Thai Food In The West

[junki3korean]

in the city hey.....i`m assuming chat thai?? across from capitol theatre?? and the another one???? hmmm......SAPP THAI???

Tok tong na khup! Well done. totally correct. These are by far the best. I cant comment on the Randwick place as i never ate there. But the wife and her Thai friend rated it. BTW i live in Randwick. You?

i live in kingsford...near the uni......not to far from randwick! randwick`s thai is good but "PPANG NA KHUP" attracts more farangs then thai.....

might see ya in randwick one day hey! i`m a kid with a bigmullet

Andy

[Jockstar]

might see ya in randwick one day hey! i`m a kid with a bigmullet

Doesn't really narrow it down. But if you fancy a beer. Give me a shout!

[junki3korean]

sounds good i`ll pm ya....where do you usually drink or watch the football?

[Jockstar]

sounds good i`ll pm ya....where do you usually drink or watch the football?

My local is the Robin Hood. But i can drink anywhere.

[junki3korean]

sounds good i`ll pm ya....where do you usually drink or watch the football?

My local is the Robin Hood. But i can drink anywhere.

"OFFICIAL" TV SYDNEY PISS UP!!

[BarryM]

Best Thai food I've had anywhere - including Thailand - was in Sydney. Unlike the majority of restaurants in Thailand the meat/poultry was really good quality and no MSG. Thai food in Uk is generally dire, very often run as a hobby business to keep the Thai gf busy. Thai food here in LOS has gone downhill badly in last 15 years as companies like CP industrialise food supply. Thai palates think food mai aroy if no magic white powder in it.

[Groongthep]

Best Thai food I've had anywhere - including Thailand - was in Sydney.

Really? Best Thai food is not in Thailand?

What's next? .....Best Australian food anywhere - including Australia - is in Udon. Australian food Down Under has gone downhill badly in last 15 years as large food processing companies industrialise food supply. Australian palates think food mai aroy if not coated with vegemite and covered in wheatabix.

[DaraRai]

When I was still living in Southern California a few years back, there were a bunch of Thai restaurants -- at least 20 in my city and several more in the surrounding cities. Now, in NYC, Thai restaurants are quickly popping up.

[Groongthep]

When I was still living in Southern California a few years back, there were a bunch of Thai restaurants -- at least 20 in my city and several more in the surrounding cities. Now, in NYC, Thai restaurants are quickly popping up.

The Thai Food craze in the US has been loosing steam for years now. It was probably at it's peak about 7 or 8 years ago. Most of the places were on the West Coast though just about every large city had at least a dozen or two a few years back. There's still lots of them today but they're no where near as popular as they once where. Too many of them were clones of one another serving the same old pad thai and blanded down curries and so people started getting tired of the same old thing. Vietnamese is quickly replacing Thai as the trendy asian food of choice these days. Seattle was probably the epicenter of the Thai food explosion and it still has tons of Thai restaurants today even though maybe not as many as a few years back. Even today Citysearch lists 255 Thai restaurants in the greater Seattle area List of Thai restaurants in Seattle Don't forget to keep hitting the "Next" button when the list ends at the bottom of each page. Many Thai restaurant owners in Seattle moved there from other parts of the US because it was well know that Thai food was very popular in Seattle even though other cities such as Los Angeles had larger Thai communities. Personally, I would prefer a few good ones over scores of mediocre ones.

[Jingthing]

Best Thai food I've had anywhere - including Thailand - was in Sydney.

Really? Best Thai food is not in Thailand?

What's next? .....Best Australian food anywhere - including Australia - is in Udon. Australian food Down Under has gone downhill badly in last 15 years as large food processing companies industrialise food supply. Australian palates think food mai aroy if not coated with vegemite and covered in wheatabix.

Its not that weird. In the US, especially California, almost every single ingredient used for Thai cooking is easily available, including locally grown fresh Thai specific herbs and vegetables. So all you need is a very talented chef, and you have some of the best Thai food in the world, cooked outside Thailand. I used to hang out with Indians who told me they liked the Indian food in California better than back home.

[Groongthep]

Best Thai food I've had anywhere - including Thailand - was in Sydney.

Really? Best Thai food is not in Thailand?

What's next? .....Best Australian food anywhere - including Australia - is in Udon. Australian food Down Under has gone downhill badly in last 15 years as large food processing companies industrialise food supply. Australian palates think food mai aroy if not coated with vegemite and covered in wheatabix.

Its not that weird. In the US, especially California, almost every single ingredient used for Thai cooking is easily available, including locally grown fresh Thai specific herbs and vegetables. So all you need is a very talented chef, and you have some of the best Thai food in the world, cooked outside Thailand. I used to hang out with Indians who told me they liked the Indian food in California better than back home.

Yes your argument has merit and technically you are right that if the ingredients are the same and the chef talented enough then the food should be just as good or maybe even better than if it were prepared in Thailand. Problem is, it just doesn't happen. The argument I have been making in this thread for months is not that it is impossible to have good Thai food outside Thailand but that the overwhelming majority of Thai restaurants outside Thailand intentionally prepare the food differently than in Thailand because they believe they can sell more of the farang style than they can the real deal. Yes, there are a very few Thai restaurants that cater to a Thai clientele or who remain true to the original recipes in other countries but they are outnumbered probably 100 to 1 by those that don't. I'm not just pulling these figures out my a$$, over the years I have eaten at literally dozens (maybe over a 100) Thai restaurants in the US in every state on the West Coast including Hawaii and in many other states in other parts of the country as well. I have also eaten at Thai restaurants in Australia, Singapore, the UK and Germany and with the exception of the Thai restaurants at the Golden Mile Plaza in Singapore and the few in the States that are located in Thai communities (of which there are very few) they all were the same old thing. Even the food at the place in Singapore wasn't as good as your average Thai joint in Bangkok. The predominant concern in nearly every one save a handful was to make money and since most Thais outside of Thailand shun eating out at Thai restaurants that means they must serve up farang thai food for a foreign clientele. Even when you ask them to prepare it as it would be prepared in Thailand most Thai cooks just simply refuse to believe that a non Thai is going to like it so they modify it. You can continue to make the argument until you're blue in the face but you will never convince me that the Thai food in Australia, or the United States or anywhere else is anywhere near as good as what you get in Thailand. You yourself, made a post about bpoo pad pong garee a few days ago; how many Thai restaurants outside of Thailand have that on the menu? And if they did how much would it cost considering the price of crab outside Thailand? Thai food better in Sydney than Bangkok? Sorry, I ain't buying it.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Groongthep

[marsteele]

we have a lot of thai restuarants in Melbourne with very few run by thai people and those that you do find do not cook authentic thai all the receipes are modified to suit western tastes. I am married to a thai in chiangmai and we laugh when we hear farangs in restuarants complain about the food in thailand and say they can get better thai food back home. Most westerners would not know the difference between thai, chinese or malay food.

[marsteele]

You can get a pretty decent quality of meat in Thailand and I don't think ours is really any better. HOWEVER, I don't eat beef so that might be an area where our quality trumps that of Thailand.

And yes it is always better when it is cooked to suit Thai tastes.

yeah well beef would be one of the meats that australian quality is far superior to thai.

well generally thais don't eat beef.

[dingdongrb]

I shopped Asian markets in the US. There are just a tiny number of ingredients that are hard to find but even those can be had (the baby eggplants and the fresh black peppercorns). You can absolutely cook Thai food in the US that tastes identical to Thai food in Thailand, unless you think the dirty water is the secret.

The Thais seem to think that the water makes a difference. My father in-law has a pasta machine where he makes Lao spaghetti. Needless to say when he cooks the pasta he has to use the water from the local lake rather than the water from his well. I am told it doesn't taste so good if he uses the cleaner well water.

As far as Thai restaurants in Colorado (northern), there were a few where I lived but as other posters stated they merely carried a high priced menu and the food did not taste like Thai even though the dishes had Thai names. The only one that was authentic tasting was a 'little hole in the wall' of a restaurant that my wife and I found. It was popular for the surrounding college kids as it was cheap and had delivery. Well we got to know the owner who is Thai and has been living in the USA for 20+ years. Great guy except when we went there he always spiced up the dishes knowing how my wife liked it and laughed at me as I sweat bullets as I ate.... truly Thai food though....

[Soi224]

I've had some great Thai food in Dubai several times, I think mostly due to the quality of the ingredients, especially beef dishes.

But whether there, or Los Angeles, my old home, I find getting on with the Thai staff and letting them know you live in Thailand gets you both better treatment and quality of food.

Soi224

[Jingthing]

. Yes, there are a very few Thai restaurants that cater to a Thai clientele or who remain true to the original recipes in other countries but they are outnumbered probably 100 to 1 by those that don't.

Surely, the majority naturally alter their cooking to suit the local tastes. However, there are exceptions and I know this for a fact. Places I have had Thai food as good as or better than Thailand: Thai area of the tenderloin San Francisco, Thaitown and Santa Monica, Los Angeles area, a Thai neighborhood in suburban Washington DC. The best green curry dish I have ever had: San Jose, California and the best Thai desert I ever had, Santa Monica. There will be many locales without a big enough Thai population to support authenticity but there are indeed some. I imagine they exist in Australia as well. However, after living in Thailand a while the COST of Thai food outside of Thailand seems ridiculous. I used to cook some dishes myself in the US and was indeed able to recreate authentic Thai tastes.

Edited December 30, 2008 by Jingthing

[Groongthep]

. Yes, there are a very few Thai restaurants that cater to a Thai clientele or who remain true to the original recipes in other countries but they are outnumbered probably 100 to 1 by those that don't.

Surely, the majority naturally alter their cooking to suit the local tastes. However, there are exceptions.....

On this we agree and I believe I have mentioned in all my posts that there are a few (emphasis on "few") Thai restaurants outside Thailand that serve authentic Thai food. I've been to one or two myself but they are rare.

I used to cook some dishes myself in the US and was indeed able to recreate authentic Thai tastes.

I know the title of this thread is "Thai Food in the West" but the subject has almost exclusively dealt with Thai restaurants not food you or your Thai wife, partner or friend prepare at home. Anyone can claim to be a good cook but it takes customers to determine if the claims are valid. This same arguement appears frequently on the Mexican food threads where someone often says "The best Mexican food in Thailand is at my house." I'm sorry but who cares? IMHO the purpose of an ethnic food thread on any internet forum is to discuss where one might go to purchase good food or to avoid bad food. "My house" is not a place that anyone on the forum is going to be able to show up and order food, so including it in the discussion is pointless.

Edited December 31, 2008 by Groongthep

[Jingthing]

"My house" is not a place that anyone on the forum is going to be able to show up and order food

True that, but the point is if you live in a place outside Thailand where you can obtain EVERY ingredient you would need to cook the same dish in Thailand, and you can learn the recipe from a Thai, a book, internet, etc., you can have Thailand in your home outside Thailand and you can cook it as you like it. Some classic Thai dishes such a Tom Yum Goong are actually VERY SIMPLE, QUICK, and EASY to cook when compared to many complex western dishes.

Anyway, I basically agree with you. In general, it can be very frustrating to go to Thai restaurants in the west especially after experiencing being in Thailand for a long time, but if you are lucky enough to live in some select cities, and you do your research, there is relief.

Edited December 31, 2008 by Jingthing

[Groongthep]

Fair enough.

[Groongthep]

It's been a few years since we last visited this subject and I felt that it was time to do a quick update.

Now that the Thai Food craze (in the US anyway) has long past I am happy to report that I have discovered several Thai restaurants in my hometown of Seattle that really strive to serve authentic Thai food as it is found in Thailand. The overwhelming number of Thai restaurants there still serve the same overly sweet pad thai and pass off plain red curry as panang but there are a few gems out there now who are doing a terrific job. I was at a place yesterday that served bpoo pad pong karee, kung chaem nam pla and yam pla dook foo; items almost never seen in your run-of-the-mill Thai joint. You even see Thai people eating at these places which you almost never see in the made for falang joints. A good development indeed.

I'm not sure of course, but I think the over saturation of the market with Thai restaurants lead to less than mediocre food being served in the large majority of them and the clientele simply got tired of it. Vietnamese seems to be the new asian food of fashion even though many have been around for decades. The Vietnamese always seem to fix their food the way they themselves would like it prepared.

All foods from restaurants in Seattle. Too many others to show.

Edited April 4, 2011 by Groongthep

[Spee]

Amsterdam, lots of Thai restaurants,

Mekong River along the canal in the RLD. A bar that has a small kitchen. Many Thai-speaking Dutch regulars. Got to know the owner and some staff over the course of many visits. One of my favorite places to hang out and party when overnighting in the area. Very good food. One warning though .... closed for two weeks during Songkran.

Thai resturants in other parts of NED, as well as BEL, FRA, UK and US, from my experience, are hit or miss. Can find a good one now and then, but usually have to stick with the basics, like pad grapow and tom yum and hope for the best.

[arithad]

Some place in the word, Thai food didnot cooked by Thai chef but by Chinese, the taste is very salty like in Oberhausen

[onionluke]

Hong Kong has the "thai shop" where Thais eat , sing karoke , gamble and socialise . They are often unliscensed , speak easy sort a places . The food is hit or miss but definatley home style and the cooks give a regional twist . These are found all over the territory .

There is also Kowloon City , a Thai ghetto for want of a better description with all things Thai for sale . There on Nam Kok street there is a restaurant called Sep Elee Doo with delicious food , Isaan stylo .

Onion

[wellred]

We got for a Thai for lunch at least once a week at work, and quite often ill squeeze in another. The best Thai food I had over here was at this place I saw on Ramsay's Best Restaurant. I think it won the Thai vs comp anyway, Yum Yums in Stoke Newington. Went there for our work xmas party and it didn't dissapoint.

[newdubai]

Sawat di ka, we are two friends living in Al Barsha, Dubai - we cook Thai & Isan food for Thai people all over Dubai. We deliver on a daily basis, or you can order something you like. Call 055 883 9178 or 055 8395495

[Mosha]

I took my sister and her husdand to a Thai restaurant in Wakefield. They used peas instead of the baby aubergines.

[WebBangkok]

I agree Thai food in Sydney is very very good.

I would have to say the beef dishes are better than the beef dishes in Thailand, but the chicken dishes in Thailand sheet all over the chicken dishes in Sydney.

Yes the Chinese run Thai restaurants in Sydney are crap, once I ordered a Pad Thai and they used tomato sauce, <deleted> is that??????

[Jingthing]

Tomato PASTE is commonly used as an ingredient in pad thai. While just a tomato sauce would be very bad, tomato paste is actually an excellent addition to the seasoning, and I have cooked this myself with excellent results, better than I can get in restaurants.

Also it took me a while to grasp this, but ketchup is a common ingredient in some Chinese dishes, even in China.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Jingthing

[wandrinstar]

Oh Dear, i loved Thai Food in Stratford U.K. run by Thais, then came here and its "ORRID" unless i go to a Posh Hotel.

[Jingthing]

Oh Dear, i loved Thai Food in Stratford U.K. run by Thais, then came here and its "ORRID" unless i go to a Posh Hotel.

You're right, kind of. Most of the random Thai restaurants I go to in Thailand aren't all that good. Like anywhere, it pays to be picky and work to find the good places.