When In Thailand: How to Spot a Good Thai Restaurant? Tip 1

Not all Thai restaurants, even the ones in Thailand, make authentic Thai food. As a popular tourist destination, some restaurants cater to the more moderate palette, meaning less spicy, more sugar, heavier sauce, less depth. If you’re looking for something more adventurous, here are tips on how to spot them. They probably work in the US, too.

Tip 1: Avoid places with western vegetables

People in Thailand don’t really eat carrots, or broccoli, because they are more difficult to grow than our abundant local vegetables. So, if a restaurant puts broccoli in their stir fry, it might be best to avoid them. Same goes for carrots, bell peppers, spinach, or zucchinis. Also, do not let mangoes fool you. The only mangoes you should be eating are ripe, yellow mangoes in desserts, and unripe green mangoes in salads (and certain sauces). Ripe mangoes in savory food is a ruse.

When In Thailand shares things I have picked up along the way, growing up in Bangkok, Thailand.