5 forgotten classic Thai dishes and where to rediscover them

Who elected pad Thai the ambassador to the world for Thai food? It’s bland, inconsistently prepared and frankly, it’s not even particularly Thai. There’s no delicate balancing of flavors, no exotic punch and no spice, unless you add it yourself. But somehow this mediocre dish, along with green curry, tom yum and pork satay, has become the foodie poster boy for Thai cuisine. 

Considering how many other far more qualified representatives are out there, languishing at the back of the menu, we wanted to put this right. Sorry Field Marshal Phibun Songkram (he concocted the pad Thai recipe as a national dish in the 1940s to counter the popularity of Chinese noodle plates), your recipe has had its time under the heat lamp. It's time to give some true classics their dues. Bangkok, fortunately, has a few excellent restaurants focused on preserving the classics of the Thai kitchen that may have escaped your attention. Here are five of the best and the restaurants that are serving them:

Saengwaah ghratong tong at Ruen Urai

If one bite could sum up all of Thai food, this could be the one. Delicate, crispy cups are filled with minced prawns, lemongrass, lime juice, fish sauce, chili and herbs, providing you that exquisite confluence of sweet, sour, salty and hot that defines the national cuisine.

Saengwaah ghratong tong is also a play on textures: the crunch of the cups contrasts with the soft filling. The name of this unusual dish means “pretend turtle egg salad” as it formerly featured turtle egg as a filling. Today, minced prawn or fish act as substitutes. Ruen Urai, set in a century-old Thai house in the heart of busy Silom, is a perfect place to enjoy this exemplary starter, which exquisitely captures the essence of Thai food.

Ruen Urai, The Rose Hotel, 118 Surawongse Road, Bangkok. Tel: +66 (0)2 266 8628 

My name is Bussaba at Ruen Mallika

This strangely named dish is made of a variety of deep-fried flowers. The traditional Thai restaurant Ruen Mallika, located in a 180-year-old teak house, specializes in this unique starter. Flowers are picked from their garden, lightly floured like tempura, and fried in oil.

Among the bouquet are rose, West Indian jasmine, plumaria, cowslip creepers, paper flower, butterfly pea (which changes color when you squeeze a lime over it), humming bird (of the floral, not airborne, variety) and Chinese chive flowers. Together, they create a gorgeous display that shows the importance of presentation in Thai -- especially “royal Thai” -- cuisine.

Ruen Mallika, 189 Sukhumvit Soi 22, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok. Tel: +66 (0)2 663 3211

Mii krawp at Chote Chitr

The owner of Ruen Urai, Navamintr Vitayakul, says the mii krawp at Chote Chitr is “the best in Bangkok.” It’s a strong recommendation from a Thai who takes his cuisine very seriously. As the reviews on Chote Chitr’s walls attest, he’s backed up by other foodies as well.

Mii krawp is a crispy, sweet and sour noodle dish that looks ridiculous on the plate: a huge heap one could mistake for a woven handicraft. At the tiny Chot Chitr, which is almost 100 years old, the owner makes this dish with the zest of special Thai oranges. Even Navamintr admits he has no idea how she makes it so delicious -- and the recipe is closely guarded.

Chote Chitr, 146 Phraeng Phuton, Banglamphu, Bangkok. Tel: +66 (0)2 221 4082

Kaeng sai bau at Taling Pling

Taling Pling isn’t a secret. It’s well known among locals and travelers. The key to its popularity, however, is offering dishes that aren’t as well known as the restaurant itself. Take for instance, Kaeng sai bau. This curry brilliantly harmonizes the creamy coconut milk with the sour of taling pling, a fruit picked from the restaurant’s own garden. The sai bau (lotus stem) absorbs the soup and juice and, as a result, packs a special punch when you bite into it. One local food writer told us this dish “can only be made by a master.”  

Taling Pling, 60 Soi Pan, Off Silom, Bangkok. Tel: +66 (0)2 234 4872

Kuay tiaw hor larb at Banya

You may have tried the simple noodle dish called kuay tiaw hor kai, a rather basic noodle plate with chicken. But few have tried kuay tiaw hor larb, which takes the northeastern minced pork specialty 'larb' and wraps it in a noodle. Each individual, bite-sized piece contains an outstanding burst of country-style Thai flavors.

The unpretentious restaurant Banya has some other originals as well, based around its special rice called khaoman. Cooked in coconut milk and colored with butterfly pea flowers, the rice is a rather shocking sky blue color.
 

Banya, Sukhumvit Soi 7, Bangkok. Tel: +66 (0)2 251 6468