Thai
Poo Pad Pong Curry (Thai Stir-Fried Crab in Curry Powder and Egg)
The name says curry, but this is a stir-fry — pad, not gaeng. It is over in three minutes in a wok, and what thickens the sauce is not coconut milk but beaten egg poured in at the end and left only half set.
Khao Soi (Northern Thai Curry Noodles)
Chiang Mai's curry noodles, and the shape of the dish is two noodle states in one bowl: boiled beneath, deep-fried on top. The crisp nest is not a garnish but half the point. The paste is unlike other Thai curries too — turmeric and curry powder rather than galangal and lemongrass, a lineage that comes over the Burmese border.
Mango Sticky Rice
A beloved Thai dessert (khao niaow ma muang) — glutinous rice bathed in sweet-salty coconut sauce and served with ripe mango. The chewy rice, rich coconut, and bright fruit are a perfect trio, and it takes just three main ingredients at home.
Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)
Thailand's iconic salad: shredded green papaya pounded in a mortar with lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, and chili. Sour, spicy, salty, and sweet all at once, with crunchy papaya and toasty peanuts — and no cooking required.
Pad See Ew
Thai stir-fried wide rice noodles tossed in dark soy sauce over screaming-hot heat for that smoky wok char. Chinese broccoli, egg, and meat make it savory and satisfying, with lightly charred edges as the best part.
Pad Kra Pao (Basil Stir-fry)
Ground meat stir-fried hot with garlic and Thai chilies, then tossed with a big handful of basil — Thailand's go-to street-food rice plate. Spooned over rice and crowned with a crispy fried egg, it's a full meal in minutes.
Khao Pad (Fried Rice)
Thai fried rice: day-old rice stir-fried with meat and egg in fish sauce, served with lime. A 15-minute one-wok way to use up rice — the final squeeze of lime is what makes it Thai.
Thai Green Curry (Kaeng Khiao Wan)
A fragrant, gently spicy Thai curry of chicken and vegetables simmered in green curry paste and coconut milk. With store-bought paste it's a 25-minute one-pot dish, perfect over jasmine rice.
Tom Yum Goong (Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup)
Thailand's iconic hot-and-sour shrimp soup — broth perfumed with lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaf, brightened with lime at the end. Sour, spicy, savory; one of the world's most famous soups.
Pad Thai
Thailand's beloved street-food noodle dish — rice noodles stir-fried with shrimp, tofu, and egg in a tangy tamarind sauce. Bean sprouts and chives add crunch; peanuts and lime finish it bright and nutty.