10 Foods You HAVE To Try When Travelling To Thailand

With the growing rise of popularity of Thai food in the UK, none of these dishes are coming to come as a surprise to you if you’ve gone down the road to your local Thai restaurant. What I will say is these dishes are certainly going to be tastier than anything you’ve had in the UK. I don’t know if it’s because the ingredients are fresher, or if you are in the perfect beach setting or because they cook it a little differently. More than likely it is a combination of all three. Food in Thailand is nothing short of flavour and spice, so prepare for your taste buds to explode. 

You will also notice a lot of restaurants in Thailand appearing in Netflix TV shows and YouTube videos. Especially as many restaurants in Thailand have appeared on the Michelin guide. It is probably one of your only chances to get Michelin standard food for a very cheap price. One example is the crab omelette in Bangkok at Raan Jay Fai stall. I would definitely recommend doing some research beforehand and finding some Michelin restaurants that are near where you are going so you can experience it. 

Dishes To Try In Thailand

In this blog I will discuss some dishes that I fell in love with whilst visiting Thailand and what you should definitely try during your travels. 

Som Tum 

 This is such a refreshing dish to have when it’s scorching in Thailand. It’s made out of freshly grated papaya, tomato, onion and chilli. Sometimes there will be fermented fish paste in there which sounds disgusting but adds a wonderful umami flavour to it. It’s fresh, tangy and spicy - all the flavour profiles you want. Be warned though like most dishes in Thailand, Thai spicy is on a different level to our spicy. They will often ask how many chillis you want in this dish, don’t be a hero, play it safe and ask for a low number. If you can’t handle chilli, just ask for half or one. If you are feeling brave then maybe go up to 2 or 3 but definitely no more than 3. Unless you don’t want to feel your tongue for a week. This is a great dish to have with some grilled fish and a fresh young coconut whilst sunning yourself on the beach. 

Thai Kra Pao 

 I absolutely adore this but I never seem to be able to recreate this at home or find anywhere that does is quite like they do in Thailand. It’s basically minced meat stir fried with chilli, garlic, basil and other flavourings like soy. It’s typically served with rice and fried egg on top. Again this is another dish where you can request how many chillis you want so don’t get too cocky. It’s such a simple dish but it’s so hearty and packs a punch, it definitely sorts you out for the day. The best ones are the small stalls at the side of the road, cooking it in a huge wok with some small plastic table and chairs to sit on. They know how to cook it right and the wok adds a beautiful smoky flavour to it.

Panang Curry  

This has to be my favourite curry in Thailand. This might be a curry you’ve not heard of if you are not too familiar with Thai food. It’s basically a cousin of the famous Thai red curry. It will tend to be a bit thicker and a bit sweeter but still packed with chilli and lemongrass. I usually found this one doesn’t have any vegetables with it just some sort of meat or fish. This best version I had of this was in Koh Samui in a small hut restaurant way outside the centre of Koh Samui. Honestly the restaurant didn’t look like much with checkered plastic tablecloths, but the reviews were pretty good so I had to give it a try. I am so glad I did because honestly the dish looked like it could of come out of a high end restaurant in the UK. It was presented beautifully and was packed full of flavour. Just goes to show - don’t judge a book by its cover. 

Massaman Curry  

This dish comes as a close second for my favourite curry. It’s rich, it’s creamy, it’s nutty - which is why it becomes so addictive. Now in the UK you will typically see this with slow cooked beef but they don’t have much beef in Thailand so I would recommend this with chicken or seafood. There typically is onions, carrots, potatoes and peanuts inside this curry too. It’s a bit thicker than the other curries in Thailand, which is characterised from the coconut cream which makes its so creamy. It’s a gorgeous golden brown colour which makes it look so appealing to eat. It’s a great dish if you’ve had too many Chang beers the night before. 

Green Curry  

 This is just a timeless classic curry and you have to make sure you give it a try whilst in Thailand. Still flavoured with the classic lemongrass, lime, chilli and coconut cream. However, you’ll probably find this to be a bit sweeter and watery than what you are used to in the UK. I love the variations of eggplant that are used in this dish and if you are lucky you might even get some green peppercorns which are just so tasty to eat. You’ll also notice that it’s a little bit paler in colour but that is not to say it lacks in flavour. Don’t be worried about being boring ordering a green curry, you need to try the authentic version. 

Pad Thai  

Unless you’ve been hiding underneath a rock, you’ve probably heard of the classic Pad Thai. Now in my controversial opinion there is a lot better dishes but I must admit it is comforting and something you definitely must try whilst you are there. As it’s certainly going to be better than most UK pad thai dishes. Made with thin rice noodles, bean sprouts, spring onion, prawns and egg. The sauce is typically made with tamarind and soy but each one you try will be slightly different. It’s then garnished with lime, crushed peanuts and my favourite part tiny crunchy shrimp. You’ll see this served all over Thailand but it’s best served from a street vendor who only makes pad thai. It’s going to be more authentic and lot tastier. Again they’ll usually cook it in a wok on a high heat so it does create a wonderful smoky flavour. 

Tom Yum Soup  

Now I can’t write a food blog about Thailand without talking about my favourite Thai dish. Tom yum soup. Now if you’ve read my other blogs you’ve probably noticed I am a bit of a sucker for soupy or brothy dishes. You’ve also probably noticed I love anything spicy or tangy. This dish just hits all them boxes for me! It’s got a bit of heat from the chilli, but then it has the tangyness from the lime, lemongrass and tomato. It’s typically served with prawns or chicken and a variety of vegetables. You’ll always find mushroom in there which you can’t go wrong with. It’s packed with so much flavour and so comforting, definitely a dish you need to try. I know what you are going to say “it’s too hot to be eating soup” but it’s not and you definitely need to try this dish! 

Drunken Noodles  

 This has to be my favourite noodle dish in Thailand and definitely beats pad thai in my personal opinion. It’s made with thick rice noodles which give a lovely chewy texture. The sauce is quite sticky and a little bit spicy. It’s something different and not what you would usually find in the UK which is why I love it so much. It’s also legend that these noodles should be eaten with an ice cold beer, so don’t miss out on grabbing a Chang with this dish! 

Thai Milk Tea  

 A refreshing drink for the hot heat of Thailand. Although if you haven’t got a sweet tooth then it’s probably not the drink for you as it’s got enough sugar to make you bounce off the walls. It’s made with condensed milk and tea but it goes a beautiful orange colour. It’s usually served iced so just be careful where you get it from. The majority of vendors will only serve bagged iced but it’s best to be vigilant as you don’t want to get poorly during your travels. 

Mango Sticky Rice  

Now I am not going to lie this is not my favourite ever dessert but it feels against the law to not add this to the list of foods to try. As plenty of people I spoke to absolutely adored this dish. Now it wasn’t mango season when I went to Thailand so I think this played a massive part in how enjoyable the dish was. As the mango was no where near as sweet and juicy as the mangoes I have tried in Australia. So I think if you are going to have this dessert make sure it’s mango season to make the most of it. The sticky rice is cooked with coconut cream to give it this wonderful creamy coconut flavour. And then it’s served with the fresh mango. Simple but effective. Asia isn’t well known for its desserts which is why they are typically something simple like this. 

Conclusion

As I say with all my blogs and Thailand is no exception. Avoid the western or instagramable restaurants, the food is most likely going to be sub par. Go to the small shack restaurants, where the local eats and auntie has been cooking for years because it’s going to be nothing short of amazing.I have to add as well, whilst I have included pad Thai on here and it is an amazing dish. Make sure to be a little adventurous and try something different! 

 I hope this blog comes in handy during your travels to Thailand and inspires you to try some new dishes. Make sure to share this blog with fellow foodies so they can enjoy these Thai dishes too.