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I want your opinion on Thai food

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by macmaster05, Apr 18, 2011.

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  1. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Ok here's where I'm coming from - half of my friends hate Thai food and half of them love Thai food, but I just can't understand why they love it. I hate Thai food. I've had it a few times and have tried REALLY hard to like it, but I just can't see its appeal -- in fact, it's the only cuisine I dislike. I love Indian food, Japanese, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Mediterranean, even Argentinian, etc etc. Now, I'm a big fan of bold, spicy flavors, so I thought Thai would suit me. But IMHO, Thai just tastes weak, peanuty, pathetic. To me, Thai curry tastes like the leftover milk from your bowl of sugary cereal...over rice. I just can't do that. Plus for the money, the portions are tiny.

    I just can't understand what sane person enjoys paying for this food. I don't know why it's the first thing that comes into peoples' minds when deciding where to eat. I personally think it's just a trend. When people realize they're paying $10 for a small bowl of sweetened milk with 4 chucks of white chicken.

    Am I wrong here? I want your opinions on Thai food...now.
     
    #1 macmaster05, Apr 18, 2011
  2. skilbovia

    skilbovia Member

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    Where the hell have you been eating? :confused: Sorry you are not in Central Mass or I would take you to a really great Thai restaurant. Bangkok Hill. I find Thai food is lighter than Chinese. Not as much oil, rather using spices to add flavor. We'll have the Pad Thai.
     
    #2 skilbovia, Apr 18, 2011
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  3. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    I can't understand how anyone can NOT love Thai food. It combines the best elements of Chinese and Indian food (both of which I also love) and puts a unique spin on it. Yeah, they do tend to go a bit peanut-happy sometime, but since I like peanuts this is a bonus for me. I guess if your idea of an "authentic ethnic meal" is Pizza Hut how you can be put off by it, but for those of us with adventuresome palates, Thai food is a wonderful change of pace.

    ProTip: There's more to Thai food than Pad Thai.
     
    #3 Stev0, Apr 18, 2011
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  4. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    I have a very adventuresome palate and have learned to appreciate and love several cuisines. I love food. After trying it several times, it does nothing for me.

    BTW - I am Chinese and saying Thai is close to Chinese food is an insult. Lol.
     
    #4 macmaster05, Apr 18, 2011
  5. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Chinese food is like the GM Volt ...
    :behindsofa:

    Just kidding, although outside of big US cities I avoid buying Chinese meals.

    Thai food is bliss. I love galangal, basil, and Thai curry. I exist to eat Thai peppers.
     
    #5 SageBrush, Apr 18, 2011
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  6. amm0bob

    amm0bob Permanently Junior...

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    I like Thai... just tell em no peanuts... :thumb:
     
    #6 amm0bob, Apr 18, 2011
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  7. gone2green

    gone2green grumpier than the grumpiest old man you know ;)

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    Order this next time, everyone I know loves it
    Tom Kha Gai
     
    #7 gone2green, Apr 18, 2011
  8. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    I'm not a very adventurous eater, because too many things make me quite ill. So, I avoid them - peanuts and too many spices included - meaning most Thai food isn't on the menu for me. Everybody has their own tastes, and any food can be poorly prepared, so it's not fair or accurate to say any one style is bad.
     
    #8 hyo silver, Apr 18, 2011
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  9. SlowTurd

    SlowTurd I LIKE PRIUS'S

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    next time you order Thai ask them to make it spicier.
     
    #9 SlowTurd, Apr 18, 2011
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  10. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Understood. For me, I can handle the spices. That isn't the problem. The problem is I don't feel full or satisfied after I eat Thai. The flavors are too sweet. The curries are too runny.

    Admittedly, I do enjoy their roasted duck.
     
    #10 macmaster05, Apr 18, 2011
  11. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    There must be good Thai restaurants around. Ask your friends and family for suggestions, or read reviews on the internet for your area. Most places will accommodate special requests, especially if they're not too busy and you ask nicely. The few places I frequent will make whatever I like, even if it's not on the menu. OK, maybe not steak at a vegan place, but you get the idea. :)
     
    #11 hyo silver, Apr 18, 2011
  12. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    In my neighborhood you have to ask for "Thai Hot" to have any hope of a spicy meal. American restaurants cater to the American palate, which is very, very bland.

    I ask for 'Thai Hot,' and then request fresh Thai peppers I cut up and add to my meal. I'm making myself hungry. Come over and eat Thai at my house Macmaster. I don't think you will find the food sweet.
     
    #12 SageBrush, Apr 18, 2011
  13. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

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    I love Thai... I always get something like Pineapple Curry, with tofu or just vegetarian (no fish sauce). The "runny" curry is so that you can eat it with lots of rice!

    There's a heavily garlic'd dish I love, too, that has lots of garlic, peppers, and Thai basil. Served with rice.

    I'm not a fan of Thai noodle dishes.
     
    #13 Rae Vynn, Apr 18, 2011
  14. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    I used to know a woman who would order Jalapenos on the side, and just munch them raw. I'd need an ambulance standing by to try that.
     
    #14 hyo silver, Apr 18, 2011
  15. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    My problem with Thai food in the US is that they try so hard to please that they often serve Caucasions the level of spiciness that they think you want instead of what you ask for. That usually results in food that is too bland by my standards. Then, occasionally they surprise me.
     
    #15 xs650, Apr 18, 2011
  16. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    Ah, THAT may explain your dislike of it. From a U.S. point of view, Chinese and Thai food are - well, not siblings, but maybe cousins. I know I don't get along with all my cousins...
     
    #16 Stev0, Apr 18, 2011
  17. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    It depends where you get them. Here in New England, if I eat something with Jalapeños, they're basically slightly (very slightly) spicier pickles. Ordering snakebites (AKA deep-fried Jalapeños stuffed with cheese), the breaded crust is usually spicier than the Jalapeño itself. They're maybe slightly spicier than deep-fried mozzarella sticks. On a scale of 1 - 10, 10 being spiciest, they're about a 2.5.

    In California, Jalapeños give a nice, spicy buzz to food. Not too spicy, but it's definitely a kick you can notice. On the 1-10 scale, they're about a 5.

    In Mexico I once ordered snakebites in an off-the-beaten-path restaurant, took one bite and OH MY GOD MY MOUTH JUST BURNED OFF! On the 1-10 scale, they were at least a 9.
     
    #17 Stev0, Apr 18, 2011
  18. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Our Jalapenos in the SouthWest US are nice to munch on raw. Thai peppers are considerably spicier and I at least dilute them with food.
     
    #18 SageBrush, Apr 19, 2011
  19. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    Haha yeah we all have those cousins. Plenty of my family members and Chinese friends love Thai, and I'm open to all sorts of foods too so I doubt my ethnicity has anything to do with it.

    The Thai restaurant I most recently visited got pretty good reviews.
    Chiang Mai Thai Cuisine - Outer Richmond - San Francisco, CA
    Some dishes were good, others not so much. However, whether or not this is actually a good restaurant is irrelevant to me, because regardless of the restaurant, the cuisine always leaves me craving something else after I finish it.

    I have nothing against Thai restaurants or Thai cuisine itself and I'm not complaining about having food (I sound like a spoiled fat idiot). I respect the culture and restaurant owners gotta make their money. My problem is how my coworkers/family/friends always seem to jump on Thai as the first suggestion for lunch or dinner. This has happened to me a few times in the past couple weeks and I just don't get it. It seems overrated at this point. I almost wonder if people have psychologically deceived themselves into liking this food. The trend is astonishing. And as an amateur food critic (or I like to think that I am), I love finding new flavors, which is why I want(ed) so much to love Thai food and thought that I would - especially by now.

    I could talk about food all day. I'm only harping on Thai food since I'd really like to get to the bottom of this. Plus, a thread about the food I do love would take way too long. Hey maybe that's not a bad idea... :rolleyes:
     
    #19 macmaster05, Apr 19, 2011
  20. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Your description sounds more like 'American' curry than any of the gazillion different Thai curries.
     
    #20 fuzzy1, Apr 19, 2011
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