What Is The Most Delicious Food I Have To Try In My Vacation In Thailand?

[n2t]

Hi, I love travel, I am going to have a trip in Bangkok, Thailand on the New Year holidays, I love exploring new food, Could any one tell me what the food in Thailand you would be most suggest me to try?

I mean the food which is tasty, delicious, and maybe traditional ?

Edited December 15, 2008 by n2t

[Jingthing]

There are so, so many but for a newbie I would say do not miss Thai Chinese Crab Curry (Boo Paht Pong Karee).

This place is famous for it: http://absolutelybangkok.com/a-kingdom-for-this-curry/

[Khun Jean]

Gaw man kai. Simple and delicious.

[santiv]

Fried Crab Curry sounds really good. I've bookmarked that.

[junki3korean]

MK Restaurants...........and the BAH MEE

[PattayaParent]

Durian

You'll either love it or hate it. But you'll never forget it.

[yogi]

Durian

You'll either love it or hate it. But you'll never forget it.

WELL SAID PAL

[torrenova]

There are so, so many but for a newbie I would say do not miss Thai Chinese Crab Curry (Boo Paht Pong Karee).

This place is famous for it: http://absolutelybangkok.com/a-kingdom-for-this-curry/

Very strange. When I saw this thread I also thought abut the swimming crab yellow powder curry. Personally I prefer the swimming crab over the larger variety

[MyphuketLife]

Durian

You'll either love it or hate it. But you'll never forget it.

I have lived here several years, and I have baught durian but could not get past the smell.... I stillhave not tried it although allot of friends love it.

my favorite normal simple dish is pak-a-pow-moo-sap- also tom-yon-goon

Edited December 16, 2008 by MyphuketLife

[tartempion]

Tom Yam Kung, my preferred; problem like always is to a find a cook/restaurant that makes real good Tom Yam Kung

[Goyave]

...

my favorite normal simple dish is pak-a-pow-moo-sap- also tom-yon-goon

They are two of my favorite dishes too!

About fruits, I like the Dragon Fruit (แก้วมังกร = keow mangon) - see below - and of course the guava (see my avatar): yes, as a Farang, it's a must to eat this fruit in Thailand! (ฝรั่งกินฝรั่ง)

[ThaiEye]

The OP also wants to try traditional Thai food.

Poo Phat Pong Garee isn't traditional Thai. Actually, curry powder holds no place in tradtional Thai cuisine.

Someone mentioned Khao Man Kai - that's a rip off of Yunnanese Chicken on Rice.

Another says 'Bah Mee', again another import from China. Actually, noodles aren't traditionally Thai food at all.

[Mosha]

Tom Kha Gai, I love it. Also Tom Yam Gai, I can't eat crustacea so can't comment on that type of food

[AyG]

Stir-fried minced chicken or pork with Holy Basil leaves served over rice - preferably with a fried egg. (Phat ga phraw/khaay daow.)

Panaeng curry (pork or chicken).

Kaeng ped pet yaang (roast duck curry)

Haaw mok (a rather strange, but delicious, red curry of fish, steamed in a banana leaf cup). Its texture is almost jelly-like.

Somtam with grilled chicken and sticky rice - from the north east.

These are all traditional and very tasty.

[Cuban]

If you are serious about experiancing something different then you should travel with an open mind and not have a brick wall attitude to 'trying' something totally new. Don't limit your holiday experiance to being able to say that McDonald's fries aren't as good as back home.

Rural Thai folk will eat fried insects and frogs - these bugs are bred in sterile plastic boxes and not collected from under trash cans - you will not die if you try some. Try the things that look like 3cm smooth catapillers - they are bamboo larva - they taste of chicken egg yolk.

Seasonal Fruits - useful chart. You are out of season for Durian (August) any you see will be imported and expensive. Try Jack fruit - avoid touching the whole fruit you will see being cut in the market - the white juice is like latex and will stick to your skin.

Shampoo: Well pronouced more like Chompoo is a crisp apple type fruit, very nice. They come in green or red - the red ones are not simply ripe green ones.

Grapefruit: Or Pomelo - often sold ready peeled, availible in pink or yellow - I consider the yellow much sweeter.

Most fruits are best eaten on day of purchase, in particular with Jack fruit after a day or so the texture is lost and it is best discarded.

Generally you will encounter two types of rice (kaow), Kaow Sway ('normal' rice you are familiar with in the west - spearate grains - nice and fluffy) and Kaow Naow or 'Sticky Rice'. Generally served in a small lump in a plastic bag for 6-7 Baht. Take a small lump of the sticky rice - roll to a rough ball and dip in the sauce of whatever you are eating. Sometimes a tourist eating sticky rice is a 'suprise' to some market traders that seldom encounter the average tourist, you will encounter smiles and the thumbs up for eating it. It's really no big deal but there is a class understanding that the urban elite (Bangkok residents etc.) will eat Kaow Sway where as the rual folk will eat Kaow Naow. Also an implication that sticky rice makes people slow and a bit stupid. If you are watching your weight or sugar load of food sticky rice has a higher GI factor.

Sticky rice is also used to make a nice toasted (on mobile BBQs) snack - painted with a butter type fat - very nice - not slimmer's food.

Thai Tea - is nice - huge amounts of sugar. In fact most Thai drinks have 20% sugar content. Check the lables - although written in Thai you will be able to work out 'sugar' so as to avoid feeling sick every time you drink.

Thai tea or coffee, BBQ chicken and a lump of sticky rice = typical breakfast.

When people talk about Thai food - they mention Pad Thai, fishcakes etc. If there is a national food apart from rice - I would say it is 'Noodle Soup'. Sold at semi-mobile corner stalls and from shop-houses for 20-35 Baht depending on what you have in the soup. A staple food for the nation, based on a clear stock with a hand ful of rice noodles (I prefer the thin yellow - egg ones), add a few pork flavoured rice balls and a few slices of red pork or chicken or duck. Personally I add way too much powdered peanut but it tastes brilliant. many Thais add a few spoons of dried chilli - but this you control from the set of four glasses on the table at which you eat. 4-Glasses: Peanuts, sugar, dried chilli, vinegar. Normaly you also get a small bottle of Fish Sauce, use this instead of salt - dry salt sticks in the bottle due to the high humidity.

If you consume the 'soup' part to the bottom of the bowl - watch out for small stones and grit - they use crushed roots as part of the flavoring and it's not always washed as well as it could be.

BBQ fish is nice "Pla Bin" - 60 Baht. Again nice with sticky rice.

Some of the spicy salads made to order are good if you like chilli hot spicy food - the bowl is not washed between portions being made so if you ask for no chillis to be used - make sure they wash it out. For a typical "Som Tom" they will use 3-5 whole chillis, add either salted or raw crab and a strong smelling grey-brown liquid with lumps in called "Pla - Rar", I suggest that you avoid this - it is naturally fermented fish sauce. Untill it is aged 18 months or longer it can be a means of getting liver flukes, this issue is covered in more detail in the Thai food and Issan forums.

Thai generally eat out more often than dining at home, the "Lao Buffet" is a popular option. Typically you will pay 150 baht per head plus drinks, avoid farang tourist traps and ask the locals where they go. A small charcoal burning pot is put on you table covered by a convex dish with a channel around the edge for a mild stock. You collect raw meats and vegatables etc. then cook yourself at the table, waiting staff do the drinks. Similar to the likes of MK mentioned above but much better value for money and fun too. If you do go to MK aim to be eating your meal at 7pm - the staff do a little dance - seriously!

The mobile BBQ is central to Thai food - you will see many in use with many types of food being sold, from dried squid to nice looking plump sausages - but generally they are mostly rice and pork fat, ok if you are a bit drunk.

If you find yourself near a large supermarket, Tesco or Big C etc. explore the Food Court area. There will be a counter nearby where you exchange money for coupons or a stored value card. Then use the coupons to buy food from the different food outlets dotted around the court-yard, unused coupons or the stored value card can be converted back into real money when you are finished. It's an anti-theft system. Most dishes are 20-40 Baht useful place to experiment with what you might like without wasting time in a restaurant. I like the "Pork Leg over Rice" (khao ka moo = Rice Leg Pig), have a bit ofthe skin - it's nicely cooked and pay an extra 5 Baht for the boiled egg.

Street food is generally safe - places with high turn over are good choices, IMHO better than hotel buffets.

Thais are not great on the subect of deserts and I would suggest anything that looks like it might be a cake is avoided. There are many forms of sweet jellys with various flavors, some candied dry fruit peels. Market stall are the place to look for small round yellow sweets - I forget the name but made with egg yolk and very nice.

There are a few variations on sweet rice in a banana leaf found of sale on the mobile BBQ (again) - the Thai word for sweet is "Wan or Nam Tan" - inside you will find a bed of sweetened sticky rice (sometimes black or dark red rice) with a honey soaked banana or sweet fried chicken's egg (they use condensed milk so it's like a sweet omlette - not as bad as it sounds) 20 baht for 3 or 4 - disgard the banana leaf wrapper and enjoy, very nice.

Well writting this has been a nice way to finish my day - I should have grapefruit and something to do with a pig waiting for me at home tonight.

In the mean time as you prepare for your trip - I suggest printing this link out - very useful while in Thailand.

HTH.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Cuban

[mahtin]

Sticky rice with mango (Kao Neeo Korpanich)

[ratcatcher]

If you are serious about experiancing something different then you should travel with an open mind and not have a brick wall attitude to 'trying' something totally new. Don't limit your holiday experiance to being able to say that McDonald's fries aren't as good as back home.

Rural Thai folk will eat fried insects and frogs - these bugs are bred in sterile plastic boxes and not collected from under trash cans - you will not die if you try some. Try the things that look like 3cm smooth catapillers - they are bamboo larva - they taste of chicken egg yolk.

Seasonal Fruits - useful chart. You are out of season for Durian (August) any you see will be imported and expensive. Try Jack fruit - avoid touching the whole fruit you will see being cut in the market - the white juice is like latex and will stick to your skin.

Shampoo: Well pronouced more like Chompoo is a crisp apple type fruit, very nice. They come in green or red - the red ones are not simply ripe green ones.

Grapefruit: Or Pomelo - often sold ready peeled, availible in pink or yellow - I consider the yellow much sweeter.

Most fruits are best eaten on day of purchase, in particular with Jack fruit after a day or so the texture is lost and it is best discarded.

Generally you will encounter two types of rice (kaow), Kaow Sway ('normal' rice you are familiar with in the west - spearate grains - nice and fluffy) and Kaow Naow or 'Sticky Rice'. Generally served in a small lump in a plastic bag for 6-7 Baht. Take a small lump of the sticky rice - roll to a rough ball and dip in the sauce of whatever you are eating. Sometimes a tourist eating sticky rice is a 'suprise' to some market traders that seldom encounter the average tourist, you will encounter smiles and the thumbs up for eating it. It's really no big deal but there is a class understanding that the urban elite (Bangkok residents etc.) will eat Kaow Sway where as the rual folk will eat Kaow Naow. Also an implication that sticky rice makes people slow and a bit stupid. If you are watching your weight or sugar load of food sticky rice has a higher GI factor.

Sticky rice is also used to make a nice toasted (on mobile BBQs) snack - painted with a butter type fat - very nice - not slimmer's food.

Thai Tea - is nice - huge amounts of sugar. In fact most Thai drinks have 20% sugar content. Check the lables - although written in Thai you will be able to work out 'sugar' so as to avoid feeling sick every time you drink.

Thai tea or coffee, BBQ chicken and a lump of sticky rice = typical breakfast.

When people talk about Thai food - they mention Pad Thai, fishcakes etc. If there is a national food apart from rice - I would say it is 'Noodle Soup'. Sold at semi-mobile corner stalls and from shop-houses for 20-35 Baht depending on what you have in the soup. A staple food for the nation, based on a clear stock with a hand ful of rice noodles (I prefer the thin yellow - egg ones), add a few pork flavoured rice balls and a few slices of red pork or chicken or duck. Personally I add way too much powdered peanut but it tastes brilliant. many Thais add a few spoons of dried chilli - but this you control from the set of four glasses on the table at which you eat. 4-Glasses: Peanuts, sugar, dried chilli, vinegar. Normaly you also get a small bottle of Fish Sauce, use this instead of salt - dry salt sticks in the bottle due to the high humidity.

If you consume the 'soup' part to the bottom of the bowl - watch out for small stones and grit - they use crushed roots as part of the flavoring and it's not always washed as well as it could be.

BBQ fish is nice "Pla Bin" - 60 Baht. Again nice with sticky rice.

Some of the spicy salads made to order are good if you like chilli hot spicy food - the bowl is not washed between portions being made so if you ask for no chillis to be used - make sure they wash it out. For a typical "Som Tom" they will use 3-5 whole chillis, add either salted or raw crab and a strong smelling grey-brown liquid with lumps in called "Pla - Rar", I suggest that you avoid this - it is naturally fermented fish sauce. Untill it is aged 18 months or longer it can be a means of getting liver flukes, this issue is covered in more detail in the Thai food and Issan forums.

Thai generally eat out more often than dining at home, the "Lao Buffet" is a popular option. Typically you will pay 150 baht per head plus drinks, avoid farang tourist traps and ask the locals where they go. A small charcoal burning pot is put on you table covered by a convex dish with a channel around the edge for a mild stock. You collect raw meats and vegatables etc. then cook yourself at the table, waiting staff do the drinks. Similar to the likes of MK mentioned above but much better value for money and fun too. If you do go to MK aim to be eating your meal at 7pm - the staff do a little dance - seriously!

The mobile BBQ is central to Thai food - you will see many in use with many types of food being sold, from dried squid to nice looking plump sausages - but generally they are mostly rice and pork fat, ok if you are a bit drunk.

If you find yourself near a large supermarket, Tesco or Big C etc. explore the Food Court area. There will be a counter nearby where you exchange money for coupons or a stored value card. Then use the coupons to buy food from the different food outlets dotted around the court-yard, unused coupons or the stored value card can be converted back into real money when you are finished. It's an anti-theft system. Most dishes are 20-40 Baht useful place to experiment with what you might like without wasting time in a restaurant. I like the "Pork Leg over Rice" (khao ka moo = Rice Leg Pig), have a bit ofthe skin - it's nicely cooked and pay an extra 5 Baht for the boiled egg.

Street food is generally safe - places with high turn over are good choices, IMHO better than hotel buffets.

Thais are not great on the subect of deserts and I would suggest anything that looks like it might be a cake is avoided. There are many forms of sweet jellys with various flavors, some candied dry fruit peels. Market stall are the place to look for small round yellow sweets - I forget the name but made with egg yolk and very nice.

There are a few variations on sweet rice in a banana leaf found of sale on the mobile BBQ (again) - the Thai word for sweet is "Wan or Nam Tan" - inside you will find a bed of sweetened sticky rice (sometimes black or dark red rice) with a honey soaked banana or sweet fried chicken's egg (they use condensed milk so it's like a sweet omlette - not as bad as it sounds) 20 baht for 3 or 4 - disgard the banana leaf wrapper and enjoy, very nice.

Well writting this has been a nice way to finish my day - I should have grapefruit and something to do with a pig waiting for me at home tonight.

In the mean time as you prepare for your trip - I suggest printing this link out - very useful while in Thailand.

HTH.

Excellent post. Almost worthy of a column in Outlook section Bangkok Post.

Made me hungry just reading it.

[SomNamNah]

Yum Pla-dook-foo

Catfish salad... YUM!

[iBurger]

New Zealand Beef Massaman from Cabbages and Condoms.

Good Kapow Moo Krob.

Good Woon Sen

Good Nam Tok

Gai Ha Dow

Nana Cheeseburger.

Good Khao mun Gai

Khao Lam

Pad Pak Boong Fie Deng

Moo Quatar (well how would you spell it? )

Mieng Batou

Jim Joom

Pla Pow Guar

Larb Moo

[russianrobert]

If you are serious about experiancing something different then you should travel with an open mind and not have a brick wall attitude to 'trying' something totally new. Don't limit your holiday experiance to being able to say that McDonald's fries aren't as good as back home.

Rural Thai folk will eat fried insects and frogs - these bugs are bred in sterile plastic boxes and not collected from under trash cans - you will not die if you try some. Try the things that look like 3cm smooth catapillers - they are bamboo larva - they taste of chicken egg yolk.

Seasonal Fruits - useful chart. You are out of season for Durian (August) any you see will be imported and expensive. Try Jack fruit - avoid touching the whole fruit you will see being cut in the market - the white juice is like latex and will stick to your skin.

Shampoo: Well pronouced more like Chompoo is a crisp apple type fruit, very nice. They come in green or red - the red ones are not simply ripe green ones.

Grapefruit: Or Pomelo - often sold ready peeled, availible in pink or yellow - I consider the yellow much sweeter.

Most fruits are best eaten on day of purchase, in particular with Jack fruit after a day or so the texture is lost and it is best discarded.

Generally you will encounter two types of rice (kaow), Kaow Sway ('normal' rice you are familiar with in the west - spearate grains - nice and fluffy) and Kaow Naow or 'Sticky Rice'. Generally served in a small lump in a plastic bag for 6-7 Baht. Take a small lump of the sticky rice - roll to a rough ball and dip in the sauce of whatever you are eating. Sometimes a tourist eating sticky rice is a 'suprise' to some market traders that seldom encounter the average tourist, you will encounter smiles and the thumbs up for eating it. It's really no big deal but there is a class understanding that the urban elite (Bangkok residents etc.) will eat Kaow Sway where as the rual folk will eat Kaow Naow. Also an implication that sticky rice makes people slow and a bit stupid. If you are watching your weight or sugar load of food sticky rice has a higher GI factor.

Sticky rice is also used to make a nice toasted (on mobile BBQs) snack - painted with a butter type fat - very nice - not slimmer's food.

Thai Tea - is nice - huge amounts of sugar. In fact most Thai drinks have 20% sugar content. Check the lables - although written in Thai you will be able to work out 'sugar' so as to avoid feeling sick every time you drink.

Thai tea or coffee, BBQ chicken and a lump of sticky rice = typical breakfast.

When people talk about Thai food - they mention Pad Thai, fishcakes etc. If there is a national food apart from rice - I would say it is 'Noodle Soup'. Sold at semi-mobile corner stalls and from shop-houses for 20-35 Baht depending on what you have in the soup. A staple food for the nation, based on a clear stock with a hand ful of rice noodles (I prefer the thin yellow - egg ones), add a few pork flavoured rice balls and a few slices of red pork or chicken or duck. Personally I add way too much powdered peanut but it tastes brilliant. many Thais add a few spoons of dried chilli - but this you control from the set of four glasses on the table at which you eat. 4-Glasses: Peanuts, sugar, dried chilli, vinegar. Normaly you also get a small bottle of Fish Sauce, use this instead of salt - dry salt sticks in the bottle due to the high humidity.

If you consume the 'soup' part to the bottom of the bowl - watch out for small stones and grit - they use crushed roots as part of the flavoring and it's not always washed as well as it could be.

BBQ fish is nice "Pla Bin" - 60 Baht. Again nice with sticky rice.

Some of the spicy salads made to order are good if you like chilli hot spicy food - the bowl is not washed between portions being made so if you ask for no chillis to be used - make sure they wash it out. For a typical "Som Tom" they will use 3-5 whole chillis, add either salted or raw crab and a strong smelling grey-brown liquid with lumps in called "Pla - Rar", I suggest that you avoid this - it is naturally fermented fish sauce. Untill it is aged 18 months or longer it can be a means of getting liver flukes, this issue is covered in more detail in the Thai food and Issan forums.

Thai generally eat out more often than dining at home, the "Lao Buffet" is a popular option. Typically you will pay 150 baht per head plus drinks, avoid farang tourist traps and ask the locals where they go. A small charcoal burning pot is put on you table covered by a convex dish with a channel around the edge for a mild stock. You collect raw meats and vegatables etc. then cook yourself at the table, waiting staff do the drinks. Similar to the likes of MK mentioned above but much better value for money and fun too. If you do go to MK aim to be eating your meal at 7pm - the staff do a little dance - seriously!

The mobile BBQ is central to Thai food - you will see many in use with many types of food being sold, from dried squid to nice looking plump sausages - but generally they are mostly rice and pork fat, ok if you are a bit drunk.

If you find yourself near a large supermarket, Tesco or Big C etc. explore the Food Court area. There will be a counter nearby where you exchange money for coupons or a stored value card. Then use the coupons to buy food from the different food outlets dotted around the court-yard, unused coupons or the stored value card can be converted back into real money when you are finished. It's an anti-theft system. Most dishes are 20-40 Baht useful place to experiment with what you might like without wasting time in a restaurant. I like the "Pork Leg over Rice" (khao ka moo = Rice Leg Pig), have a bit ofthe skin - it's nicely cooked and pay an extra 5 Baht for the boiled egg.

Street food is generally safe - places with high turn over are good choices, IMHO better than hotel buffets.

Thais are not great on the subect of deserts and I would suggest anything that looks like it might be a cake is avoided. There are many forms of sweet jellys with various flavors, some candied dry fruit peels. Market stall are the place to look for small round yellow sweets - I forget the name but made with egg yolk and very nice.

There are a few variations on sweet rice in a banana leaf found of sale on the mobile BBQ (again) - the Thai word for sweet is "Wan or Nam Tan" - inside you will find a bed of sweetened sticky rice (sometimes black or dark red rice) with a honey soaked banana or sweet fried chicken's egg (they use condensed milk so it's like a sweet omlette - not as bad as it sounds) 20 baht for 3 or 4 - disgard the banana leaf wrapper and enjoy, very nice.

Well writting this has been a nice way to finish my day - I should have grapefruit and something to do with a pig waiting for me at home tonight.

In the mean time as you prepare for your trip - I suggest printing this link out - very useful while in Thailand.

HTH.

Great post. I'm a chef, relatively new to Thailand and still exploring the culinary delights here. That post was very helpful.

[Jockstar]

I personally love Yum Naam. But since the Op posted this in the travel forum. I think it will be better suited to the food forum. Moving now.

[Moonbase]

Humble but filling; Fried Rice. my wife makes a great fried rice with tender chicken and broccoli. In Thai "Cow Pat" + (Chicken=Guy/Gai, Pork=Moo, Crab=Pooh, Prawn=Goon). Some places serve American Fried Rice, this means it has a fried egg on top.

[zzdocxx]

Hey Cuban nice post, thanks!

[MyphuketLife]

Another favorite of mine is Moo-Toyt-Katiam it is pork with rice with dried garlic chunks, the port is cooked in some type of oil. Man it is simple cheap and tasty.

[Groongthep]

Humble but filling; Fried Rice. my wife makes a great fried rice with tender chicken and broccoli. In Thai "Cow Pat" + (Chicken=Guy/Gai, Pork=Moo, Crab=Pooh, Prawn=Goon). Some places serve American Fried Rice, this means it has a fried egg on top.

Not really. Any dish served on rice can be ordered with a fried egg (khai dao) on top, but hat doesn't make it American Fried Rice. American Fried rice is a specific dish unto itself usually consisting of plain fried rice with ketchup mixed in with raisins (sultanas), and peas. There is usually a fried egg either on top or alongside with a fried chicken leg, some of those tiny frankfurters and a piece or two of that thinly sliced lunchmeat they call ham. Depending on where you get it, it can be good. I have no idea why its called "American" Fried Rice because it does not exist in America as far as I know.

[realthaideal]

Cubano - Si, un post excelente. Bien hecho.

Thaieye - Though a few dishes here are of origins outside Thailand, they are all prepared here in a unique Thai way that inevitably makes it 'Thai Food,' especially after many generations here. Thai-Chinese might be more appropriate. In the same vein I would call a burrito in CA California-Mex if you asked me to describe it. It would no doubt be uniquely from CA but stil owing greatly to Mex origins.

n2t - If you do go to Somboon, which totally gets my nod as well, be sure to get Squid friend with black pepper (pla meuk pat prikh thai dam) as well, and pak bung fai daeng (stir fried water greens) as someone else already recommended.

[Samuian]

"Boo Paht Pong Karee" is closest to heaven one may get, thai or not, never had this dish anywhere else!

However, there is simply such a variety and regional differences that it is absolutely worthwhile to sample different dishes at any time when there is the chance!

Tom Yum Goong for example is usually a clear seafood broth, but there is a variety which is "Tom Yum naam kon", which has a dash of coconut milk added, delicious!

Here in the south, (Nakhon si Thammarat, Songkla) is the home of a Thais style salad consisting of cashew nuts, small dried and fried squid and green mango shreds and glassnoodle (Rice Vermicelli), seasoned with fresh chili, celery leaves and lots of lime, fish sauce...

"Hor muk" has been mentioned already, one of my favorites too, depends on the type of fish it is made from - i prefere "Pla Insee"

Another favorite is "Yam Nuea" spicy Beef Salad

so is a well made"Massaman moo" A pork curry, close to indian style curry with peanuts and sweet potato, sometimes substituted with normal potatoes which isn't the real McCoy, delicious!

So is the "paneng Neua" - Beef Curry, breathtaking

Even the humble "Pad Thai" not just simply "fried noodles" if the dish is original, there are small dried shrimps, fresh shrimps, spring onion or chives, beansprouts, lime, crushed peanuts and a wedge of banana flower bud and the flavoring sauce is made from tamarind pulp! There are many simple varieties, some simply boring, just noodles, egg 'n pork or chicken, but this is the original and just great! "Pat thai hor kai" is the same dish but the noodles are in a thin omelet type wrapper-parcel.

"Mee'an Kham" - a type of refreshing snack, leaves where chopped red onion, peanuts, chili, ginger, other varying ingredients, together with a black sugar syrup sauce wrapped in and as a whole eaten, explosions on the tastebuds!

Well there are plenty of real nice and tasty dishes - explore!

Edited December 18, 2008 by Samuian

[Groongthep]

There are so, so many but for a newbie I would say do not miss Thai Chinese Crab Curry (Boo Paht Pong Karee).

This place is famous for it: http://absolutelybangkok.com/a-kingdom-for-this-curry/

"Boo Paht Pong Karee" is closest to heaven one may get, thai or not, never had this dish anywhere else!

I totally agree with Jingthing and Samuian that Bpoo phad pong karee is truly a gem of Thai cookery and shouldn't be missed. To go one better, for those of us who dislike picking the crab meat out of the chopped whole crab, one can order nuea bpoo phad pong karee เนื้อปูผัดผงกะหรี่ which is the same dish served with crab meat without the shell. It's much easier to eat and just as tasty. The small outdoor restaurant สวนอาหารป่ารสเลิด ( no sign in English but pronounced Suan Aharn Bpa Rot Lert ) on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 between The Robin Hood Pub and The Bull's Head do a great version of this dish.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Groongthep

[Cuban]

Thank you for the various positive comments above. For the OP, if you seek to take some taste of Thailand home with you, consider visiting a Tesco-Lotus or Big C store. You can pick up pre-made sauces and stuff to take home, the spices for stewed pork were a regular luggage item before I moved here.

[thetravellingcat]

Sticky rice with mango (Kao Neeo Korpanich)

most definitely! that is a complete meal in its self or a large snack.

Humble but filling; Fried Rice. my wife makes a great fried rice with tender chicken and broccoli. In Thai "Cow Pat" + (Chicken=Guy/Gai, Pork=Moo, Crab=Pooh, Prawn=Goon). Some places serve American Fried Rice, this means it has a fried egg on top.

Since I'm vegetarian my, existence centered around "Cow Pat Jeh" the Jeh can be interpreted as vegan(!) so i'd add "Sai Kai" on the end indicating a preference for egg.

be sure to say "Sawadee Khrap" to this dude.