So, what's thai food like?

[barsoomcore]

The Thais know how to whip up a plate of grub, that's for sure. But Thai restaurants can vary greatly in quality and many really serve what is essentially just "Chinese" food with extra chilli ("Chinese" in quotes since much of what gets called Chinese food in North America bears little resemblance to anything people actually eat in China).

Poke around. Thai cuisine is one of the world's best. Mm. Green curry. Mm.

Uh, and you people who don't like onions are WEIRD.

Seriously.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Uh, and you people who don't like onions are WEIRD.

Seriously.

Me, I love onions. Sweet are good, tart are better.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Uh, and you people who don't like onions are WEIRD.

Seriously.

Agreed.

 

[jaerdaph]

There's a Thai restaurant in my neighborhood I call Arkham Thai (actually it's called Arkharn Thai but the font on the sign makes it look like Arkham). It's pretty decent "old school" traditional Thai, and i like to get the calamari dishes there to go along with the Cthulhu theme that exists only inside my head. And my stomach.

 

[messy]

allo

thai food is amazing. i recommend going with "mild" just to be safe, avoiding anything with coconut, and getting extra onions.

there are plenty of great dishes without curry. even the plain dishes have lots of flavor.

one last thing -- don't order a huge meal. thai food tends to sit in my stomach for a few days before i finally digest it.

messy

 

[Scotley]

Great stuff. The differences in Thai cuisine as least in my humble opinion are the heavy use of chilies, fresh herbs, coconut milk and lime. They use a lot of dried shrimp and a fish sauce called nam pla (spelling?). That sauce is very strong smelling and bitter tasting. I get the impression from friends who have traveled to Thailand that most western resturants tone it down a lot over the stuff you get in Thailand. They also eat a lot of bugs in Thailand, but fortunately, I've yet to see them on a menu in the US. They do a lot with seafood and tropical fruit. I don't think anyone here has mentioned the satays--a hunk of meat on a stick with peanut sauce. That's a very approachable dish for folks new to the food. The salads-usually with grilled meat and lots of fresh herbs are also very good. Don't forget the black rice pudding for dessert. I would encourage you to go ahead and risk a dish or two with onions. Even if you don't like them in western dishes you might find they fit so well into Thai food that you don't mind them. Do you ever eat vietnamese food? It has some similarities with less curry and a lot of french influence--the soups and spring rolls with lettuce, fresh herbs and chili sauce are not to be missed. If you are trying the food of southeast asia, you should check it out too. Both are more approachable than Korean food which I enjoy selectively, but it can be very off-putting to western tastes.

 

[Slapzilla]

If muddled memory serves, in the 1860s, the King of Thailand wanted national cooks to create a dish to introduce the West to Thai cuisine. Phad Thai was born, and it seems as good a place as any to start. Chicken Satay is a great appetizer, so are Crab Cakes. Mmm. Tom Kha is a coconut milk based sweet and spicy shrimp soup that, if 5-star, is a great sinus cleansing. Luscious interplay of coconut milk, hot spice and fragrant herbs can't lead you wrong. Here in Seattle, they are almost as common as Espresso stands or mushrooms. Almost.

 

[Seonaid]

Do you ever eat vietnamese food? It has some similarities with less curry and a lot of french influence--the soups and spring rolls with lettuce, fresh herbs and chili sauce are not to be missed. If you are trying the food of southeast asia, you should check it out too. Both are more approachable than Korean food which I enjoy selectively, but it can be very off-putting to western tastes.

Mm, I agree completely. Thai is my favorite "ethnic" cuisine, but Vietnamese comes a close second! Korean food, not so much.

 

[Tewligan]

I'm going to say that food is hard to describe. Take the big plunge and spend the $7 on an order of pad thai and see if you like it - it's the best way to find out.

 

[Nellisir]

I like Thai food, though my palate is pretty bland and I stay away from the spicy stuff. Thai fried rice is usually good, albeit not very exciting. Most Thai restaurants will spice a dish up or down if you ask. I'll second the Thai iced tea, and recommend mango sticky rice as a desert (it's mango alongside rice with a sweet coconut sauce). Thai onions are usually mild (I don't like onion myself), and it's easy to separate out the larger pieces.

It took a little while for me to develop a taste for peanut sauce, but I've come to enjoy it.

(I had Thai last night, actually, and probably leftovers tonight.)

If you have any specific questions, I can probably find out the answer. My wife is half-Thai and grew up in Bangkok, and we eat Thai fairly often. It's fun going to different restaurants and watching the waiters look surprised when she orders in Thai.

My mother-in-law has an incredibly bland palate, and survived in Thailand for 30 years, so you can find non-spicy foods.