Discover 15 tasty dishes to eat in Thailand or at your favorite Thai restaurant. Options include savory dishes like Pad Thai plus some sweet treats too. They’re all delicious!
1. Pad Thai (Fried Thai Noodles)
Don’t count out pad thai despite its popularity and cheap eats pricing. It’s a solid option to order at both street stalls and in restaurants. As a bonus, protein options include chicken, shrimp and tofu, making the Thai noodle dish attractive to vegetarian travelers.
Dig Deeper: More Global Noodle Dishes
2. Pad See Ew (Fried Wide Noodles with Soy Sauce)
Beyond its wide noodles, pad see ew gets its flavors from soy sauce (both light and dark) and fresh garlic. Meats like beef, chicken and pork provide the protein while veggies like Chinese broccoli and cabbage provide the crunch.
Dig Deeper: Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai
3. Khao Soi (Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)
With Islamic origins in Burma and elements from Yunnan, China, khao soi marries fried and boiled noodles and combines them with a unique curry, coconut milk and meaty broth. Cooked low and slow, this highly slurpable Thai soup is a must-eat for any visit to Chiang Mai.
Dig Deeper: Chiang Mai Food Guide
4. Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Soup)
It would be easy to describe tom kha gai as a ramped up tom yum. Both soups are made with chilies, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. Coconut milk gives tom kha gai its richer, creamier texture.
Dig Deeper: More Global Soups
5. Kuay Teaw Nua (Beef Noodle Soup)
Kuay teaw nua is a popular Thai soup with a story. Customers originally ordered kuay teaw nua from boat vendors on Bangkok’s canals. While that experience is still possible, most people just eat kuay teaw nua at food stalls around the city when they’re hungry for a big meaty bowl of yum.
6. Som Tam (Spicy Green Papaya Salad)
Instead of lettuce and croutons, som tam’s ingredients include shredded and pounded green papaya, carrots, tomatoes, beans and peanuts. Additional ingredients like chili peppers, garlic, palm sugar, tamarind, fish sauce and lime juice give the crunchy salad a burst of complex flavor.
Dig Deeper: More Global Salads
7. Gaeng (Curry)
In Thailand, curry is both an ingredient and a dish. The ingredient (curry paste) comes in different varieties that impact both the color and flavor of the dish. Thai curries (the dish) contain ingredients like coconut milk, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, proteins and curry paste.
Dig Deeper: Thai Curry Recipe
8. Goong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp and Glass Noodles)
Goong ob woonsen may not be as famous as pad thai, but, trust us, you’ll want to give it a try. In the flavorful dish, shrimp and glass noodles are stir fried in a clay pot with ingredients like ginger, garlic, soy sauce (both dark and light) and oyster sauce.
Dig Deeper: Portuguese Shrimp Recipe
9. Khao Kha Moo (Pork Leg and Rice)
Khao kha moo looks like a simple dish but its tastes are more complex than its appearance. Thai cooks assemble this dish by slowly stewing pork leg and serving it over rice.
10. Khao Man Gai (Chicken and Rice)
Originally invented in Hainan, China and hugely popular in Singapore where it’s considered a national dish, this simple dish pairs poached chicken with rice cooked in a rich chicken broth. Thailand’s version, known as khao man gai, is a Bangkok street food staple. Most vendors serve the dish with sides of chicken soup and chili dipping sauce.
Dig Deeper: Bangkok Street Food Tour
11. Gai Yang (Grilled Chicken)
Gai yang is proof that not all Thai chicken is poached and served with rice. This dish takes a different approach by marinating chicken with lemongrass and garlic before roasting the bird on a grill.
Dig Deeper: Mouthwatering Chicken Recipes
12. Khanom Bueang Yuan (Crispy Thai Omelet)
Inspired by Vietnam’s bánh xèo, khanom bueang yuan is a crispy egg crepe found in Bangkok. Street vendors like Bangkok’s Khanom Bueang Yuan Ya Cham create this crispy omelet with ingredients like peanuts, shrimp, onions, chilies and ginger. Sides like bean sprouts and sweet cucumber relish complete the dish.
Dig Deeper: French Rolled Omelette Recipe
13. Pla Pao (Baked Fish)
This grilled swimmer coated in salt may be the ugliest fish you’ll ever enounter. However, once you remove the salty outer layer, the flaky tender fish may also be the tastiest.
14. Khao Niao Mamuang (Mango Sticky Rice)
In addition to sliced mangos and sticky rice, khao niao mamuang’s ingredient list includes sweet coconut milk and a sprinkling of fried mung beans. The end result is a refreshing dessert.
Dig Deeper: More Global Desserts
15. Banana Roti
While roti is a savory flatbread in Delhi, the Thai version is a dessert made with sweet dough and filled with items like banana and eggs. Vendors serve buttery banana roti to the masses from carts all over Thailand.
Dig Deeper: Delhi Food Tour
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