Joanna James
Everyone loves Thai food; it's a fact of life! It's also impossible to compile a list of 5 top dishes among the array of street foods available in Bangkok. One way is to try the 'real' thing, or what the locals eat.
An all-time favourite with locals, Khao Mun Gai is Thai style comfort food. It's basically steamed or boiled chicken thigh or breast meat plonked on a mound of oily (chicken fat) rice. The chilli sauce on the side is what adds the zing. Available at any street food stall and in shop-house restaurants, Khao Mun Gai wrapped up in the paper makes a great takeaway.
If you're staying in a service apartment, Bangkok is one place where you'll never have to worry about your meals. Just step outside and you'll be spoilt for choice. Whether breakfast, lunch or dinner, a portion of rice with a selection of curries and stir-fries piled on a plate of rice is what satisfies the Thai people. Khao Gang translates as 'rice covered with curry or any topping'. The great thing about street food is that it's all laid out for the eye to behold, so in fact, choosing your curries or accompaniments could be a tough task when everything looks so inviting. Make sure you try a green curry with its delectable coconut milk, basil, lemongrass and green chilli base. You'll never go hungry in Bangkok, no matter what your budget dictates. If you're staying in the heart of Bangkok at the Adelphi Suites on Sukhumvit Road, for instance, you can feast on delicious, affordable food night and day and walk it off as well as you go about your business and sightseeing.
If you're not feeling adventurous and would rather stick with something you know from back home, then Pad Thai is it. The world famous stir-fried noodle dish is a mix of rice noodles, eggs, tofu, bean sprouts, red chillies, fish sauce and a choice of shrimp, chicken, pork or beef garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. It's the perfect sweet-sour combination of chilli, palm sugar, tamarind pulp and lime juice. Just be prepared for it to taste spicier, or just different to what you've had before.
A dreamy combination of slivers of beef tossed together with lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, mint and cilantro leaves. It's the dressing of lime, fish sauce, palm sugar and Thai chilli however that brings the zing to this healthy, fresh dish.
A must-try for pork lovers and one of the most popular Thai dishes. The pork is cooked in a sizzling hot wok together with chilli, green beans, soy sauce, a little sugar and most importantly much Thai holy basils (Indian tulsi) leaves which add a spicy, peppery, clove-like taste. The pork with all its oily gravy is served on a bed of steamed white rice and (optional) topped with a fried egg.
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