High on the list of Thai culinary passions is seafood. Thailand’s extensive coastline is scattered with tiny fishing villages and thousands of boats set out to sea at dusk, returning to shore at first light with their catch. All Thai restaurants will have a substantial section devoted to seafood dishes, and there are also many specialist seafood restaurants throughout the country. Bangkok is no exception. Here are a few classic seafood dishes that must be tried when you visit Thailand.
Pla nueng manaow – steamed sea bass with a spicy lime sauce. The dish usually arrives at the table in a fish-shaped aluminum dish on top of a charcoal brazier. Cooked to perfection, this dish is a sensation. The piquant soup around the fish is beautiful flavoured and the lime cuts through the fiery chillies to deliver a satisfying taste. This dish looks fantastic and tastes even better.
Tom yam bpo taek – mixed seafood tom yam. This is a seafood lover’s variation of the all-time classic Thai soup, tom yam goong (shrimp) that is now known around the world. Tom yam po taek, literally ‘broken fish trap soup’ is a sweet, sour and spicy soup that usually contains shrimp, fish, squid and clams. Deeply satisfying, this dish is comfort food at its best.
Hoy lai pad nahm prik paow – clams stir-fried in roasted chilli paste. Hoy lai are a delightful little clam recognized by their pale brown shells and decorative lines. Flash-fried with a mild and flavoursome roasted chilli paste and a handful of Thai basil, the dish is the perfect accompaniment with a tom yam.
Goong chare nahm pla – raw shrimps marinated in fish sauce. The key to enjoying food in Thailand is to be adventurous. This dish may seem strange to most Westerners but give it a try; it’s extremely good. The freshest shrimps are dipped in a marinade of fish sauce, chillies and garlic, and eaten raw…delicious!
Bpoo pad pong garee – a fantastic dish of fresh crab stir-fried with curried powder, eggs, onion and coconut milk. This mild and colourful dish compliments other spicier dishes at the table very well. A firm favourite at seafood restaurants.
Choo chee pla – a dry red curry with kaffir lime leaves ladled over a fried or steamed fish. When done well, this is a truly fabulous dish. There are also some great appetizers and beer snacks such as goong choot baeng tod, the Thai version of tempura shrimps served with a sweet chilli dipping sauce, tod man goong, fried shrimp cakes, and tod man pla, fried fish cakes. Roasted dried squid is also another great beer snack that is often sold by mobile street vendors in the evenings.
Bangkok is home to some sensational seafood restaurants. With four branches in the city, Somboon Seafood restaurants are good places to explore the bewildering array of squid, fish, clam, shrimp, crab and lobster dishes. Classic dishes include crab with curry powder, roast shrimps with glass noodles, steamed sea bass with chilli and lime sauce and stir-fried clams with roast chilli paste. l 169 Suriwong Road, Bangrak, Bangkok. http://www.somboonseafood.com/
Supatra River House not only serves good seafood, you also get to enjoy views of the Chao Phraya River from the terrace and the golden spires of the Grand Palace. The menu is filled with Thai seafood dishes. An added bonus on the weekend is a performance by the Patravadi Theatre's traditional Thai dancers. 266 Soi Wat Rakhang, Arun Amrin Road, Bangkok. http://www.supatrariverhouse.com/riverhouse/bkkabout.html.