While world-renowned favourites like Pad Thai and Tom Yum Goong always top the best Thai food lists, there’s more to discover within the Thai culinary world. If you’re looking to go beyond the popular rice and noodle dishes of Thailand, here are some simple yet flavourful Thai dishes that are worthy of attention.

Som Tum

This spicy green papaya salad is just as common as Pad Thai and is almost always listed on Thai menus at Bangkok restaurants and buffet services. It features a colourful mix of chillies, green beans, shredded raw papaya, cherry tomatoes, and garlic.

Tom Kha Kai

This is a milder version of the popular Tom Yum and features tender strips of chicken served in coconut milk to reduce the spice of the fiery chillies. The dish also features thinly sliced galangal, lemongrass, crushed shallot and fresh lime leaves.

Gaeng Daeng

This aromatic red curry is a flavourful combination of meat, smooth coconut milk, curry paste, and a sprinkling of kaffir lime leaves. Despite its bright colour, the curry is rather mild although the spice levels can be adjusted to suit your liking.

Yum Nua

This is a refreshing Thai salad served with tender beef strips flavoured with a zesty dressing made from sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and ginger. Yum Nua can be enjoyed on its own or with a serving of rice to cut down the intense flavours.

Gaeng Keow Wan Kai

Gaeng Keow Wan Kai – Image via Needpix

This is a green chicken curry that gets its defining green colour from green chillies, although it is prepared much like most Thai curries. It contains coconut milk, lemongrass, bamboo shoots, eggplants, galangal, coriander and sweet basil. This green curry dish can be found across hotels and restaurants like the Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok.