Anyone who’s visited Thailand knows the hot, sour, sweet and spicy flavours of the local eats and how addictive they are. Once you get a craving for an eye-watering spicy papaya salad, an eggy pad thai or a whole fish soaked in tamarind and chilli, there’s not much else you can do but hunt it down and devour.
Because we’re turning 10, we’re featuring your top 10 recommendations, and this week we’ve narrowed down your favourite Thai restaurants. Here’s which spots made your list.
Baan Baan
Northbridge
Set in one of Northbridge’s heritage buildings and splashed with art from street artist Emblem Ink, Baan Baan is one of the top contenders for the best Thai in Perth in our opinion so we're glad to see it come out on top in your eyes too. The menu at Baan Baan is loaded with food based on Dao’s family kitchen in Bangkok and her travels throughout Thailand, so the flavours aren’t restricted to any region, rather a happy collective of her favourites. She’s tried to steer clear of many typical Thai meals, although she couldn’t let punters down by missing a decent Pad Thai so the rice noodle favourite is still repped here. Urban List reader Alyssa loves the Sticky BBQ Pork Cheek, while Zachery is a fan of the classic Green Chicken Curry.
Long Chim
Perth CBD
Long Chim is hard to beat, not least due to its irresistibly cool location (the basement of the State Buildings) and excellent fit-out. Chef David Thompson himself refers to the place as ‘his little Bangkok in Perth’, and has constructed a menu that captures the flavours of Thai street food in all their spicy glory. The Jack’s Omelette is tasty, made with duck eggs and sriracha sauce, and reader Chris keeps coming back for the Chicken Wings. Other popular recommendations by you Thai lovers were the larb and the fried rice.
Six Senses Gourmet Thai Restaurant
Subiaco, Leederville and Elizabeth Quay
Six Senses dishes up amazing traditional Thai food, but the gourmet twist keeps us coming back for more. They’ve got everything from soups and stir-fries to curries and salads, cooked with love and a handful of chillies, too. Quite a few of you love to order the Thai Green Curry, and with options to add tiger prawn, crispy pork belly, deep-fried tofu, roast duck or chicken into the mix, it’s certainly a delicious crowd-pleaser.
Totally Thai
Leederville and Carlisle
A notable mention goes to Totally Thai, for both their extensive menu and colourful interiors. The Carlisle restaurant is filled with splashes of pink, purple and blue, while the Leederville eatery has gorgeous emerald green walls and loads of hanging plants. Totally Thai has many rice and noodle dishes, curries and soups, and the cocktail list is pretty impressive too. A Bitter Watermelon Martini, Mango Daiquiri or a Spicy Pineapple cocktail would go down an absolute treat with one of their fragrant dishes. Ellen’s favourite meal to order is the Coconut Noodle, which has a creamy sweet chilli sauce mixed through rice noodles.
S&T Thai Gourmet Cafe
Northbridge
If you’re looking for a papaya salad that will make you cry, S&T Thai is the place to find it. It’s a bit of a hole in the wall, right by Viet Hoa in the heart of Chinatown. Their noodles are saucy and come with lots of extra garnish (crushed peanuts, fresh chilli, and bean sprouts) and their Tom Yum Soup is absolutely delicious. All enjoyed with your BYO wine and beer, of course. Dave recommends both the Jungle Curry and the Kway Teow dish as the ultimate combo.
Longlae Thai
Mount Lawley
For seriously fresh Thai food packed with flavour, look no further than Longlae right in the heart of Mount Lawley. Handpicked ingredients are cooked according to ancient techniques and recipes, resulting in plates of food that are literally brimming with flavour. The ‘prawn in the blanket’ is great for starters, then go for some curry or a whole fish for mains, which you can get soaked in tamarind, ginger, sweet and sour or pepper and garlic sauce. They also have a great little list of desserts and they're BYO, which is a double thumbs up from us.
Spice Market
Fremantle and Karrinyup
After serving Freo locals the best Thai around, Spice Market has recently headed up to Karrinyup to show the north of the river folk what they’re missing. This Thai eatery has an extensive menu, with bao buns, fragrant salads, spicy soups, stir frys, curries, roast duck, pork belly, and even a large selection of vegan editions. Oh, and we can’t forget their list of tropical cocktails. The Tom Yum Cocktail has vodka, lime, lemongrass and galangal, and we don’t think we’ve come across anything quite like it.
The King & I Thai Cuisine
Guildford
The King & I Thai doesn’t compromise when it comes to authentic Thai flavours, and they’ve been dishing out solid eats to the people of Guildford and beyond for more than a decade. The place is generally full of regulars, especially on Friday nights, with menu favourites including the spring rice, Pad Thai and, for dessert, the sticky rice. Reader Elide says you can’t go wrong with one of their delicious curries.
Louder Louder
Northbridge
On Lake Street in Northbridge you’ll come across Louder Louder, a modern Issan-Thai restaurant. On the menu are plenty of starters from prawn cakes to Thai beef salad, and if you love the freshness of Thai cooking, you’ll love the long list of Thai Spicy Salads, with green papaya and lots of fresh herbs. There’s also a Thai Style Hot Pot for the soup lovers, but Talia says she can’t go past the Chicken Cashew Nut. Pair these with a glass of white wine or a cocktail and you’re set.
Red Basil Thai Cuisine
Victoria Park
Red Basil leaves lots of you feeling super satisfied, and it seems this neighbourhood Thai has quite the loyal following. Jaesun says to try the Pad Kee Mao, with basil, egg and bamboo shoots, while Jill is a fan of the Chilli Crispy Pork. Richard recommends the deep-fried Chu Chee Fish, cooked with red curry paste, and if you are a lover of spicy food, try and tackle the Jungle Curry. Order a coconut juice to wash it all down, or BYO your bevvie of choice.
Feeling like something else? Take a look at Perth's best Mexican.
Image credit: Spice Market