One of the advantages of living in a multicultural society like the US is that you’ll find plenty of different types of restaurants specializing in various cuisines. You’ll find plenty of restaurants that focus on Italian dishes, comfort foods of the American South, Chinese or Japanese cuisine, and other types of cuisines you may not have heard about yet. 

You might even find a restaurant that offers both Vietnamese and Thai food, like Komodo in New Jersey, where you can have an entire dinner for less than $20. 

But for the real thing, you may want to visit the country. Thailand is especially nice, with plenty of great beaches along with lots of muay Thai fights. And of course, you should try the Thai food culture. It’s very lively, and it rewards the adventurous looking for new foodie excitement. Check out the streets and night markets of Thailand, and be on the lookout for the following treats: 

Kluay Tod

This is one dish so sweet that it’s almost addictive, and it works nicely with some coffee. You can enjoy it as a snack in the afternoon, or maybe you can have it for dessert. 

Basically, Kluay Tod is a dish featuring deep-fried mini-bananas. They usually use bananas that aren’t all that ripe yet, as they’re better for deep-frying. Usually, they prepare the bananas in a batter made from sesame seeds and desiccated coconut. 

What you get is a golden outside with a nice crunch, and then a center that’s warm and creamy. Try it right when it’s fresh out from the fryer, but it’s still good even if it has cooled down to room temperature. No need to scarf it down quickly. 

Pad See Eiw

You might regard the padd see eiw as basically the spaghetti and meatballs of Thai food culture. It’s warm and hearty, and it works nicely as a comfort food. It normally features wide rice noodles, which have been stir-fried in dark soy sauce. Then you have meat such as beef, pork or chicken, along with Chinese broccoli or cabbage. 

This is a nice respite from lots of Thai dishes that you might have found overly spicy, though this is still nicely flavorful. But if you want something with a bit more oomph, then you might want to add some vinegar and dried chili flakes. 

Som Tram

This is one of the most popular dishes in Thailand, and you have to try it. It does come in a wide range of serving styles, so you’ll be trying out a lot of som tram dishes. 

The basic version features tomatoes, shredded green papaya, peanuts, carrots, sugar, dried shrimp string beans, fish sauce, garlic, lime juice, and lots of chilies. They then mix everything together, traditionally using a mortar and pestle to combine the flavors nicely. 

This basic version is usually spicy, so if you’re not up to it, as for the mai pet (not spicy) version. 

Pad Kra Pao

This may not be a good option for those who are rather picky with their food, especially the ones without much of a tolerance for spicy treats. But you can ask the seller to give you the pet nit noi version, so it’s only a bit spicy. 

Here you get either minced pork or chicken, which they stir-fry along with some chilies and Thai basil. They then serve everything over white rice. In some cases, you might get a fried egg to go with it. This is one meal that you might enjoy for lunch. 

Kai Jeow

If you’re not looking to spend a lot of money on food, then kai jeow is your best option. It’s one of the most affordable dishes you might find in the whole country. 

Kai jeow is basically a Thai omelet served over rice. These omelets are a bit different than what you might be familiar with as an American. It’s fluffy on the inside like your usual omelet, but the outside is crispy and golden. 

They usually cook this with chilies and fish sauce, and then top everything with more chili sauce. Lots of tourists enjoy this for breakfast (it’s an omelet after all), but you can enjoy this at any time of the day. 

Khao Kha Moo

This is stewed pork leg served over rice. It’s quite a satisfying option, despite its simplicity. They cook the pork in a mixture of spices, sugar, and soy sauce, until everything is tender and juicy. 

You shouldn’t have any trouble find this option in the streets. Usually, you’ll just find the huge pots filled with the stewing pigs’ legs. It’s often served with some Chinese broccoli and a hard-boiled egg on the side. 

If you want some less fatty meat, ask for the mai ow nang version, which means you don’t get any skin. 

Stewed Pork Leg On Rice (Khao Kha Moo) – Thai Street Food Bangkok 2021