About thai food

[Encee]

In 10 days time  I am having my very first vacation in Thailand and I asking if I could get some suggestions about the thai food  while I am there. I am wanting to  try  food that is only mild to zero spicy.

I do like food with lot of rice and pork.. meat and some vegetables. (too spicy food does not agree with me).

Could of you suggest the names  some different dishes to try. I would really be so grateful for any suggestions.. thank you.. 

Acouple of weeks ago on this forum many of you gave me some very helpful suggestions about where to go and

see in Thailand and I was now able to plan my 3 weeks holiday following lots of suggestions many members gave me.. Thank you all again. 

[MalcolmB]

The suckling pig on a spit is my favorite. They often put it on at parties. 
 

And Cow Car Moo is another good pork dish. Stewed pork knuckle with rice, a boiled egg, some kale and the give you the spicy sauce in a seperate dish so you can add to taste. 

[Upnotover]

30 minutes ago, Encee said:

am wanting to  try  food that is only mild to zero spicy.

I'd avoid most Thai food in that case, whilst they'll make pretty much any dish with little or no chilli when it's non-spicy all you taste is sugar.  Waste of time.

[novacova]

Most folks here will accommodate you when it comes to cooking. If you don’t want spicy, request: mai phet. If you dont want sugar, request: mai wan. 

[Foxx]

8 minutes ago, novacova said:

If you don’t want spicy, request: mai phet.

 

And they will take your pet poodle or chihuahua into the kitchen and serve it up to you as a delicious (but spice free) dish.

[Callmeishmael]

While there are exceptions, if you leave out the chillis many Thai dishes taste like, well, rice.  A lot of Thai cooks add a ton of spices to hide the otherwise bland and tasteless nature of many common Thai foods.

 

For the OP, start with:  "Pad Gapow Guy, My Pet". 

[novacova]

There are lots non spicy stuff to eat, suki, pad se ew, masaman curry, pad Thai, rad naa, bami mu daeng and mu kata to name a few.

[Presnock]

1 hour ago, MalcolmB said:

The suckling pig on a spit is my favorite. They often put it on at parties. 
 

And Cow Car Moo is another good pork dish. Stewed pork knuckle with rice, a boiled egg, some kale and the give you the spicy sauce in a seperate dish so you can add to taste. 

said the doesn't like pork and rice dishes

[Presnock]

1 hour ago, Encee said:

In 10 days time  I am having my very first vacation in Thailand and I asking if I could get some suggestions about the thai food  while I am there. I am wanting to  try  food that is only mild to zero spicy.

I do like food with lot of rice and pork.. meat and some vegetables. (too spicy food does not agree with me).

Could of you suggest the names  some different dishes to try. I would really be so grateful for any suggestions.. thank you.. 

Acouple of weeks ago on this forum many of you gave me some very helpful suggestions about where to go and

see in Thailand and I was now able to plan my 3 weeks holiday following lots of suggestions many members gave me.. Thank you all again. 

one national dish favored by many foreigners is Phad Thai with shrimp (Gung) or chicken (gai).  Tom Yang (gung) is another favorite but Mai Phet so it isn't too hot.  Many restaurants will have pictures or "fake" dishes and you can get an idea of what it is.  If you are in Bangkok, then most will speak English if you ask them. Phad Grapow gai (chicken) or moosap (ground pork) are also world wide favorites, just order Mai Phet.  Phad gung prig wan (is a sweet pepper fried shrimp dish)  Moo or gai Satay (pork or chicken on a stick) usually with side dish of peanut sauce. Any of these dishes not hot have been enjoyed by members of my family that could not eat hot spicy foods.  If you will be in Bangkok much, then in the SIAM SQUARE/World Trade Area are more restaurants of every flavor than you could even count.  There are health food restaurants too.  Avoid any of the raw fish or raw shirimp dishes as there might be parasitic worms.  Depending on where you plan to travel during your visit, remote areas will have limited food choices in many places - possibly even just Ramen noodles with flavorings.  In the major cities there should be many available places to eat - i.e. market places with a wide variety of local dishes, or if you stay at a upscale hotel, they will have a varied menu of local and foreign foods and should be able to help you if you have any questions on the food or where to eat.  Good luck and enjoy - plenty of good foods available.

[Presnock]

17 minutes ago, Presnock said:

said the doesn't like pork and rice dishes

OOOPs read that wrong...sorry.

[gamb00ler]

Most of the following are commonly served in the central region of Thailand:

stir fried Chinese broccoli with crispy pork (pug kanaa moo grob), bitter melon soup stuffed with ground pork (thom mallah), stir fried bitter melon vine tips (yod mallah), barbecue pork on skewer with peanut sauce (moo satay), deep fried fish cake with cucumber and spicy, sweet sauce (tod munn),  pork garlic (moo grahteem), stir fried eggplant with basil and pork (pug mahcoor), chicken in coconut milk soup (thom kha gai), deep fried whole fish with lime (pla todd manao), stir fried pork with ginger (moo prik king), stir fried fish with yellow curry and Chinese celery, stir fried fish with ginger.

 

Most are non-spicy but you should also say mai phet or phet nitnoy (only little spice).

[OneMoreFarang]

ข้าวขาหมู (kao ka moo)

 

 

[rwill]

Lot's of food where the sauce is served in a separate bowl.  Rice dishes with pork, chicken, or duck on top.  

Pad thai the pepper flakes are usually on the table or on the side of the plate to mix in.

Bowls of noodle dishes where the seasonings are on the table to add to your taste.  (fish sauce, sugar, pepper flakes, etc.)  Some places the basic soup is pretty bland without seasoning it.

 

Even Som Tum, papaya salad, can be made without or very little peppers if you tell them first.

 

Then there are dishes like pork chops or pork steak that come with a little salad(usually cabbage) and fries.

[ignore it]

Easy peasy. 

 

Just say "no prik"

 

But use this phrase carefully on soi 6, walking street, Nana plaza, Pat Pong, soi Cowboy.

 

 

[JayClay]

21 hours ago, Upnotover said:

I'd avoid most Thai food in that case, whilst they'll make pretty much any dish with little or no chilli when it's non-spicy all you taste is sugar.  Waste of time.

 

There are plenty of Thai dishes that come non spicy as standard. Fried x in yellow chilli paste, fried noodles in soy sauce, fried x with cashew nuts, fried ginger, most of the noodle soups, chicken duck or pork rice....

 

I do agree, however, that choosing a dish that is supposed to be spicy and then asking for it to be prepared less spicy is, as you say, a waste of time. Those dishes simply taste awful when doctored in such a manner.

[scoutman360]

Most foreigners like Pad Thai and always order it and talk about it in their home country. I have lived and worked in Thailand 20 years and never saw a Thai order it. They tell me it is children's food. Same as us westerner's ordering a hamburger. Whatever, I like it sometimes. 

[JayClay]

1 hour ago, scoutman360 said:

Most foreigners like Pad Thai and always order it and talk about it in their home country. I have lived and worked in Thailand 20 years and never saw a Thai order it. They tell me it is children's food. Same as us westerner's ordering a hamburger. Whatever, I like it sometimes. 

 

Odd. I see Thais order it all the time. I don't like it myself.

[KannikaP]

On 6/14/2024 at 2:58 PM, Foxx said:

 

And they will take your pet poodle or chihuahua into the kitchen and serve it up to you as a delicious (but spice free) dish.

For the confused people, it's a play on words..........Mai Phet = My Pet.  Geddit?

[Presnock]

2 hours ago, scoutman360 said:

Most foreigners like Pad Thai and always order it and talk about it in their home country. I have lived and worked in Thailand 20 years and never saw a Thai order it. They tell me it is children's food. Same as us westerner's ordering a hamburger. Whatever, I like it sometimes. 

recently an article says this was the dish that saved the Thais as a shortage of rice one year, king had them make Rice noodles (pad thai) and cut the need for rice in half supposedly.  I have talked with numerous Thais about the lack of Pad Thai in many areas and have been told that it is a difficult dish to get JUST RIGHT and many Thais cannot do this so sometimes it is difficult to find.

[AgMech Cowboy]

On 6/14/2024 at 2:48 PM, novacova said:

Most folks here will accommodate you when it comes to cooking. If you don’t want spicy, request: mai phet. If you dont want sugar, request: mai wan. 

novacort is 100% correct and you'll find most menus will have a picture of a pepper or 2 or 3 or 4 depending on it's 'heat'.  I suggest that you do not eat from most of the street food vendors.  That suggestion is not because the food is bad, because most are good (very good), but you don't/won't know the difference. A lot of meat in Asia (and many other countries) use the spices to make a 'questionable' meat okay to eat.  That's a danger.

 

You've planned your trip... Look for reputable restaurants in the area that you're staying and eat there.

 

Are you staying in Bangkok and want good Thai food. I suggest "Cabbages and Condoms". They're well know.

[AgMech Cowboy]

15 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

For the confused people, it's a play on words..........Mai Phet = My Pet.  Geddit?

Oh, I forgot to comment on the mau phet and mai wan. Kannika covered the enunciation for mai phet = my pet.  I think I'll go with mai wan = my wan. pretty straight forward. Think won and put an 'A' in it instead of an 'O'.  Wan means sweet and Phet means spicy hot.  Mai means 'NO'.

[KannikaP]

14 minutes ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

Oh, I forgot to comment on the mau phet and mai wan. Kannika covered the enunciation for mai phet = my pet.  I think I'll go with mai wan = my wan. pretty straight forward. Think won and put an 'A' in it instead of an 'O'.  Wan means sweet and Phet means spicy hot.  Mai means 'NO'.

What are you on about?

And they will take your pet poodle or chihuahua (MY PET) into the kitchen and serve it up to you as a delicious (but spice free) dish. That was the joke, play on words.

[VBF]

23 hours ago, Presnock said:

said the doesn't like pork and rice dishes

In that case, the OP is a little limited but still some good options. Three that I like are:

 

Pad See Yew

Raad Na

Pad Thai (one of my favourites)

 

These are all based around various sorts of noodles

Specify "Me-Ow Moo" - means "I don't like pork"  because all of them can be made with chicken (Gai) or Shrimp (Goong)

 

Note that I'm trying to spell these phonetically in English to help the OP

 

Also note that they are usually served without much chilli, fish sauce (Nam Pla) or sugar - they're seen as condiments and are usually brought to the table and you add it to taste.

 

@Encee even if you think you don't like it, do try Cow Pat Gai   or Cow Pat Goong https://www.eatingthaifood.com/thai-fried-rice-recipe-shrimp/#:~:text=Thai fried rice (khao pad ข้าวผัด)&text=You can order Thai fried,or fried rice with shrimp.

 

It's very cheap if you do end up wasting some, and the above comment about condiments also applies.

 

If you're going to Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya there is plenty of choice in Western foods for you to alternate.

 

But from one whose favourite food in the world is Thai.....Bon Appetit. 🍜🍴 👍

[Keeps]

Khao Man Gai (poached sliced chicken on rice with a non spicy tamarind sauce on the side) and Khao Moo Dang (sliced non spicy red pork loin on rice) are pretty safe bets and very inexpensive. Normally served with some sliced cucumber. 

[Presnock]

1 hour ago, VBF said:

In that case, the OP is a little limited but still some good options. Three that I like are:

 

Pad See Yew

Raad Na

Pad Thai (one of my favourites)

 

These are all based around various sorts of noodles

Specify "Me-Ow Moo" - means "I don't like pork"  because all of them can be made with chicken (Gai) or Shrimp (Goong)

 

Note that I'm trying to spell these phonetically in English to help the OP

 

Also note that they are usually served without much chilli, fish sauce (Nam Pla) or sugar - they're seen as condiments and are usually brought to the table and you add it to taste.

 

@Encee even if you think you don't like it, do try Cow Pat Gai   or Cow Pat Goong https://www.eatingthaifood.com/thai-fried-rice-recipe-shrimp/#:~:text=Thai fried rice (khao pad ข้าวผัด)&text=You can order Thai fried,or fried rice with shrimp.

 

It's very cheap if you do end up wasting some, and the above comment about condiments also applies.

 

If you're going to Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya there is plenty of choice in Western foods for you to alternate.

 

But from one whose favourite food in the world is Thai.....Bon Appetit. 🍜🍴 👍

I correct my misread - he does like pork!

 

[VBF]

6 minutes ago, Presnock said:

1 hour ago, VBF said:

In that case, the OP is a little limited but still some good options. Three that I like are:

 

Pad See Yew

Raad Na

Pad Thai (one of my favourites)

 

These are all based around various sorts of noodles

Specify "Me-Ow Moo" - means "I don't like pork"  because all of them can be made with chicken (Gai) or Shrimp (Goong)

 

Note that I'm trying to spell these phonetically in English to help the OP

 

Also note that they are usually served without much chilli, fish sauce (Nam Pla) or sugar - they're seen as condiments and are usually brought to the table and you add it to taste.

 

@Encee even if you think you don't like it, do try Cow Pat Gai   or Cow Pat Goong https://www.eatingthaifood.com/thai-fried-rice-recipe-shrimp/#:~:text=Thai fried rice (khao pad ข้าวผัด)&text=You can order Thai fried,or fried rice with shrimp.

 

It's very cheap if you do end up wasting some, and the above comment about condiments also applies.

 

If you're going to Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya there is plenty of choice in Western foods for you to alternate.

 

But from one whose favourite food in the world is Thai.....Bon Appetit. 🍜🍴 👍

I correct my misread - he does like pork!

in that case @Encee, where I said  "Me-Ow Moo", say "Ow Moo"  = I want pork or "Chop Moo" = I like pork instead.

Rest of what I wrote still holds.

[BusNo8]

On 6/14/2024 at 3:01 PM, Callmeishmael said:

While there are exceptions, if you leave out the chillis many Thai dishes taste like, well, rice.  A lot of Thai cooks add a ton of spices to hide the otherwise bland and tasteless nature of many common Thai foods.

 

For the OP, start with:  "Pad Gapow Guy, My Pet". 

 

Tasteless lol. Thai food is loved for it's bold, multidimensional flavor.

 

This was posted by yet another farang that can't eat spicy food AND rice. It was liked by the same.

[BusNo8]

20 hours ago, Keeps said:

Khao Man Gai (poached sliced chicken on rice with a non spicy tamarind sauce on the side) and Khao Moo Dang (sliced non spicy red pork loin on rice) are pretty safe bets and very inexpensive. Normally served with some sliced cucumber. 

 

Chinese for the record

[Stanton681]

On 6/14/2024 at 3:13 PM, novacova said:

massaman curry

+1

[Chris Daley]

You will 2 weeks on the toilet and one week sitting in traffic.