Recognise Thai dishes and order them in Thai in restaurants

A short guide to help you recognise Thai dishes and order them in Thai in restaurants in Thailand.

When you visit a country for the first time, it is difficult to know what is good to eat.

And it's even harder to know how to order, to know the name of the dish and the ingredients (meat, fish, shrimp, tofu...).

This guide will show you Thai dishes in photos with descriptions of the main ingredients and provide you with the vocabulary to help you get by in Thailand's restaurants and food stalls.

Thai vocabulary in restaurants, how to order

Already a small lexicon of useful words:

And most importantly for sensitive taste buds:

Knitwear = not spicy
Paette nit noille = a little spicy

Even if you ask for a dish that is not spicy, they may still add a bit of chilli, a dose they don't consider spicy, so if you really don't want chilli, you'll have to say:

May saille prik = do not add chilli.

Because a lot of Thai dishes are spicy, I don't think I'm wrong in saying that Thai food is the spiciest in the world.

Raan a-hanne = restaurant
Raan a-hanne djé = vegan restaurant
Raan a-hanne mango sa wii latte = vegetarian restaurant

Ao = I would like
Example: ao khao phat (or krao patte) = I would like some fried rice

Mi (the dish) mesh? = have (the dish) do you? (do you have this dish?)

Example: Mi khao phat maille ? = do you have fried rice?

In most restaurants (large and medium), it is possible to order dishes with a choice of these ingredients: pork (soft), chicken (kaille), shrimp (koung), squid (plaa meuk) and tofu (tao hou).

Example with fried rice:

Khao phat mou : fried rice with pork
Khao phat kaille : fried rice with chicken
Khao phat koung Shrimp fried rice
Khao phat plaa meuk Fried rice with calamari : fried rice with calamari
Khao phat tao hou Tofu fried rice

To listen to the exact pronunciation, you can see here: www.iwanttolearnthai.com/food

For more information on the language see :
Thai language, the minimum to know on your first trip

Beware of glutamate or MSG

If you have heart palpitations or feel particularly nervous after a good Thai meal, it may be due to glutamate or MSG.

Some restaurants abuse it to improve the taste of their food and some people are very sensitive to it.

You can ask to have no MSG in your food with this sentence:

Mesh flip-flop mesh pong chulotte na (do not use MSG), with krap (if you are a man) or khaa (if you are a woman) at the end of the sentence to be polite.

See also : Health in Thailand

Ordering fried rice in Thai: khao pat (ข้าวผัด)

Fried rice is a great little dish found in most restaurants in Thailand, which is why it is often the first dish that travellers learn to order.

It is rice sautéed with vegetables, usually served with a bowl of fish sauce and half a lemon for seasoning.

It's not spicy.

To order :

I would like a fried rice: Ao khao phat + the chosen ingredient (see above).

If you want a fried egg, add kap kraille dao (kap = with ; khraille dao = fried egg) at the end, e.g. for fried rice with chicken:

Ao khao pat kaille kap kraille dao

There is also an adaptation for foreigners, the khao pat ame-rikanA fattier, more hearty version with fried chicken and hot dogs.

It is also the dish that is most often served on the buses in a tray, like here, fried rice with shrimp or khao pat koung with the fish sauce in the small plastic bag:

See the Thai fried rice recipe.

Order soy noodles, pat see you: ผัดซีอิ๊ว

Pat see you is also a common restaurant dish in Thailand, which is a large rice noodle stir-fried with soy sauce.

It is usually served with chicken.

It is a small, slightly sweet, not spicy dish, which is easy to eat and will not satisfy big appetites!

Thais usually add lemon or white vinegar and white sugar to it and with a little sugar it almost tastes like our pancakes.

I would like a pat see you : Ao pat see you

To discover the recipe : Stir-fried rice noodle with soy sauce: Pad See you

Order a basil stir-fry: Pat krapao (ผัดกระเพรา)

Photo: Takeaway

This is a very popular dish, tonic and reputed to be an aphrodisiac, consisting of meat or tofu, sautéed in oyster sauce and with a good handful of holy basil leaves.

This is a dish that is normally well spiced, but you can ask for it Knitwear = not spicy, or Paette nit noille = a little spicy.

And it is usually eaten with a fried egg = kraille daoThis is a perfect match for the dish and also calms the fire of the chilli.

Usually eaten with pork (pork sautéed with basil = pat krapao mou) but can be served in most restaurants with the usual choice of side dishes: chicken (kaille), shrimp (koung), squid (plaa meuk) and tofu (tao hou).

It's a dish often eaten by workers, because it's hearty and gives you energy, and it's one of my favourite dishes too when I'm eating in town and have things to do.

So, for example, if you want chicken sautéed with basil and a fried egg:

Ao pat krapao kaille kap kraille dao = want to sauté basil chicken with fried egg.

See the recipe: Pork sautéed with holy basil leaves: Phat kaphrao Mou

Ordering Thai-style fried noodles: Pad Thai (ผัดไทย)

Photo: Sharonang

Pad Thai (or Pat Thai) is noodles fried with bean sprouts, pieces of tofu, crushed peanuts, eggs and usually shrimp.

This is another one of those delicious, not spicy, dishes that you will love!

To order a Shrimp Pad Thai (koung) : Ao Pad thaï koung

It is usually served with shrimp, but you can also ask for one with chicken (Kaille) or with other ingredients.

See : Pad Thaï: the recipe for Thai fried noodles

Order a spicy papaya salad: Som Tam (ส้มตำ)

Som tam thaï

Som Tam (Thai) is a delicious salad made with green papaya cut into strips and mashed with fish sauce, and usually carrots, small tomatoes, lemon, crushed peanuts and a few hot peppers.

There are many varieties of Som Tam, but it is primarily a dish for thrill-seekers, as it is usually very spicy!

Of course, you can ask for a not spicy one (strawberry knitwear) or just a little spicy (paette nit noille) but as a Laotian ex-girlfriend said: "A Som Tam without spices is not a Som Tam.

Because the mixture of all these ingredients, well crushed with hot peppers, has the effect of a magic potion, it gives you energy when you are tired, kills germs if you are a bit sick, but can also destroy your stomach if you eat it too often (as for my ex...).

After that, there are a large number of varieties of Som Tamon Som Tam Thai is the simple version, appreciated by tourists, and others with a particular taste (more difficult) like with fermented fish (som tam plaa ra), with pickled crab (som tam pou), and there are also many versions without papaya, with orange, green mango, cucumber...

Fragrant rice and chicken breast with ginger sauce: Khao man Kai (ข้าวมันไก่)

Khao man kai (or Khao man Kaille) is rice cooked in chicken broth and served with pieces of chicken breast, accompanied by a delicious ginger sauce and a bowl of broth.

It's a simple little dish, but really good.

In general, restaurants that make Khao Man Kai do just that.

Khao Tom, Thai rice soup ข้าวต้ม

The Khao Tom is a delicious rice soup eaten in the morning or late at night before bedtime by those who have drunk alcohol and want to avoid a hangover.

It is also a very digestible and invigorating soup given to the sick.

This soup is often served with pork or chicken, but there are many variations.

I would like a rice and chicken soup: Ao Khao tom Kaille
Pork: Ao khao tom mou

See : Recipe for Khao Tom, Thai rice soup for hangovers

Recognising and buying a Khao Tom Mad (ข้าวต้มัด)

Not to be confused with the soup above!

It is a small delicacy made of glutinous rice, banana and coconut milk wrapped in a banana leaf and can be found in most markets and bus stations.

They are usually sold in pairs and cost 5 baht.

It's really good, perfect when travelling or as a snack for sportsmen.

If you have a weak stomach, glutinous rice will make your stomach stronger and if you are always hungry, it is a good appetite suppressant.

Lemongrass and shrimp soup: Tom Yam Kung

Tom Yam Koung Soup

The lemongrass soup is really one of those delicious dishes that awakens the taste buds, the taste is lemony but not sour, and there is an amazing mix of flavours, it's hard not to like this soup.

It is also a way to heal oneself, as it is composed of many medicinal plants !

It is a soup that is often eaten with friends and everyone helps themselves to the same bowl.

It is also the title of a famous Thai film starring Tony Jaa, The Honour of the Dragon (Tom-Yum-Goong).

To order at the restaurant :

Ao (want) :

Tom Yam Kung Lemongrass and shrimp soup
Tom yam kai Lemongrass and chicken soup
Tom Yam taohou Lemongrass and tofu soup

You can see the recipe here:
Lemongrass and shrimp soup : Tom Yam Kung