Best Thai Foods: popular and cheap menus
Table of Contents
Local Thai Dishes You Must Try
Everyone knows Thailand is known for its delicious cuisine. However, you may not realize that there are regional differences in our cuisine. Each region’s residents love a distinct type of food and flavor.
In Isaan Thailand (Northeastern Thailand), for example, spicy tasty foods such as Som Tam (papaya salad), Larb, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Park Neck, and sticky rice are favored. Isaan people really love sticky rice; it is always their first choice.
Southerners, on the other hand, prefer soft-boiled rice with curries or stir-fries. The main ingredients in southern cuisine are herbs, vegetables, and seafood, and they favor saltier dishes.
However, there are some common Thai cuisines that locals love regardless of region. This post will introduce “Types of Cheap Thai Foods” that are popular and open across Thailand.
I’d like to encourage you to try them when you visit Thailand. Some of the local restaurants have unique decorating styles that you can realize when you see them. But I think only a few foreigners have tried them because most local eateries do not have English menus, making it difficult for foreigners to order the foods they desire.
So, in case you’re interested in attempting one, I try to provide as many pictures and descriptions as possible.
1. Boat Noodle [ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ]
What Makes a Hit
I read through many sources and try to figure out how the boat noodle becomes the most beloved Thai dish (in my opinion). Here is what I can conclude from those sources.
The origin of the boat noodle was back in 1942. Our prime minister, Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram, released many State Policies aiming to improve social and economic for citizens. That year, Thailand had a big flood, the prime minister had to take a boat to work at the Government House, and some people took a boat to bring him meals.
Of course, that dish was a noodle, as you could expect…haha. Then he had the brilliant notion of persuading people to eat more noodles because they are delicious and simple to prepare. If millions of Thais eat noodles every day, Thailand’s economy will benefit greatly. As a result, he began providing free food carts to anyone who wanted to sell noodles.
Highlight & How to Order
Many boat noodle restaurants share a similar décor concept, making it easy for customers to recognize what they’re serving. They like to place a boat (mock-up) in front of their restaurants or utilize it as a food stall. As a result, we’ll recognize that these are boat noodle restaurants right away.
Ordering boat noodles is simple.
- Choose noodles:
- small noodles [in Thai >>> เส้นเล็ก]
- vermicelli [เส้นหมี่ขาว]
- glass noodles [วุ้นเส้น]
- egg noodles [เส้นบะหมี่]
- big flat noodles [เส้นใหญ่]
- instant noodles [เส้นมาม่า]
2. Choose meat:
- pork [หมู]
- pork ball [ลูกชิ้นหมู]
- beef [เนื้อ]
- beef ball [ลูกชิ้นเนื้อ]
(no fish ball in boat noodle restaurants)
3. Choose a level of spicy:
- normal spicy [เผ็ดปกติ]
- less spicy [เผ็ดน้อย]
- no spicy [ไม่เผ็ดเลย]
The flavor is slightly sour and sweet, but not always, depending on the recipes of each restaurant. Many Boat Noodle restaurants add chili as the main ingredient, so if you can’t eat spicy at all, make sure you tell them “no spicy [ไม่เผ็ดเลย]”
The boat noodle is served in a small bowl, which is another unique selling point. I usually order two bowls first to see how big portions they are. If you’ve never had boat noodles before, I recommend ordering just one bowl first, in case that you can’t handle it…
The price per bowl is around 15-25 baht for local restaurants. By the way, do not forget to order fried pork rince (pork snack). It’s a typical side dish for boat noodles.
Another signature thing is you probably see several pairs of tiny bowls on the table. They are a common dessert served in boat noodle restaurants, called Kanom Tuay (Coconut Milk Custard). The dessert has two layers: a little salty coconut cream on top and a sweet pandan-based layer underneath.
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2. Rice Porridge with Side Dishes [ข้ามต้มกุ๊ย]
What Makes a Hit
To be honest, I’m not sure what word to use to describe this type of eatery. “Boiled Rice with Side Dishes” is the best title for me, but other people may use “Rice Porridge with Side Dishes.”
This kind of restaurant ONLY OPENS at NIGHT, from about 6 PM until midnight (or maybe up to 2 AM). The trademark is that they usually have white slim neon lights, perhaps pink and green, in front of eateries. You will also see a showcase cabinet full of raw food ingredients, like vegetables, that’s covered by a red fabric is placed at the front. It’s easy to be recognized at night.
It’s also a great place to meet up with friends for a few beers because Thais love to eat side dishes while drinking, and this type of restaurant offers a wide range of plates at reasonable costs.
Highlight & How to Order
Sometimes when I order my favorite dishes from different restaurants, the food can vary from a very delicious dish to tasting like crap. But when it comes to the “Rice Porridge with Side Dishes,” I’m never disappointed when I dine at this type of eatery.
I think I’ve tried around 20 restaurants in various provinces, including Bangkok, Rayong, Pattaya, Ubon Ratchathani, Nakhon Ratchasima, Pathum Thani, Chachoengsao, and Samut Prakarn (why am I listing so many…ha) and they’re all good.
What are the menus then? Hmm…it’s tough to explain because there are so many menu options. Generally, they serve stir-fried vegetables and meats. It could be chicken, pork, and seafood, but not beef.
Most side dishes have strong tastes because the tastes go well when you mix them in rice porridge (boiled rice). The dishes can be sweet, salty, sour, or mix, depending on the menus. Some dishes have chilies, but they are usually mild.
Let’s take a look at some of my favorite lists. It’s a good start if you want to give it a try. Because most local restaurants don’t have English menus, the best way to order is to show these pictures.
3. Thai Congee or Joke [โจ๊ก]
What Makes a Hit
Congee has its origin in China, dating back 2,000 years, referring to the water in which rice has been cooked. At present, it’s popular in many Asian countries, including Thailand, of course. I have had chances to try some congees in other countries, and I found that each country has its own congee style. Even within Thailand, the taste and texture of congee vary from restaurant to restaurant.
By the way, congee isn’t a common word in Thailand, it’s known as “Joke.”
Joke is an extremely preferred breakfast choice in Thailand, so we usually have it for breakfast, however, Joke for dinner is also a decent choice. But some restaurants/street stalls might close at night.
The cost per dish is around 40-50 baht. As a result, it’s a good choice for a quick, easy, and affordable meal for everyone.
Highlight & How to Order
It seems to be an easy cooking type of food, nothing special. And every morning market sells Joke. But you know what, a delicious Joke is not often be found. Based on my experiences, from 10 joke restaurants, only 2-3 are good. The rest are so-so. I think because Joke has a few primary ingredients that make it easy to be prepared but challenging to make it tasty.
Joke is made with a few basic ingredients: pork meatballs, guts, egg, and on top with sliced ginger and green onion. However, I don’t eat guts, and I’m not too fond of ginger. So, when I order, I will certainly tell them that I want only pork and egg (no guts and ginger.) Because if you say nothing, they might assume you want all of those ingredients.
I prefer a little salty Joke with flavorful pork meatballs plus soft-boiled egg, but many restaurants will make it mild or even tasteless… You will see many customers add a dash of soy sauce before eating.
If you decide to have a trip to Thailand, most of you will visit Bangkok and probably come to MBK Center and Siam Square. I got the best Joke restaurant to recommend to you. It’s famous among Bangkokians and is located in the Sam Yan area, which is not far from the MBK Center (close to Samyan Mitrtown). Its name is “Joke Sam Yan.” The restaurant opens daily 5:00 AM – 10:00 AM and 3:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Joke Sam Yan’s original branch is shown on the google map below.
4. Moo Kata or Thai BBQ [หมูกระทะ]
What Makes a Hit
There was no clear evidence when Moo Kata or Thai BBQ restaurant opened for the first time in Thailand. But from the very beginning, 20-30 years ago, Moo Kata was known as Genghis Khan barbecue (Mongolian barbecue). It gradually became more trendy in every part of Thailand, and eventually, it’s now always a local favorite.
When you’re looking for a cozy and affordable dining party with friends or families, Moo Kata is a perfect choice. Especially if you or your friends are big eaters because most restaurants are buffet, so you don’t have to worry about overspending.
The cost is around 180-250 baht per person for local Moo Kata buffet restaurants, depending on the quality of meat and the location (even cheaper in upcountry). You can choose from a wide variety of vegetables, appetizers, meats (mainly pork), and desserts and then enjoy all you can eat in 1.5 – 2 hours buffet.
However, if you also want seafood in a buffet, you might have to pay extra for it, about 100 baht. Please note that for seafood, it’s not a high-quality one, not that fresh, small shrimp size, for example.
Highlight & How to Order
Usually, each restaurant will have several sets for you to choose, for example, small, medium or large sets. Could be a pork set, beef set or seafood set (seafood may not that fresh, so the most popular is a pork set)
For me, I put my priority on dipping sauces, price comes second. Because the low price can only attract me to try for the first time, but what keep me coming back is actually the unique homemade sauce (this is way better than ready-made sauce).
Some restaurants might have a few types of dipping sauces, such as seafood sauce, sukiyaki sauce, or their own sauces, but most are a little spicy for me (so it might be very spicy for foreigners who don’t usually eat spicy foods before)
Another selling point is it’s joyful to have a chitchat with your companions while grilling meats, and you don’t need to clean up after eating lol. That will save you an hour!
However, to be honest, hygiene is not the priority for many Moo Kata restaurants, but it’s not that bad. Otherwise, Moo Kata can’t become so popular in Thailand for decades, and I won’t recommend it if it causes me food poisoning. The trick is to make sure you thoroughly grill the meats very well to be safe.
Note: Beef is also available but not in every restaurant.
5. Made to Order Dish [อาหารตามสั่ง]
What Makes a Hit
You can find Made to Order restaurants almost everywhere such as office buildings, food courts in department stores, shophouses, street food, alleys, and markets. This type of restaurant is known in Thai as “Ar Harn Tarm Sung”
The reasons that Cooked to Order Dish become an excellent choice for locals are;
- Cheap – In general, it costs around 40-50 baht per dish (in department stores could be up to 60-70 baht)
- Served Hot – Chef cooks right after you order, so it’s a freshly made dish and quickly served to you.
- Customized – You can specifically order what you want. Just tell the chef or waitstaff, they will cook it for you as long as they have ingredients.
You can also order as a side dish, we call it “Kub Kao [กับข้าว],” but it will be slightly more expensive. Or take away, we call it “Glub Baan [กลับบ้าน].” Anyway, the default serving is dine-in and over rice.
Highlight & How to Order
I can order what I like in a very specific way. For example, if I want to have Pad Ka Prao today and want both crispy pork belly and ground pork mix together, I will order …
“Can I have Pad Ka Prao with crispy pork belly and ground pork, with medium spicy, no long beans, and on top with an over-easy fried egg, please.”
Or if I’m so hungry and want a seafood dish, I will order …
“Can I have a large portion of Pad Ka Prao with Shrimp and Squid, no spicy at all, please.”
So typically, there is no limitation when ordering. You choose what seasoning you like to have, then select what kind of meats & vegetables, spicy levels (if any), and add-on.
However, the real problem is they probably don’t understand English and no English menu in most local restaurants, except in a tourist area.
Let’s look at some typical lists, in which you can show photos to chefs or servers of what menu you want.
If you can’t eat spicy food, don’t forget to tell the waitstaff Not Spicy = (Mai Ped) = [ไม่เผ็ด]
Don’t be afraid to visit local restaurants and try some. Thais are really friendly and kind, but we are very shy around foreigners. Sometimes I see waiters/waitresses hesitate to take orders from foreigners because they can’t speak English (or other languages.) If language is the real barrier, then just show them pictures of the foods you want. You will be fine, and you will discover some awesome dishes that other travelers miss. Eat Like a Local.
ThaiTrav
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[…] to this boat noodles, ordering is not difficult. I have previously written about Local Thai Foods You Must Try which includes boat noodles and a step-by-step guide on how to order […]