Eat local
Escape the de-spiced tourist menus. Eat local. Bangkok’s position, between India and China, encouraged its cooks to borrow from both – and beyond. And yet, the Central Plains cuisine remains singular in its style and complexity, and is served by most upscale Thai restaurants. This is Thailand’s most elevated culinary form – making use of fresh local herbs, seafood and meats in piquant salads, spicy soups and that famed green curry.
Regional menus have their niches, especially the salads, grilled meats and sticky rice of Isaan, Thailand’s northeast, at places like Isaan Rot Det. Southern Thai dishes exhibit their pungent spiciness at Ruen Mallika. Lanna (northern) food, influenced by Burma and Yunnan, is found at food markets, notably Or Tor Kor.
The owner of suave Thai restaurant Ruen Urai suggests exploring Bangkok’s culinary scene by context, from streetfood up to fine dining. Resembling a 1950s Tokyo diner, Bo.lan serves small but good value meals. At Chote Chitr dishes are as close as you’ll get to honest home cooking in a restaurant setting, while the homely, buzzing Taling Pling combines bright decor with tasty rural cooking.