How to Read a Thai Restaurant Menu
Thai food has gained popularity over the years. Although Thai food is considered Asian, and most menu items can be ordered with beef, chicken, pork or seafood, Thai cuisine also has many dishes that use curry paste or powder and rice noodles.
- Choose an appetizer. Start off with a fresh shrimp roll, which is filled with chopped cabbage and vegetables wrapped in rice paper, which is not fried. Spring rolls are stuffed with vegetables, wrapped in rice paper and then deep fried. Appetizer items like Chicken Satay are also a good choice. Thin strips of coconut milk and curry powder marinated chicken are grilled and served with a peanut sauce.
- Try a Thai soup. Thai cuisines offer many different types of traditional soup. Try the Tom Kha Gai soup made with mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, chicken and coconut milk. If you enjoy hot and sour soup, The Tom Yum Goong is one to try.
- Decide on a meat dish. Gai is chicken, Mu is pork, Nua is beef.
- Pad Thai is one of the most popular Thai dishes. Pad Thai is made with rice noodles adding beef, shrimp, chicken or tofu.
- Curry dishes such as Gaeng Massaman is made with Mussama cury paste, potatoes, onion, coconut mild and peanuts. Red curry, Gaeng Daeng, is quite spicy and includes bamboo shoot, bok choy, cabbage, fresh basil and coconut milk.
- Any Thai menu item can be ordered to your desired spiciness. An authentic Thai restaurant dish will be very spicy. Ask to alter such spiciness to your taste.