The Floating Market in Bangkok, Thailand — Photo courtesy of IlonaBudzbon / Getty Images
Thai food is known for its variety of signature ingredients, like lemongrass, ginger, lime, chili, garlic, pandan leaves, and coconut milk, which create distinctive combinations of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors.
While stir-fried noodle specialty pad thai — undoubtedly delicious — is one of Thai cuisine’s most famous dishes, there’s so much more to try. In fact, did you know that Thailand is home to four distinct regional cuisines?
To get a taste of them all, your best bet is to head to Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, which is known for its array of dining options that range from street stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants. For the most part, meals here are inexpensive but big on flavor. Thailand even ranked in the top 10 for “Best International Destination on a Budget” in the 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 2023.
Here’s a variety of unique dishes beyond the beloved pad thai you can find across the city, as well as the best spots in which to try them.
Taste a legendary pork belly Thai curry
Thai pork curry (gaeng hung lay) — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
A northern curry that has made its way into Thai cuisine via the Shan culture of Myanmar, gaeng hung lay is an exceptionally tasty specialty. It’s an iconic dish of what is now known as Lanna cuisine, found in Chiang Mai and throughout northern Thailand.
It features pork belly and pork ribs cooked in a spice-laden curry that is filled with tamarind paste, lemongrass, cardamom, and cumin. It also contains a slew of other spices that give the stewed pork some incredible flavor.
One of the best places to sample this curry (as well as other northern treats) in Bangkok is at Gedhawa, which recently moved to a new spot on Sukhumvit Soi 33.
Enjoy an omelet filled with mussels and oysters
Fresh oyster omelet (hoy tod) — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
Hoy tod (also written as hoi tawt), a fried mussel or oyster omelet, is one of the country’s most popular street eats. The simple egg batter is mixed with tapioca or rice flour and cornstarch and is often served extra crispy.
The pan-fried dish, a central Thai specialty, is simple, cheap, and truly delicious. One tiny place in Bangkok’s Chinatown even received a Michelin “Bib Gourmand” award for its omelets, so if you want to try a top version of this local specialty, head to Nai Mong Hoi Tod.
Upgrade your rice like royalty
Traditional Royal Palace Thai cuisine (khao chae) — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
Descending from Mon culture, khao chae is a dish served when it’s hot outside. The recipe’s base ingredient is steamed rice soaked in jasmine-scented water served with a bevy of toppings like shredded pork, stuffed chilies, and deep-fried shallots. Traditionally, this was Royal Palace cuisine, as it took a lot of time to prepare and used a large variety of fine ingredients.
Several upscale restaurants in Bangkok do fabulous versions of this dish. Perhaps the best can be found at Michelin star-awarded eatery Khao.
Try Thai-style sausage stuffed with peppers
Northern Thai sausage (sai oua) — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
A variety of sausages are made in Thailand but sai oua stands out as a favorite northern Thai dish. The sausage is stuffed with spices and red curry paste, then grilled. It’s usually eaten alongside sticky rice and a variety of spicy northern dips like nam prik noom and nam prik ong.
You can find this specialty at the aforementioned restaurant Gedhawa.
Slurp rice noodles for breakfast
Traditional Thai noodle and curry — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
Khanom jeen are thin rice noodles and a staple breakfast at coffee shops in Phuket or Surat Thani in southern Thailand. In Bangkok, you’ll find this food option at street stalls — just look for noodles sitting next to big vats of curry. You get to choose your noodles and then select a curry as a topping.
The top curries to serve over these noodles are nam ya (spicy yellow fish curry) and nam ngeow (a reddish tomato and pork curry). Vendors also put out plates of cucumbers, bean sprouts, pickled vegetables, and other items to heap onto your noodles.
Explore Thailand’s version of sashimi
Raw shrimp (kung chae nampla) — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
Thailand’s closest thing to sashimi is the northeastern dish of kung chae nampla. This specialty features raw shrimp soaked in fish sauce and served with oodles of garlic, chilies, and a super spicy green chili sauce. You’ll need a handful of sticky rice to help subdue the fire in your mouth, but fans swear by this zesty shrimp dish.
For the utmost freshness, try this dish at Ban Som Tam in Bangkok.
Enjoy crispy fried pork belly
Crispy deep-fried pork belly (moo krob) — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
Moo krob, fried pork belly, is a staple on any in-the-know Thai food lover’s plate. This crispy, juicy, and fatty pork originated in China, but in Thailand it’s served with rice and vegetable dishes.
Locals flock to a tiny shophouse called Kuay Jab Mr. Joe for some of the best moo krob on the planet. (It’s on Chan Road off of Sathorn; any taxi driver will know it.)
Dine on fish custard
Steamed fish custard (hor mok) — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
A steamed fish custard, hor mok is white fish blended with red curry and spices that is then steamed in a folded banana leaf. The presentation alone is super attractive, but a bite into one of these morsels will have you begging for more. The delectable combination of flavors and smooth textures is sure to be a memorable dining experience.
Supanniga Eating Room makes a superb version with crab at all of its locations.
Devour delicious Thai sea bass
Thai sea bass (pla lui suan) — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
Pla lui suan is Thai sea bass (or another white fish) that’s been deep-fried and smothered in a sauce of chilies, lemongrass, cashews, lime, shallots, garlic, mint, kaffir lime leaves, and mango. It hits pretty much every flavor you’ll find in Thailand, and its rich tang is truly divine.
You can get a top-notch serving at Patara, one of Bangkok’s best old-school fine dining establishments.
Try rad na for a less spicy dish
Noodles with pork gravy (rad na) — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis
While it’s a local favorite, rad na isn’t too popular with tourists despite being an excellent option for those who don’t love overly spicy dishes. There are no chilies, fish sauce, or coconut milk in the recipe, which is actually of Chinese origin and features flat rice noodles that are drowned in a pork gravy. Over the years, it has become a popular street eat.
To try an elevated version of this popular delight, join the queue at the famous Michelin-starred street food shop Jae Fai, where a local grandmother serves it up with giant prawns.
