Thai cuisine is based on intense flavors of sweet, sour, salty, and hot, using such ingredients as lime, fish and oyster sauce, lemon grass, herbs, and chilies. On the rich side, many recipes call for coconut milk, peanut sauce, and other peanut products.

Many appetizers include fried dishes. Pla Muk Yang and Pla Kung, grilled, marinated squid and prawns, are considerably lighter in fat. Satay is good, especially if you can get the chef to hold the peanut sauce and serve fresh lime instead.

Thai salads, such as Larb and Yum Yai, come with a choice of chicken, prawns, beef, or pork. Choose wisely.

If the ingredients are listed in detail, you can ask that items such as peanuts, cashews, mayonnaise, boiled eggs, and wonton skins be held. Tom Kha Gai is a coconut milk based soup to be remembered for hours (extra high in fat and calories). Tom Yum Gai, by contrast, is a broth based combination of Asian mushrooms and lemon grass. The result is a light, low fat, and flavorful soup.

Almost all entrées feature coconut and peanut-based sauces and oils. Pad Thai, for example, has peanuts plus sesame and canola oils. Black Cod Yang, cod fish cooked in a banana leaf, offers a much better alternative. Pra Ram Pak is a great vegetarian dish (if you go easy on the peanut sauce). Kung Pad Priaw Wan is better when sautéed rather than deep-fried. Ask how it is prepared – you may have a choice. Steamed rice is preferable to Thai Fried Rice, which is sautéed in oil.

Deep-Fried Bananas for dessert are unfortunately laden with fat and carbohydrates. I suggest you take the Fresh Tropical Fruit – many Thai restaurants offer an exotic selection including mango, papaya, and pineapple.

Thai House Menu

Appetizers

Po Pia Taud
(Vegetables wrapped in rice paper and fried)

♥ Pla Muk Yang
(Fresh squid grilled and then tossed with lime juice, lemon grass, and spicy red chilies)

♥ Pla Kung
(Fresh prawns grilled with lime juice, lemon grass, mint, and chilies)

Satay
(Marinated beef or chicken, grilled on skewers, and served with a spicy peanut sauce)

Soups and Salads

♥ Larb
(Ground pork with green onions, lemon grass, and lime juice on lettuce)

♥ Yum Yai
(Prawns or chicken, tomato, and cucumber, wrapped in a lettuce leaf with hard boiled eggs)

Tom Kha Gai
(Chicken and coconut milk soup with Asian spices)

♥ Tom Yum Gai
(Mushrooms and sliced chicken in a lemon grass and kaffir lime leaf broth)

Entrées

Pra Ram Pak
(Steamed vegetables and firm tofu, served with a spicy peanut sauce)

♥ Black Cod Yang
(Spice marinated black cod, wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled)

Kung Pad Priaw Wan
(Fresh prawns sautéed with green bell pepper, pineapple, and sweet and spicy tomato sauce)

Thai Fried Rice
(Rice sautéed with raisins, peanuts, eggs, and onions, served with prawns, chicken, or beef)

Pad Thai
(Glass noodles served with tofu, dried shrimp, boiled eggs, bean sprouts, and ground peanuts)

♥ Steamed Rice
(Short-grained rice steamed in a rice cooker, sticky and hot)

Desserts

Deep-Fried Bananas with Honey
(Batter coated bananas topped with honey, served with coconut ice cream)

♥ Fresh Tropical Fruit

Related Articles:

• Dining Out – Going Out on China Town
• Dining Out – Sizzling Tandoori
• Dining Out – Fiesta Mexicana
• Dining Out – From the Deep South
• Dining Out – Food in the Fast Lane
• Dining Out – The All American Diner