crushed shallots, stalks of lemongrass and tender strips of chicken. However unlike its more watery cousin, lashings of coconut milk soften its spicy blow. Topped off with fresh lime leaves, it's a sweet-smelling concoction, both creamy and compelling.
 

8.Pak Boong (Morning Glory)
Found all across South-East Asia, the leafy plant with hollow green stems and thin fragile leaves forms the main component of this super easy favourite. Cloves of garlic and birds eye chilies join it in a wok alongside oyster sauce, fish sauce and black fermented bean. A few lazy stirs, until the leaves are shrunk and soft, and it's done! The result is an alluring favourite with an unobtrusive flavour, a staple for those who love their Thai food but not spice induced sweats.
 

9.Gaeng Keow Wan Kai (Green Chicken Curry)
Morsels of fresh chicken. Cherry-sized eggplants. Tender bamboo shoots. Sprigs of Coriander. Generous handfuls of sweet basil. These humble elements form the body of this seminal curry. But how does it get so gloriously green you ask? Oh, that'll be the spoons of green curry paste that's stirred furiously into hot creamy coconut milk. Sounds unexciting? Sure, but it's not. Served alongside a bowl of fragrant Thai rice, Gaeng Keow Kan Gai is the extreme opposite.
 

10.Yam Nua (Spicy Beef Salad)
If there was such a thing as a 'Salad Hall of Fame', Thailand's zesty own breed, or 'yam' as they are known here, would surely take pride of place. Unconvinced? Experience the fresh, fiery thrill of yam nua - with its sprightly mix of onion, coriander, spearmint, lime, dried chili and tender strips of beef - and you won't be. It perfectly embodies the invigorating in-the-mouth-thrill of all Thai salads, the yummy-ness of yam.
 

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