One of my best experiences while in Thailand was having a local friend show me around and experience Bangkok in a different light. Today, you can book a number of private tours in Bangkok, some of which are even completely food-centric! Having a private local guide is such a great way to learn about a destination’s cuisine, especially if you only have a limited amount of time while on holiday. I’ve grown extremely fond of small-group and private food tours while traveling, as they expose you to so many different foods you may not have otherwise tried. I also love to learn about the food’s history and the spots where locals love to frequent.

The number of iconic dishes found in traditional Thai cuisine is almost mind-boggling, and like other cultures, variations exist depending on where you are in the country. As much as I love Thai cuisine, it’s one of the cuisines that I admittedly know least about. Much of what I learned over the years has come from watching vloggers like Mark Wiens from Migrationology, reading blogs like Eating Asia, or from Thai chefs I’ve met along the way.

Gaeng Keow Wan

This is green curry, which originated in central Thailand. It is one of my favorite curries, but it definitely packs some heat. The addition of coconut milk cools it off a bit and brings a hint of sweetness. It’s a complex blend of flavors and has a number of delicious ingredients, including chicken, Thai basil, Thai eggplant, and spices/herbs like galangal, lime leaves, lemongrass, and more.

Gang Massaman

If I had to pick only one single Thai dish to eat, it would be Massaman curry. This delicious dish originated in the southern part of Thailand and is a Halal dish. You will find it typically made with chicken, but outside of Thailand, beef massaman is very common. The sauce, or soup, has curry paste, coconut milk, and some cinnamon and nutmeg. You’ll find peanuts and large chunks of potato in the sauce as well.

Pad Krapow

Typically made using minced pork or chicken, Pad Krapow is then stir-fried with Thai basil and some spicy chilies. Thai basil has a unique and rather peppery bite. Outside of Thailand, I’ve managed the spice levels better with this dish. In Thailand, you’ll find this served with an oozing fried egg. However, the other half of Our Tasty Travels doesn’t eat eggs (seriously???) so it’s typically no egg on top if we are sharing.

Tom Kha Gai

This is almost like a variation of tom yum soup, but much less spicy. It has similar flavors, but with a major dose of creamy coconut milk that creates a richer, sweeter soup. I’ve also had several versions that had more of a sweet and sour note, which I really liked.

Khao Soi

Khao Soi originated in northern Thailand, and it’s essentially a coconut curry noodle soup. Notice a theme here? I am pretty much all about curries, whether they are from Thailand, India, or even Belize! This dish is quite popular outside of Thailand and the variations you will find are mind-boggling. There are some general consistencies, but for the most part, they change from vendor to vendor and certainly outside of Thailand.

Cha Yen

While not technically a food per se, couldn’t resist adding Cha Yen. Thai iced tea is my go-to drink with Thai food. The heavy portion of sweetened condensed milk certainly isn’t great for the blood sugar levels, but considering it’s a once or twice a year splurge, I’ll happily indulge.

If you’re looking for some of the best Thai dishes to try, check out CNN’s 40 Thai Dishes and Where to Eat Them in Bangkok or Hotels.com Bangkok Street Food Guide. And, if you never thought about pairing wine with Thai food, you’re missing out. We have a guide on how to pair Thai cuisine with wine. We typically eat Thai food with wine or with one of my favorite beers, a sour lambic beer from Brouwerij Lindemans that is made with basil! 

Thai food, known for its complex blend of exotic spices and heat, pairs surprisingly well with wine, especially a number of white wine varietals. I tend to cook a lot of Thai-influenced dishes, especially curries, and I love how they pair with a nice bottle of wine. 

Wondering how to pair Thai food with wine? To find a complementary wine pairing for any Thai meal, start by identifying the main ingredient of the dish and then follow a few simple tips to ensure a pleasant wine pairing. 

What Ingredients in Thai Food Pair with Wine

Thai food has a variety of spices that are commonly seen throughout recipes. Ingredients like lemongrass, chilies, turmeric, tamarind, kaffir lime, ginger, and coconut milk are staples in most Thai cooking. Powerful flavors like garlic, shallots, and fish sauce are also seen in many Thai dishes. Those spices and powerful flavors are often offset by fresh fruit flavors including mango and pineapple.

Pairing Wine with Thai Curries

Some of the most popular dishes in Thailand include some type of curry element. Red and green curries are two of the more popular choices, each with varying levels of heat. When pairing wine with a curry-based dish, remember that wines that are on the sweeter side will help cut the heat from the chili peppers in the meal.

Green curry is often the spiciest of Thai curries and should be paired with a sweeter wine, one that will not only cut the heat, but will stand up to the bold flavors in the dish. One pairing suggestion for green curries is a Champagne or sparkling wine. Bubbles in wine work well to counterbalance spicy foods, and Champagne and sparkling wines are more versatile than many people realize.

Another excellent option is a Gewurztraminer. Try a nice German or Alsatian one. Gewurtz is the German word for “spice”, which is why this is often considered a good match for spicy dishes. Since the heat of a spicy green curry can also numb the palate, a wine that has high acidity, like a Gewurztraminer, will work well with this dish.

For red curries that pack less heat, try a nice Riesling. Dishes like Pad Thai would be enhanced by the hint of sweetness from a nice Riesling. Germany is the most famous region for Riesling production, but other notable regions include Alsace, Washington, and portions of Australia’s wine country. Rieslings come in varying levels of sweetness, making the choice of a Riesling more of a personal preference. Just a hint of sweetness will work for red curry since it is typically less spicy than other curries.

Not a fan of Rieslings? Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and less-well-known varietals like Sylvaner, Grüner Veltliner, Muscadet, and Sancerre are good wines to pair with Thai food as well.

Other Wines that Pair Well with Thai Food

Dry Rosé wines are good options for spicy dishes and Thai curries. These tend to be very versatile wines, and are easily paired with a variety of cuisine types.

One rule of thumb to remember is acidic wines generally pair well with most Thai dishes. Look for wines that have a tropical nose, like pineapple, lemongrass, pear, and lychee fruit, as they will pair nicely with Thai food. For dishes with high-acidity ingredients, like kaffir lime and tamarind, pair wines that can balance these elements. Two good options that pair well with sour dishes include Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.

For those wanting to serve a red wine with Thai food, try a very light red such as Beaujolais, or a Rioja. Pinot Noir is another popular varietal that pairs well with some mild coconut and creamy curries, but it’s recommended to look for ones produced in cool climates like Germany. Wondering why Pinot Noir might make a good pairing with Thai Food? Pinot Noir is a flavorful wine, but tends to be low in alcohol content and tannins, making it a good choice to stand up to some Thai dishes.

Wines to Avoid with Thai Food

The most important thing to avoid when serving Thai food is any wine that is tannic. The tannins in heavy red wines can actually amplify the spiciness in a dish, ruining both the taste of the meal and the wine itself. Wines that are high in tannins pair best with high protein dishes like steak, as the protein softens the tannic element of the wine.

Another wine to avoid is an overly oaky wine, typically seen from many California Chardonnays. An oaky Chardonnay can overpower many foods, which is why it is not an ideal match for most Thai dishes.

At first, it may seem a bit overwhelming to find the right wine to match with Thai food, but once the main ingredients are identified, basic wine pairing guidelines apply. When in doubt, ask the wine steward or sommelier when dining out in a restaurant. If you’re cooking at home, utilize a reliable wine pairing tool to help you out. One of the best available free resources I love is the Wine Matcher tool from Natalie MacLean.

The main rule of thumb to remember — avoid tannic reds and overly oaked whites. With this rule in hand, you are well on your way to start enjoying pairing wine with Thai dishes!

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We arrived around 12:30pm and the place was pretty busy.  I loved the interior and decor – very chic and classy.  In true Taiwan fashion, the restaurant is multi-level and the location we visited had a cute little outdoor patio area (although we were certainly not the least bit interested in sitting out in the 100F heat after no AC at home!)

Their menu selection was pretty extensive and had a number of delicious sounding items, but seeing as there were only 2 of us, we decided to be smart and only order a couple items. 

I had been craving shrimp pancakes so that was my first search on the menu. Normally, I just see “shrimp pancake” on the menu but Thai Town had regular, spicy, lemongrass, and even wheat! We opted to try the Spicy Shrimp Pancake(NT320).  Overall, it was excellent and not nearly as spicy as I expected (thankfully).   

Next we tried the Green Curry Chicken in a Coconut Sauce (NT280).  I was very excited to see so many curries on their menu, and I remember reading this one came highly recommended.  The chicken curry had small green chile peppers throughout and fortunately they were not overpowering (heatwise) and really complemented the dish well. 

We also tried the Deep Fried Softshell Crab with Thai Sauce (NT380), which is a newer menu item.  This was absolutely amazing! The dipping sauce is similar to the sweet sauce typically served with shrimp pancakes, but it had a bit of finely chopped scallion and cilantro mixed in.  The crab was delicately fried, minus the usual heavy tempura type batter I am used to.  It was not the least bit greasy either, which was surprising. 

The last item we tried was the Mussaman Beef Curry (NT320).  This is one of usual must order dishes if I see it on a menu somewhere.  This was rather tasty and still had the nutty element I like, but no actual whole peanuts in the sauce itself.  Filled with onions, green peppers, and fresh Kaffir lime leaves, this was a delicious mussaman curry. 

Even though we were both completely stuffed, had polished off our Chang beers, I still wanted dessert!  I’ve figured out that Asian style desserts are some of the best I’ve ever had as they are so light and usually more healthy (justification) since they are filled with fresh fruits.  We opted for the Tapioca & Exotic Fruits Juice in Coconut Milk (NT100).  This was served in a tall ice cream sundae style glass.  Wow….this was excellent.  It still had the consistency and flavor of tapioca, but with lots of great fruit flavors, including mango, pineapple, and topped with green and red jelly pieces. 

Thai Town has been around in Taiwan since 1990.  They are under the same ownership as Very Thai, another great Thai place in Taipei.  Apparently when Thai Town opened, they hired imperial chefs from Thailand to develop the signature menu items.  They have been very popular with locals and since then, opened a number of other locations around the island.  There are about 12 locations in the greater Taipei area – the location we went to was a stand alone restaurant in the western/expat area called Tianmu. 

As far as prices go, it is one of the more expensive places for Thai food, but the quality is excellent and the service is superb.  The average price of each dish is around $10 USD (currently exchange rate is about NT33 to 1 USD) and the 10% service charge is included on the bill.  

One other bonus we were thrilled to find out as we were leaving is they have a separate take-out menu.  We have found it difficult to find places with good take-out food.  Since most food around us is more food stalls and night markets, there are not a lot of options if you want to pick something up on the way home from work, especially where you can park easily.  This location has an underground parking lot right next door which is great.

Thai Town Locations in Taipei

7F, 9 Songhou Road, Taipei   02-2723-9987

133 Anhe Raod, Sec 2, Taipei  02-2735-9638

7F, 15 Nanjing W, Road, Taipei  02-2542-7277

49 Ren-ai Road, Sec 2, Taipei  02-2351-0960

7F, 68 Tianmu East Road, Taipei  02-2873-6680

116 Tianmu West Road, Taipei  02-2826-4852

2F, 22 Jingye 3rd Road, Taipei  02-2175-3355

2F, 128 Beixin Road, Sec 2, Xindian  02-8913-5153

659 Zhongzheng Road, Yungho  02-2831-1257

4F, 122 Zhongshan Road, Sec 3, Zhonghe  02-7731-7778

65 Wenhua Road, Sec 1, Panchiao  02-8965-1155

95 Zhengyi North Road, Sanchung 02-2989-8088

Thai Town Locations Outside of Taipei

8F, 357 Yuahua Road, Zhongli City, Taoyuan  03-422-1599

4F, 509 Zhongyuan Road, Sec 2, Zhongli City  03-468-0488

12F, 2 Minzu Road, Hsinchu City   03-522-6789