Thai food is a favourite of ours and features several times a week in our dinners although with a few twists depending on what is in the fridge or pantry.
I wrote most of this post whilst sitting by the side of the pool and a few yards away from one of the most amazing beaches I have ever seen.
Every time we travel, the food experience is top of the agenda. There is much you can learn about a people’s culture when you immerse in their food and their way of living.
Being in Thailand for the first time this April was an amazing opportunity to compare authentic Thai dishes with what I know of Thai food from the UK.
Tom Ka, Tom Yum and homestyle restaurants
A few years ago I made my first attempt at Tom Ka Gai and in Thailand I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was very close to the real authentic taste.
I also enjoyed the spicy taste of fish Tom Yum soup in the floating village at Pradu Seafood restaurant. Unrefined fisherman style with chunks of vegetables and roots, but a refined aromatic taste worthy of Michelin stars restaurants.
The experience of watching the sunset from the long seawall/ jetty was second to none. Staring at mudskippers and scuttling crabs while breathing the lazy silty mangrove air is a must.
Whilst we appreciated the authenticity of the dishes served here, we preferred the more sophisticated dishes at Rice Paddy restaurant across the road from Pasai Beach on Koh Yao Noi island.
Thai food starters
We went to Rice Paddy on our first evening on the island and absolutely gorged ourselves on Thai food. The usual suspects were spring rolls, these were a big hit with my hubby Dave. He actually made it his mission to compare them in all of the other restaurants. We always had Popia Tord Dje (the vegetable filled ones) and sometimes tried the Popia Tord Gung (filled with shrimp).
In Lek’s restaurant, we tried Laab which is very prominent in all Thai restaurants, but was not one of our favorites. Laab or larb, is a little too uni-textural for me, although a little green papaya salad on the side may make a big difference.
Another Thai food favorite starter was Sate (Satay) with chicken (Sate Ayam), beef (Sate Daging Lembu) and shrimp (Sate Udang) served with pickles and peanut sauce.
Sauces and pickles
I adore the little bowls filled with gently pickled shallots, celery and cucumbers. They appear mainly with starters, bringing a much needed freshness to the sweet, often peanuty and coconutty sauces.
The starters are often accompanied by the peanut sauce, moreish, glossy and only a tad spicy.
Usually I am not a fan of peanut taste in my meals, but the peanut sauces I had in Thailand were never overbearing or gluggy, but rather light and savoury.
Thai food – curry and rice
The first dive into Thai curries was a Massaman curry, mild and rich with … you guessed it! … coconut, peanuts, potatoes and beef. By far one of my favourite curries thereafter.
I always love to discover the local fish when I travel. So, I was excited to try barracuda and it did not disappoint. Accompanied by a spicy coconut curry sauce with lime leaves, called Pla Sak Shoo Shi, the fish was firm and flaky.
Along with the local protein, I look out for the local vegetables, especially the ones that I haven’t tried before. To my delight, a spicy duck curry with Thai aubergines (Gaeng Ped Bped Yaang) was what I was looking for. Thai aubergines are tiny, almost a fig lookalike.
Then there’s the rice: simple steamed Jasmine rice that is everyone’s favourite. Or the one where rice berries are added. But the king of the rice dishes was certainly fried pineapple rice served in a pineapple. Again, Dave made it his mission to compare the pineapple fried rice. And what a delightful chore: a pretty sculptural dish with savoury, fruity and sweet notes.
Look out for my next posts, I will spend a little time describing some of the deserts and the vibes in Phuket.
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