Thai restaurants are frequently visited not just by locals but by also foreigners. In fact, they have become so popular that they are already found in all four corners of the globe. They also come in variety of forms and sizes. You will find trendier restaurants, where you will even be treated to performances of Thai dancers and musicians. There are also smaller ones, which can be hard to find since they have become hole-in-the-wall dining areas.
Here's one problem, though. There are a lot of Thai restaurants that claim to be authentic, but they actually are not. Thus, even if you spend less on your food, you are still being shortchanged. After all, you're there to taste real Thai cuisine, right? So how can you, a non-chef and just order-and-eat individual, distinguish the various Thai restaurants in your area? Here are some of the best ways:
1. Thai food is usually made of four flavors. Unlike other kinds of meals out there, where they can be pretty direct, Thai food is normally composed of four flavors. It's important that every time you chew on food, you can taste something creamy, sweet, sour, and salty. Achieving this is not easy, however, as the chef should make sure that these elements are properly balanced. As much as possible, there should be no specific flavor that overcomes the others.
2. Meals are served hot. You can never find fast food Thai restaurants. This is because Thais believed in preparing their meals and serving them while they are still hot. This is also the reason why in Thai restaurants you have to wait for at least 15 minutes before your meals will be served. The ingredients are already prepared, but they will only be cooked the moment that you made your order from the menu.
3. Cooks don't measure their ingredients. It's only typical for any cook, whether professional or not, to prepare meals using exact measurements. However, Thai chefs don't. This could be because they want to value the personal taste of the diners. When real Thai chefs cook, you won't see any measuring cup in their kitchen. They will be highly dependent on what they think is right. If they believe that the dish already tastes good, they will be ready to serve it to you.
4. Almost all food groups are present in your meals. It's very common for Thai restaurants to serve meals that are composed of not just meat, but also vegetables and even rice. Yes, unlike Western meals that can be made up of bread or no carbohydrate at all, Thai food, on the other hand, has a lot of it. It's also the reason why you have Thai rice. Rice meals in Thai restaurants are often combined with meat and vegetables, so you get all the basic food groups in one sitting.
You may find some Thai restaurants that provide you with chopsticks when you're eating rice meals. In truth, ancient Thais don't use any condiments but their fingers. However, with the introduction of Western culture, it's normal to eat dishes with spoon and fork, which you have to put together in your plate once you're done eating.
5. Desserts are very simple. Most of the desserts served in authentic Thai restaurants are made up of three essential ingredients. They need to have flour, coconut milk, and sugar. If you love some taste beside sweet, you can add a little salt into your own dessert.
What They Use in Cooking
Kitchens in real Thai restaurants are very simple. They don't have a lot of high-tech equipment around. However, it's very important that the tools that they utilize in cooking can last for a very long time.
Since majority of their dishes are made up of rice, Thai restaurants have to make use of a rice cooker. After around 20 minutes, you already have steamed rice, which you can put inside the bowl. If the restaurant doesn't have any rice cooker, though, there's a huge chance that it has to settle for the traditional method: put rice into the steamer, add water, and wait until the water starts to boil and evaporate, and the rice is already tender and well cooked.
Thai restaurants would also make use of stainless steel woks and spatula. The good thing about them is that they don't rust when they are exposed to water, especially when you are going to clean them. They are also very tough. The sizes of woks can range from small to huge, depending on the quantity of your order.
Where to Look for Authentic Thai Restaurants
Of course, you can find a lot of them when you're in Thailand, but what if you're not? One of the best things that you can do is to communicate with a Thai friend. He or she can definitely inform you where to find real Thai restaurants. He or she may even bring you to them. You can also read reviews that you can find in food magazines, newspapers, and the World Wide Web. Make sure that you can confirm to the writer or the reviewer that the Thai restaurants that they endorse are authentic ones.
No matter where you are in the world, you can definitely get a taste of Thai cuisine. All it needs is a little research to know that you're getting the real deal out of your money.