Dining in Bangkok & Thai Food 

One of the great enjoyments of being in Bangkok is that you can eat 24 hours a day. No matter what sort of food you are looking for, be it Western or Eastern, you’ll have little trouble finding it. Hundreds of restaurants and thousands of coffee shops, noodle shops, snack bars and street-side food stalls are scattered in the downtown district in Bangkok and many, many more in the provincial tourist centers. As Thailand produces all kinds of foodstuff, food prices here are, of course, very reasonable.

THAI FOODS 

Normally, each Thai restaurant has its own specialties, so ask the waiter for recommendation. Some favorite Thai dishes are: Kai Ho Bai Toei (seasoned fried chicken in leaf wrappers); Thotman Plakrai or Thotman kung, Fish or shrimp fritters in Thai style; various kinds of yam (Thai salad); Tomyam (hot and sour soup); curry and namprik with fish vegetables. And perfect your Thai meal by ending it with Thai sweets, such as salim, thapthim krop, lotchunng, khanom chan, coconut-cream gelatine, thong yot, foi thong, etc.

SEAFOOD 

A visit to Bangkok is not complete without eating at least once in one of the many seafood restaurants for which the city is justly famous for. The many international hotels in Bangkok provide visitors a big choice of seafood to suit the foreign palate. But sampling the local fare-meaning prepared and cooked the local-style is well recommended.

Restaurant settings in the city are as varied as the means of preparing the seafood delights. Some food stalls are set in the open-air amid shady trees. Several deluxe hotels, for example, serve seafood with the beautiful view of Chao Phya River and the sunset. Others are of typically restaurant styles. But no matter the setting, one thing is certain, Thai Seafood cooking is something of an adventure. After all, for the true gastronome, setting is only secondary. 

The quality of food is what's important. Bangkok, of course, is sure to please. Fresh catch is available daily as the city is just 15-20 kilometers from the seaside fishery ports of nearby provinces. You can enjoy the seafood - called Ahaan Talay in the local dialect - grilled, steamed, sauteed, baked, fried, with or without a sauce and garnish, or perhaps as a spicy Tom Yum soup in a pot. The blend of herbs and the presentation always make a difference.

For lavish dinners, many of Bangkok's major hotels feature menus prepared by international chefs. Although the seafood is local, the style depends on the chef.

One particular favorite are fried crabs with shallot, coral prawns, steamed prawns stuffed with ham and garnished with broccoli, and lotus lobster - which is baby lobster cut in halves, steamed with chopped garlic and served on fresh lotus leaf in a bamboo basket. You should also try the giant lobster which can weigh up to 2 kg or the oversized prawns. They appear on most menus along with crabs, oysters, and many types of fish: mackerel, snapper, garoupa, and pomfret.

Visitors to Bangkok will surely not miss the golden chance of tasting some of the finest seafood here. After all, quality eating is a perpetual way of life here. That's true even in side-street haunts and market eating stalls.

WESTERN & ASIAN FOODS

Most coffee shop in tourist hotels serve an approximation of European food, some also Chinese and Japanese. For mere authentic dishes, you can try the nationality restaurants, mostly located in the leading in the busy shopping areas. There you will find the food and desserts in their original tastes. Western cuisine available in Bangkok and provincial tourist centers are American, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Scandinavian and Swiss. Asian cuisine includes Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Muslim and Arabic. 

CHINESE FOOD

Thailand is an ideal place for enjoying genuine Chinese food that tastes exactly like that of its country of origin. The Chinese culinary art was first brought in large numbers in the late Ayuthaya period over 200 years ago. As a result of the long history of contact between the two peoples, the Thai and the Chinese cultures are now well mixed in many aspects, including the art of cooking. Chinese food is commonly served in restaurants and hotels in every part of Thailand, especially in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Indeed, Thailand is the only place outside China (and Taiwan and Hongkong) that can provide tourists with such a wide choice of delicious Chinese dishes.

More and more visitors to Thailand have discovered to their delight that Thailand is not only a kingdom of fruits, but also a kingdom of seafood. Anyone who has experienced Thai seafood will readily agree to its great variety and its savory taste and sweet smell. A secret of seafood deliciousness lies in its freshness. As Thailand has a long coastline, and Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and most other cities are close to the sea, fresh supplies of fish, crabs, prawns, lobsters and other shellfish are always available and all eaters will find them most palatable no matter whether they are gourmet or just ordinary diners.

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