Spicy Thailand

Food tourism is a big business in the Kingdom of Thailand. Thousands of people from around the world visit Thailand to sample its food. Food enthusiasts from around the globe scour the streets daily for the finest flavours at affordable prices. In Thailand, your options are varied from the ever-present and largely popular Som Tam, or papaya salad, to royal recipes of spicy shrimp and caviar, served over Pandan leaves. Given the sheer variety and exposure, you might wonder what makes Thai cuisine popular. The answer is simple, its flavor.

Thai cuisine has made huge leaps in the gastronomic industry, and Thai street food is by all means booming. Thai food trucks and Michelin-star restaurants are growing by the day. Avoiding food trucks in Bangkok has almost become impossible. Passing through Sukhumvit and Khao San is like travelling in a food circus. 

The pandemic has given Thai people more reasons to feast and be merry, and the growing number of food trucks is evidence of this. The food trucks do not only sell the traditional. The public is demanding authenticity, which means popular favorites like galangal, tom yum, and Thai curries are back with fervor. Aromatic Thai herbs waft through the sky, and street family kitchens are tucked around every Thai Soi or street corner.

Old Classics
Only in Bangkok can a street food stall earn a Michelin star. Roadside hawker Jay Fai known as Supinya Junsuta, found fame by receiving a Michelin Star two years in a row. The 73-year-old individually cooks every dish on her own at her Bangkok stall. 

Receiving a Michelin Star has changed Jay Fai’s outlook and catapulted her into fame. Her Bangkok food stall has people lining up in droves, with an influx of foreign guests from all over the world. The owner’s daughter left a full-time career to cater to the restaurants growing needs. Managing Jai Fai’s stall isn’t easy; crowds linger until its closing hours daily. 

The stall’s famous specialties include its popular crab omelet cooked by Jai Fai herself. The dish is prepared by bathing the eggs and crabs in hot oil and rolling them together into a cylinder. After coming out of the wok, the omelet is cut into fluffy pillows revealing succulent and generous chunks of crab and egg.  

Other popular favorites include drunken noodles served with hot and spicy sauce, basil leaves, and fresh chili garnished with coconut palm and prawns. And the popular tom yum soup with an extra spicy flavor is served with kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, jumbo prawn shells, and mushroom. As a word of caution, this isn’t your regular tom yum-definitely not for the faint-hearted.  

Authentic Bangkok Restaurants 
Bangkok caters to all sorts of palates. After all, Thai cuisine is one of the tastiest and most versatile in the world. Bangkok is a foodie’s paradise, and it has a variety of restaurants catering to the needs of tourists and locals alike. Below are a few authentic restaurants gracing the Thai capital’s popular neighbourhoods. 

Blue Elephant– Silom
Blue Elephant epitomizes luxury. Set in a colonial-era house over two floors, it boasts a Thai restaurant and a highly appraised cooking school. All-time favorite classics like Massaman lamb curry with sweet potatoes and Thai seafood specialties like spicy crab, vegetables, and prawns with chili dressing are served. The dishes are spicy, but each spice level is noted by the number of elephants on the menu. 

The restaurant is complemented by a cooking school, giving you first-hand experience in preparing and mastering Thai food recipes. Some of the skills you will learn include hands-on experience using a mortar instead of a blender to mix Thai spices and ingredients for curries. 

Le Normandie– Bangrak
Considered Bangkok’s finest, Le Normandie offers a contemporary dining experience with a fusion of classic Thai and French cuisine. The restaurant’s menu changes every three months with distinct options. Some popular fusion dishes include roasted sea bass and sea urchin with potato and champagne sauce served with roasted pigeon in spicy coconut sauce. To complement your dining experience, a variety of vintage wines are offered with a pianist, classical chandeliers, and breathtaking views of the Chao Phraya from the restaurant’s panoramic windows.

Patara Restaurant– Thonglor
Patara has been an all-time favorite restaurant for Thais for over four decades. The restaurant has a variety of exquisite dishes like turmeric-scented crabmeat curry served against a carved teak backdrop. Wondering into the restaurant, you are surrounded by lush gardens; you’ll think you entered a Thai spa instead. 

All-time favorite specialties like spicy coconut sauce with lumps of crab, fish, garlic, ginger, and chili are served. Thai taste is not limited to food only, a wide range of beverages with herbs soothe your palate. Icy herbal drinks and refreshing cool lemongrass palm sugar concoctions are among the popular favourites served here.

With all it offers, Thailand has the perfect authentic palate of spicy flavors. Anyone who has savored Thai food will agree that it is delightfully spicy and authentic, providing an unmatched culinary experience like no other!