Thai cuisine is, hands-down, one of the finest cuisines recognized globally. Though Thai food is incredibly diverse, the majority of dishes consist of noodles, stir-fries, curries, soups, and salads. You can find these dishes anywhere, from street food carts to Michelin-starred restaurants in Bangkok.

Here are our top 8 picks of Thai dishes that you must try if you come to Lopen Raj or any other Thai restauran

1. Tom Yum Goong (Tom Yum Soup)

This traditional soup is a spicy, sour, and aromatic taste bud feast and one of Thailand’s most well-known foods!

Tom yum goong is a flavorful blend of spicy galangal, chillies, shallots, fish sauce, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. This hot and sour soup is best served with steamed white rice and contains delicious river shrimp and straw mushrooms.

2. Khao Pad (Thai Egg Fried Rice)

Thai fried rice is a classic delicacy that Thai people frequently enjoy, particularly during lunch. The ingredients for Khao Pad include eggs, garlic, onions, fish sauce, fresh herbs, tomatoes, or other vegetables, and leftovers, along with either chicken, hog, beef, shellfish, or tofu. Even picky eaters enjoy this classic dish.

3. Pad Thai (Stir-Fried Noodles)

Pad Thai is the most popular of all the noodle dishes in Thailand. Given that it’s not overly spicy, this signature dish is an excellent place to start when trying Thai cuisine.

The traditional components of this dish include flat rice noodles, seafood, dried shrimp, fish sauce, tamarind, bean sprouts, shallots, and an egg. These ingredients are stir-fried in a hot wok. Pad Thai perfectly captures the distinctive sweet, sour, and salty flavor combinations and well-balanced texture contrasts of Thai cuisine.

4. Gaeng Kiew Wani (Green Curry)

The spiciest of the Thai “holy trio” and possibly the most well-known dish worldwide is green curry. The flavorful green chilis at the heart of this wildly famous meal are what give it its distinct green color and fierce flavor.

While the dish contains ingredients found in many Thai curries (such as galangal, shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime, Thai basil, etc.) and is simmered with coconut milk (which helps to tone things down and adds a rich, sweet nuance), it’s the green chilies that give the dish its intensely spicy flavor. The addition of little eggplants, potatoes, bamboo shoots, and thin slices of chicken breast makes green curry unique.

5. Gaeng Daeng (Red Curry)

Red curry is a flavorful dish that includes meat, creamy coconut milk, red curry paste, and sliced kaffir lime leaves on top. Despite its eye-catching color, gaeng daeng has a moderate level of spiciness; however, if you want spicy food, request fresh chilli.

6. Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)

Som Tam is arguably one of the most popular Thai salads. Som Tam comes in several forms. But the traditional recipe typically calls for a shredded green papaya, lime juice, red chillies, fish sauce, tamarind pulp, and palm sugar. These ingredients are combined with vegetables like cherry tomatoes, carrots, and runner beans, as well as roasted peanuts and dried shrimp for crunchy and nutty textures. All these together create a flavorful mixture of sweet, savory, spicy, salty, and sour flavors.