Thai cuisine
The food here is simply amazing. Prepare your taste buds, there is a lot to look forward to.
From soups to noodles of different types and shapes, rice (lots of rice), hot sauces, soy, tofu, fish and seafood. And for dessert, amazingly juicy and sweet fruits, mango sticky rice (rice cooked with coconut milk served with mango slices) or refreshing coconut ice cream. Only one cuisine in the world offers all this in absolute freshness, and it is the Thai one. Although the dishes are incredibly spicy (so if you don't like spicy, you need to point it out when ordering), the spiciness level is greatly adjusted for tourists.
For all the tasty dishes, we particularly recommend the pad thai noodles with sweet soy sauce, vegetables and peanuts, or the delicious coconut milk soup, with ginger, meat and lemon tom yum liqueur. You can't go wrong with fish flavoured with spices and herbs either. Fried rice with chunks of crab or other meat, onions, eggs and saffron called kao pat is also a quick and popular treat.
You should also be prepared for delicacies like locusts, bugs, crickets and other vermin. Thais simply follow the motto: "I eat everything that doesn't eat me." One will not stay hungry even if Thai cuisine does not win him over (which is very unlikely). There are international restaurants offering cuisines from all over the world. Eating there, however, is naturally more expensive.
Please note: tap water is not drinkable.
How to eat like a local
The people of Thailand are very conscious of ethics during meals. They usually serve all the courses at once in larger bowls and everyone scoops what they fancy together. They usually eat with a fork or spoon (depending on the consistency of the food). It's not unusual to eat with traditional chopsticks as well, but don't expect a knife on the table. For this reason, the food is broken into small pieces (just right for the mouth).
Thais are sociable, so they don't like to eat alone. Eating is something of a daily ritual for them, where the whole family and friends get together and enjoy a delicious meal together. Soup (unlike us) is eaten only as the last course.
Usual prices in restaurants
Prices in street restaurants, where it is customary to sit on plastic chairs at tables set just off the street where locals eat, range from 40 to 70 baht per meal. Mid-range restaurants offer dishes on the menu from 70-100 baht upwards. The price is usually quoted without side dishes, which must be ordered separately. This is most often rice.
- Fish - 50 baht / 100 g,
- Pad thai - 70 thb / serving,
- Tom yum - 80-100 thb / serving,
- Baked rice with chicken or beef etc - 70 thb / servings,
- Roast Chicken / Beef with Curry Spices - 100 thb / servings.