When it comes to food, there's no denying that Thai food has a character and flavour that people everywhere fall in love with. Its bold, punchy flavours have won fans all over the world.

Thai food is distinctive in its flavours, its look, its methods and its ingredients, and it offers an enormous variety. Foreign visitors love its intensity and balance, which differ from cook to cook and recipe to recipe. Thailand has traded with foreigners for centuries, so many of its best dishes travelled by word of mouth to other countries. The dish visitors most often fall for is tom yum goong, loved for its taste, look and unique herbal aroma, and Thai restaurants now open all over the world so people everywhere can enjoy it.

Where Thai Food Comes From

Thai food developed together with the Thai people. Cooks used simple ingredients from the home and the village: vegetables, curry paste ingredients and seasonings found in nature, animal fats and coconut oil. Thailand is especially famous for nam prik, chilli dips that come in countless varieties and are eaten with fresh vegetables, a combination that was hugely popular in the past and still is.

Thai Cooking Methods

There are many ways to cook Thai food, depending on the recipe and the cook's own creativity:

  • Yum (spicy salads) — ingredients such as chilli, vegetables and meat are combined with a bold dressing that soaks in, creating a sour, salty and sweet flavour. The dressing is added just before eating so the salad tastes its best.
  • Kaeng (curries) — a soupy dish where finely pounded paste is dissolved in water or coconut milk with meat and vegetables, such as kaeng som (sour curry), red curry and kaeng khua.
  • Tom (boiling) — food simmered in a pot of water until cooked, such as soups and boiled vegetables or meat.
  • And many more: stirring, toasting, grilling and roasting, depending on the dish.

Thai Food by the River at Coco Chaophraya

Thailand has many famous restaurants loved for their food, atmosphere and service. For great food with a beautiful view, try Coco Chaophraya on the Chao Phraya River: tom yum goong in a young coconut, green curry with chicken, spicy salads and much more, with drinks to enjoy as the evening falls over the river. It's a restaurant for everyone, including families. For more, read The history of Thai green curry and Riverside restaurant near Khao San Road.

49/1 Phra Sumen Road, Chana Songkhram, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 · Tel 02-281-9918 · Open daily 10:00–23:00

About us: Coco Chaophraya has been open for more than 10 years. We started at the front of Baan Chao Phraya before moving to the Chao Phraya riverside. Our chefs have more than 10 years of experience, and our professional baristas have more than 10 years of experience making coffee.